US 2010/0245289 A1Published application

Apparatus and method for optical proximity sensing and touch input control

OwnerMiroslav Svajdainventor

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Abstract

Systems, circuits and methods are shown for optical proximity sensing and touch input control involving mounting light sources and an optical receiver with a touch input device, activating a first light source and measuring a first reflected light signal from an object using the receiver to obtain a first measured reflectance value, activating a second light source and measuring a second reflected light signal from the object using the receiver to obtain a second measured reflectance value, determining an approximate position of the object based on the first and second measured reflectance values, determining whether the position of the object is within a predetermined proximity area to the touch input device, and activating the touch input device if the object is within the predetermined proximity area or selectively activating or scanning part of the touch input device based on the position of the object.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A touch input and optical proximity sensing system, the system comprising:

first and second light sources;
a first optical receiver configured to receive a first reflected light signal from an object when the first light source is activated and output a first measured reflectance value corresponding to an amplitude of the first reflected light signal and receive a second reflected light signal from the object when the second light source is activated and output a second measured reflectance value corresponding to an amplitude of the second reflected light signal;
a first touch input device, where the first and second light sources and the first optical receiver are in predetermined positions relative to the first touch input device;
and
a controller in communication and control of the first and second light sources, the first optical receiver and the first touch input device, where the controller is configured to independently activate the first and second light sources to produce the first and second reflected light signals and capture the first and second measured reflectance values from the first optical receiver, and the controller is further configured to determine a first approximate position of the object based on the first and second measured reflectance values and determine whether the first approximate position of the object is within a predetermined proximity area to the first touch input device and, if the object is within the predetermined proximity area, the controller is configured to activate at least a portion of the first touch input device.

2 more elements

A method for optical proximity sensing and touch input control, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a plurality of light sources and a first optical receiver in predetermined position relative to a first touch input device;
activating at least a first one of the light sources and measuring an amplitude of a first reflected light signal from an object using the first optical receiver to obtain a first measured reflectance value;
activating at least a second one of the light sources and measuring an amplitude of a second reflected light signal from the object using the first optical receiver to obtain a second measured reflectance value;
determining a first approximate position of the object based on the first and second measured reflectance values;
determining whether the first approximate position of the object is within a predetermined proximity area to the first touch input device;
and
activating at least a portion of the first touch input device if the object is within the predetermined proximity area.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.