Proximity based gesturing devices, systems and methods
First Claim
1. A device comprising:
- a plurality of sensors substantially coplanar with one another in a sensor plane, each sensor to generate a sense value, which varies according to a physical distance between that sensor and an object; and
control circuits configured to generate a first position value, a second position value, and a third value using the sense values in a first mode to detect a hover or glove operation, the first position value and second position value identifying a two-dimensional position of the object in the sensor plane and the third value identifying a distance of the object in an axis substantially perpendicular to the sensor plane, wherein the control circuits are further configured to generate a fourth position value and a fifth position value using additional sense values from the plurality of sensors in a second mode to detect a touch operation, the fourth position value and the fifth position value identifying a second two-dimensional position of the object in the sensor plane, wherein the control circuits comprise a programmable integrated circuit comprising;
an analog portion configured to acquire the sense value at each sensor and convert the sense value to a numerical sensor count value; and
a digital portion comprising arithmetic logic circuits configured to calculate the first position value, the second position value, and the third value from the numerical sensor count values in the first mode and to calculate the fourth position value and the fifth position value from the numerical sensor count values in the second mode.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device includes sensor substantially coplanar with one another in a sensor plane, each sensor generating a sense value that varies according to a physical distance between the sensor and an object. The device also includes control circuits configured to generate a first position value, a second position value, and a third value using the sense values in a first mode to detect a hover or glove operation by the object. The first position value and the second position values identify a two-dimensional position of the object in the sensor plane and the third value varies in response to movement of the object in a Z-direction substantially perpendicular to the sensor plane. The control circuits are also configured to generate a fourth position value and a fifth position value in a second mode to detect a touch operation by the object. The control circuits include a programmable integrated circuit including an analog portion and a digital portion.
9 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a plurality of sensors substantially coplanar with one another in a sensor plane, each sensor to generate a sense value, which varies according to a physical distance between that sensor and an object; and control circuits configured to generate a first position value, a second position value, and a third value using the sense values in a first mode to detect a hover or glove operation, the first position value and second position value identifying a two-dimensional position of the object in the sensor plane and the third value identifying a distance of the object in an axis substantially perpendicular to the sensor plane, wherein the control circuits are further configured to generate a fourth position value and a fifth position value using additional sense values from the plurality of sensors in a second mode to detect a touch operation, the fourth position value and the fifth position value identifying a second two-dimensional position of the object in the sensor plane, wherein the control circuits comprise a programmable integrated circuit comprising; an analog portion configured to acquire the sense value at each sensor and convert the sense value to a numerical sensor count value; and a digital portion comprising arithmetic logic circuits configured to calculate the first position value, the second position value, and the third value from the numerical sensor count values in the first mode and to calculate the fourth position value and the fifth position value from the numerical sensor count values in the second mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method, adapted to a device comprising a plurality of sensors and a programmable integrated circuit having an analog portion and a digital portion, wherein the sensors are aligned in a sensor plane, and wherein the method comprises:
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generating, by each of the sensors, sensor data, wherein the sensor data generated by each of the sensors varies according to a physical distance between that sensor and an object; acquiring, by the analog portion of the programmable integrated circuit in a first mode, the sensor data from the sensors; detecting, by the digital portion of the programmable integrated circuit in the first mode, a hover or glove operation by the object in a detection space above the sensor plane using the sensor data; acquiring, by the analog portion of the programmable integrated circuit in a second mode, additional sensor data from the sensors; and detecting, by the digital portion of the programmable integrated circuit in the second mode, a touch operation by the object in the detection space above the sensor plane using the additional sensor data, and wherein detecting the hover or glove operation comprises; detecting, by the digital portion, differences between a first plurality of positions of the object in a first dimension extending from the sensor plane using the sensor data; and detecting, by the digital portion, differences between a second plurality of positions of the object in a second dimension and a third dimension in another plane that is substantially parallel with the sensor plane using the sensor data, wherein the sensors comprise a first sensor and a second sensor aligned along a first axis, and a third sensor and a fourth sensor aligned along a second axis different than the first axis, and the detecting the differences between the second plurality of positions of the object in the other plane comprises generating a first position value from sensor data from the first and second sensors, and generating a second position value from sensor data from the third and fourth sensors. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A device comprising:
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a first sensor configured to generate first proximity data for an object in a detection space adjacent to a device body; a second sensor configured to generate second proximity data for the object in the detection space; a third sensor configured to generate third proximity data for the object in the detection space; a fourth sensor configured to generate fourth proximity data for the object in the detection space; and processing circuits configured to determine a two-dimensional position of the object in a first plane of the detection space using at least two of the first proximity data, the second proximity data, the third proximity data, and the fourth proximity data and to determine movement of the object in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first plane using at least two of the first proximity data, the second proximity data, the third proximity data, and the fourth proximity data, wherein the processing circuits are further configured to detect a hover or glove operation in a first mode using the two-dimensional position of the object in the first plane and the movement of the object in the first direction, and wherein the processing circuits are further configured to detect a touch operation in a second mode using the two-dimensional position of the object in the first plane. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification