Touch-based control device to detect touch input without blind spots

1. A touch-based control device comprising:

an interior housing;

a circuit board;

a sensor layer including a plurality of sensing elements that are positioned to modulate their respective sensing signals in response to touch input on an exterior panel that overlays the sensor layer; and

a control module provided within the interior housing, the control module including control logic to determine whether modulating sensor signals generated by a set of sensing signals of the plurality of sensing elements vary from a corresponding baseline signal by more than a corresponding minimum threshold;

wherein the control logic determines the corresponding minimum threshold for the modulating sensor signals based on a location of one or more sensing elements of the set of sensing elements, the one or more sensing elements being adjacent or proximate to a sensor void region of the circuit board and/or a perimeter region that extends beyond a perimeter edge of the circuit board;

wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to control one or more connected devices based on the touch input.

2. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the control device is a wall-mountable controller for a dwelling.

3. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to control one or more wired connected devices.

4. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to wirelessly control one or more wireless and connected devices.

5. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more connected devices include one or more lights, and wherein the one or more output signals control a power level, brightness level, hue, or blink pattern of the one or more lights.

6. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more output signals control an operational setting of the one or more connected devices.

7. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the control module varies a sensitivity of the sensing elements for different locations across the exterior panel.

8. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the minimum threshold is specific to each of the one or more modulating sensor signals.

9. The touch-based control device of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board includes a reference plane, and wherein the circuit board selectively exposes the reference plane adjacent to the sensor void region or the perimeter region.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a control module of a touch-based control device, cause the control module to:

detect a touch input performed on an exterior panel of the touch-based control device, the exterior panel overlaying an interior housing of the touch-based control device, the interior region including a circuit board;

wherein a minimum threshold of at last one modulating sensor signal is based on the respective sensing element being adjacent or proximate to a sensor void region of the circuit board and/or a perimeter region that extends beyond a perimeter edge of the circuit board; and

based on the touch input, generate one or more output signals to control one or more connected devices.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the control device is a wall-mountable controller for a dwelling.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to control one or more wired connected devices.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to wirelessly control one or more wireless and connected devices.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the one or more output signals control an operational setting of the one or more connected devices.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the control module varies a sensitivity of the touch detection for different locations across the exterior panel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the minimum threshold is specific to each of the at least one modulating sensor signals.

17. A computer-implemented method of operating a touch-based control device, the method being performed by a control module of the touch-based control device and comprising:

detecting a touch input performed on an exterior panel of the touch-based control device, the exterior panel overlaying an interior housing of the touch-based control device the interior region including a circuit board;

wherein a minimum threshold of at last one modulating sensor signal is based on the respective sensing element being adjacent or proximate to a sensor void region of a circuit board and/or a perimeter region that extends beyond a perimeter edge of the circuit board; and

based on the touch input, generating one or more output signals to control one or more connected devices.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control device is a wall-mountable controller for a dwelling.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to control one or more wired connected devices.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control module generates one or more output signals to wirelessly control one or more wireless and connected devices.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more output signals control an operational setting of the one or more connected devices.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein a sensitivity of the touch detection for different locations across the exterior panel.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the minimum threshold is specific to each of the at least one modulating sensor signals.