JP2014525611A - Two-finger gesture on linear sensor or single layer sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A linear sensor (single sensor) or a single layer sensor (multiple parallel planar electrodes) is provided. By measuring the current and then integrating, a two finger pinch gesture can be detected on a linear or single layer sensor so that the finger moves away from or toward the edge of the sensor Can be determined. Alternatively, it can be determined whether the distance between the fingers has changed.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

Cross-reference to related inventions This document has the serial number 61 / 521,475, the provisional patent application filed 5020. CIRQ. 4519, a co-pending application filed Aug. 3, 2010, claiming priority for all subjects included in the PR, incorporated by reference and having a serial number of 12 / 719,717. . CIRQ. This is a continuation-in-part of CIP.

  The present invention generally relates to touchpads using surface capacitive technology. More particularly, the present invention is a novel method for identifying a gesture based on two fingers localized in the vicinity of a resistive trace or multiple resistive traces.

  Capacitive touch screens are readily available for a variety of applications. As touch-sensitive screens become more popular and more useful, the technology to implement them has also evolved.

  Several different touch screen and touchpad technologies have emerged, including projection capacitive methods and surface capacitive methods. The projected volume method is currently needed to implement a gesture that utilizes two or more fingers or pointing objects simultaneously on the surface.

  For example, FIG. 1 is a top view of an array of orthogonal electrodes 6 such as a plurality of X (2) and Y (4) electrodes, in touchpad and touch screen technology manufactured by Circue®. Often used. However, due to the more complex process required to etch each electrode pattern against a conductive surface, the projected capacitance method is generally more costly than the surface capacitance method.

  An example of surface capacitance technology is shown in FIG. Such a surface cap panel 10 is a solid sheet having a conductive material 16 disposed on an insulating substrate 18 such as glass, and has a plurality of sensors 12 disposed at corners. A conventional method for measuring the position of the pointing object 14, that is, the “touch position” on the surface capacitive touch pad 10, is to apply an AC signal to all four corners of the conductive layer 16 of the touch panel. is there. The conductive layer 16 can be composed of, for example, indium tin oxide (ItO).

  To manufacture the touchpad 10, the surface of the glass substrate 18 is flooded, i.e. covered with a substantially uniform layer of resistive ITO material that forms a sheet offer. An insulator is then applied over the ITO conductive material.

  After the AC signal is applied to the conductive ITO material 16, the next step is to triangulate the contact position using the current flowing through each corner. It is common to apply either a sine wave or a square wave.

  When an object such as a finger 14 contacts the surface of the touch panel 10, a capacitor is formed between the ITO surface 16 and the finger tip 14. Typically, the capacitance value is very small, on the order of 50 pF. The amount of charge, ie the current that enters each corner 12 of the panel and will be measured, is therefore very small. Because the current is very small, the system is very sensitive to stray capacitance. That is, the accuracy of the touch panel 10 is often a problem.

  Considering these two different touch technologies, portable and fixed electronic devices such as computers, smart phones, and other devices that can use touch interfaces are now just “pinch and zoom”, pan, rotate, etc. Trying to use a second point of contact (such as a finger and thumb, ie two fingers) to support a gesture. Other applications use a third simultaneous contact for “next and previous” gestures and even a fourth simultaneous contact to switch between applications.

  Multi-finger gestures can also be implemented using “region gestures” as in the method taught by Circue®. Multiple contacts are not tracked, but instead, region gestures are realized by seeing multiple contacts as the only single large object, which defines the outer boundary of the large object. Not too much. Thus, multiple points of contact can be considered as having a height and a width.

  Operating system software and human interface device (HIG) standards have been modified to include these new gestures and methods for reporting multi-finger contacts with touch sensitive surfaces.

  Unfortunately, it is impossible to support multi-finger or area gestures using less expensive surface capacitive touch screens or touch pads (hereinafter referred to as “surface cap panels”). It has been. This is because, for a plurality of contact points, it is necessary to track two or more contact points or to use the area gesture method to define the outer boundary of a large object owned by Circue® Because there was no way. In other words, it was impossible to determine the height and width of a large object.

  Therefore, it would be advantageous over the state of the art to utilize area gestures defined by multiple contact points with a surface cap panel used as a touch screen and as a touchpad. Such a system allows new multi-touch technologies to be used with simpler touch screen and touchpad technologies.

  The following systems and methods measure current in short and long aperture windows of time to determine the position of one or more fingers on the surface cap panel. First of all, it is directed to use. However, techniques using short and long aperture windows should be applied to more traditional touchpad technologies that utilize single or multiple electrodes and to single layer electrodes. There is. Therefore, it is useful to describe a mutual capacitive sensing technique that can be modified to take advantage of the present invention.

  The touch pad of CIRQUE (registered trademark) is a mutual capacitive detection device, and an example is shown in the block diagram of FIG. The touchpad 210 defines a touch sensitive area 218 of the touchpad using a grid of X (12) and Y (14) electrodes and a sensing electrode 216. Typically, the touch pad 210 is a rectangular grid of about 16 × 12 electrodes, or an 8 × 6 electrode rectangular grid if space is limited. These X (12) and Y (14) (ie, row and column) electrodes and one sensing electrode 216 are interwoven. All position measurements are made through the sensing electrode 216.

  CIRQUE® touchpad 210 measures the charge imbalance on sense line 216. If there is no pointing object on or near touchpad 210, touchpad circuit 220 is in equilibrium and there is no charge imbalance on sense line 216. Due to capacitive coupling when the pointing object approaches or touches the contact surface (sensing area 218 of the touch pad 210), a capacitance change occurs on the electrodes 212, 214 when the pointing object is imbalanced. What is measured is the capacitance change, not the absolute capacitance value on the electrodes 212 and 214. In determining this change, the touch pad 210 measures the amount of charge that must be injected into the sense line 216 to reestablish charge balance on the sense line, ie, to regain.

  The above system is used as follows to determine the position of the finger on or near the touch pad 210. In this example, the row electrode 212 is described, but the same is repeated for the column electrode 214. The values obtained from the row and column electrode measurements identify the intersection that is on or near the touchpad 210 and that is the center of gravity of the pointing object.

  In the first step, the first set of row electrodes 212 are driven by the first signal from the P, N generator 22 and the second but different set of adjacent row electrodes are driven from the P, N generator 222 by the second signal. Drive by signal. The touchpad circuit 220 obtains a value from the sense line 216 using a mutual capacitance measurement device 226 that indicates which row electrode is closest to the pointing object. However, the touchpad circuit 220 under the control of some microcontroller 228 cannot determine on which side of the row electrode the pointing object is located, and the touchpad circuit 20 further determines how far the pointing object is from the electrode. It is not possible to determine whether they are located apart. For this reason, this system shifts a group of driven electrodes 212 one electrode at a time. In other words, an electrode is added to one side of the group, and the opposite electrode of the group is no longer driven. Next, this new group is driven by the P and N generator 222 to capture the second measurement value of the detection line 216.

  From these two measurements, it is possible to determine on which side of the row electrode the pointing object is located and how far away. Next, the position of the pointing object is determined by using an expression that compares the magnitudes of these two measured signals.

  The sensitivity or resolution of the CIRQUE® touchpad is much higher than implied by the 16 × 12 grid of row and column electrodes. The resolution is typically about 960 counts or more per inch. The exact resolution is determined by the sensitivity of the components, the spacing between the electrodes 212, 214 in the same row and column, and other factors not critical to the present invention.

The above process is repeated for each Y, ie, each column electrode 214, using the P, N generator 224.
The CIRQUE® touchpad described above uses a grid of X and Y electrodes 212, 214, and a sensing electrode 216, but the sensing electrode is actually X or X by using multiplexing. The Y electrodes 212 and 214 can be used.

  The present invention is a linear sensor (single linear electrode) or a single layer sensor (multiple parallel and planar electrodes) and can be used in a single layer sensor. A two finger pinch gesture can be detected by measurement on a linear or single layer sensor, and then the current is integrated to determine if the finger is moving from or towards the sensor edge Or whether the distance between the fingers is changing.

  These and other features, advantages, and alternative aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Become.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grid touchpad of X and Y electrodes in the prior art. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a surface cap panel in the prior art. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the operation of an embodiment of a conventional touchpad with electrodes in the prior art and is adaptable for use in the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a surface cap panel 10 manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating how a current measurement circuit comprising a surface cap panel and a current measurement sensor is applied to the surface cap panel when a single object is present. FIG. 6 is a top view of a first embodiment surface cap panel for use with an 8-wire method capable of detecting multiple objects. FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram illustrating how a current measurement circuit comprising two capacitors and two current measurement sensors is applied to the surface cap panel to detect multiple objects. FIG. 8 is a graph showing measurements made during different time openings. FIG. 9 shows a surface cap panel showing at which corner of the surface cap panel the electrodes of the current measurement circuit are arranged for eight different measurements that must be made to detect multiple objects. FIG. FIG. 10 is an alternative embodiment of a surface cap panel that can be used with the present invention. FIG. 11 is a profile view of a single linear electrode in contact with two fingers. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the electric circuit diagram 10 of FIG. FIG. 13 is a graph showing a curve representing the integrated current when one finger is relatively close to the edge of the linear electrode and a curve representing the integrated current when the finger is relatively away from the edge. . FIG. 14 is a top view of a plurality of electrodes in a single layer.

  Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which various elements of the invention are numbered with reference numerals so as to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Discuss. The following description is merely an example of the principle of the present invention, and it should be understood that the following claims should not be narrowed.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a surface cap panel 10 manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As disclosed in the co-pending application, a new and novel approach to determining the position of an object on a touch panel is to charge a large capacitor and then touch this “flying capacitor” to the touch panel. Applies to two opposing ends of panel 10. In the flying capacitor method of the present invention, the method is based on the instantaneous and total induced by surface contact in the surface cap panel 20 when a constant voltage gradient is generated in a single axis across the surface. Measure the current. A sensitive current measurement circuit 32 as shown in FIG. 5 is applied to the surface cap panel 10 to perform this current measurement. Flying capacitor 30 is used to charge surface cap panel 10. Any charge removed from the surface cap panel 10 is measured by the current measurement circuit 32.

  The linearity of the voltage gradient can improve the accuracy of the surface cap panel 10 of FIG. Therefore, in the first step, it is desirable that a low resistance material be added to the periphery of the edge of the touch panel 10 on the surface, but this is not essential. The voltage gradient line 20 becomes more tight and linear from the top edge 26 to the bottom edge 28.

  Co-pending application 12 / 592,283 described that four measurements are required to determine the position of a single object on the surface cap panel 10. The present invention expands the performance of the “flying cap” method in positioning using what is referred to as the “8-wire method”.

  A surface cap panel 40 used for the 8-wire method is shown in FIG. In this surface cap panel 40, gaps 42 are created at each corner so that individual electrodes can be connected to a low resistance material at each end of the low resistance path. That is, the electrodes are combined at 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64, and these become eight wires in the 8-wire method. Although the low resistance paths are separated, each is sufficiently close to each other so that a constant voltage gradient can be formed, such as the 4-wire method in co-pending applications.

  The 8-wire method is performed by measuring the charge transfer rate in addition to the total charge transfer for each event. An event is defined as the time at which a measurement is made. The charge transfer rate is used to determine the distance between two contact points on the surface cap panel 40. Information about the height and width with respect to the distance between the two contact points is determined by doubling the number of electrodes at the corners of the surface cap panel 40.

  FIG. 7 shows a modified current measurement circuit 70 used in the 8-wire method. In FIG. 7, two flying capacitors 72 and 74 are applied to the surface cap panel 40 simultaneously. Simultaneous application of flying capacitors 72 and 74 enables comparative measurement of aggregate resistance between contact points and comparative measurement of horizontal and vertical low resistance paths on the surface cap panel 40 To do.

  Specifically, the position of the contact point on the surface cap panel 40 is determined by measuring the current through multiple fingers and determining the effective Norton resistance for each parallel axis to the contact point.

  Norton resistance is derived by two consecutive integrations in each axis current. The RC time constant can be determined by two measurements integrated over a short time aperture and a short time aperture. The position or proximity of the contact point relative to the edge is then derived from the calculated resistance between the contact point and the edge. The total integrated current (the lower area of the curve described later) is proportional to the finger capacity.

  The pinch gesture on one axis shown in FIG. 8 illustrates that the current time constant changes as the contact point moves away. 2/1 is the measured value before and after a plurality of fingers approach (2 and 4) and then move away (1 and 3). A larger “short measurement” of 1 to 2 indicates a larger pinch on that axis.

  The present invention also extends the performance of the previous 4-wire “flying cap” method by measuring a rapid change in capacitance to detect a second contact point. Intermediate position information is provided by keeping the first contact point fixed and moving the second contact point. The intermediate position information can then be used, for example, to provide information about the “rotation” gesture.

  The 8-wire method operates on the same principle as the 4-wire method in co-pending applications. This is because each electrode is connected to a low resistance material at each end of the electrode. The current induced by the low resistance material is many times greater than the current induced at one finger or other contact point on the surface cap panel.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the surface cap panel 40 of the present invention. The corners of the surface cap panel are labeled A, B, C, D. F1 is a contact point arbitrarily selected for the first pointing object. F2 is a contact point arbitrarily selected for the second pointing object. O is labeled as the midpoint between contacts F1 and F2.

  A capacitor charged to the opposite position is applied continuously between the sensing electrode and the drive electrode. The charge remaining on the surface cap panel at a particular time opening is accumulated at the particular time opening. There are eight different combinations of electrode patterns and accumulation time openings. There are a total of eight different measurements that must be employed. Eight measurements, or electrode and time aperture combinations, are listed in Table 1 as iterations.

  The calculations that must be performed are as follows. That is, Z1 = M1 + M2, Z2 = M3 + M4, X = M3 / Z2, Y = M1 / Z1, Z = Z1 + Z2. And the calculation for analyzing the pinch movement is defined as pinch = M1 / M5 + M2 / M6 + M3 / M7 + M4 / M8.

  The aspect ratio associated with the vertical and horizontal spacing at the contact points is determined by the average of the ratio of Ax and Ay for each measurement (M1 to M8). That is, MRn = (Axn−Ayn) / (Axn + Ayn). Further, the aspect ratio = (MR1 / MR5 + MR2 / MR6 + MR3 / MR7 + MR4 / MR8) / 4.

  FIG. 10 is provided as an alternative embodiment of the surface cap panel 40. In this figure, a small slot 80 is made of a surface resistive material at each corner to further separate the electrodes 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64. The slot 80 extends from the outer corner and protrudes to the active area of the surface cap panel 40 where contact is made.

  The principles of the present invention are now applied to linear sensors that make up a single electrode, and to single layer sensors that make up multiple electrodes in a plane. More specifically, the principles of the present invention may be directed to a gesture commonly known as a pinch gesture. In a pinch gesture, two fingers, one finger and a thumb (hereinafter referred to as a finger) are attached or moved apart. A typical application for a pinch gesture is to perform a “zoom in” function when two fingers are put together and a “zoom out” function when the two fingers move apart. However, any function can be applied to the movement of two fingers together and away. What is important is that two finger gestures are recognized and the movement of the two fingers is tracked so that the fingers are moving together to perform the appropriate function or Is to determine if they are moving away.

  FIG. 11 is an outline view of a single or linear electrode 90. Two fingers 92 and 94 appear to be in contact with a single electrode 90. Assume that a layer of non-conductive or insulating material such as glass separates fingers 92 and 94 from physical contact points having a single electrode 90. It is assumed that the movement being performed by the finger 92 is always the same movement as the finger 94. In other words, the fingers 92 and 94 are performing a pinch gesture. Here, the fingers 92 and 94 are either moving towards each other or moving away from each other. Therefore, in the simplest case, one of the fingers is moved away from the edge of the single electrode 90 or the edge to recognize whether the fingers 92, 94 are moving towards each other or away from each other. It is only necessary to recognize whether or not it is moving toward. When the finger 92 is moving away from the edge 100, the fingers 92, 94 are moving toward each other, and when the finger 92 is moving toward the edge 100, the fingers 92, 94 are away from each other. Moving away.

  In this embodiment, the present invention uses a technique that incorporates the short and long aperture measurements described above for the surface cap concept. That is, the present invention can be used to determine the distance of each finger from the outer edge of the single electrode 90, and determine the distance between the fingers from those measurements, while this way Such information may or may not be necessary to just perform a pinch gesture.

  Specifically, the distance between fingers 92, 94 along a single electrode 90 is determined by measuring the electrode resistance from edge 100 to finger 92 and the electrode resistance from edge 102 to finger 94. . However, if it is only necessary to know if a pinch gesture is being performed, it is not necessary to know the spacing between the fingers 92,94. Nevertheless, when the length D1 of the single electrode 90 is known and when it is possible to determine the distance D2 between the edge 100 and the finger 92 and the distance D4 between the edge 102 and the finger 94. Can accurately determine the distance D3 between the fingers 92,94.

  FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of FIG. The first finger 92 is indicated by a capacitor 112 such as a grounded end 110 and a capacitance due to a glass layer on the single electrode 90. Similarly, the second finger 94 is indicated by a grounded end 114 and a capacitor 116 that is a capacitor with a glass layer on the electrode 90.

  In order for the AC signal to travel through capacitors 112 and 116, the signal is applied to electrode 90. The measurement circuit is used to measure the current passing through the fingers 92,94. A signal must be applied from each edge of the single electrode 90 to determine the distance of each finger from each edge.

  The RC time constant, group delay or phase shift is proportional to the resistance of the single electrode 90 and can be found by two consecutive measurements for the current using the short aperture measurement and the long aperture measurement.

  For example, consider FIG. 13 which shows a graph of integrated current as a function of time. The signal is applied at time T1, and the integrated current is measured at time T2 and time T3. Time T2 is a short aperture measurement and time T3 represents a long aperture measurement. When a signal is first applied to electrode 90, the current rises quickly initially and then levels off as the equivalent function capacitor is charged. However, the rate at which the capacitor is charged is a function of the distance of the finger from the edge of electrode 90.

  Consider a signal such as a square wave applied from the finger 92 and the edge 100. When the distance D2 between the finger 92 and the edge 100 is relatively short, the resistance of the single electrode 90 is reduced, and the capacitor 112 is rapidly charged. Curve 120 represents the integrated current. It should be noted that the integrated current is almost the same at times T2 and T3. This is a representative example of a relatively short distance D2.

  Next, consider the curve 122. Curve 122 is the resulting integrated current curve when distance D2 is longer, that is, when the resistance of single electrode 92 is greater. That is, the ratio of the comparison, ie two consecutive calculations for the integrated current, can reveal whether the distance D2 is shorter or longer.

  If the exact position of the finger 92 is not needed except to determine if the finger is moving, the curves 120, 122 are only needed to compare with each other. If these curves are substantially the same, the finger 92 is not moving. If the second curve is flatter than the first curve, the finger 92 is moving away from the edge 100 and if the first curve is flatter than the second curve, the finger 92 92 moves toward the edge of the linear electrode 90.

  Another way to characterize the data is to give a position relative to the finger. This is useful when you only need to know if your finger is moving and in what direction. The first curve can be considered to be a first position, and the second curve can be considered to be a second position associated with the first.

  If the exact location of the finger 92 on the linear electrode 90 is required, the distance D2 is first determined by measuring the current for the finger 92 and integrating the current over time. The first measurement, i.e. the short aperture measurement, is made at time T2, and the second measurement, i.e. the long aperture measurement, is made at time T3. This information can be used to determine the exact location. The subsequent two subsets of measurements and current integration are then made at times T2 and T3 to determine if the distance D2 is larger or smaller.

  Thus, if curve 120 represents a first set of calculations and curve 122 represents a second set of calculations, it can be seen that finger 92 is moving away from edge 100 and toward finger 94. Similarly, if curve 122 represents a first set of calculations and curve 120 represents a second set of calculations, finger 92 moves toward edge 100, that is, moves away from finger 94. I understand that

Aspects of the present invention can determine the exact distance D2 when the exact position of the finger 92 along the length of the single electrode 90 is required.
Another way of analyzing the integrated current results, represented by curves 120 and 122, is that when the integrated current at time T3 is only slightly larger than the amount of integrated current at time T2, This refers to the state of the integrated current. That is, the ratio of the integrated current is characterized as 1: 1 as the distance D2 decreases or the finger 92 moves closer to the edge 100. Similarly, it is possible to characterize curve 122 to note that the ratio of the integrated current at time T3 is greater when compared to the integrated current at time T2. This is because the finger 92 is moving away from the edge 100, i.e. simply greater than 1: 1. Therefore, we may mention that the curve 120 represents a fraction of the integrated current that is less than the curve 122.

  Subsequent measurements and integrations are made on the current to track the movement of the finger 92, finger 94 or both fingers 92 and 94. The movement of fingers 92 and 94 facing or away from each other can be considered as corresponding to a pinch gesture. The gesture may end when movement of one or both of the fingers 92, 94 stops, and the gesture may resume when movement of one or both of the fingers begins again. Therefore, if it is necessary to know whether movement is occurring in either finger 92, 94, it is necessary to track the movement of finger 92, 94 from single electrode edge 100, 102. There is.

  Note that various calculations can be performed from the current measurements taken. Integrated current, resistance, voltage, or any other measurable or calculable quantity can use information collected from a measurement circuit that can be placed on a single electrode 90. The measured or calculated values can then be compared with each other so that the relative position and direction of movement of one or more fingers can be determined.

  While the above embodiment is directed to a single electrode 90, the principle is also applicable to a single layer in multiple parallel electrodes 130 shown in FIG. The principles of the present invention may also be applied to multiple layers of touchpads.

  The measuring circuit used in the present invention is capable of accurately measuring the current flow through at least one electrode. The current flow produced by the signal generator applies a signal to at least one finger making contact with at least one electrode and an insulating material disposed across the at least one electrode. The measurement circuit includes a processor for recording measurements and integrating current flow through the at least one electrode.

  Needless to say, the configuration described above is merely illustrative of the application of the principle of the present invention. Many modifications and alternative constructions may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.

Claims (11)

A method for determining whether a multiple object pinch gesture is being performed,
1) A step of providing a linear electrode provided on an insulating substrate and means for measuring a current at either end of the linear electrode, wherein the linear electrode is disposed on the substrate, and an insulator is provided on the linear electrode. Arranged in steps, and
2) applying a signal to the first edge of the linear electrode;
3) measuring a first current through a first finger closest to the first edge of the linear electrode using a first short aperture measurement and a first long aperture measurement;
4) measuring a second current through the first finger closest to the first edge of the linear electrode using a second short aperture measurement and a second long aperture measurement;
5) determining whether a pinch gesture is being performed with the first finger. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
Integrating the measured first current;
Integrating the measured second current;
Comparing the integrated first and second currents to determine if the first finger is moving. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:
1) integrating the first current using the first short aperture measurement and determining the first current using the first long aperture measurement to determine a first position of the first finger; The steps of integrating
2) integrating the second current using the second short aperture measurement and determining the second current using the second long aperture measurement to determine the second position of the first finger; Integrating steps,
3) comparing the first position of the first finger against the second position, thereby determining whether the first finger is moving. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
1) applying a signal to the second end of the linear electrode;
2) measuring a first current through a second finger closest to the second end of the linear electrode using a first short aperture measurement and a first long aperture measurement;
3) measuring a second current through the second finger closest to the second end of the linear electrode using a second short aperture measurement and a second long aperture measurement;
4) determining whether a pinch gesture is being performed with the second finger. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
Integrating the measured first current;
Integrating the measured second current;
Comparing the integrated first and second currents to determine if the second finger is moving. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
1) integrating the first current using the first short aperture measurement and determining the first current using the first long aperture measurement to determine a first position of the second finger; The steps of integrating
2) integrating the second current using the second short aperture measurement and determining the second current using the second long aperture measurement to determine a second position of the second finger; Integrating steps,
3) comparing the first position of the second finger against the second position, thereby determining whether the second finger is moving.   4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining that a pinch gesture is being performed when the first position of the first finger is different from the second position of the first finger. ,Method.   7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining that a pinch gesture is being performed when the first position of the second finger is different from the second position of the second finger. ,Method. A system for determining whether a multi-object pinch gesture is being performed on a linear electrode, comprising:
An insulating substrate;
A single linear electrode disposed on the insulating substrate;
An insulator that can be disposed on top of the linear electrode;
A measurement circuit that can be coupled to the first end or the second end of the linear electrode;
A signal generator for applying a signal to the first end or the second end of the linear electrode;
And a processor for integrating the current measured at the first end or the second end of the linear electrode. A system for determining whether a multi-object pinch gesture is being performed by a multi-touch sensor,
An insulating substrate;
A plurality of parallel electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate;
An insulator that may be disposed on top of the plurality of parallel electrodes;
A measurement circuit that can be coupled to a first end or a second end of the plurality of parallel electrodes;
A signal generator for applying a signal to a first end or a second end of the plurality of parallel electrodes;
And a processor for integrating current measured at a first end or a second end of the plurality of parallel electrodes. A method for determining whether a pinch gesture by a plurality of objects is performed,
1) A step of providing a linear electrode provided on an insulating substrate and means for measuring a current at one end of the linear electrode, and measuring a current at either end of the linear electrode and the linear electrode. Providing means, wherein the linear electrode is disposed on the substrate and an insulator is disposed on the linear electrode;
2) applying a signal to the first edge of the linear electrode;
3) measuring a first current at a first edge of the linear electrode using a first short aperture measurement and a first long aperture measurement;
4) measuring a second current at a first edge of the linear electrode using a second short aperture measurement and a second long aperture measurement;
5) determining whether a pinch gesture is being performed with the first finger.

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