Capacitive touch sensors

• US 8,937,611 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sleeman, Peter, Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, K.
• Application Number:
  US14/094,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/20 Dynamic coding, i.e. by key scanning H03M11/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A touch data set is acquired via signals from each sensing node in a capacitive sensor array having a plurality of sensing nodes. Touch presence and location on the capacitive sensor array is determined from the touch data set. In subsequent sampling periods while presence of a touch continues to be detected, touch data sets may be acquired from respective subsets of the sensing nodes, each subset being located at and adjacent to the touch location determined in the preceding sampling period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring, in a first sampling period, a touch data set with signals from all of a plurality of sensing electrodes in a capacitive sensor array;

determining presence and location of a touch on the capacitive sensor array from the touch data set; and

acquiring, in sampling periods after the first sampling period and while continuing to detect presence of the touch, subsequent touch data sets from less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises sensing electrodes located at the location of the touch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes are located in the vicinity of the location of the touch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch; and

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch;

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes; and

a third set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the second set of electrodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing electrodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array along a first axis and a second axis, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes arranged along the first axis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes arranged along the second axis.

8. A capacitive sensor device, comprising:

a capacitive sensor array comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes;

a controller operable to;

acquire touch data from each of the plurality of sensing electrodes in a first sampling period;

detect presence and location of a touch from the touch data;

acquire, after the first sampling period and after determining an absence of the touch, a first set of touch data in a second sampling period, the first set of touch data including signals from each of the plurality of sensing electrodes; and

acquire, in a third sampling period occurring after the first sampling period and while continuing to detect the touch, a second set of touch data from less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes located at the location of the touch.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes are located in the vicinity of the location of the touch.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch; and

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch;

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes; and

a third set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the second set of electrodes.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensing electrodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array along a first axis and a second axis, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes arranged along the first axis.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes arranged along the second axis.

15. A system comprising:

a controller configured to;

acquire touch data from each of the plurality of sensing electrodes in a first sampling period;

detect presence and location of a touch from the touch data;

acquire, after the first sampling period and after determining an absence of the touch, a first set of touch data in a second sampling period, the first set of touch data including signals from each of the plurality of sensing electrodes; and

acquire, in a third sampling period occurring after the first sampling period and while continuing to detect the touch, a second set of touch data from less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes located at the location of the touch.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes are located in the vicinity of the location of the touch.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch; and

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises:

a first set of electrodes located at the location of the touch;

a second set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the first set of electrodes; and

a third set of electrodes located immediately adjacent to the second set of electrodes.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensing electrodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array along a first axis and a second axis, wherein the less than all of the plurality of sensing electrodes comprises electrodes arranged along the first axis.