# US 8,665,232 B2 · Device and method for acquiring tactile information with sequential scanning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,665,232 B2 - Document ID: US8665232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/013,970 - Filed: 2011-01-26 - Published: 2011-05-19 - Granted: 2014-03-04 - Earliest claimed: 2004-02-23 - Assignees: Stantum - Applicants: Pascal Joguet; Guillaume Largillier - Inventors: Pascal Joguet; Guillaume Largillier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8665232B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/045: using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact - G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means - G06F 3/047: using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G10H 1/055: by switches with variable impedance elements - G10H 1/34: Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments - G06F 2203/04104: Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger - G10H 2220/096: using a touch screen - G10H 2220/241: on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10H: ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE ## Abstract A device configured to acquire tactile information including a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes; and a scanning control unit, wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information from the rows and the columns of the conductive stripes of the transparent tactile matrix sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device configured to acquire tactile information, comprising: a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes; and a scanning control unit, wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information from the rows and the columns of the conductive stripes of the transparent tactile matrix sensor and to successively supply a signal to each column, and to sequentially measure a signal level for each row during the supply of the signal for each of the columns to read out the tactile information, and the scanning control unit includes: a digitally controllable comparator configured to compare the signal level of the rows to a threshold level to detect the tactile information, and the threshold level is changed for each measurement of the signal level of the rows by decreasing the threshold level from measurement to measurement of neighboring rows. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is further configured to put all the rows to ground level other than the row that is currently subjected to the measurement of the signal level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is further configured to put all the columns to a high impedance level other than the column that is currently subjected to the signal supply. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information with a frequency that is above 100 Hertz. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a filtering unit configured to detect a touch zone that includes a plurality of touch points that form tactile information measured by the scanning control unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device according to claim 5, wherein the filtering unit is configured to detect a barycenter of the touch zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the rows and the columns of conductive stripes are made of indium oxide, and the rows are arranged next to each other to form a first layer, and the columns are arranged next to each other to form a second layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, further comprising: insulation spacers arranged between the first layer of rows and the second layer of columns to provide electric insulation between the first and second layers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, further comprising: a transparent resistive layer arranged between the first layer of rows and the second layer of columns, a resistivity of the transparent resistive layer being variable based on a pressure that is exerted onto the transparent resistive layer. ### Claim 10 A method for acquiring tactile information from a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes and a scanning control unit, comprising: supplying successively a signal to each column; and measuring sequentially a signal level for each row during said step of supplying of the signal for each of the columns to read out the tactile information, wherein the step of measuring sequentially includes: comparing, in a digitally controlled comparator, the signal level of each row to a threshold level to detect the tactile information, and changing the threshold level for each measurement of the signal level of a corresponding row by decreasing the threshold level from measurement to measurement of neighboring rows.