Portable computing device including a three-dimensional touch screen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569003-B2
Application number	US-201113336425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2011
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A portable computing device includes a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen and a core module. The 3D touch screen includes a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) radar modules. The core module is operable to determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode. When the 3D touch screen is in the 3D mode, the core module is further operable to receive one or more radar signals via one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules and interpret the one or more radar signals to produce a 3D input signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable computing device comprises:
a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen that includes:
a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section; and
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) radar modules that recognize 3D user input via 3D tracking; and

a core module operable to:
determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode, wherein the 3D tracking of the 3D touch screen in initiated responsive to 2D user input;
when the 3D touch screen in the 3D mode:
receive one or more radar signals via one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules;
contemporaneously receive a 2D touch command from the 2D touch screen section; and
interpret the one or more radar signals as a 3D gesture to produce a 3D input signal that augments the 2D touch command;

a wired RF link; and
a plurality of multi-mode RF units operably coupled to the wired RF link;
wherein the core module communicates:
control information with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the wired RF link;
data of a wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the wired RF link; and
clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units via the wired RF link in a third frequency band, distinct from the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1 further comprises:
a wired RF link, wherein:
the one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals;
the one or more RF radar signals is converted into one or more inbound RF link radar signals;
the one or more inbound RF link radar signals is conveyed, via the wired RF link, to the core module; and
the core module converts the one or more inbound RF link radar signals into the one or more radar signals.

3. The portable computing device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of multi-mode RF units includes the plurality of RF radar modules.

4. The portable computing device of claim 3 further comprises:
the one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals; and
one or more of the multi-mode RF units converts the one or more RF radar signals into one or more inbound RF link radar signals, wherein the one or more inbound RF link radar signals are communicated to the core module via the wired RF link in the second frequency band or in a fourth frequency band.

5. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:
generating x, y, z coordinates of an object with respect to an x-y coordinate system of the 2D touch screen section based on the one or more radar signals;
determining motion of the object based on variations of the x, y, z, coordinates of the object over a period of time; and
generating the 3D input signal based on the motion.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of RF radar modules comprises:
an RF radar transmitter module operable to transmit an outbound RF radar signal; and
a plurality of RF radar receiver modules that are position in a grid manner within the 3D touch screen, wherein an RF radar receive module of the plurality of RF radar receiver modules receive a reflection of the outbound RF radar signal off the object to produce an inbound RF radar signal.

7. The portable computing device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of RF radar modules comprises:
a plurality of RF radar receiver antennas and a plurality of RF radar transmitter antennas that are position in a grid manner within the 3D touch screen, wherein one or more of RF radar transmitter antennas of the plurality of RF radar transmitter antennas transmits one or more outbound RF radar signals and wherein one or more RF radar receive antennas of the plurality of RF radar receiver antennas receive one or more reflections of the one or more outbound RF radar signals off the object to produce one or more inbound RF radar signals.

8. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the core module is further operable to:
when the 3D touch screen is in the 2D mode:
receive a 2D signal from the 2D touch screen section; and
interpret the 2D signal to produce a 2D input signal.

9. A portable computing device comprises:
a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section;
a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen that includes a plurality of horizon-to-horizon radio frequency (RF) radar modules that recognize 3D user input via 3D tracking; and
a core module operable to:
determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode, wherein the 3D tracking of the 3D touch screen in initiated responsive to 2D user input;
when the 3D touch screen in the 3D mode:
receive one or more RF radar signals from one or more of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules;
contemporaneously receive a 2D touch command from the 2D touch screen section; and
interpret the one or more RF radar signals as a 3D gesture to produce a 3D input signal that augments the 2D touch command;

an RF link; and
a plurality of multi-mode RF units operably coupled to the RF link;
wherein the core module communicates:
control information with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the RF link;
data of a wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link; and
clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units via the RF link in a third frequency band, distinct from the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

10. The portable computing device of claim 9 , wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:
generating x, y, z coordinates of an object with respect to an origin on a surface of the 3D touch screen based on the one or more radar signals;
when the z coordinate of the x, y, z coordinates is near zero, determining that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 2D input signal; and
when the z coordinate is not near zero, determining that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 3D input signal.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10 , wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:
determining motion of the object based on variations of the x, y, z, coordinates of the object over a period of time; and
generating the 3D input signal based on the motion.

12. The portable computing device of claim 9 , wherein a horizon-to-horizon RF radar module of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules comprises:
a transceiver module operable to:
generate a radar transmit signal;
receive a shaped radar receive signal:

a shaping module operable to:
shape the radar transmit signal in accordance with a control signal to produce an outbound radar signal;
shape an inbound radar signal in accordance with the control signal to produce the shaped radar receive signal; and

an antenna structure that includes a plurality of spiral coils and an antenna, wherein, with respect to the antenna, the plurality of spiral coils provides an effective dish and wherein the effective dish transmits the outbound radar signal and receives the inbound radar signal.

13. The portable computing device of claim 12 further comprises:
the core module further operable to generate an antenna structure tuning control signal; and
the antenna structure is operable to adjust the effective dish of the plurality of spiral coils in accordance with the antenna structure tuning c

Assignees

• Rofougaran Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Rofougaran Maryam
• Ibrahim Brima B
• Darabi Hooman
• Broadcom Corp

Inventors

• Rofougaran Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Rofougaran Maryam
• Ibrahim Brima B
• Darabi Hooman

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

• H04B1/00

  Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission · CPC title

• H04M1/725

  Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/041

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