Abstract: A processing system for a capacitive touch screen comprises sensor circuitry and control logic. The sensor circuitry is configured to communicatively couple with sensor electrodes of the capacitive touch screen. The control logic is configured to operate the capacitive touch screen in a first mode comprising interference sensing at a first level and input object sensing. The control logic is also configured to operate the capacitive touch screen in a second mode instead of the first mode in response to: interference measured in the first mode meeting an interference condition; and a determination that input is in a sensing region of the capacitive touch screen. Operating in the first mode, interference sensing is performed during a non-display update time. Operating in the second mode, interference sensing with the capacitive touch screen is either not performed or is performed at a second level, lower in fidelity than the first level.

Abstract: Devices and methods for capacitively sensing key cap position during the initial and latter stages of a keystroke. A key assembly includes a stationary key guide magnet, a movable key cap magnet, and a transmitter/receiver electrode pair. One or both of the electrodes underlies the key cap. The capacitance change between the electrodes during a keystroke includes the capacitance change between the key cap and the electrode pair, and the change in capacitance between the key cap and the key guide. Key cap position may thus be accurately detected throughout the entire keystroke.

Abstract: Disclosed herein include an input device, processing system and methods for touch sensing. In one embodiment, an input device is provided that includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a sensor pattern and a plurality of conductive routing traces. Each conductive routing trace is conductively paired with a respective one of the plurality of sensing elements. The sensor routing traces are configured to reduce an RC load of the corresponding paired sensing elements compared to a base RC load of a plurality of base electrodes arranged in a base pattern that is identical to the sensor pattern. Each base sensor electrode is conductively paired with a base routing trace. The base sensor electrode and paired base routing trace have a size that is identical to a size of the paired sensing elements and conductive routing trace. The base routing trace terminates at the base sensor electrode to which the base routing trace is paired.

Abstract: An example processing system for a capacitive input device includes a first interface coupled to at least one first electrode of at least one lighting element and a second interface coupled to at least one second electrode of the at least one lighting element spaced apart from the at least one first electrode. A controller is configured to: forward-bias the at least one lighting element during first time periods to provide illumination; drive the at least one first and the at least one second electrodes with substantially the same voltage during second time periods; and drive the at least one first electrode with a modulated voltage relative to a reference voltage while guarding the at least one second electrode during third time periods to measure capacitance. A determination module is configured to determine presence of at least one input object in a sensing region based on changes in the capacitance.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and system that is able to reduce the power consumption needed to drive sensor electrodes included within an input device. The power consumption of the input device is reduced by providing an intermediate electronic storage device that partially drives a sensor electrode before a driver module drives the sensor electrode the remaining amount to the second voltage potential.

Abstract: In a method of avoiding interference in an integrated capacitive sensor device and display device, a first transmitter signal having a first frequency is transmitted with a combination electrode of the integrated capacitive sensor device and display device. The combination electrode is configured for both capacitive sensing and display updating. A shift is made from transmitting the first transmitter signal with the combination electrode to transmitting a second transmitter signal with the combination electrode. The shift is made by changing a duration of at least one non-display update time period of the display device. The second transmitter signal has a second frequency, and the shifting occurs based at least in part upon an amount of interference.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor device comprises a first sensor electrode, a second sensor electrode, and a processing system coupled to the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode. The processing system is configured to acquire a first capacitive measurement by emitting and receiving a first electrical signal with the first sensor electrode. The processing system is configured to acquire a second capacitive measurement by emitting and receiving a second electrical signal, wherein one of the first and second sensor electrodes performs the emitting and the other of the first and second sensor electrodes performs the receiving, and wherein the first and second capacitive measurements are non-degenerate. The processing system is configured to determine positional information using the first and second capacitive measurements.

Abstract: A display device having an integrated capacitive proximity sensor comprises a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed as part of a display element of the display device. The plurality of sensor electrodes is configured for performing both sensor and display functions of the display device. The display device also comprises a sensor drive mechanism coupled with the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured for driving a first electrical signal on a first at least one sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The sensor drive mechanism comprises at least one memory element that is configured for selecting drive excitation information for the first at least one sensor electrode. The display device also comprises a display drive mechanism coupled with the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured for driving a second electrical signal on a second least one sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

Abstract: An input device comprises a first plurality of sensor electrodes, a second plurality of sensor electrodes, and a processing system. The processing system comprises a first integrated circuit, a second integrated circuit, and a central controller. The first integrated circuit is coupled to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive first resulting signals therewith. The second integrated circuit is coupled to the second plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive second resulting signals therewith. The central controller is communicatively coupled to the first and second integrated circuits. The central controller is configured to receive the first resulting signals from the first integrated circuit and the second resulting signals from the second integrated circuit and is configured to determine positional information from the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals and to communicate the positional information to a host processor.

Abstract: This disclosure generally provides a processing system that includes a first controller coupled with a second controller via a first communication link. The first controller is configured to transmit display data to the second controller via the first communication link. The second controller is configured to drive, using the display data, one or more coupled display electrodes for performing display updating. The second controller is further configured to operate one or more coupled sensor electrodes to acquire capacitive sensing data, and to transmit the capacitive sensing data to the first controller via the first communication link.

Abstract: A processing system that includes a sigma-delta converter and a filter unit that applies a matched filter to the output of the sigma-delta converter. The processing system drives sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing and receives resulting signals with the sensor electrodes in response. The processing system applies these resulting signals to sigma-delta converters. The matched filter boosts the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal received from the sigma-delta converter, thereby improving the ability to sense presence of an input object. The filter unit may apply different, customized matched filters for different capacitive pixels to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of each capacitive pixel in a customized manner.

Abstract: An input device can be capacitive coupled to earth ground and noise sources which can interfere with the ability of the input device to detect an input object. To mitigate the effects from these capacitive couplings, the input device drives a modulated capacitive sensing signal onto a plurality of sensor electrodes in parallel. The sensor electrodes are coupled to respective analog front ends (AFEs) which generate an output signal for each of the sensor electrodes. The input device combines the output signals for the sensor electrodes to generate a normalization value. For example, the output signals may be digital values which are summed by the input device to generate the normalization value. The input device then divides each of the output signals by the normalization value to result in a normalized signal corresponding to each of the sensor electrodes.

Abstract: This disclosure generally provides input devices, processing systems and methods for touch and force sensing utilizing combination sensor conductors. The combination sensor conductors are configurable as capacitive sensor conductors and force sensor conductors via operation of a processing system.

Abstract: A display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system, and a method are provided for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device having a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a matrix. The described technique programmatically combines multiple sensor electrodes into a larger sensor electrode for absolute capacitive sensing. The sets of sensor electrodes that are combined may be selectively coupled based a window size and a step size associated with a number of sensor electrodes in common between the sets.

Abstract: A method of capacitive sensing may include driving a first modulated signal onto a first sensor electrode in an input device and a second modulated signal onto a second sensor electrode in the input device. The method may further include receiving, simultaneously, a first resulting signal from the first sensor electrode and a second resulting signal from the second sensor electrode. The method may further include generating, based at least in part on the first resulting signal and the second resulting signal, a combination signal. The method may further include determining, using the combination signal, when the input device is not disposed in a predetermined low ground mass state, and when a ratio of capacitive coupling exceeds a predetermined threshold, first positional information regarding a location of the input object in the sensing region.

Abstract: An input device comprising a display device having an integrated capacitive sensing device. The input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes a plurality of display electrodes, a modulated power supply configured to provide a modulated reference signal, and a processing system. The processing system includes a sensor module configured to drive a plurality of sensor electrodes with a modulated capacitive sensing signal that is based on the modulated reference signal for capacitive sensing during a first time period. The processing system also includes a display driver module configured to drive a plurality of display electrodes of a display device with modulated signals based on the modulated reference signal during the first time period. The modulated signals cause voltage between the plurality of display electrodes and the plurality of sensor electrodes to remain substantially constant.

Abstract: An example method of performing capacitive sensing and display updating in an integrated capacitive sensing device and display device includes driving a plurality of sensor electrodes of the capacitive sensing device for input sensing during a blanking period. The method further includes driving a plurality of source lines using a plurality of source drivers during the blanking period to update a first display line of the display device. The method further includes driving the plurality of source lines using the plurality of source drivers during a display update period to update one or more additional display lines of the display device. The method further includes adjusting an operational mode of the plurality of source drivers during the blanking period to equalize display pixel settling between the blanking period and the display update period.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device that includes a plurality of sensing elements that are interconnected in desired way to acquire positional information of an input object, so that the acquired positional information can be used by other system components to control a display or other useful system components. One or more of the embodiments described herein, utilizes one or more of the techniques and sensor electrode array configuration disclosed herein to reduce or minimize the number of traces and/or electrodes required to sense the position of an input object within a sensing region of the input device.

Abstract: An input device is configured to detect force being applied to an input region of the device by an input object, in addition to the position of the input object using touch sensing methods. Aspects include driving a force sensing electrode of the input device using an anti-guarding voltage alternating with a ground or guard voltage, while driving the touch sensing electrodes with a reference voltage, to obtain touch measurements, force measurements, interference measurements, double the force signal, and/o double the touch signal for differential touch and force detection. Aspects also include driving sensor electrodes using orthogonal signals and performing in-phase and quadrature demodulation of the received signal for simultaneous and independent touch and force measurements.

Abstract: An input device is configured to detect force being applied to an input region of the device by an input object, in addition to the position of the input object using touch sensing methods. Aspects include driving a force sensing electrode of the input device using an anti-guarding voltage alternating with a ground or guard voltage, while driving the touch sensing electrodes with a reference voltage, to obtain touch measurements, force measurements, interference measurements, double the force signal, and/o double the touch signal for differential touch and force detection. Aspects also include driving sensor electrodes using orthogonal signals and performing in-phase and quadrature demodulation of the received signal for simultaneous and independent touch and force measurements.