Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080246496 | Two-Dimensional Position Sensor - A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes ( | 10-09-2008 |
20100164889 | MULTIPLE ELECTRODE TOUCH SENSITIVE DEVICE - Two different sets of electrodes in a touch sensitive device are formed to produce an electric field gradient from one end of the electrodes to the other end when opposite ends of the electrodes are driven with different voltages. A signal measuring cycle is performed by alternately driving the ends of one set of electrodes, while using the other set of electrodes to receive signals. The roles of the sets of electrodes are then reversed, such that the set that that was driven is now used to receive signals from the other set of electrodes. Reference signals may be obtained by driving both sides of one set of electrodes, and then both sides of the other set of electrodes. The signals obtained are then used to determine the touch position on the touch sensitive device. | 07-01-2010 |
20100321043 | TWO-DIMENSIONAL POSITION SENSOR - A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes ( | 12-23-2010 |
20110050620 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES TO TEST THE FUNCTIONALITY OF CAPACITIVE SENSORS - Some embodiments include apparatus and methods to test a device having a driving layer and a sensing layer. A test signal is applied to electrodes of the driving layer in a capacitive load state, with a capacitive load applied, and in an ambient state, without a capacitive load applied. Measured values are obtained at the sensing layer for each state. The measured values are compared with threshold values. A report is generated when a measured value violates a threshold. In one embodiment, the driving layer and the sensing layer form multiple capacitive electrodes within a touch sensor. The measured values are related to mutual capacitance values of the touch sensor. | 03-03-2011 |
20120169401 | Electrode Crossovers - In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes drive electrodes. The drive electrodes include drive electrode structures that are each coupled to an adjacent drive electrode structure by a first strip of conductive material. The touch sensor also includes sense electrodes. The sense electrodes include sense electrode structures that are each coupled to an adjacent sense electrode structure by a second strip of conductive material. The sense electrode structures are formed on a same layer as the drive electrode structures. The first or second strip of conductive material include one or more conductive crossovers that each couple two drive electrode structures to each other or couple two sense electrode structures to each other. | 07-05-2012 |
20140111223 | Two Dimensional Position Sensor - A two-dimensional position sensor comprising a substrate with a sensitive area defined by a pattern of electrodes including electrodes for determining x-position and electrodes for determining y-position. The x-electrodes and y-electrodes generally extend in the x-direction and are interleaved in the y-direction. The x-electrodes comprise at least first, second and third groups of elements shaped such that adjacent ones of the elements of the different x-electrode groups co-extend in the x-direction so that the x-electrodes provide ratiometric capacitive signals, thereby providing quasi-continuous x-position sensing across the sensitive area. In addition, the y-electrodes may be resistively connected or arranged in ratiometric pairs to provide quasi-continuous y-position sensing. Alternatively, the x-electrode groups may be interdigitated to form pairs of x-adjacent blocks of differing area to provide stepwise x-position sensing in combination with stepwise y-position sensing provided by the y-electrodes. | 04-24-2014 |
20150035784 | Dynamic Clustering Of Touch Sensor Electrodes - In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor having a plurality of electrodes and a controller having a processor and a memory. The memory includes logic operable, when executed by the processor, to connect each electrode of a first subset of the plurality of electrodes, apply voltage to the first subset, and determine a first value associated with a capacitance of the first subset. Based at least on the first value, the logic is further operable to connect each electrode of a second subset of the plurality of electrodes, the second subset having fewer electrodes than the first subset, apply voltage to the second subset, and determine a second value associated with a capacitance of the second subset. | 02-05-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130155000 | TOUCH SENSOR WITH REDUCED ANTI-TOUCH EFFECTS - In an embodiment, a system comprises a touch sensor. The touch sensor comprises an insulating substrate and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate. The plurality of electrodes comprises a drive line having a plurality of drive electrodes and a sense line having a plurality of sense electrodes. At least one of the electrodes comprises a first conductive material having a hole portion substantially free of the first conductive material. | 06-20-2013 |
20140049478 | ACTIVE STYLUS WITH PASSIVE MUTUAL MEASUREMENTS - An apparatus includes a sense unit operable to sense a plurality of first signals transmitted on one or more vertical lines and one or more horizontal lines of a touch sensor, the one or more vertical lines and the one or more horizontal lines operable to drive the plurality of first signals. The apparatus also includes a drive unit operable to transmit, in response to the sense unit sensing at least one of the plurality of first signals, a second signal to the one or more vertical lines and the one or more horizontal lines, the second signal changing an effective charge of the one or more vertical lines and the one or more horizontal lines. | 02-20-2014 |
20140111225 | Measuring Voltage - In one embodiment, a method includes, at a first input of a comparator, receiving from an analog multiplexer one of multiple first voltages. Each of the first voltages results at least in part from an interaction between an object and an electrode of each of one or more nodes of a capacitive touch sensor. The method includes, at a second input of the comparator, receiving a second voltage across a measurement capacitor that has a first terminal coupled to the second input of the comparator. The method includes charging the measurement capacitor at least in part through a measurement resistor coupled in series to the first terminal of the measurement capacitor and monitoring an output of the comparator during the charging of the measurement capacitor. The output of the comparator changes state when the second voltage becomes approximately equal to or greater than the one of the first voltages. The method includes determining an amount of time from a start of the charging of the measurement capacitor to a change in state of the output of the comparator. | 04-24-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130027061 | Measuring Voltage - In one embodiment, a method includes, at a first input of a comparator, receiving from an analog multiplexer one of multiple first voltages. Each of the first voltages results at least in part from an interaction between an object and an electrode of each of one or more nodes of a capacitive touch sensor. The method includes, at a second input of the comparator, receiving a second voltage across a measurement capacitor that has a first terminal coupled to the second input of the comparator. The method includes charging the measurement capacitor at least in part through a measurement resistor coupled in series to the first terminal of the measurement capacitor and monitoring an output of the comparator during the charging of the measurement capacitor. The output of the comparator changes state when the second voltage becomes approximately equal to or greater than the one of the first voltages. The method includes determining an amount of time from a start of the charging of the measurement capacitor to a change in state of the output of the comparator. | 01-31-2013 |
20130057503 | Touch Sensor with Touch Object Discrimination - In one embodiment, a method includes conducting a first signal to a first source electrode external to a touch sensor. The first source electrode is capacitively coupled to the touch sensor through a touch object. The method further includes measuring a mutual capacitance between the first source electrode and the first measuring electrode. The method further includes identifying, based at least in part on the measured mutual capacitance and using a controller of the touch sensor, the touch object touching the touch sensor at a detected touch position. | 03-07-2013 |
20130113605 | Securing Radio-Frequency Identification Systems - In one embodiment, a method includes, by a base station, communicating a challenge to a transponder through a first communication link; and establishing a second communication link with the transponder. The second communication link is a capacitive link. The method also includes receiving a first response to the challenge through the first communication link with the transponder; sampling the second communication link to detect a signal corresponding to a second response to the challenge from the transponder; receiving the second response through the second communication link; and authorizing the transponder based on the first and second responses. | 05-09-2013 |
20130154993 | Method For Determining Coordinates Of Touches - In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first set of signal values from a touch sensor. The touch sensor includes a plurality of electrodes. The method includes storing the first set of signal values in a first two-dimensional array and determining a first one-dimensional representation associated with a first axis of the first two-dimensional array. The method includes determining a first area associated with at least one touch detected by the touch sensor from the first one-dimensional representation and determining a second one-dimensional representation associated with a second axis based on the first area, the second axis being different than the first axis. The method includes determining a second area associated with at least one touch detected by the touch sensor from the second one-dimensional representation and determining coordinates for the at least one touch detected by the touch sensor based on the first area and the second area. | 06-20-2013 |
20130271163 | Current Mirror Self-Capacitance Measurement - In one embodiment, a method includes applying a first current to a capacitance of a touch sensor. The application of the first current to the capacitance for a first amount of time modifies the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a second current to an integration capacitor. The second current is proportional to the first current. The application of the second current to the integration capacitor for the first amount of time modifies the voltage at the integration capacitor from the reference voltage level to a first charging voltage level. The method also includes determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first charging voltage level. | 10-17-2013 |
20130278538 | Self-Capacitance Measurement - In one embodiment, a method includes modifying an amount of charge of a capacitance of a touch sensor. The modified amount of charge resulting in a voltage at the capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance. The application of the first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level. The method also includes determining a first difference between the first charging voltage level and a reference voltage level; and determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first difference. | 10-24-2013 |
20140292721 | CURRENT MIRROR SELF-CAPACITANCE MEASUREMENT - In one embodiment, a method includes applying a first current to a capacitance of a touch sensor. The application of the first current to the capacitance for a first amount of time modifies the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a second current to an integration capacitor. The second current is proportional to the first current. The application of the second current to the integration capacitor for the first amount of time modifies the voltage at the integration capacitor from the reference voltage level to a first charging voltage level. The method also includes determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first charging voltage level. | 10-02-2014 |
20150035789 | Dynamic Configuration Of Touch Sensor Electrode Clusters - An apparatus of one embodiment includes a sensor having a plurality of electrodes and a controller having a processor and a memory. The memory includes logic operable to configure the electrodes to form a first cluster pattern having a plurality of first clusters of two or more electrodes, apply voltage to each first cluster, and determine a plurality of first values associated with a capacitance of a first cluster. The logic is further operable to configure the electrodes to form a second cluster pattern having a plurality of second clusters of two or more electrodes, apply voltage to each second cluster, and determine a plurality of second values associated with a capacitance of a second cluster. At least one second cluster is interleaved with an adjacent second cluster. The logic is further operable to determine a position of an object based at least on the second values. | 02-05-2015 |