# US 2021/0240293 A1 · Screen-to-screen communication via touch sense elements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0240293 A1 - Document ID: US20210240293A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/882,875 - Filed: 2020-05-26 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Sigmasense, LLC. - Applicants: SigmaSense, LLC. - Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand; Gerald Dale Morrison; Richard Stuart Seger, JR.; Timothy W. Markison - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240293A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 3/04162: {for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/041662: {using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning} - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 12/06: Authentication - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method includes a first computing device generating a signal having an oscillating component and driving the signal on a first touch sense element of the first computing device. The method continues with the first computing device detecting a touch on the first touch sense element based on the signal. While the touch is detected, the method continues by the first computing device modulating the signal with data to produce a modulated data signal. The method continues with a second computing device receiving the modulated data signal via a transmission medium and a second touch sense element of the second computing device, where the transmission medium includes at least one of a human body and a close proximity between the first and second computing devices. The method continues with by the second computing device demodulating the modulated data signal to recover the data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating, by a first computing device, a signal having an oscillating component; driving, by the first computing device, the signal on a first touch sense element of the first computing device; detecting, by the first computing device, a touch on the first touch sense element based on the signal; while the touch is detected, modulating, by the first computing device, the signal with data to produce a modulated data signal; receiving, by a second computing device, the modulated data signal via a transmission medium and a second touch sense element of the second computing device, wherein the transmission medium includes at least one of a human body and a close proximity between the first and second computing devices; and demodulating, by the second computing device, the modulated data signal to recover the data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the human body is the transmission medium, the method further comprises: detecting, by the second computing device, a second touch on the second touch sense element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprises: the first touch sense element includes one or more first electrodes; and the second touch sense element includes one or more second electrodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the touch comprises: determining a change in a self-capacitance associated with the first touch sense element; and interpreting the change in the self-capacitance to indicate the touch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the touch comprises: determining a change in a mutual-capacitance associated with the first touch sense element; and interpreting the change in the mutual-capacitance indicates the touch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: generating, by second computing device, a second signal having a second oscillating component; driving, by the second computing device, the second signal on the second touch sense element of the second computing device; detecting, by the second computing device, a second touch on the second touch sense element based on the second signal; while the second touch is detected, modulating, by the second computing device, the second signal with second data to produce a second modulated data signal; receiving, by the first computing device, the second modulated data signal via the transmission medium and the first touch sense element; and demodulating, by the first computing device, the second modulated data signal to recover the second data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the modulating the second signal with second data comprises one of: backscattering the second data with the modulated data signal to produce the second data modulated signal; and mixing the second data with the second signal, wherein the second data includes a second oscillating component having a second frequency. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprises: the oscillating component of the signal having a first frequency; and the modulating the signal with the data to produce the modulated data signal includes mixing the signal with the data, wherein the data includes a second oscillating component having a second frequency. ### Claim 9 A computer readable storage device comprises: a first memory section for storing operational instructions that, when executed by a first computing device, cause the first computing device to: generate a signal having an oscillating component; drive the signal on a first touch sense element of the first computing device; detect a touch on the first touch sense element based on the signal; while the touch is detected, modulate the signal with data to produce a modulated data signal; and a second memory section for storing operational instructions that, when executed by a second computing device, cause the second computing device to: receive the modulated data signal via a transmission medium and a second touch sense element of the second computing device, wherein the transmission medium includes at least one of a human body and a close proximity between the first and second computing devices; and demodulate the modulated data signal to recover the data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the second memory section stores further operational instructions that, when the human body is the transmission medium, cause the second computing device to: detect a second touch on the second touch sense element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9 further comprises: the first touch sense element includes one or more first electrodes; and the second touch sense element includes one or more second electrodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the first memory section stores further operational instructions that cause the first computing device to detect the touch by: determining a change in a self-capacitance associated with the first touch sense element; and interpreting the change in the self-capacitance to indicate the touch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the first memory section stores further operational instructions that cause the first computing device to detect the touch by: determining a change in a mutual-capacitance associated with the first touch sense element; and interpreting the change in the mutual-capacitance indicates the touch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9 further comprising: a third memory section for storing operational instructions that, when executed by the second computing device, cause the second computing device to: generate a second signal having a second oscillating component; drive the second signal on the second touch sense element of the second computing device; detect a second touch on the second touch sense element based on the second signal; while the second touch is detected, modulate the second signal with second data to produce a second modulated data signal; receive the second modulated data signal via the transmission medium and the first touch sense element; and demodulate the second modulated data signal to recover the second data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the second memory section stores further operational instructions that cause the second computing device to modulate the second signal with second data by one of: backscattering the second data with the modulated data signal to produce the second data modulated signal; and mixing the second data with the second signal, wherein the second data includes a second oscillating component having a second frequency. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The computer readable storage device of claim 9 further comprises: the oscillating component of the signal having a first frequency; and the modulating the signal with the data to produce the modulated data signal includes mixing the signal with the data, wherein the data includes a second oscillating component having a second frequency.