IP Library Granted Patent US 10,402,027
Granted Patent B2
US 10,402,027 · App. 15/682,284 · Granted Sep 3, 2019

Transmitter axis projection construction for capacitive sensing

Inventors: Matthew Stevenson (San Jose, CA); John Weinerth (San Jose, CA); Jonathan Losh (San Jose, CA); Derek Solven (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
G06F3/044G01R27/2605G06F3/0418
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,402,027
App. No.
15/682,284
Granted
Sep 3, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Transmitter axis projection for capacitive sensing is disclosed. Transmitter axis projection includes having processing system. The processing system includes sensor circuitry configured to be coupled to transmitter electrodes and receiver electrodes. The sensor circuitry is configured to drive the transmitter electrodes with first transmitter signals and receive first resulting signals from the receiver electrodes, and drive only a first subset of the receiver electrodes with second transmitter signals and receive second resulting signals with the transmitter electrodes. The processing system further includes processing circuitry connected to the sensor circuitry and configured to partition the receiver electrodes into the first subset of receiver electrodes and a second subset of receiver electrodes, and generate a transmitter axis projection from the second resulting signals.

Claims (71)

1. A processing system comprising:

sensor circuitry configured to be coupled to a plurality of transmitter electrodes and a plurality of receiver electrodes associated with a sensing region, the sensor circuitry configured to:

drive the plurality of transmitter electrodes with first transmitter signals and receive first resulting signals from the plurality of receiver electrodes,

wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes comprises a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode, and

drive only a first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes with second transmitter signals and receive second resulting signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes,

wherein the first subset comprises a first receiver electrode and a second receiver electrode; and

processing circuitry connected to the sensor circuitry and configured to:

generate a capacitive image of the sensing region from the first resulting signals,

partition, using the capacitive image, the plurality of receiver electrodes into the first subset of receiver electrodes and a second subset of receiver electrodes, and

generate a transmitter axis projection from the second resulting signals by:

determining a single value for the first transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the first transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode; and

determining a single value for the second transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the second transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode.

2. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes is driven with the same transmitter signal concurrently, and wherein the first receiver electrode is adjacent to the second receiver electrode.

3. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine positional information from the transmitter axis projection, and

report the positional information.

4. The processing system of claim 3 , wherein determining positional information comprises using the transmitter axis projection to mitigate for effects of moisture on an input surface of the sensing region.

5. The processing system of claim 3 , wherein determining positional information comprises using the transmitter axis projection to mitigate for effects of interference.

6. A method comprising:

driving a plurality of transmitter electrodes with first transmitter signals and receive first resulting signals from a plurality of receiver electrodes,

wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes comprises a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode, and

wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes are associated with a sensing region;

generate a capacitive image of the sensing region from the first resulting signals;

partitioning, using the capacitive image, the plurality of receiver electrodes into a first subset of receiver electrodes and a second subset of receiver electrodes,

wherein the first subset comprises a first receiver electrode and a second receiver electrode;

driving only the first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes with second transmitter signals and receive second resulting signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes; and

generating a transmitter axis projection from the second resulting signals by:

determining a single value for the first transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the first transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode; and

determining a single value for the second transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the second transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes is driven with the same transmitter signal concurrently, and wherein the first receiver electrode is adjacent to the second receiver electrode.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining positional information from the transmitter axis projection, and

reporting the positional information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining positional information comprises using the transmitter axis projection to mitigate for effects of moisture on an input surface of the sensing region.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining positional information comprises using the transmitter axis projection to mitigate for effects of interference.

11. An input device comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrodes associated with a sensing region and comprising a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode;

a plurality of receiver electrodes associated with sensing region; and

processing system comprising circuitry for:

driving the plurality of transmitter electrodes with first transmitter signals and receive first resulting signals from the plurality of receiver electrodes;

generating a capacitive image of the sensing region from the first resulting signals;

partitioning, using the capacitive image, the plurality of receiver electrodes into a first subset of receiver electrodes and a second subset of receiver electrodes,

wherein the first subset comprises a first receiver electrode and a second receiver electrode;

driving only the first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes with second transmitter signals and receive second resulting signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes; and

generating a transmitter axis projection from the second resulting signals by:

determining a single value for the first transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the first transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode; and

determining a single value for the second transmitter electrode based on transcapacitive values between the second transmitter electrode and both the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode.

12. The input device of claim 11 , wherein each of the first subset of the plurality of receiver electrodes is driven with the same transmitter signal concurrently, and wherein the first receiver electrode is adjacent to the second receiver electrode.

13. The input device of claim 11 , the circuitry further for:

determining positional information from the transmitter axis projection, and

reporting the positional information.

14. The input device of claim 13 , wherein determining positional information comprises using the transmitter axis projection to mitigate for effects of moisture on an input surface of the sensing region.

15. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the single value for the first transmitter electrode comprises:

obtaining a first transcapacitive value between the first receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode,

obtaining a second transcapacitive value between the second receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode, and

calculating a first sum based on the first transcapacitive value and the second transcapacitive value, and

determining the single value for the second transmitter electrode comprises:

obtaining a third transcapacitive value between the first receiver electrode and the second transmitter electrode,

obtaining a fourth transcapacitive value between the second receiver electrode and the second transmitter electrode, and

calculating a second sum based on the third transcapacitive value and the fourth transcapacitive value.

16. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein driving only the first subset comprises driving the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode concurrently using code division multiplexing.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

determining the single value for the first transmitter electrode comprises:

obtaining a first transcapacitive value between the first receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode,

obtaining a second transcapacitive value between the second receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode, and

calculating a first sum based on the first transcapacitive value and the second transcapacitive value, and

determining the single value for the second transmitter electrode comprises:

obtaining a third transcapacitive value between the first receiver electrode and the second transmitter electrode,

obtaining a fourth transcapacitive value between the second receiver electrode and the second transmitter electrode, and

calculating a second sum based on the third transcapacitive value and the fourth transcapacitive value.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE SPELLING OF THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051316 FRAME: 0777. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 18, 2020
From: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 052186/0756 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2019
From: SYNAPTICS INCORPROATED
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 051316/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2017
From: STEVENSON, MATTHEW; WEINERTH, JOHN; LOSH, JONATHAN; SOLVEN, DEREK
To: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 043383/0869 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190056817A1 · Feb 21, 2019