Detecting presence of an object in the vicinity of a touch interface of a device
View Patent ↗A system includes a controller situated on a circuit board and a touch sensor coupled to the controller. The touch sensor includes a plurality of electrodes configured to capacitively coupled to a surface. The system also includes a drive element that is coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to send a drive signal to the drive element and, after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from the touch sensor. The controller is further configured to determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface the set of sense signals.
1. A system comprising:
a touch sensor in a first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board, the touch sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface;
a drive element in a second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board, the drive element coupled to a first ground, the circuit board situated between the touch sensor and the drive element; and
a controller disposed on the circuit board and coupled to the touch sensor and the drive element, the controller coupled to a second ground that is different than the first ground, the controller being configured to:
send a drive signal to the drive element;
after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from the touch sensor; and
using the set of sense signals, determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface using the set of sense signals.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the first ground plane is a free space ground plane.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a touch screen.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.
9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is configured when executed to:
send a drive signal to a drive element that is in a first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board that the media is disposed on;
after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from a touch sensor that is in a second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the touch sensor arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board, the drive element coupled to a first ground, the circuit board coupled to a second ground that is different than the first ground, the circuit board situated between the touch sensor and the drive element; and
using the set of sense signals, determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.
10. The media of claim 9 , wherein the logic is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface the set of sense signals.
11. The media of claim 9 , wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.
12. The media of claim 9 , wherein
the first ground plane being a free space ground plane.
13. The media of claim 9 , wherein the logic is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.
14. The media of claim 9 , wherein the surface is a touch screen.
15. The media of claim 9 , wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.
16. The media of claim 9 , wherein the logic is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.
17. A system comprising:
a touch sensor in a first region, the first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board, the touch sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes substantially arranged along two axes, the plurality of electrodes arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface; and
a drive element in a second region, the second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board;
wherein:
the drive element is configured to receive a drive signal from a controller disposed on the circuit board, the controller comprising a first ground plane, the drive element coupled to a free space ground plane and not coupled to the first ground plane;
the touch sensor is configured to generate a set of sense signals; and
the controller is configured to:
receive the set of sense signals after sending the drive signal to the drive element; and
determine whether an object that is not in contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface using the set of sense signals.
19. A The system of claim 17 , wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
the set of sense signals are a first set of sense signals;
the touch sensor is configured to generate a second set of sense signals; and
the controller is configured to determine whether the object performed a gesture while not in contact with the surface using the first set of sense signals and the second set of sense signals.
21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a second object that is not in contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface using the set of sense signals.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.
23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the surface is a touch screen.
24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.
25. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.