TOUCHSCREEN ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT
An apparatus including a capacitive touch input device (TID); and a controller connected to the capacitive touch input device. The controller is configured to process a user touch signal from the capacitive touch input device. The controller is configured to process a non-touch signal from the capacitive touch input device generated by an electrical coupling of a device to the capacitive touch input device, where the non-touch signal is a variable signal.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a capacitive touch input device (TID); and
a controller connected to the capacitive touch input device, where the controller is configured to process a user touch signal from the capacitive touch input device, and where the controller is configured to process a non-touch signal from the capacitive touch input device generated by an electrical coupling of a device to the capacitive touch input device, where the non-touch signal is a variable signal.
2 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the capacitive touch input device is a touchscreen.
3 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the controller is configured to determine when the device is located on the capacitive touch input device.
4 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the controller is configured to process the non-touch signal from the capacitive touch input device generated by the electrical coupling of the device to the capacitive touch input device which comprises a wireless coupling.
5 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the non-touch signal comprises at least one of:
a change in a number of measurable touch locations on the capacitive touch input device;
a change in a separation or two or more touch locations on the capacitive touch input device;
a change in a location of one or more touch locations on the capacitive touch input device during a period of the measurement;
a change in a capacitive coupling between the capacitive touch input device and the device in one or more locations caused either by a change in a dielectric properties or impedance of circuits of the device; and
a change in a capacitive coupling between the capacitive touch input device and the device caused by a change in area or shape of a region affected by the measurand on the device.
6 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the controller is configured to determine an alignment of the device on the capacitive touch input device.
7 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the electrical coupling is a capacitive coupling, and where the controller is configured to process the non-touch signal based upon a change in the capacitive coupling.
8 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the controller is configured to process the non-touch signal based upon a change in at least one of a number, location, separation, area, shape or magnitude of artificially created touch point(s) over a measurement period on the capacitive touch input device.
9 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the apparatus comprises means for electrically coupling the device to the apparatus using the capacitive touch input device as an input for the device to the apparatus.
10 . An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising an accessory device connected to the apparatus as the device, where the accessory device comprises at least one sensor.
11 . A method comprising:
providing an apparatus with a capacitive touch input device (TID); and
connecting a controller to the capacitive touch input device, where the controller is configured to process a user touch signal from the capacitive touch input device, and where the controller is configured to process a non-touch signal from the capacitive touch input device based upon an electrical coupling of a device to the capacitive touch input device, and where the controller is configured to process the non-touch signal as the signal varies.
12 . A method as in claim 11 where providing the apparatus with the capacitive touch input device comprises providing the capacitive touch input device as a touchscreen.
13 . A method as in claim 11 further comprising the controller determining, based upon the non-touch signal from the capacitive touch input device, when the device is located on the capacitive touch input device.
14 . A method as in claim 11 further comprising providing the controller configured to process the non-touch signal based upon at least one of:
a change in a number of measurable touch locations on the capacitive touch input device;
a change in a separation of two or more touch locations on the capacitive touch input device;
a change in a location of one or more touch locations on the capacitive touch input device during a period of the measurement;
a change in a capacitive coupling between the capacitive touch input device and the device in one or more locations caused either by a change in a dielectric properties or impedance of circuits of the device; and
a change in a capacitive coupling between the capacitive touch input device and the device caused by a change in area or shape of a region affected by the measurand on the device.
15 . An apparatus comprising:
a body;
a plurality of electrodes on the body, where the body is configured to be placed on a capacitive touch input device (TID) to locate the electrodes against the capacitive touch input device; and
electrical circuitry on the body which is connected to at least one of the electrodes,
where the apparatus is configured to send a signal from the electrical circuitry, which is variable in time, to the capacitive touch input device by a wireless coupling of the at least one electrode with the capacitive touch input device.
16 . An apparatus as in claim 15 where the wireless coupling is a capacitive coupling.
17 . An apparatus as in claim 15 where the electrical circuitry comprises at least one sensor for sensing a measurand.
18 . An apparatus as in claim 15 where the electrical circuitry comprises means for powering the apparatus by a power wireless coupling with an apparatus having the capacitive touch input device.