Method and apparatus for touch-activated identification and information transfer
US6642837B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 4, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S200/02
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Physical structures respond to proximity or touch, conveying to a reader information such as the identity of the structure or some data associated therewith. In its simplest form, the structure comprises an electrical load and a pair of electrodes connected thereto. The electrodes are spaced apart (by air or other dielectric medium). A signal generator, which acts as a “reader,” is connected to a larger electrode that may be embedded in an environmental surface. When the structure is placed in proximity to the reader electrode, application of the signal results in capacitive coupling between the reader and the electrodes of the structure. The structure is not detected by the reader, however, because the capacitive coupling is comparable for both electrodes, so the load experiences only a small electrical gradient. But if one of the electrodes is grounded, this symmetry is broken and current is drawn through the load. In general, grounding occurs when a person, coupled (even weakly) to environmental ground—e.g., by virtue of standing on the floor—touches one of the electrodes. The resulting loading, which may be varied over time by the structure, is detected …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.