Two-pin buttons
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method for detecting a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device, and recognizing three or more button operations performed by the conductive object using two sensing areas of the sensing device. The sensing device may include first, second, and third sensor elements. The third sensor element may include two electrically isolated portions coupled to the first and second sensor elements.
1. A system comprising:
an operational panel;
a sensing device disposed in the operational panel, the sensing device comprising:
one first sensor element;
one second sensor element;
a third sensor element, wherein the third sensor element comprises a first surface area and a second surface area that are electrically isolated from each other;
a first conductive trace;
a second conductive trace,
wherein the first surface area of the third sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element are different, non-overlapping and coplanar; and
a processing device comprising one first pin and one second pin, and configured to detect an activation of the third sensor element based on measurements of capacitance variations obtained only from the first and second pins,
wherein the first conductive trace permanently connects the first sensor element and the first surface area of the third sensor element to the first pin of the processing device together,
wherein the second conductive trace permanently connects the second sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element to the second pin of the processing device together.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface area of the third sensor element is different from the second surface area of the third sensor element.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a surface area ratio, between the first surface area of the third sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element, is 25%.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a surface area ratio, between the first surface area of the third sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element, is 75%.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a surface area ratio, between the first surface area of the third sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element, is in a range from 99/1 to 45/51.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface area and the second surface area each comprise sub-traces, and wherein the first surface area of the first sensor element includes a different number of sub-traces than the second surface area of the first sensor element.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to detect the presence of a conductive object based on the first surface area and the second surface area of each of the sensor elements.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing device is electrically connected to the processing device through the first and second pins only.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to detect an activation of the first sensor element based on measurements of capacitance variations obtained only from the first pin.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to detect an activation of the second sensor element based on measurements of capacitance variations obtained only from the second pin.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive trace comprises a first segment and a second segment, one end of the first segment is permanently connected to the first pin, and another end of the first segment is permanently connected to the first surface area of the third sensor element,
wherein one end of the second segment is permanently connected to the first sensor element, and another end of the second segment is permanently connected to the first segment of the first conductive trace.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive trace comprises a third segment and a fourth segment, wherein one end of the third segment is permanently connected to the second pin, and another end of the third segment is permanently connected to the second surface area of the third sensor element,
wherein one end of the fourth segment is permanently connected to the second sensor element, and another end of the fourth segment is permanently connected to the third segment of the second conductive trace.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device further comprises:
a first capacitance sensor electrically connected to the first pin for receiving the measurements of capacitance variations obtained only from the first sensor element and the first surface area of the third sensor element; and
a second capacitance sensor electrically connected to the second pin for receiving the measurements of capacitance variations obtained only from the second sensor element and the second surface area of the third sensor element.