IP Library Granted Patent US 8,773,369
Granted Patent B2
US 8,773,369 · App. 12/784,997 · Granted Jul 8, 2014

Sensoring apparatus of proximity and contact, and display devices

Inventors: Koji Nagata (Hachioji, JP); Toshiyuki Kumagai (Mobara, JP); Norio Mamba (Kawasaki, JP); Koji Hayakawa (Chosei, JP)
Assignees: Japan Display Inc.; Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
G06F3/0416G06F2203/04808G06F3/044
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,773,369
App. No.
12/784,997
Granted
Jul 8, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor apparatus for detecting contact or proximity of an object includes a calculation section for separating a plurality of points of the contact or the proximity that are generated simultaneously, and calculating individual sets of positional coordinates, and the calculation section includes an analysis section for determining, based on a spatial distribution of signal intensity obtained through detection, a condition for separating the spatial distribution of the signal intensity into a plurality of regions.

Claims (14)

1. A sensor apparatus for detecting contact or proximity of an object, comprising:

a calculation section for separating a plurality of points of the contact or the proximity that are generated simultaneously, and calculating individual sets of positional coordinates,

wherein the calculation section comprises an analysis section for determining, based on a first signal intensity distribution on a flat touch sensor detected by a signal from the flat touch sensor, a first threshold for removing noise contents and offset contents from the first signal intensity distribution, and

wherein, after removing the noise contents and the offset contents from the first signal intensity distribution by using the first threshold so as to generate a second signal intensity distribution on the flat touch sensor, the analysis section is configured to determine a second threshold for separating the second signal intensity distribution into a plurality of regions, each of which regions has a peak in accordance with the second signal intensity distribution.

2. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis section is configured to analyze structure of the signal intensity distribution obtained through the detection, to thereby determine the threshold for separating the signal intensity distribution into the plurality of regions based on the structure of the signal intensity distribution.

3. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the analysis section is configured to convert a two-dimensional distribution of the signal intensity into a plurality of one-dimensional distributions, and to analyze a result of the conversion, to thereby determine the threshold for separating the signal intensity distribution into the plurality of regions.

4. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of one-dimensional distributions comprise two one-dimensional distributions corresponding to axes of the two-dimensional distribution, respectively.

5. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the analysis section is configured to perform the conversion into the plurality of one-dimensional distributions by performing orthogonal projection of the original two-dimensional distribution with respect to one-dimensional axes for the conversion.

6. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the analysis section is configured to determine a threshold for obtaining a maximum number of intervals each of which includes peak existing in each of the plurality of one-dimensional distributions obtained through the conversion of the two-dimensional distribution, to thereby determine the threshold for separating the signal intensity distribution into the plurality of regions.

7. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the analysis section is configured to perform a process, after the threshold for separating the signal intensity distribution into the plurality of regions is obtained, to leave data greater than the threshold among a two-dimensional distribution of the signal intensity.

8. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis section is configured to use a spatial frequency distribution of a detection signal system signal transfer function, to thereby determine the threshold for separating the signal intensity distribution into the plurality of regions.

9. The sensor apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the analysis section is configured to obtain the spatial frequency distribution of the detection signal system signal transfer function based on a two-dimensional signal intensity distribution obtained by a capacitance detection section with respect to a reference input to the touch sensor.

10. The sensor apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the analysis section is configured to convert the two-dimensional signal intensity distribution obtained by the capacitance detection section with respect to the reference input to the touch sensor into a spatial frequency distribution, to thereby obtain the spatial frequency distribution of the detection signal system signal transfer function.

11. The sensor apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the analysis section is configured to convert a two-dimensional signal intensity distribution to be measured by the capacitance detection section into a spatial frequency distribution, and to perform deconvolution calculation using the spatial frequency distribution and the prestored spatial frequency distribution with respect to the reference input.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA; JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
To: PANELTOUCH TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 067245/0560 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Reel/Frame 065615/0327 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 20, 2013
From: JAPAN DISPLAY EAST INC.
To: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
Reel/Frame 031690/0173 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 19, 2013
From: HITACHI DISPLAYS, LTD.
To: JAPAN DISPLAY EAST INC.
Reel/Frame 031673/0922 →
COMPANY SPLIT PLAN TRANSFERRING FIFTY (50) PERCENT SHARE IN PATENT APPLICATIONS Recorded Oct 20, 2011
From: HITACHI DISPLAYS, LTD.
To: IPS ALPHA SUPPORT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027092/0684 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 20, 2011
From: IPS ALPHA SUPPORT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027093/0937 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2010
From: NAGATA, KOJI; KUMAGAI, TOSHIYUKI; MAMBA, NORIO; HAYAKAWA, KOJI
To: HITACHI DISPLAYS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 024701/0687 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-125382 · May 25, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100295810A1 · Nov 25, 2010