Segmented capacitive sensor, and related systems, methods and devices
AssigneeAtmel Corporation
InventorsJohn Dubery, Samuel Daniel Brunet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are segmented sensors and related systems, methods, and devices. In one embodiment, a capacitive sensor includes a first gird of sensor lines, a second grid of sensor lines, and an isolating region defined between the first grid of sensor lines and the second grid of sensor lines. Also disclosed are touch controllers configured for operable coupling to, and detecting touches at, a segmented sensor, and related systems, methods, and devices. In one embodiment, connectors of a touch controllers are configured for operable coupling to sensing lines from different segments of a segmented sensor and touch controllers are configured to detect touches at the different segments.
Claims21
A capacitive sensing system, comprising:
- a segmented sensor comprising rows of sensing lines and columns of sensing lines;
- and
- one or more touch controllers operatively coupled to the segmented sensor, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers comprising:
- a first group of connectors and a second group of connectors, and wherein:
- at least some drive lines of the columns or rows of sensing lines are operatively coupled independently to the first group of connectors;
- and
- at least some sense lines of the rows or columns of sensing lines are operatively coupled in parallel to the second group of connectors.
A capacitive sensing system, comprising:
- a segmented sensor comprising rows of sensing lines and columns of sensing lines;
- and
- one or more touch controllers operatively coupled to the segmented sensor, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers comprising:
- a first group of connectors and a second group of connectors, and wherein:
- the columns or rows of sensing lines are operatively coupled independently to the first group of connectors;
- and
- at least some of the other rows or columns of sensing lines are operatively coupled in parallel to the second group of connectors,
- wherein some connectors of the first group of connectors are associated with a first segment of the segmented sensor and other connectors of the first group of connectors are associated with a second segment of the segmented sensor,
- wherein some connectors of the second group of connectors are associated with the first segment of the segmented sensor and associated with the second segment of the segmented sensor.
A capacitive sensor, comprising:
- a first grid of sensor lines comprising first rows of sensor lines and first columns of sensor lines;
- a second grid of sensor lines comprising second rows of sensor lines and second columns of sensor lines;
- an isolating region defined between the first grid of sensor lines and the second grid of sensor lines;
- and
- one or more touch controllers operatively coupled to the first grid of sensor lines and the second grid of sensor lines, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers comprising:
- a first group of connectors and a second group of connectors, and wherein:
- one of columns or rows of sensor lines of the first grid and the second grid are operatively coupled independently to the first group of connectors;
- and
- at least some of the other of rows or columns of sensor lines of the first grid and the second grid are operatively coupled in parallel to the second group of connectors.
A touch controller, comprising:
- a first group of connectors and a second group of connectors;
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, are adapted to enable the processor to:
- determine touch location information responsive to one or more sensed signals, wherein the touch location information corresponds to a location at a segmented sensor when:
- columns or rows of sensor lines of the segmented sensor are operatively coupled independently to the first group of connectors;
- and
- at least some of rows or columns of sensor lines of the segmented sensor that are associated with at least some of the one or more sensed signals are operatively coupled in parallel to the second group of connectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.