User interface mechanical control apparatus with optical and capacitive position detection and optical position indication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401984-B2
Application number	US-201715725707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed examples include optical and capacitive position detection systems and user interface control apparatus to detect relative positions of a stationary first structure and a movable second structure. The optical system includes pairs of optical source and sensor devices spaced along a first direction on the first structure and a reflector extending along the first direction on the second structure to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a given pair when the reflector is proximate the given pair. The capacitive sensing system includes capacitor plate structures on the first structure and a conductive structure on the second structure to move along the first direction to selectively modify a capacitance of a given group of two or more of the plate structures. The detection system also includes an interface circuit to provide a position signal representing the relative position of the first and second structures according to signals from the optical sensors and the capacitor plate structures.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A control apparatus for a user interface, comprising:
a first structure, including:
a first side, including a first region, and a second region,
an integer number N optical sources positioned in the first region on the first side of the first structure to selectively direct light away from the first side, N being greater than 1,
an integer number N optical sensors positioned in the first region on the first side of the first structure to selectively sense light directed toward the first side of the first structure, the individual optical sensors positioned proximate a corresponding one of the optical sources, the optical sources and optical sensors forming N optical device pairs spaced from one another along a first direction, and
a plurality of conductive capacitor plate structures positioned in the second region on the first side of the first structure to form an integer number J capacitors;

a second structure movable relative to the first structure along the first direction, the second structure including:
a second side, including a first movable region facing the first region of the first structure, and a second movable region facing the second region of the first structure,
a reflector positioned in the first movable region on the second side of the second structure to move along the first direction to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a given optical device pair when the reflector is positioned proximate the given optical device pair, and
a conductive structure positioned in the second movable region on the second side of the second structure to move along the first direction to selectively modify a capacitance of a given one of the capacitors formed by a given group of two or more of the capacitor plate structures when the conductive structure is positioned proximate the given group of the capacitor plate structures; and

an interface circuit to provide a position signal representing the relative position of the second structure to the first structure along the first direction according to signals from the optical sensors and signals from the capacitor plate structures.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first direction is circumferential relative to an axis;
wherein the optical device pairs are angularly spaced from one another by an optical device angle along the first direction;
wherein the reflector extends along the first direction by a reflector angle along the first direction; and
wherein the second structure is a cylindrical knob rotatable relative to the first structure about the axis to cause the reflector to move along the first direction to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of the given optical device pair when the reflector is positioned proximate the given optical device pair.

3. The control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reflector angle is greater than the optical device angle.

4. The control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second structure further includes a non-reflective surface positioned in the first movable region on the second side of the second structure spaced from the reflector along the first direction to selectively mitigate reflection of light from at least one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a second given optical device pair when the non-reflective surface is positioned proximate the second given optical device pair.

5. The control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second structure includes a plurality of reflectors spaced from one another along the first direction in the first movable region on the second side of the second structure to individually move along the first direction to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a given optical device pair when the given reflector is positioned proximate the given optical device pair.

6. The control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second structure includes a transparent aperture positioned in the first movable region to allow light from the optical sources to pass through the second structure.

7. The control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical sources are LEDs having a first wavelength; wherein the optical sensors are LEDs having a second wavelength; and wherein the first wavelength is less than or equal to the second wavelength.

8. The control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first region and the second region of the first side of the first structure are radially spaced from one another relative to the axis, and wherein the second region is radially positioned between the axis and the first region.

9. The control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit includes:
a first interface circuit coupled to selectively provide optical excitation signals to selectively illuminate the optical sources, and to selectively receive optical sense signals from the optical sensors in response to illumination of the optical sources; and
a second interface circuit coupled to selectively provide capacitor excitation signals to at least some of the conductive capacitor plate structures, and to selectively receive capacitor sense signals from at least some of the conductive capacitor plate structures in response to provision of the capacitor excitation signals.

10. The control apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first interface circuit includes a multiplexer to selectively connect a shared general purpose input/output (GPIO) line or a shared analog to digital converter (ADC) line to a selected terminal of a selected one of the optical sources or to a selected terminal of a selected one of the optical sensors.

11. The control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first direction is linear;
wherein the optical device pairs are spaced from one another by an optical device spacing distance along the first direction;
wherein the reflector extends along the first direction by a reflector distance along the first direction; and
wherein the second structure is movable relative to the first structure along the first direction to cause the reflector to move along the first direction to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of the given optical device pair when the reflector is positioned proximate the given optical device pair.

12. The control apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reflector distance is greater than the optical device spacing distance.

13. The control apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second structure further includes a non-reflective surface positioned in the first movable region on the second side of the second structure spaced from the reflector along the first direction to selectively mitigate reflection of light from at least one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a second given optical device pair when the non-reflective surface is positioned proximate the second given optical device pair.

14. The control apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second structure includes a plurality of reflectors spaced from one another along the first direction in the first movable region on the second side of the second structure to individually move along the first direction to selectively reflect light from one of the optical sources to the corresponding optical sensor of a given optical device pair when the given reflector is positioned proximate the given optical device pair.

15. The control apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second structure includes a transparent aperture positioned in

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Spevak Peter

Classifications

• G06F3/0362 Primary

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/0308

  comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title