# US 9,535,547 B2 · Device and method for control interface sensitive to a movement of a body or of an object and viewing screen integrating this device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,535,547 B2
- Document ID: US9535547B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/341,230
- Filed: 2014-07-25
- Published: 2014-11-27
- Granted: 2017-01-03
- Earliest claimed: 2009-08-07
- Assignees: Quickstep Technologies LLC
- Applicants: Quickstep Technologies LLC
- Inventors: Didier Roziere
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9535547B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0418: {for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment}
- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/041661: {using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window}
- G06F 3/0425: {using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386)}
- G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes}
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- 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 2203/04104: 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
- G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
- 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 2203/04107: Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
- G06F 2203/04808: Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A device for control interface sensitive to movement of a body, includes a detection surface; at least one capacitive sensor including a measurement electrode including an active surface facing the detection surface, or substantially coinciding with the detection surface; electronic excitation and processing components for exciting the measurement electrodes at an alternating electrical potential and processing the signals emanating from the capacitive sensors, to provide distance information between the active surface of the electrodes and one or several objects; a guard of electrically conducting material disposed in proximity to the measurement electrodes, at least along the face of the measurement electrodes substantially opposite to the active surface, which guard is excited at an alternating electrical potential substantially identical to the alternating electrical potential of the measurement electrodes, wherein: the measurement electrodes and the guard are made of substantially transparent conducting materials; and the device for interface is substantially transparent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for control interface sensitive to a movement of a body or of an object, comprising:
a detection surface;
at least one capacitive sensor, each said capacitive sensor including a measurement electrode including an active surface facing the detection surface, or substantially coinciding with said detection surface;
excitation and measurement electronics referenced to a guard potential different from a ground potential, the excitation and measurement electronics configured for exciting the measurement electrodes at an alternating (AC) electrical potential and processing the signals emanating from said capacitive sensors, so as to provide distance information between the active surface of the measurement electrodes and one or several objects; and
a guard of electrically conducting material disposed in proximity to the measurement electrodes, at least along the face of the measurement electrodes substantially opposite to the active surface, which guard is excited at an alternating (AC) electrical potential substantially identical to the alternating (AC) electrical potential of the measurement electrodes, wherein:
the measurement electrodes and the guard are made of substantially transparent conducting materials; and
the device for control interface is substantially transparent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is able to be placed on a viewing screen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement electrodes and the guard are made of ITO (indium tin doped oxide).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that:
the active surfaces of the measurement electrodes are independent of one another, and
the excitation and measurement electronics are further arranged to interrogate said measurement electrodes independently of one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the excitation and measurement electronics have a measurement extent enabling both:
detecting and identifying a relative movement of the body or of the object with respect to the active surface of the measurement electrodes, and
detecting with certainty a contact of said body or of said object with the detection surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the excitation and measurement electronics comprise a multiplexer configured for enabling the measurement signals emanating from the capacitive sensors to be sequentially read, the measurement electrodes which are not being scrutinized being connected to the alternating (AC) electrical potential of the guard.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the excitation and measurement electronics comprise a multiplexer configured for enabling the measurement electrodes to be electrically gathered, so that said gathered measurement electrodes make up a single measurement electrode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A control equipment providing a man-machine interface function integrating a device for control interface according to claim 1 and a viewing screen.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A multiscale gestural interface integrating a device for control interface according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one of the following:
an optical camera; and
a vocal interface.

### Claim 10

A method for controlling a gestural interface sensitive to a movement of a body or of an object, comprising:
exciting one or more measurement electrodes within at least one capacitive sensor with an alternating (AC) electrical potential, said measurement electrodes (i) including an active surface facing a detection surface, or substantially coinciding with said detection surface, and (ii) being provided with a guard of electrically conducting material disposed in proximity to the measurement electrodes at least along their face substantially opposite to the active surface;
exciting said guard to an alternating (AC) electrical potential substantially identical to the alternating (AC) electrical potential of the measurement electrodes; and
processing signals emanating from said capacitive sensors, so as to provide distance information between the active surface of the measurement electrodes and one or several objects;
wherein the exciting of the one or more measurement electronics and the processing of the signals emanating from the capacitive sensors is referenced to a guard potential different from a ground potential and
the method being implemented in a device for control interface substantially transparent, placed on a viewing screen, and fitted with measurement electrodes and guard made of substantially transparent materials.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, further comprising displaying a software interface, the image of which varies in response to actions from the object(s).

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, further comprising:
measuring at least one distance between an object and a detection surface;
processing said distance measurements to provide approach information;
measuring the contact between the object and the detection surface; and
processing said contact measurements to provide touch information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12:
wherein processing the distance measurements comprises a detection of the position of the object in space obtained at least from distance measurements and knowledge about the disposition of the capacitive sensors; and
wherein processing the contact measurements comprises identifying the capacitive sensors which have detected a contact between the object and the detection surface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, further comprising determining controls, which controls are conditioned at least by at least one of the approach and touch information.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, characterized in that at least one control determined by a touch information is conditioned by an approach information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, characterized in that at least one control is conditioned by the time variation of at least one of the approach and touch information.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, implementing a gestural interface having optical imaging means and vocal recognition means, characterized in that it further comprises:
detecting the object through optical imaging, providing image information, and a processing of this image information to determine one or several controls; and
vocal recognition, and a processing of this speech information to determine one or more controls.