Patent · US Active

Proximity sensing for capacitive touch sensors

US8902191B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 2011
Grant dateDec 2, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2215/0188
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating an input device having an array of capacitive sensor electrodes and a proximity sensor electrode are disclosed herein. The input device includes a processing system communicatively coupled to the array of capacitive sensor electrodes and the proximity sensor electrode and configured to operate in an input mode and a proximity mode. When operating in the input mode, the processing system scans the array of capacitive sensor electrodes to detect input from an object in an active region of the input device. When operating in the proximity mode, the processing system drives a sensing signal on at least one sensor electrode of the array of capacitive sensor electrodes and receives a resulting signal from the proximity sensor electrode. Based on the resulting signal, the processing system generates an indication of an object presence in a second sensing region from the resulting signal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.