Interaction sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10042504-B2
Application number	US-201414458102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving a signal from an electrode of a touch sensor that senses a charge displacement, based on the signal, in order to detect the contact or separation. The method further includes detecting a contact or separation input to the touch sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a signal resulting from a charge displacement at an electrode of a touch sensor comprising:
the electrode; and
an insulator coupled to the electrode, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;

detecting, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;
classifying the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein:
the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;
the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;
the object comprises a material; and

the method further comprises identifying, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the object is in contact with the insulator; and
the method further comprises detecting, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing a noise component of the signal;
rejecting at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and
classifying, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
detect a charge displacement at an electrode of a touch sensor comprising:
the electrode; and
an insulator coupled to the electrode, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;

detect, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation input between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;
classify the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein:
the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;
the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;
the object comprises a material; and

the logic is further operable when executed to identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to determine a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein:
the object is in contact with the insulator; and
the logic is further operable when executed to detect, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

11. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:
analyze a noise component of the signal;
reject at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and
classify, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

12. The medium of claim 11 , wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

14. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:
identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a touch sensor comprising:
an electrode; and
an insulator coupled to the electrode; and

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
detect a charge displacement at the electrode of the touch sensor, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;
detect, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation input between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;

classify the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein:
the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;
the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;
the object comprises a material; and

the logic is further operable when executed to identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to determine a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the object is in contact with the insulator; and
the logic is further operable when executed to detect, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:
analyze a noise component of the signal;
reject at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and
classify, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:
identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Post Ernest Rehmi
• Bau Olivier
• Tsekov Iliya
• Sadi Sajid
• Digman Mike
• Attarian Vatche
• Consul Sergi
• Wortham Cody

Classifications

• H03K17/96

  Touch switches (specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08) · CPC title

• G06F3/046 Primary

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title