Determining actuation of multi-sensor-electrode capacitive buttons

• US 8,358,226 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Dattalo, Tracy Scott, Baharav, Izhak, Trent, Raymond A Jr., Feland, John M III, Maloney, John P Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, ANGELA D
• Application Number:
  US12/259,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 341/33
• US Class Current: 341/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

Methods for determining actuation of a capacitive button are described. In some embodiments, indicia from the at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with at least three sensor electrode elements comprising the capacitive button are received, the indicia indicative of interaction of an input object with the at least three distinct sensor electrodes. The actuation of the capacitive button is then determined, based at least in part on satisfying a set of criteria comprising: a location condition concerning a location of the input object relative to a center of the capacitive button, and a coupling condition concerning a change in capacitive coupling of the at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with the at least three sensor electrode elements comprising the capacitive button.

Claims

1. A method for indicating actuation of a capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements, said method comprising:

receiving indicia from at least three distinct sensor electrodes, each sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with at least one sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements comprising said capacitive button, said indicia indicative of interaction of an input object with said capacitive button; and

identifying said capacitive button from a plurality of capacitive buttons, said plurality of capacitive buttons sharing at least one sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes;

determining actuation of said capacitive button based at least in part on satisfaction of a set of criteria, said set of criteria comprising;

a location condition concerning a location of said input object relative to a center of said capacitive button, wherein said location of said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia; and

a coupling condition concerning a magnitude of change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, wherein said coupling condition comprises said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling satisfying a first threshold magnitude, wherein said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location condition comprises said location of said input object being within a threshold distance of said center of said capacitive button.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

indicating actuation of said capacitive button at a time when said set of criteria is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said location of said input object is a location of said input object at a time defined by when said set of criteria is no longer satisfied, wherein said time when said set of criteria is no longer satisfied occurs substantially immediately after a time when said set of criteria is satisfied, and wherein said location condition comprises said location being within a threshold distance of said center of said capacitive button, the method further comprising:

indicating actuation of said capacitive button no earlier than said time when said set of criteria is no longer satisfied.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is gauged at least in part based on said indicia by using said indicia to determine at least three distinct electrode values, each distinct electrode value of said at least three distinct electrode values associated with a different sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, and wherein

said coupling condition comprises said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling satisfying a first threshold magnitude by:

requiring at least one of said distinct electrode values to be greater than said first threshold magnitude.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said coupling condition comprises said change in said capacitive coupling occurring at least at a predetermined rate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of criteria further comprises:

a duration condition concerning an amount of time said input object interacts with said capacitive button, wherein said duration condition comprises said amount of time being greater than a first threshold duration, and wherein said amount of time said input object interacts with said capacitive button is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of criteria further comprises:

a speed condition concerning a lateral speed of said input object relative to said capacitive button, said speed condition comprising said lateral speed of said input object being less than a threshold speed during a time when said coupling condition is satisfied, wherein said lateral speed of said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of criteria further comprises:

a distance condition concerning a total lateral distance traveled by said input object relative to said capacitive button during a time when said coupling condition is satisfied, wherein said distance condition comprises said total lateral distance being less than a threshold lateral distance, and wherein said total lateral distance is gauged based at least in part on said indicia.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of criteria further comprises:

an approach condition concerning a direction of approach by said input object relative to said capacitive button during a time when said coupling condition is satisfied, wherein said approach condition comprises said direction of approach being substantially orthogonal to a surface associated with said capacitive button, and wherein said direction of approach is gauged based at least in part on said indicia.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is gauged at least in part based on said indicia by:

using said indicia to determine at least three distinct electrode values, each distinct electrode value of said at least three distinct electrode values associated with a different sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, and

using a total of said distinct electrode values, and wherein

said coupling condition comprises said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling satisfying a first threshold magnitude by;

requiring said total of said distinct electrode values to be greater than said first threshold magnitude.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said coupling condition further comprises:

said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling being less than a second threshold magnitude, wherein said second threshold magnitude is greater than said first threshold magnitude.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving indicia from an unassociated sensor electrode, said unassociated sensor electrode not associated with any sensor electrode elements of said capacitive button, wherein said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is gauged at least in part based on said indicia by;

using said indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes to determine distinct electrode values for said at least three distinct sensor electrodes,

using said indicia from said unassociated sensor electrode to determine an unassociated electrode value, and

using a difference between total of said distinct electrode values and said unassociated electrode value.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a swipe interaction with said capacitive button if a lateral speed of said input object relative to said capacitive button is in a first range of lateral speeds, wherein said lateral speed of said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a swipe interaction with said capacitive button if a total lateral distance traveled by said input object relative to said capacitive button is greater than a threshold lateral distance, wherein said total lateral distance traveled by said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said change in capacitive coupling of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes comprises a plurality of variations in capacitive coupling, each of said plurality of variations in capacitive coupling associated with one of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, the method further comprising:

increasing a rate of receiving indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes responsive to at least one of said plurality of variations in capacitive coupling satisfying an activation threshold for a first time period.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

decreasing said rate of receiving indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes responsive to at least one of said plurality of variations in capacitive coupling satisfying a deactivation threshold for a second time period.

18. A method for tuning at least one threshold in a system comprising a capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes, said method comprising:

receiving indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with said at least three sensor electrode elements comprising said capacitive button, said indicia provided by one of an actual interaction and a simulated interaction of an input object with said capacitive button;

identifying said capacitive button from a plurality of capacitive buttons, said plurality of capacitive buttons sharing at least one sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes; and

tuning a response confidence for indicating an actuation of said capacitive button based at least in part on said indicia.

19. A method for determining a position of an input object using a capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes, wherein each sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is associated with at least one sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements comprising said capacitive button, said method comprising:

receiving indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, said indicia indicative of interaction of said input object with said capacitive button;

identifying said capacitive button from a plurality of capacitive buttons, said plurality of capacitive buttons sharing at least one sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes;

generating at least three electrode values from said indicia, each electrode value of said at least three electrode values associated with a sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes;

generating modified electrode values by modifying said electrode values using weights associated with said at least three sensor electrode elements; and

determining said position of said input object based at least in part on said modified electrode values.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said weights is based at least in part on a location, relative to a center position, of an associated sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said location of said associated sensor electrode element is a geometric center of said associated sensor electrode element, and wherein a center position of said capacitive button is a geometric center of a shape outlined by said at least three sensor electrode elements.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said determining said position of said input object based at least in part on said modified electrode values comprises:

comparing a sum of said modified electrode values with a sum of said electrode values.

23. A method for determining a position of an input object using a capacitive button having a center position and comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes, wherein each sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes is associated with at least one sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements comprising said capacitive button, said method comprising:

receiving indicia from at least three distinct sensor electrodes, said indicia indicative of interaction of said input object with said capacitive button;

identifying said capacitive button from a plurality of capacitive buttons, said plurality of capacitive buttons sharing at least one sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes;

generating at least three electrode values from said indicia, each electrode value of said at least three electrode values associated with a sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes;

determining a peak based on said electrode values; and

determining said position of said input object based at least in part on said peak.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said determining said peak based on said electrode values comprises:

determining which sensor electrode of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes has a largest electrode value.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said determining said position of said input object based at least in part on said peak comprises:

generating estimated electrode values by at least one of extrapolating and interpolating said at least three electrode values.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining a trough based on said electrode values

comparing a difference between said peak and said trough with a sum of said peak and said trough.

27. A capacitive button device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes;

a first capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes;

a second capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a second subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset includes at least one sensor electrode in common; and

a controller coupled to said plurality of sensor electrodes, said controller configured to;

receive indicia from said plurality of sensor electrodes, said indicia indicative of interaction of an input object with said first capacitive button;

determine interaction of said input object with said first capacitive button based at least in part on said indicia; and

determine actuation of said first capacitive button based at least in part on satisfaction of a set of criteria, said set of criteria comprising;

a location condition concerning a location of said input object relative to a center of said first capacitive button, wherein said location of said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia;

a coupling condition concerning a magnitude of change in capacitive coupling of said first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein said coupling condition comprises said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling satisfying a first threshold magnitude, wherein said magnitude of said change in capacitive coupling of said first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes is gauged at least in part based on said indicia; and

a duration condition concerning an amount of time said input object interacts with said first capacitive button, wherein said duration condition comprises said amount of time being greater than a first threshold duration, and wherein said amount of time said input object interacts with said first capacitive button is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein said controller is further configured to change a rate of receiving indicia from said plurality of sensor electrodes responsive to satisfaction of said coupling condition for a time period.

29. The device of claim 27 wherein said location condition comprises said location of said input object being within a threshold distance of said center of said first capacitive button.

30. The device of claim 27 wherein said set of criteria further comprises:

a maximum lateral motion condition concerning a lateral motion of said input object during a time when said coupling condition is satisfied, wherein said lateral motion of said input object is gauged at least in part based on said indicia.