# US 2016/0259474 A1 · Touch and hover switching > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0259474 A1 - Document ID: US20160259474A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/050,351 - Filed: 2016-02-22 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-27 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Brian Michael KING; Omar S. LEUNG; Paul G. PUSKARICH; Jeffrey Traer BERNSTEIN; Andrea MUCIGNAT; Avi E. CIEPLINSKI; Muhammad U. CHOUDRY; Praveen R. SUBRAMANI; Marc J. PICHE; David AMM; Duncan Robert KERR - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259474A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/041662: {using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning} - G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)} - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G06F 2203/04101: 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup - G06F 2203/04106: Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection - G06F 2203/04108: Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction - G06F 2203/04111: Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Touch and hover switching is disclosed. A touch and hover sensing device can switch between a touch mode and a hover mode. During a touch mode, the device can be switched to sense one or more objects touching the device. During a hover mode, the device can be switched to sense one or more objects hovering over the device. The device can include a panel having multiple sensors for sensing a touching object and/or a hovering object and a touch and hover control system for switching the device between the touch and hover modes. The device's touch and hover control system can include a touch sensing circuit for coupling to the sensors to measure a capacitance indicative of a touching object during the touch mode, a hover sensing circuit for coupling to the sensors to measure a capacitance indicative of a hovering object during the hover mode, and a switching mechanism for switching the sensors to couple to either the touch sensing circuit or the hover sensing circuit. The device can switch modes based on a condition of the device, such as an expiration of a timer or a relative distance of an object from the panel. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -21. (canceled) ### Claim 22 A capacitive sensing device comprising: a control system configured to control switching between a mutual capacitance mode and a self-capacitance mode, wherein: the control system comprises: a mutual capacitance sensing circuit configured to measure mutual capacitance at the sensing device, a self-capacitance sensing circuit configured to measure self-capacitance at the sensing device, and a switching mechanism configured to couple at least one sensor capable of detecting mutual capacitance or self-capacitance to either the mutual capacitance sensing circuit or the self-capacitance sensing circuit, the switching mechanism coupling the at least one sensor to the mutual capacitance sensing circuit during the mutual capacitance mode and to the self-capacitance sensing circuit during the self-capacitance mode, and the control system is configured to: operate the at least one sensor in the self-capacitance mode, measure one or more self-capacitance measurements at the sensing device using the at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first self-capacitance measurement of the one or more self-capacitance measurements crosses a self-capacitance measurement threshold, switch to the mutual capacitance mode; and operate the at least one sensor in the mutual capacitance mode, measure one or more mutual capacitance measurements at the sensing device using the at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first mutual capacitance measurement of the one or more mutual capacitance measurements crosses a mutual capacitance measurement threshold, different from the self-capacitance measurement threshold, switch to the self-capacitance mode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the self-capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a first distance of an object from a sensing surface of the sensing device, and the mutual capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a second distance, different from the first distance, of the object from the sensing surface of the sensing device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the control system further comprises a controller configured to control the switching mechanism, the controller sending a control signal to the switching mechanism to actuate the switching mechanism. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the self-capacitance sensing circuit comprises a gain amplifier for sensing the self-capacitance at the sensing device, the gain amplifier coupling to the at least one sensor through a first connection to receive the self-capacitance measurement, and to a reference voltage source through a second connection to receive a reference signal, the gain amplifier subtracting the reference signal from the self-capacitance measurement so as to output a signal compensated for parasitic capacitance at the switching mechanism. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the control system further comprises a capacitor disposed between the at least one sensor and the switching mechanism so as to compensate the self-capacitance measurement at the sensing device for parasitic capacitance at the switching mechanism. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the switching mechanism is a controller configured to send control signals to the mutual capacitance sensing circuit and the self-capacitance sensing circuit to switch between the sensing circuits. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27, wherein, during the mutual capacitance mode, the controller sends an enable signal to the mutual capacitance sensing circuit to enable to the mutual capacitance sensing circuit and a disable signal to the self-capacitance sensing circuit to disable the self-capacitance sensing circuit, and, during the self-capacitance mode, the controller sends a disable signal to the mutual capacitance sensing circuit to disable the mutual capacitance sensing circuit and an enable signal to the self-capacitance sensing circuit to enable the self-capacitance sensing circuit. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the first and second thresholds are indicative of relative distances from the sensing device of the object proximate to the device. ### Claim 30 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the control system measures self-capacitance at the at least one sensor during the self-capacitance mode. ### Claim 31 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the control system measures mutual capacitance at the at least one sensor during the mutual capacitance mode. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the first threshold is indicative of an object touching the sensing device and the second threshold is indicative of an object hovering over the sensing device. ### Claim 33 A method of switching between a mutual capacitance sensing mode and a self-capacitance sensing mode of a sensing device, the method comprising: operating the at least one sensor in the self-capacitance mode: measuring one or more self-capacitance measurements at the sensing device using at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first self-capacitance measurement of the one or more self-capacitance measurements crosses a self-capacitance measurement threshold, switching to the mutual capacitance mode; and operating the at least one sensor in the mutual capacitance mode: measuring one or more mutual capacitance measurements at the sensing device using the at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first mutual capacitance measurement of the one or more mutual capacitance measurements crosses a mutual capacitance measurement threshold, different from the self-capacitance measurement threshold, switching to the self-capacitance mode. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, further comprising switching a portion of the sensing device to the mutual capacitance detection mode and another portion of the sensing device to the self-capacitance detection mode so as to partition the panel to concurrently detect mutual capacitance and self-capacitance at the panel. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, wherein the self-capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a first distance of an object from a sensing surface of the sensing device, and the mutual capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a second distance, different from the first distance, of the object from the sensing surface of the sensing device. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The device of claim 35, wherein the first distance is farther away from a surface of the sensing device farther than the second distance. ### Claim 37 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, wherein the mutual capacitance sensing mode is a touch mode to detect an object touching the device. ### Claim 38 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, wherein the self-capacitance sensing mode is a hover mode to detect an object hovering over the device. ### Claim 39 A capacitive sensing device comprising: a sensing panel having multiple sensors, each capable of detecting mutual capacitance or self-capacitance and configured to detect one or more objects proximate to the panel; and a control system configured to measure capacitance associated with the proximate objects and to switch the sensors between a mutual capacitance detection mode and a self-capacitance detection mode, wherein the control system is configured to: operate the at least one sensor in the self-capacitance mode, measure one or more self-capacitance measurements at the sensing device using the at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first self-capacitance measurement of the one or more self-capacitance measurements crosses a self-capacitance measurement threshold, switch to the mutual capacitance mode; and operate the at least one sensor in the mutual capacitance mode, measure one or more mutual capacitance measurements at the sensing device using the at least one sensor, and upon detecting that a first mutual capacitance measurement of the one or more mutual capacitance measurements crosses a mutual capacitance measurement threshold, different from the self-capacitance measurement threshold, switch to the self-capacitance mode. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The device of claim 39, wherein the control system switches a portion of the multiple sensors to the mutual capacitance detection mode and another portion of the multiple sensors to the self-capacitance detection mode so as to partition the panel to concurrently detect mutual capacitance and self-capacitance at the panel. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) The device of claim 39, wherein the self-capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a first distance of an object from a sensing surface of the sensing panel, and the mutual capacitance measurement threshold corresponds to a second distance, different from the first distance, of the object from the sensing surface of the sensing panel.