Providing ground truth for touch sensing with in-display fingerprint sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10705653-B2
Application number	US-201715435218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes and a processing system. The plurality of sensor electrodes is configured for capacitive sensing in a sensing region of the input device. The processing system is configured to receive first sensor information about the sensing region from the plurality of sensor electrodes, and to receive second sensor information about the sensing region from an auxiliary sensing device coupled to the sensing region. The processing system is further configured to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes based at least in part on the first sensor information and the second sensor information. In some aspects, the auxiliary sensing device may comprise one or more optical sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a plurality of sensor electrodes configured for capacitive sensing in a sensing region of the input device; and
a processing system configured to:
receive first sensor information about the sensing region from the plurality of sensor electrodes;
determine whether the first sensor information indicates an error condition;
activate one or more optical sensors to capture an image of the sensing region in response to determining that the first sensor information indicates the error condition, wherein the one or more optical sensors is operable in at least a first mode and a second mode; and
compare the image of the sensing region with the first sensor information to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes.

2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is to operate the one or more optical sensors in the second mode when acquiring the image of the sensing region, wherein the one or more optical sensors is configured for lower-resolution imaging when operating in the second mode compared to the first mode.

3. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes by:
detecting an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determining, based on the image of the sensing region, whether an object is in contact with the sensing region; and
selectively validating the detected input based on the determination.

4. The input device of claim 3 , wherein the processing system is to validate the detected input if the image of the sensing region indicates that an object is in contact with the sensing region.

5. The input device of claim 3 , wherein the processing system is to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes by further:
updating a capacitive sensing baseline for the plurality of sensor electrodes if the image of the sensing region indicates that no object is in contact with the sensing region.

6. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes by:
detecting an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determining, based on the image of the sensing region, position information based on one or more attributes for an object in contact with the sensing region; and
correlating the position information with the detected input.

7. The input device of claim 6 , wherein the processing system is to correlate the position information with the detected input by:
estimating, based on the first sensor information, a position of the detected input in the sensing region; and
updating the position estimate using the position information based on the one or more attributes determined from the image of the sensing region.

8. A method of operating an input device, comprising:
receiving first sensor information, about a sensing region of the input device, from a plurality of sensor electrodes configured for capacitive sensing;
determining whether the first sensor information indicates an error condition;
activating one or more optical sensors to capture an image of the sensing region in response to determining that the first sensor information indicates the error condition, wherein the one or more optical sensors is operable in at least a first mode and a second mode; and
comparing the image of the sensing region with the first sensor information to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method includes operating the one or more optical sensors in the second mode when acquiring the image of the sensing region, wherein the one or more optical sensors is configured for lower-resolution imaging when operating in the second mode compared to the first mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dynamically calibrating comprises:
detecting an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determining, based on the image of the sensing region, whether an object is in contact with the sensing region; and
selectively validating the detected input based on the determination.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the dynamically calibrating further comprises:
updating a capacitive sensing baseline for the plurality of sensor electrodes if the image of the sensing region indicates that no object is in contact with the sensing region.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dynamically calibrating comprises:
detecting an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determining, based on the image of the sensing region, position information for an object in contact with the sensing region; and
correlating the position information with the detected input.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the correlating comprises:
estimating, based on the first sensor information, a position of the detected input in the sensing region; and
updating the position estimate using the position information determined from the image of the sensing region.

14. A processing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processing system to:
receive first sensor information, about a sensing region coupled to the processing system, from a plurality of sensor electrodes configured for capacitive sensing;
determine whether the first sensor information indicates an error condition;
activate one or more optical sensors to capture an image of the sensing region in response to determining that the first sensor information indicates the error condition, wherein the one or more optical sensors is operable in at least a first mode and a second mode; and
compare the image of the sensing region with the first sensor information to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes.

15. The processing system of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing system to operate the plurality of one or more optical sensors in the second mode when acquiring the image of the sensing region, wherein the one or more optical sensors is configured for lower-resolution imaging when operating in the second mode compared to the first mode.

16. The processing system of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes causes the processing system to:
detect an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determine, based on the image of the sensing region, whether an object is in contact with the sensing region; and
selectively validate the detected input based on the determination.

17. The processing system of claim 16 , wherein execution of the instructions to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes causes the processing system to:
update a capacitive sensing baseline for the plurality of sensor electrodes if the image of the sensing region indicates that no object is in contact with the sensing region.

18. The processing system of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions to dynamically calibrate the plurality of sensor electrodes causes the processing system to:
detect an input in the sensing region based on the first sensor information;
determine, based on the image of the sensing region, position information for an object in contact with the sensing region; and
correlate the position information with the detected input.

Assignees

• Synaptics Inc

Inventors

• Fotopoulos Nickolas

Classifications

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/04186

  Touch location disambiguation · CPC title

• G06F3/042 Primary

  by opto-electronic means · 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