IP Library Granted Patent US 7,876,309
Granted Patent B2
US 7,876,309 · App. 11/437,518 · Granted Jan 25, 2011

Toothed slider

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,876,309
App. No.
11/437,518
Granted
Jan 25, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A slider has a first conductive trace having at least one sub-trace and a second conductive trace having at least one sub-trace. The at least one sub-trace of the first conductive trace is interleaved with at least one sub-trace of the second conductive trace. Each sub-trace of the first and second conductive traces has a variable width from a first end to a second end of the slider.

Claims (28)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first conductive trace of a slider having at least one sub-trace;

a second conductive trace of the slider having at least one sub-trace,

wherein at least one sub-trace of the first conductive trace is interleaved with at least one sub-trace of the second conductive trace, each sub-trace of the first and second conductive traces having a variable width from a first end to a second end of the slider; and

a processing device coupled with the slider, wherein the processing device is configured to calculate a centroid position P cen , with P cen =d 2 /(d 1 +d 2 )×N res , wherein d 1 is a capacitance variation of the first conductive trace, d 2 is a capacitance variation of the second conductive trace, and N res is a resolution of the slider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the width of each sub-trace of the first conductive trace gradually decreases from the first end to the second end, and the width of each sub-trace of the second conductive trace gradually increases from the first end to the second end.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each sub-trace of the first and second conductive trace is in the shape of a triangle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sub-trace of the first conductive trace are alternated with the at least one sub-trace of the second conductive trace.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the at least one sub-trace of the first conductive trace is adjacent to the first end of the at least one sub-trace of the second conductive trace.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductive traces are in a same plane.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive trace is in a first plane, and the second conductive trace is in a second plane parallel to the first plane.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

a circuit board having a first side and a second side, the first and second conductive traces formed on the first side; and

a processing device coupled to the second side of the circuit board.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive trace is coupled to a first capacitive sensing pin of the processing device, and the second conductive trace is coupled to a second capacitive sensing pin of the processing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and second conductive traces form a single layer on the first side of the circuit board.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising:

an overlay coupled to the first and second conductive traces with a non-conductive adhesive layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the overlay comprises a non-conductive material.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for generating an electric field between a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace of a slider;

means for determining a one-dimensional position of an object on the slider; and

means for calculating centroid position P cen with P cen =d 2 /(d 1 +d 2 )×N res wherein d 1 is the capacitance variation of the first conductive trace, d 2 is the capacitance variation of the second conductive trace, and N res is the resolution of the slider,

wherein the first conductive trace includes at least one sub-trace, and the second conductive trace includes at least one sub-trace.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

means for comparing a capacitance variation of the first conductive trace with a total capacitance variation of the first and second conductive traces.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

means for comparing the capacitance variation of the second conductive trace with a total capacitance variation of the first and second conductive traces.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2022
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 059410/0438 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2021
From: CREATOR TECHNOLOGY B.V.
To: WISTRON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055829/0838 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 8647899 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035240 FRAME 0429. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTERST. Recorded Nov 3, 2020
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058002/0470 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2016
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: CREATOR TECHNOLOGY B.V.
Reel/Frame 038259/0864 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2015
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 035240/0429 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2012
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 028863/0870 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2006
From: XIAOPING, JIANG
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017923/0686 →