US20180013429A1 - Capacitive touch button with guard - Google Patents
Capacitive touch button with guard Download PDFInfo
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- US20180013429A1 US20180013429A1 US15/712,439 US201715712439A US2018013429A1 US 20180013429 A1 US20180013429 A1 US 20180013429A1 US 201715712439 A US201715712439 A US 201715712439A US 2018013429 A1 US2018013429 A1 US 2018013429A1
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- conductive element
- change
- sensor
- output value
- sensor output
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
- H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
- H03K17/96—Touch switches
- H03K17/962—Capacitive touch switches
- H03K17/9622—Capacitive touch switches using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R17/00—Measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value, e.g. bridge
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K2217/00—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00
- H03K2217/94—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00 characterised by the way in which the control signal is generated
- H03K2217/9401—Calibration techniques
- H03K2217/94026—Automatic threshold calibration; e.g. threshold automatically adapts to ambient conditions or follows variation of input
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K2217/00—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00
- H03K2217/94—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00 characterised by the way in which the control signal is generated
- H03K2217/96—Touch switches
- H03K2217/9607—Capacitive touch switches
- H03K2217/960705—Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K2217/00—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00
- H03K2217/94—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00 characterised by the way in which the control signal is generated
- H03K2217/96—Touch switches
- H03K2217/9607—Capacitive touch switches
- H03K2217/96071—Capacitive touch switches characterised by the detection principle
- H03K2217/960715—Rc-timing; e.g. measurement of variation of charge time or discharge time of the sensor
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K2217/00—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00
- H03K2217/94—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00 characterised by the way in which the control signal is generated
- H03K2217/96—Touch switches
- H03K2217/9607—Capacitive touch switches
- H03K2217/960755—Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
- H03K2217/960765—Details of shielding arrangements
Definitions
- the present disclosure generally relates to user input mechanisms, and more particularly, to any type of device, apparatus and/or system having at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches.
- Home and mobile user devices often include one more buttons as part of a user interface. These interfaces may often rely on using one or more capacitive touch type buttons in place of more conventional tactile or positive pressure type buttons. With a capacitive touch button there may be no mechanical feedback to indicate that a button press has occurred. This can result in user confusion and/or frustration. For example, with certain conventional electronic devices (e.g., set-top boxes, etc.), it may be relatively easy for a user to accidentally turn the device off while simply repositioning the device if, for instance, the user puts his or her palm over a capacitive power button of the device. One approach for attempting to reject false positives is to simply change the sensitivity of a capacitive sensor associated with the capacitive touch button. However, such an approach alone is deemed less than optimal.
- an apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, includes a first conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground, and a second conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground and located adjacent to edges of the first conductive element.
- a first sensor is coupled to the first conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment.
- a second sensor is coupled to the second conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment.
- a controller is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance of the first sensor and the second sensor.
- a method in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, includes measuring a change in capacitance between a first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment; measuring a change in capacitance between a second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment, wherein the second conductive element is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of the first conductive element; and determining a difference between the measured changes in capacitance.
- FIG. 1 shows a general block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 shows a more detailed block diagram of a receiving apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 shows a configuration including a capacitive touch button with guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 4 shows an exemplary sensor circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 shows a capacitive sensor element arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 shows a capacitive sensor element arrangement according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show a view of a capacitive touch button with guard with various user inputs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the elements shown in the figures may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software or combinations thereof. Preferably, these elements are implemented in a combination of hardware and software on one or more appropriately programmed general-purpose devices, which may include a processor, memory and input/output interfaces.
- general-purpose devices which may include a processor, memory and input/output interfaces.
- the phrase “coupled” is defined to mean directly connected to or indirectly connected with through one or more intermediate components. Such intermediate components may include both hardware and software based components.
- processor or “controller” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and nonvolatile storage.
- DSP digital signal processor
- ROM read only memory
- RAM random access memory
- any switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the implementer as more specifically understood from the context.
- any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function.
- the disclosure as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.
- the present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method that controls the operation of a capacitor touch button or capacitive touch panel.
- the apparatus and method address problems associated with unintentional touches to the button or touch panel by providing discrimination between contact, or touching, intended for a button and contact, or touching, that covers the button along with an area around the button.
- touch buttons or touch panels including, but not limited to, computers, tablets, cellular phones, televisions, internet or product kiosks, and the like.
- exemplary system 100 comprises a signal source 10 , a receiving apparatus 20 and a display device 30 .
- system 100 may represent a digital satellite receiving system in which signal source 10 is embodied as a satellite antenna and receiving apparatus 20 is embodied as a digital set-top box, gateway and/or other device.
- signal source 10 is embodied as a satellite antenna
- receiving apparatus 20 is embodied as a digital set-top box, gateway and/or other device.
- this type of arrangement is exemplary only, and system 100 may represent other types of systems, such as systems operative to receive and process signals provided via cable, terrestrial, internet and/or other signal sources.
- receiving apparatus 20 is operative to receive and process signals in analog and/or digital modulation formats provided via signal source 10 , and provide output signals suitable for display via display device 30 .
- receiving apparatus 20 comprises a user input portion 40 that utilizes capacitive touch sensor technology, and includes at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature.
- the aforementioned type of capacitive touch button with guard feature advantageously provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false button touches.
- Receiving apparatus 200 of FIG. 2 may operate in a manner similar to receiving apparatus 20 described in FIG. 1 and may, for example, be included as part of a gateway device, modem, set-top box, or other similar communications device. Receiving apparatus 200 may also be incorporated into other systems including an audio device or a display device. In either case, several components necessary for complete operation of the system are not shown in the interest of conciseness, as they are well known to those skilled in the art.
- Input signal receiver 202 may be one of several known receiver circuits used for receiving, demodulating, and decoding signals provided over one of the several possible networks including over the air, cable, satellite, Ethernet, fiber and phone line networks.
- the desired input signal may be selected and retrieved by input signal receiver 202 based on user input provided through a control interface (not shown) or a touch panel interface 222 .
- Touch panel interface 222 may include an interface for a touch screen device. Touch panel interface 222 may also be adapted to interface to a cellular phone, a tablet, a mouse, a high end remote or the like. According to exemplary embodiments, touch panel interface 222 may also employ capacitive touch sensor technology, and include at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature, as referenced above in conjunction with FIG. 1 , and further described below.
- the decoded output signal of input signal receiver 202 is provided to an input stream processor 204 .
- Input stream processor 204 performs the final signal selection and processing, and includes separation of video content from audio content for the content stream.
- the audio content is provided to an audio processor 206 for conversion from the received format, such as compressed digital signal, to an analog waveform signal.
- the analog waveform signal is provided to an audio interface 208 and further to the display device or audio amplifier.
- audio interface 208 may provide a digital signal to an audio output device or display device using a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable or alternate audio interface such as via a Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format (SPDIF). Audio interface 208 may also include amplifiers for driving one more sets of speakers.
- Audio processor 206 also performs any necessary conversion for the storage of the audio signals.
- HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface
- SPDIF Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format
- the video output signal from input stream processor 204 is provided to a video processor 210 .
- the video signal may be one of several formats.
- Video processor 210 provides, as necessary, a conversion of the video content, based on the input signal format.
- Video processor 210 also performs any necessary conversion for the storage of the video signals.
- a storage device 212 stores audio and video content received at the input. Storage device 212 allows later retrieval and playback of the content under the control of a controller 214 and also based on commands (e.g., navigation instructions such as fast-forward (FF) and rewind (Rew)) received from a user interface 216 and/or touch panel interface 222 .
- Storage device 212 may be a hard disk drive, one or more large capacity integrated electronic memories, such as static RAM (SRAM), or dynamic RAM (DRAM), or may be an interchangeable optical disk storage system such as a compact disk (CD) drive or digital video disk (DVD) drive.
- the converted video signal provided from video processor 210 is provided to display interface 218 which further provides the display signal to a display device of the type described above.
- Display interface 218 may be an analog signal interface, such as red-green-blue (RGB), or may be a digital interface such as HDMI.
- Controller 214 is interconnected via a bus to several of the components of receiving apparatus 200 , including input stream processor 202 , audio processor 206 , video processor 210 , storage device 212 , and user interface 216 . Controller 214 manages the conversion process for converting the input stream signal into a signal for storage on the storage device or for display, and also manages the retrieval and playback of stored content. Controller 214 also provides control outputs in response to user inputs via user interface 216 and touch panel interface 222 .
- Controller 214 is further coupled to control memory 220 (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, including RAM, SRAM, DRAM, ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), flash memory, electronically programmable ROM (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc.) for storing information and instruction code for controller 214 .
- control memory 220 may store instructions for controller 214 , and may also store a database of elements, such as text and/or graphic elements containing content.
- User interface 216 ideally includes a front panel assembly containing one or more buttons. According to exemplary embodiments, at least one of these buttons employs capacitive touch sensor technology and is embodied as a capacitive touch button with a guard feature, as referenced above in conjunction with FIG. 1 , and further described below.
- a configuration 300 including a capacitive touch button with guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
- Exemplary configuration 300 may be employed in various different types of devices, apparatuses and/or systems, such as receiving device 20 of FIG. 1 and/or receiving device 200 of FIG. 2 .
- exemplary configuration 300 comprises a first conductive element 310 , a second conductive element 320 , a first sensor 330 , a second sensor 340 , and a controller 350 .
- first conductive element 310 is capacitively isolated from ground and represents a main portion of a capacitive touch button
- second conductive element 320 is capacitively isolated from ground and represents a guard portion of the capacitive touch button.
- First and second conductive elements 310 and 320 may be embodied, for example, as conductive pads.
- the capacitive touch button may represent, for example, a main, or power, button of the applicable apparatus, device and/or system.
- second conductive element 320 is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of first conductive element 310 . Furthermore, the second conductive element 320 may be concentric with the first conductive element 310 .
- a gap 315 exists between first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 . Such gap 315 may be uniform along the respective surface edges of first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 , or may vary as a matter of design choice.
- the gap 315 may include only an air gap, or alternatively may include another dielectric and nonconductive material.
- a conductive ground surface (not shown) may be present either outside the conductive element 320 or, alternatively, below the first conductive element 310 and/or the second conductive element 320 .
- the gap between the conductive ground surface and the conductive elements 310 and 320 may include an air gap or may include a dielectric material.
- first conductive element 310 is shown as a circular element and second conductive element 320 extends circumferentially around substantially all of first conductive element 310 in a ring-like manner.
- the shape and size of second conductive element 320 i.e., the guard portion
- FIG. 3 is exemplary only, and other types of complementary shapes may be used for first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 to thereby form different types of complementary configurations in which second conductive element 320 is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of first conductive element 310 .
- substantially all means two-thirds or more.
- second conductive element 320 may be located adjacent to, and extend around, only half or more of the surface edges of first conductive element 310 . According to yet another exemplary embodiment, second conductive element 320 may be located adjacent to, and extend around, less than half of the surface edges of first conductive element 310 . Second conductive element 320 may also be arranged as a plurality of individual segments, instead of one unitary segment as shown in FIG. 3 . Moreover, second conductive element 320 could be configured as a unitary segment and extend around a plurality of different first conductive elements 310 (i.e., around a plurality of different buttons in a cluster, etc.) as, for example, a single common guard ring.
- each button i.e., first conductive element 310
- the common guard ring i.e., second conductive element 320
- First sensor 330 is coupled to first conductive element 310 and is operative to measure a change in capacitance between first conductive element 310 and ground due to a change in the associated physical environment.
- Second sensor 340 is coupled to second conductive element 320 and is operative to measure a change in capacitance between second conductive element 320 and ground due to the change in the associated physical environment.
- first and second sensors 330 and 340 may also be embodied as a single combined sensor.
- the change in the physical environment associated with first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 occurs in response to a user's tactile interaction with the applicable apparatus, device and/or system.
- Such tactile interaction may be intended by the user as a valid user input/button press (e.g., to activate or de-activate the main power button, etc.), or may represent an invalid user input/button press (e.g., stray touching of a button while moving device, etc.).
- Controller 350 is coupled to first sensor 330 and second sensor 340 , and is operative to determine a difference between the changes in capacitance measured by first sensor 330 and second sensor 340 as a result of user input. According to exemplary embodiments, controller 350 determines that a given change in the physical environment associated with first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 represents a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system if the determined difference is equal to or exceeds a predefined threshold. For example, if a user presses directly in the center of the button (i.e., the center of first conductive element 310 ), a relatively high capacitance will be measured by first sensor 330 and a relatively low capacitance will be measured by second sensor 340 .
- controller 350 determines that a given change in physical environment associated with first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 does not represent a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system if the determined difference is less than the predefined threshold.
- the relative capacitance measured by first sensor 330 and second sensor 340 will be the same or similar if a user's palm or other body part is pressed up against first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 .
- the relative capacitance may also be similar if someone presses their finger against both pads of first and second conductive elements 310 and 320 .
- Sensor circuit 400 illustrates one of several possible circuits that may be used as part of first sensor 330 and second sensor 340 (shown in FIG. 3 ) for sensing the change in capacitance due to a user's tactile interaction with the button.
- Sensor 400 includes a programmable current source 410 , a relaxation oscillator 420 , precision analog comparator 430 , a pulse width modulator 440 , and a counter 450 .
- the relaxation oscillator 420 operates at a nominal frequency based on the property of the conductive element (e.g., conductive element 310 and conductive element 320 ) connected at the input and is further controlled by the current source 410 .
- the signal from the relaxation oscillator 420 is provided to the analog comparator 430 .
- the output of the comparator 430 is fed into the clock input of the pulse width modulator 440 , which gates the counter 450 .
- Counter 450 also receives a clock input at a clock frequency used in the device (e.g., receiving device 20 of FIG. 1 and/or receiving device 200 of FIG. 2 ).
- an object such as the user's finger
- This lowered frequency effectively decreases the count measured in the pulse width modulator 440 and counter 450 .
- Other embodiments for capacitive sense circuits are possible and are well known to those skilled in the art. Further, portions of sensor circuit 400 described in this embodiment may be shared between the operation of more than capacitive sensor device in order to reduce space, cost, and/or complexity.
- the present embodiments are intended to identify false contact or button pushes by determining a difference between the changes in capacitance occurring in a first sensor (e.g., sensor 330 in FIG. 3 ) and a second, or guard, sensor (e.g., sensor 340 in FIG. 3 ) as a result of user input.
- a first sensor e.g., sensor 330 in FIG. 3
- a second, or guard, sensor e.g., sensor 340 in FIG. 3
- the difference between the changes in capacitance is determined by comparing the counts measured for each of the sensor as a result of the change of capacitance.
- a difference of 20 percent between the count value for the first sensor and the count value for the second sensor, with the first sensor value being lower provides a determination that a proper button contact has been made.
- a corresponding predefined threshold may be set at a value of 20 percent of the count value determined for the second or guard sensor (e.g., sensor 340 ) when the first sensor count value is subtracted from the second sensor count value. It is important to note that in other embodiments, a different percentage difference may be used. In still other embodiments, using different sensor circuits, threshold values related to other determined parameters may be used.
- FIG. 5 an exemplary embodiment of a capacitive sensor element arrangement 500 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.
- Arrangement 500 is similar in operation to elements 310 , 315 , and 320 shown in FIG. 3 .
- arrangement 500 illustrates a non-uniform spacing between element 510 and element 520 , as was described earlier.
- Arrangement 500 may useful in environments that require a variation in sensitivity to changes in capacitance between the sensor elements 510 and 520 .
- FIG. 6 another exemplary embodiment of a capacitive sensor element arrangement 600 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.
- Arrangement 600 is similar in operation to elements 310 , 315 , and 320 shown in FIG. 3 .
- arrangement 600 includes two main or first elements, element 610 and element 611 , representing touch buttons for the user.
- Element 620 is located adjacent to, or otherwise surrounds both element 610 and 611 , providing a guard for both elements together, as was described earlier.
- Arrangement 600 may useful in environments that require a touch guard for a set of two or more buttons without influencing contact between the buttons.
- FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show a side view 700 of a capacitive touch button with guard with various user inputs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show a view of first and second conductive elements 710 and 720 .
- First and second conductive elements 710 and 720 may correspond to elements 310 and 320 shown in FIG. 3 , or may correspond to the elements shown in FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6 . As indicated in FIG.
- a valid user input i.e., button press
- a user's finger 705 to press the center of first conductive element 710 , resulting in an increase in capacitance on conductive element 710 without an increase in capacitance on conductive element 720 .
- a user's palm 706 or other type of accidental press by a user will cause a greater capacitance on both first and second conductive elements 710 and 720 leading to the signal being rejected as an invalid user input.
- the present embodiment allows, among other things, better identification of the accuracy of a user's finger press and a reduction in false triggering due to inadvertent contact with a touch pad or button.
- FIG. 8 a flow diagram 800 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
- the steps of FIG. 8 are described below with specific reference to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 7 described above.
- inventive principles embodied in the flowchart of FIG. 8 may also be applied to systems, apparatuses, devices and/or implementations other than those specifically described herein. Accordingly, the steps of FIG. 8 are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the applicability of the present disclosure in any manner.
- first sensor 330 detects and measures a change in capacitance between first conductive element 310 and ground due to the change in physical environment that occurred at step 810 .
- second sensor 340 detects and measures a change in capacitance between second conductive element 320 (i.e., the guard element) and ground due to the change in physical environment that occurred at step 810 .
- controller 350 determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance of first sensor 330 and second sensor 340 .
- first and second sensors 330 and 340 may be combined as a single sensor.
- controller 350 determines if the difference determined at step 840 is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold (e.g., a value that is 20 percent of the value for second sensor 340 ). Such threshold may be initially set as a matter of design choice and/or be adjustable by a user of the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. According to exemplary embodiments, at step 850 , controller 350 determines that a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system has occurred if the determined difference at step 840 is equal to or exceeds a predefined threshold.
- a predefined threshold e.g., a value that is 20 percent of the value for second sensor 340 .
- step 850 determines that a valid button press has occurred as a result of the change in physical environment at step 510 . That is, if it is determined at step 850 that the difference determined at step 840 equals or exceeds an established threshold, controller 350 determines at step 860 that the change in physical environment that occurred at step 810 represents a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. As a result of this determination, controller 350 may output a control signal to enable or disable the performance of a particular control function associated with the applicable apparatus, device and/or system.
- step 850 determines that a valid button press has not occurred as a result of the change in physical environment at step 810 . That is, if it is determined at step 850 that the difference determined at step 840 is less than the threshold, controller 350 determines at step 870 that the change in physical environment that occurred at step 810 does not represent a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. As a result of this determination, controller 350 may ignore the change in physical environment that occurred at step 810 .
- the steps of FIG. 8 may also applied to arrangements, such as shown in FIG. 6 , in which second conductive element 620 is configured as a unitary segment and extends around a plurality of different first conductive elements 610 and 611 (i.e., around a plurality of different buttons in a cluster, etc.) as, for example, a single common guard ring.
- each button i.e., conductive element 610 , 611
- Other types of modifications to the steps of FIG. 8 may also be implemented according to principles of the present disclosure.
- the present disclosure provides an improved design for a capacitive touch button which includes a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches.
- a capacitive touch button which includes a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches.
- Such an inventive capacitive touch button may be utilized with any type of device, apparatus and/or system that includes one or more capacitive touch buttons.
Abstract
Description
- The present disclosure generally relates to user input mechanisms, and more particularly, to any type of device, apparatus and/or system having at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches.
- This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to the present embodiments that are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light.
- Home and mobile user devices often include one more buttons as part of a user interface. These interfaces may often rely on using one or more capacitive touch type buttons in place of more conventional tactile or positive pressure type buttons. With a capacitive touch button there may be no mechanical feedback to indicate that a button press has occurred. This can result in user confusion and/or frustration. For example, with certain conventional electronic devices (e.g., set-top boxes, etc.), it may be relatively easy for a user to accidentally turn the device off while simply repositioning the device if, for instance, the user puts his or her palm over a capacitive power button of the device. One approach for attempting to reject false positives is to simply change the sensitivity of a capacitive sensor associated with the capacitive touch button. However, such an approach alone is deemed less than optimal.
- Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the foregoing issues and thereby provide an improved design for a capacitive touch button. The present embodiments described herein address these and/or other issues.
- In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a first conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground, and a second conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground and located adjacent to edges of the first conductive element. A first sensor is coupled to the first conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment. A second sensor is coupled to the second conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment. A controller is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance of the first sensor and the second sensor.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method is disclosed. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes measuring a change in capacitance between a first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment; measuring a change in capacitance between a second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment, wherein the second conductive element is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of the first conductive element; and determining a difference between the measured changes in capacitance.
- The aforementioned summary of preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is merely illustrative of the inventive concepts presented herein, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any manner.
- The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 shows a general block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 shows a more detailed block diagram of a receiving apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 shows a configuration including a capacitive touch button with guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 shows an exemplary sensor circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 shows a capacitive sensor element arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 shows a capacitive sensor element arrangement according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 7A andFIG. 7B show a view of a capacitive touch button with guard with various user inputs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. - The exemplifications set out herein illustrate preferred embodiments of the disclosure, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.
- It should be understood that the elements shown in the figures may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software or combinations thereof. Preferably, these elements are implemented in a combination of hardware and software on one or more appropriately programmed general-purpose devices, which may include a processor, memory and input/output interfaces. Herein, the phrase “coupled” is defined to mean directly connected to or indirectly connected with through one or more intermediate components. Such intermediate components may include both hardware and software based components.
- The present description illustrates the principles of the present disclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within its scope.
- All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for educational purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions.
- Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
- Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the disclosure. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
- The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” or “controller” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and nonvolatile storage.
- Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included. Similarly, any switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the implementer as more specifically understood from the context.
- In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The disclosure as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.
- The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method that controls the operation of a capacitor touch button or capacitive touch panel. The apparatus and method address problems associated with unintentional touches to the button or touch panel by providing discrimination between contact, or touching, intended for a button and contact, or touching, that covers the button along with an area around the button. Although the embodiments described below primarily focus on use in a set top box receiver device setting, aspects of the present disclosure may equally apply to other consumer and commercial devices that utilize touch buttons or touch panels including, but not limited to, computers, tablets, cellular phones, televisions, internet or product kiosks, and the like.
- Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
FIG. 1 , a general block diagram of asystem 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As indicated inFIG. 1 ,exemplary system 100 comprises asignal source 10, a receivingapparatus 20 and adisplay device 30. According to an exemplary embodiment,system 100 may represent a digital satellite receiving system in whichsignal source 10 is embodied as a satellite antenna and receivingapparatus 20 is embodied as a digital set-top box, gateway and/or other device. However, this type of arrangement is exemplary only, andsystem 100 may represent other types of systems, such as systems operative to receive and process signals provided via cable, terrestrial, internet and/or other signal sources. - According to exemplary embodiments, receiving
apparatus 20 is operative to receive and process signals in analog and/or digital modulation formats provided viasignal source 10, and provide output signals suitable for display viadisplay device 30. According to principles of the present disclosure, receivingapparatus 20 comprises auser input portion 40 that utilizes capacitive touch sensor technology, and includes at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature. As will be described later herein, the aforementioned type of capacitive touch button with guard feature advantageously provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false button touches. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , a more detailed block diagram of a receivingapparatus 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Receivingapparatus 200 ofFIG. 2 may operate in a manner similar to receivingapparatus 20 described inFIG. 1 and may, for example, be included as part of a gateway device, modem, set-top box, or other similar communications device. Receivingapparatus 200 may also be incorporated into other systems including an audio device or a display device. In either case, several components necessary for complete operation of the system are not shown in the interest of conciseness, as they are well known to those skilled in the art. - In
FIG. 2 , content is received by receivingapparatus 200 via aninput signal receiver 202.Input signal receiver 202 may be one of several known receiver circuits used for receiving, demodulating, and decoding signals provided over one of the several possible networks including over the air, cable, satellite, Ethernet, fiber and phone line networks. The desired input signal may be selected and retrieved byinput signal receiver 202 based on user input provided through a control interface (not shown) or atouch panel interface 222. -
Touch panel interface 222 may include an interface for a touch screen device.Touch panel interface 222 may also be adapted to interface to a cellular phone, a tablet, a mouse, a high end remote or the like. According to exemplary embodiments,touch panel interface 222 may also employ capacitive touch sensor technology, and include at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature, as referenced above in conjunction withFIG. 1 , and further described below. - The decoded output signal of
input signal receiver 202 is provided to aninput stream processor 204.Input stream processor 204 performs the final signal selection and processing, and includes separation of video content from audio content for the content stream. The audio content is provided to anaudio processor 206 for conversion from the received format, such as compressed digital signal, to an analog waveform signal. The analog waveform signal is provided to anaudio interface 208 and further to the display device or audio amplifier. Alternatively,audio interface 208 may provide a digital signal to an audio output device or display device using a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable or alternate audio interface such as via a Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format (SPDIF).Audio interface 208 may also include amplifiers for driving one more sets of speakers.Audio processor 206 also performs any necessary conversion for the storage of the audio signals. - The video output signal from
input stream processor 204 is provided to a video processor 210. The video signal may be one of several formats. Video processor 210 provides, as necessary, a conversion of the video content, based on the input signal format. Video processor 210 also performs any necessary conversion for the storage of the video signals. - A
storage device 212 stores audio and video content received at the input.Storage device 212 allows later retrieval and playback of the content under the control of acontroller 214 and also based on commands (e.g., navigation instructions such as fast-forward (FF) and rewind (Rew)) received from auser interface 216 and/ortouch panel interface 222.Storage device 212 may be a hard disk drive, one or more large capacity integrated electronic memories, such as static RAM (SRAM), or dynamic RAM (DRAM), or may be an interchangeable optical disk storage system such as a compact disk (CD) drive or digital video disk (DVD) drive. - The converted video signal provided from video processor 210, either originating from the input or from
storage device 212, is provided to displayinterface 218 which further provides the display signal to a display device of the type described above.Display interface 218 may be an analog signal interface, such as red-green-blue (RGB), or may be a digital interface such as HDMI. -
Controller 214 is interconnected via a bus to several of the components of receivingapparatus 200, includinginput stream processor 202,audio processor 206, video processor 210,storage device 212, anduser interface 216.Controller 214 manages the conversion process for converting the input stream signal into a signal for storage on the storage device or for display, and also manages the retrieval and playback of stored content.Controller 214 also provides control outputs in response to user inputs viauser interface 216 andtouch panel interface 222. -
Controller 214 is further coupled to control memory 220 (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, including RAM, SRAM, DRAM, ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), flash memory, electronically programmable ROM (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc.) for storing information and instruction code forcontroller 214.Control memory 220 may store instructions forcontroller 214, and may also store a database of elements, such as text and/or graphic elements containing content. -
User interface 216 ideally includes a front panel assembly containing one or more buttons. According to exemplary embodiments, at least one of these buttons employs capacitive touch sensor technology and is embodied as a capacitive touch button with a guard feature, as referenced above in conjunction withFIG. 1 , and further described below. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , aconfiguration 300 including a capacitive touch button with guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.Exemplary configuration 300 may be employed in various different types of devices, apparatuses and/or systems, such as receivingdevice 20 ofFIG. 1 and/or receivingdevice 200 ofFIG. 2 . As indicated inFIG. 3 ,exemplary configuration 300 comprises a firstconductive element 310, a secondconductive element 320, afirst sensor 330, asecond sensor 340, and acontroller 350. - According to exemplary embodiments, first
conductive element 310 is capacitively isolated from ground and represents a main portion of a capacitive touch button, and secondconductive element 320 is capacitively isolated from ground and represents a guard portion of the capacitive touch button. First and secondconductive elements - Also according to exemplary embodiments, second
conductive element 320 is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of firstconductive element 310. Furthermore, the secondconductive element 320 may be concentric with the firstconductive element 310. Agap 315 exists between first and secondconductive elements Such gap 315 may be uniform along the respective surface edges of first and secondconductive elements gap 315 may include only an air gap, or alternatively may include another dielectric and nonconductive material. Additionally, a conductive ground surface (not shown) may be present either outside theconductive element 320 or, alternatively, below the firstconductive element 310 and/or the secondconductive element 320. The gap between the conductive ground surface and theconductive elements - In the exemplary embodiment of
FIG. 3 , firstconductive element 310 is shown as a circular element and secondconductive element 320 extends circumferentially around substantially all of firstconductive element 310 in a ring-like manner. The shape and size of second conductive element 320 (i.e., the guard portion) can be modified to allow for different types of presses. For instance, a user interface directly in front of the user would work well poking directly at the center of the pad. A horizontal touch interface may allow the user to lay their finger more horizontally. In this case, secondconductive element 320 could be cut away to prevent detecting it as a false press. - Accordingly, the configuration of
FIG. 3 is exemplary only, and other types of complementary shapes may be used for first and secondconductive elements conductive element 320 is located adjacent to substantially all surface edges of firstconductive element 310. As referred to herein, “substantially all” means two-thirds or more. - According to another exemplary embodiment, second
conductive element 320 may be located adjacent to, and extend around, only half or more of the surface edges of firstconductive element 310. According to yet another exemplary embodiment, secondconductive element 320 may be located adjacent to, and extend around, less than half of the surface edges of firstconductive element 310. Secondconductive element 320 may also be arranged as a plurality of individual segments, instead of one unitary segment as shown inFIG. 3 . Moreover, secondconductive element 320 could be configured as a unitary segment and extend around a plurality of different first conductive elements 310 (i.e., around a plurality of different buttons in a cluster, etc.) as, for example, a single common guard ring. In such a configuration, each button (i.e., first conductive element 310) would have its measurement compared to the measurement associated with the common guard ring (i.e., second conductive element 320) to determine if a valid user input has occurred at that particular button. -
First sensor 330 is coupled to firstconductive element 310 and is operative to measure a change in capacitance between firstconductive element 310 and ground due to a change in the associated physical environment.Second sensor 340 is coupled to secondconductive element 320 and is operative to measure a change in capacitance between secondconductive element 320 and ground due to the change in the associated physical environment. Although shown as separate elements inFIG. 3 , first andsecond sensors - According to an exemplary embodiment, the change in the physical environment associated with first and second
conductive elements -
Controller 350 is coupled tofirst sensor 330 andsecond sensor 340, and is operative to determine a difference between the changes in capacitance measured byfirst sensor 330 andsecond sensor 340 as a result of user input. According to exemplary embodiments,controller 350 determines that a given change in the physical environment associated with first and secondconductive elements first sensor 330 and a relatively low capacitance will be measured bysecond sensor 340. - Conversely,
controller 350 determines that a given change in physical environment associated with first and secondconductive elements first sensor 330 andsecond sensor 340 will be the same or similar if a user's palm or other body part is pressed up against first and secondconductive elements conductive elements - Turning now to
FIG. 4 , anexemplary sensor circuit 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.Sensor circuit 400 illustrates one of several possible circuits that may be used as part offirst sensor 330 and second sensor 340 (shown inFIG. 3 ) for sensing the change in capacitance due to a user's tactile interaction with the button.Sensor 400 includes a programmablecurrent source 410, arelaxation oscillator 420,precision analog comparator 430, apulse width modulator 440, and acounter 450. Therelaxation oscillator 420 operates at a nominal frequency based on the property of the conductive element (e.g.,conductive element 310 and conductive element 320) connected at the input and is further controlled by thecurrent source 410. The signal from therelaxation oscillator 420 is provided to theanalog comparator 430. The output of thecomparator 430 is fed into the clock input of thepulse width modulator 440, which gates thecounter 450.Counter 450 also receives a clock input at a clock frequency used in the device (e.g., receivingdevice 20 ofFIG. 1 and/or receivingdevice 200 ofFIG. 2 ). - In operation, an object, such as the user's finger, on the conductive element increases the capacitance which lowers the frequency of the
oscillator 420. This lowered frequency effectively decreases the count measured in thepulse width modulator 440 andcounter 450. Other embodiments for capacitive sense circuits are possible and are well known to those skilled in the art. Further, portions ofsensor circuit 400 described in this embodiment may be shared between the operation of more than capacitive sensor device in order to reduce space, cost, and/or complexity. - As defined earlier, the present embodiments are intended to identify false contact or button pushes by determining a difference between the changes in capacitance occurring in a first sensor (e.g.,
sensor 330 inFIG. 3 ) and a second, or guard, sensor (e.g.,sensor 340 inFIG. 3 ) as a result of user input. Using the sensor circuit described inFIG. 4 , the difference between the changes in capacitance is determined by comparing the counts measured for each of the sensor as a result of the change of capacitance. In one embodiment, a difference of 20 percent between the count value for the first sensor and the count value for the second sensor, with the first sensor value being lower, provides a determination that a proper button contact has been made. As a result, a corresponding predefined threshold may be set at a value of 20 percent of the count value determined for the second or guard sensor (e.g., sensor 340) when the first sensor count value is subtracted from the second sensor count value. It is important to note that in other embodiments, a different percentage difference may be used. In still other embodiments, using different sensor circuits, threshold values related to other determined parameters may be used. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , an exemplary embodiment of a capacitivesensor element arrangement 500 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.Arrangement 500 is similar in operation toelements FIG. 3 . However,arrangement 500 illustrates a non-uniform spacing betweenelement 510 andelement 520, as was described earlier.Arrangement 500 may useful in environments that require a variation in sensitivity to changes in capacitance between thesensor elements - Referring now to
FIG. 6 , another exemplary embodiment of a capacitivesensor element arrangement 600 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.Arrangement 600 is similar in operation toelements FIG. 3 . However,arrangement 600 includes two main or first elements,element 610 andelement 611, representing touch buttons for the user.Element 620 is located adjacent to, or otherwise surrounds bothelement Arrangement 600 may useful in environments that require a touch guard for a set of two or more buttons without influencing contact between the buttons. - In a further perspective,
FIG. 7A andFIG. 7B show aside view 700 of a capacitive touch button with guard with various user inputs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular,FIG. 7A andFIG. 7B show a view of first and secondconductive elements conductive elements elements FIG. 3 , or may correspond to the elements shown inFIG. 5 and/orFIG. 6 . As indicated inFIG. 7A , a valid user input (i.e., button press) requires a user'sfinger 705 to press the center of firstconductive element 710, resulting in an increase in capacitance onconductive element 710 without an increase in capacitance onconductive element 720. Conversely, as shown inFIG. 7B , a user'spalm 706 or other type of accidental press by a user will cause a greater capacitance on both first and secondconductive elements - Referring to
FIG. 8 , a flow diagram 800 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For purposes of example and clarity of description only, the steps ofFIG. 8 are described below with specific reference to the exemplary embodiments ofFIGS. 3 and 7 described above. However, it should be intuitive to those skilled in the art that the inventive principles embodied in the flowchart ofFIG. 8 may also be applied to systems, apparatuses, devices and/or implementations other than those specifically described herein. Accordingly, the steps ofFIG. 8 are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the applicability of the present disclosure in any manner. - At
step 810, a change in the physical environment related to first and secondconductive elements configuration 300 occurs. According to an exemplary embodiment, the change in physical environment occurs atstep 810 in response to a user's tactile interaction with the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. Such tactile interaction may be intended by the user as a valid button press (e.g., to activate or de-activate the main power button, etc.), or may represent an invalid button press (e.g., stray touching of a button while moving device, etc.). - At
step 820,first sensor 330 detects and measures a change in capacitance between firstconductive element 310 and ground due to the change in physical environment that occurred atstep 810. - At
step 830,second sensor 340 detects and measures a change in capacitance between second conductive element 320 (i.e., the guard element) and ground due to the change in physical environment that occurred atstep 810. - At step 840,
controller 350 determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance offirst sensor 330 andsecond sensor 340. As indicated earlier herein, first andsecond sensors - At
step 850,controller 350 determines if the difference determined at step 840 is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold (e.g., a value that is 20 percent of the value for second sensor 340). Such threshold may be initially set as a matter of design choice and/or be adjustable by a user of the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. According to exemplary embodiments, atstep 850,controller 350 determines that a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system has occurred if the determined difference at step 840 is equal to or exceeds a predefined threshold. For example, if a user presses directly in the center of the button (i.e., the center of first conductive element 310), a relatively high capacitance will be measured byfirst sensor 330 and a relatively low capacitance will be measured bysecond sensor 340 - If the determination at
step 850 is positive, process flow advances to step 860 wherecontroller 350 determines that a valid button press has occurred as a result of the change in physical environment atstep 510. That is, if it is determined atstep 850 that the difference determined at step 840 equals or exceeds an established threshold,controller 350 determines atstep 860 that the change in physical environment that occurred atstep 810 represents a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. As a result of this determination,controller 350 may output a control signal to enable or disable the performance of a particular control function associated with the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. - Alternatively, if the determination at
step 850 is negative, process flow advances to step 870 wherecontroller 350 determines that a valid button press has not occurred as a result of the change in physical environment atstep 810. That is, if it is determined atstep 850 that the difference determined at step 840 is less than the threshold,controller 350 determines atstep 870 that the change in physical environment that occurred atstep 810 does not represent a valid user input to the applicable apparatus, device and/or system. As a result of this determination,controller 350 may ignore the change in physical environment that occurred atstep 810. - The steps of
FIG. 8 may also applied to arrangements, such as shown inFIG. 6 , in which secondconductive element 620 is configured as a unitary segment and extends around a plurality of different firstconductive elements 610 and 611 (i.e., around a plurality of different buttons in a cluster, etc.) as, for example, a single common guard ring. With such arrangements, each button (i.e.,conductive element 610, 611) would have its respective measurement compared to the measurement associated with the common guard ring (i.e., conductive element 620) to determine if a valid user input has occurred at that particular button. Other types of modifications to the steps ofFIG. 8 may also be implemented according to principles of the present disclosure. - As described above, the present disclosure provides an improved design for a capacitive touch button which includes a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches. Such an inventive capacitive touch button may be utilized with any type of device, apparatus and/or system that includes one or more capacitive touch buttons.
- While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design, the present embodiments can be further modified within the scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the embodiments using their general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
Claims (24)
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US20210305982A1 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2021-09-30 | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft | Method for operating an appliance, device for performing the method, vehicle door, and computer program |
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KR20170003041A (en) * | 2015-06-30 | 2017-01-09 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Device for Determining Effective User Input |
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US20060227115A1 (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-12 | Tyco Electronic Corporation | Method and apparatus for touch sensor with interference rejection |
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US8004497B2 (en) | 2006-05-18 | 2011-08-23 | Cypress Semiconductor Corporation | Two-pin buttons |
US8125441B2 (en) * | 2006-11-20 | 2012-02-28 | Cypress Semiconductor Corporation | Discriminating among activation of multiple buttons |
US8902172B2 (en) * | 2006-12-07 | 2014-12-02 | Cypress Semiconductor Corporation | Preventing unintentional activation of a touch-sensor button caused by a presence of conductive liquid on the touch-sensor button |
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JP2011039662A (en) | 2009-08-07 | 2011-02-24 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Capacitance type input device |
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US20210305982A1 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2021-09-30 | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft | Method for operating an appliance, device for performing the method, vehicle door, and computer program |
US11595043B2 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2023-02-28 | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft | Method for operating an appliance, device for performing the method, vehicle door, and computer program |
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