Touch interactor

1. System comprising a capacitive touch sensor and a touch interactor, wherein the touch sensor comprises a touch sensitive surface configured to detect the position of a touch of an object on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the touch interactor comprises a support surface for placing the touch interactor on the touch sensitive surface and an activation member for generating a user input command for the touch sensor by its movement relative to the touch sensitive surface,

characterized in that

the touch interactor comprises an active detection point for transmitting an active signal,

the touch sensor is configured to determine a coverage, position, orientation and/or identity of the touch interactor on the basis of the active signal, when the touch interactor is placed on the touch sensitive surface,

wherein the touch sensor comprises

an active detection section for detecting an active signal from an object in the vicinity of one or more of the touch pixels and for detecting a position of a source of the active signal of the object on the touch sensitive surface, and

a passive detection section for passively detecting a position of an object on the touch sensitive surface.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the active detection point is arranged in the support surface.

3. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to determine the identity of the touch interactor on the basis of identification information modulated on the active signal.

4. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect the position of the active detection point on the touch sensitive surface on the basis of the active signal.

5. System according to claim 4 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect the position of the touch interactor on the touch sensitive surface on the basis of the position of the active detection point on the touch sensitive surface.

6. System according to claim 4 , wherein the touch interactor comprises a second detection point, wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect the position of the second detection point on the touch sensitive surface.

7. System according to claim 6 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect the coverage, position and/or orientation of the touch interactor on the touch sensitive surface on the basis of the position of the active detection point and of the position of the second detection point on the touch sensitive surface.

8. System according to claim 6 , wherein the second detection point is a passive detection point, and/or the touch sensor is configured to passively detect the position of the second detection point.

9. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect the coverage, position and/or orientation of the touch interactor on the touch sensitive surface on the basis of the identity of the touch interactor.

10. System according to claim 1 , wherein the activation member comprises an activation detection point, wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect a movement of the activation detection point in the touch sensitive surface, wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect a movement of the activation member on the basis of the movement of the activation detection point.

11. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect a movement of the activation member and to output the user input command on the basis of the detected movement of the activation member and on the basis of the determined identity and/or orientation of the touch interactor.

12. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch interactor comprises a support structure for movably supporting the activation member.

13. System according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises a plurality of touch pixels, wherein each touch pixel is configured to detect a physical value being a capacitance for the detection of an object in the vicinity of the corresponding touch pixel.

14. System according to claim 13 , wherein the activation member comprises an activation detection point, wherein the touch sensor is configured to detect a movement and/or position of the activation member of the touch interactor in the touch sensitive surface by detecting the position of the activation detection point in the touch pixels of the touch sensitive surface.

15. System according to claim 14 , wherein the active detection point is arranged in the activation member and fulfils the function of the active detection point and of the activation detection point.

16. System according to claim 13 , wherein the touch pixels are arranged in an array of first lines in a first direction and second lines in a second direction, wherein the passive detection section is configured to passively detect the position of an object by applying a driving signal on the touch pixels of a first line and by measuring the output of the second lines.

17. Method for detecting on a touch sensitive surface of capacitive touch sensor a touch interactor with a support surface and an activation member,

the touch sensor comprising

an active detection section for detecting an active signal from an object in the vicinity of one or more of the touch pixels and for detecting a position of a source of the active signal of the object on the touch sensitive surface, and

a passive detection section for passively detecting a position of an object on the touch sensitive surface,

the method comprising the following steps:

receiving on the touch sensitive surface an active signal transmitted from the touch interactor;

determining in the touch sensor the identity of the touch interactor and/or the orientation of the touch interactor on the touch sensitive surface, when the touch interactor is placed on the touch sensitive surface;

detecting on the touch sensitive surface a movement of the activation member of the touch interactor and

generating in the touch sensor a user input command on the basis of the detected movement and the determined identity and/or orientation.