Interface including passive touch sensitive input device

An interface system comprising:

• at least one input device comprising:
• one or more groups that include two or more touch sensitive elements, each group of two or more touch sensitive elements arranged to generate a sequence of electronic waveforms corresponding to a sequential multi-digit code that identifies the group in response to a swiping touch across the two or more touch sensitive elements;
• a transponder electrically connected to the touch sensitive elements, the transponder configured to receive an excitation signal and to transmit a response signal that represents the sequence of electronic waveforms to a reader;
• the reader comprising:
• a signal generator configured to generate the excitation signal;
• and
• a receiver configured to receive the response signal;
• a signal processor configured to extract the code from the response signal;
• and
• an output device configured to generate an output responsive to the code, wherein:
• the reader is disposed on product shelving;
• and
• the at least one input device comprises multiple input devices, each input device respectively disposed on a product displayed on the shelving.

A method comprising:

• activating at least one group of touch sensitive elements of an input device by a swiping touch on or near the touch sensitive elements;
• generating, by the input device, a sequence of electronic waveforms corresponding to a multi-digit code in response to activating the at least one group of touch sensitive elements by the swiping touch;
• transmitting, by the input device, a response signal representing the sequence electronic waveforms to a reader;
• extracting the code;
• generating an output in response to the code;
• and
• determining the sequential multi-digit code based on one of:
• timing between waveform features of the electronic waveforms represented in the response signal;
• frequency of the electronic waveforms represented in the response signal;
• phase of the electronic waveforms represented in the response signal;
• or
• peaks in the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch.

An input device comprising one or more groups of two or more touch sensitive elements, each group of two or more touch sensitive elements arranged to generate a sequence of electronic waveforms corresponding to a multi-digit code that identifies the group in response to a swiping touch across the two or more touch sensitive elements, wherein the multi-digit code is one of:

• encoded in a spatial arrangement of the touch sensitive elements wherein the spatial arrangement correlates to timing between waveform features of the sequence of electronic waveforms;
• encoded in frequency of the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch;
• encoded in phase of electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch;
• or
• encoded in peaks in the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch.

An interface system comprising:

• at least one input device comprising one or more groups that include two or more touch sensitive elements, each group of two or more touch sensitive elements arranged to generate a response signal comprising a sequence of electronic waveforms corresponding to a sequential multi-digit code that identifies the group in response to a swiping touch across the two or more touch sensitive elements;
• a signal processor configured to extract the code from the response signal;
• and
• an output device configured to generate an output responsive to the code, wherein the sequential multi-digit code is one of:
• encoded in peaks in the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch;
• encoded in timing between waveform features of the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch;
• encoded in a frequency of the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch;
• or
• encoded in a phase of the electronic waveforms generated in response to the swiping touch.