IP Library Granted Patent US 10,146,371
Granted Patent B2
US 10,146,371 · App. 15/471,322 · Granted Dec 4, 2018

Water robustness and detection on capacitive buttons

Inventors: Axel Heim (Munich, DE); Joao Ferreira (Gilching, DE)
Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
G06F3/0418G06F3/044G06F3/0416G06F2203/04108
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,146,371
App. No.
15/471,322
Granted
Dec 4, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for touch detection includes identifying a high-pass filtered sequence from a plurality of sensor measurements, accumulating a number of samples from a first high-pass filtered sequence into an accumulated value, comparing the first accumulated value against a threshold of accumulated values, and, based upon a determination whether the accumulated value is greater than the threshold of accumulated values, identify whether the sensor has been approached.

Claims (57)

1. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, the instructions, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

identify a first high-pass filtered sequence from a plurality of sensor measurements;

accumulate a plurality of samples from the first high-pass filtered sequence into a first accumulated value;

compare the first accumulated value against a first threshold of accumulated values;

based upon a determination whether the first accumulated value is greater than the first threshold of accumulated values, identify whether the sensor has been approached;

reset the first accumulated value when:

the first high-pass filtered sequence changes its sign; or

a result of low-pass filtering the high-pass filtered sequence changes its sign;

count a number of resets of the first accumulated value, wherein a given reset occurred after the first accumulated value exceeded an accumulation threshold during a defined time interval; and

determine, through comparing the number of resets of the accumulated value within the defined time interval to a counting threshold, whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

2. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing a first low-pass filtering of the sensor measurements before or after the high-pass filtering.

3. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

identify a second high-pass filtered sequence from the plurality of sensor measurements;

accumulate a plurality of samples from the second high-pass filtered sequence into a second accumulated value;

compare the second accumulated value against a second threshold of accumulated values; and

based upon a determination whether the second accumulated value is greater than the second threshold of accumulated values, identify whether the sensor has been approached.

4. The medium of claim 1 , where the first high-pass filtered sequence is computed by computing a sequence of differentials between sensor measurements.

5. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to reset the first accumulated value when the high-pass filtered sequence reaches a reset threshold.

6. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

input the high-pass filtered sequence into a Schmitt trigger with user-defined trigger hysteresis thresholds, wherein the first accumulated value is reset when the Schmitt trigger output is in one pre-defined level of a possible two output levels.

7. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to determine, through the sensor measurements, whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

8. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to debounce the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

9. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to debounce the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether the first accumulated value has decreased.

10. The medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to extend a time for debouncing the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, the instructions, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

identify a first high-pass filtered sequence from a plurality of sensor measurements;

accumulate a plurality of samples from the first high-pass filtered sequence into a first accumulated value;

compare the first accumulated value against a first threshold of accumulated values;

based upon a determination whether the first accumulated value is greater than the first threshold of accumulated values, identify whether the sensor has been approached;

count a number of resets of the first accumulated value, wherein a given reset occurred after the first accumulated value exceeded an accumulation threshold during a defined time interval; and

determine, through comparing the number of resets of the accumulated value within the defined time interval to a counting threshold, whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing a first low-pass filtering of the sensor measurements before or after the high-pass filtering.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

identify a second high-pass filtered sequence from the plurality of sensor measurements;

accumulate a plurality of samples from the second high-pass filtered sequence into a second accumulated value;

compare the second accumulated value against a second threshold; and

based upon a determination whether the second accumulated value is greater than the second threshold, identify whether the sensor has been approached.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the first high-pass filtered sequence is computed by computing a sequence of differentials between sensor measurements.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to reset the first accumulated value when:

the first high-pass filtered sequence changes its sign; or

a result of low-pass filtering the high-pass filtered sequence its sign.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to reset the first accumulated value when high-pass filtered sequence reaches a reset threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

input the high-pass filtered sequence into a Schmitt trigger with user-defined trigger hysteresis thresholds, wherein the first accumulated value is reset when the Schmitt trigger output is in one pre-defined level of a possible two output levels.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to determine, through the sensor measurements, whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to debounce the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to debounce the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether the first accumulated value has decreased.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to extend a time for debouncing the identification of whether the sensor has been approached based on whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

22. A method for detecting proximity, comprising:

identifying a first high-pass filtered sequence from a plurality of sensor measurements;

accumulating a plurality of samples from the first high-pass filtered sequence into a first accumulated value;

comparing the first accumulated value against a first threshold of accumulated values;

based upon a determination whether the first accumulated value is greater than the first threshold of accumulated values, identifying whether the sensor has been approached;

counting a number of resets of the first accumulated value, wherein a given reset occurred after the first accumulated value exceeded an accumulation threshold during a defined time interval; and

determining, through comparing the number of resets of the accumulated value within the defined time interval to a counting threshold, whether moving moisture is present on the sensor.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0335 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059263/0001 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058214/0625 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052856/0909 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2018
From: HEIM, AXEL; FERREIRA, JOÃO
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 046072/0655 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62314886 · Mar 29, 2016
Related Publication 20170285866A1 · Oct 5, 2017