A tangible non-transitory computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means comprising a capacitive touch sensor method configured to operate on capacitive touch sensor system comprising:
- (a) touch sensor array (TSA);
- (b) array column driver (ACD);
- (c) column switching register (CSR);
- (d) column driving source (CDS);
- (e) array row sensor (ARS);
- (f) row switching register (RSR);
- (g) analog to digital converter (ADC);
- and
- (h) computing control device (CCD);
- wherein
- said TSA comprises a variable impedance array (VIA) comprising VIA columns and VIA rows;
- said VIA comprises capacitance elements interlinking said VIA columns and said VIA rows;
- said VIA is configured to electrically couple a plurality of interlinked impedance columns (IIC) within said TSA with a plurality of interlinked impedance rows (IIR) within said TSA;
- said IIC further comprises a plurality of individual column impedance elements (ICIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA columns;
- said IIR further comprises a plurality of individual row impedance elements (IRIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA rows;
- said ACD is configured to select said IIC within said TSA based on said CSR;
- said ACD is configured to electrically drive said selected IIC using said CDS;
- said ARS is configured to select said IIR within said TSA based on said RSR;
- said ADC is configured to sense the electrical state of said selected IIR and convert said electrical state to a sensed digital value (SDV);
- said electrical state is determined by the sum of current contributions of variable
- impedance elements within said VIA, where the current contribution of each element is determined by a voltage divider formed between the columns of said VIA, a current divider formed between the rows of said via, and the state of the impedance element, to produce a sensed current for a given row-column intersection with said VIA;
- and
- said CCD is configured to sample said SDV from said ADC at a plurality of positions within said TSA to form a touch sensor matrix (TSM) data structure;
- wherein said method comprises the steps of:
- (1) under control of said CCD, configuring said IIC within said VIA;
- (2) under control of said CCD, configuring said IIR within said VIA;
- (3) under control of said CCD, electrically stimulating said IIC with said CDS;
- (4) under control of said CCD, sensing said electrical state in said IIR with said ADC as a sensed current for a given row-column intersection within said VIA and converting said electrical state to digital data;
- (5) under control of said CCD, storing said digital data in said TSM;
- (6) under control of said CCD, determining if predetermined variations in said CDR, said IIC, and said IIR have been logged to said TSM, and if so, proceeding to step (8);
- (7) under control of said CCD, reconfiguring said CDS, said IIC, and said IIR for a new VIA sensing variant and proceeding to step (3);
- (8) under control of said CCD, interpolating said TSM values to determine focal points of activity within said VIA;
- (9) under control of said CCD, converting said focal point activity information into a user interface input command sequence;
- and
- (10) under control of said CCD, transmitting said user interface input command sequence to a computer system for action and proceeding to step (1).