Dynamic clustering of touch sensor electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10042501-B2
Application number	US-201815868706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor 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 electrodes of the sensor and determine a first value associated with the first subset of electrodes. Based at least on the first value, the logic is further operable to alter the first subset of electrodes to a second subset of electrodes and connect, in response to determining to alter the first subset of electrodes to the second subset of electrodes, each electrode of the second subset of electrodes of the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a sensor; and
a controller comprising:
a processor; and
a memory comprising logic operable, when executed by the processor, to:
connect each electrode of a first subset of electrodes of the sensor;
determine a first value associated with the first subset of electrodes;
determine, based at least on the first value, to alter the first subset of electrodes to a second subset of electrodes; and
connect, in response to determining to alter the first subset of electrodes to the second subset of electrodes, each electrode of the second subset of electrodes of the sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable, when executed by the processor, to:
determine a second value associated with the second subset;
determine, based at least on the second value, to alter the second subset of electrodes to a third subset of electrodes; and
connect, in response to determining to alter the second subset of electrodes to the third subset of electrodes, each electrode of the third subset of electrodes of the sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first value comprises one or more of the following:
a capacitance;
a voltage measurement;
a current measurement; and
a timing measurement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the first value utilizes self-capacitance measurements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the first subset; and
the second subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the second subset.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of electrodes comprises:
one or more electrodes that are not included in the second subset of electrodes; and
one or more electrodes that are included in the second subset of electrodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable; when executed by the processor, to determine a position of an object based at least on the first and second values, wherein the position of the object comprises one or more of the following:
a distance between the object and the sensor; and
a projection of a portion of the object onto the sensor.

8. A method comprising:
connecting each electrode of a first subset of electrodes of a sensor;
determining a first value associated with the first subset of electrodes;
determining, based at least on the first value, to alter the first subset of electrodes to a second subset of electrodes; and
connecting, in response to determining to alter the first subset of electrodes to the second subset of electrodes, each electrode of the second subset of electrodes of the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a second value associated with the second subset;
determining, based at least on the second value, to alter the second subset of electrodes to a third subset of electrodes; and
connecting, in response to determining to alter the second subset of electrodes to the third subset of electrodes, each electrode of the third subset of electrodes of the sensor.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first value comprises one or more of the following:
a capacitance;
a voltage measurement;
a current measurement; and
a timing measurement.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determination of the first value utilizes self-capacitance measurements.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the first subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the first subset; and
the second subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the second subset.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first subset of electrodes comprises:
one or more electrodes that are not included in the second subset of electrodes; and
one or more electrodes that are included in the second subset of electrodes.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a position of an object based at least on the first and second values, wherein the position of the object comprises one or more of the following:
a distance between the object and the sensor; and
a projection of a portion of the object onto the sensor.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising logic, the logic when executed by a processor configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
connecting each electrode of a first subset of electrodes of a sensor;
determining a first value associated with the first subset of electrodes;
determining, based at least on the first value, to alter the first subset of electrodes to a second subset of electrodes; and
connecting, in response to determining to alter the first subset of electrodes to the second subset of electrodes, each electrode of the second subset of electrodes of the sensor.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a second value associated with the second subset;
determining, based at least on the second value, to alter the second subset of electrodes to a third subset of electrodes; and
connecting, in response to determining to alter the second subset of electrodes to the third subset of electrodes, each electrode of the third subset of electrodes of the sensor.

17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the first value comprises one or more of the following:
a capacitance;
a voltage measurement;
a current measurement; and
a timing measurement.

18. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the determination of the first value utilizes self-capacitance measurements.

19. The medium of claim 15 , wherein:
the first subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the first subset; and
the second subset of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode adjacent and substantially parallel to the first electrode of the second subset.

20. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of electrodes comprises:
one or more electrodes that are not included in the second subset of electrodes; and
one or more electrodes that are included in the second subset of electrodes.

Assignees

• Atmel Corp

Inventors

• Brunet Samuel
• Collins Richard Paul
• Hristov Luben
• Myren Steinar
• Pedersen Trond Jarle
• Stavely Paul

Classifications

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F2203/04101

  2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title