Abstract: This disclosure generally provides an input device that includes a multi-layered capacitive sensor which includes a first layer disposed over a second layer that contains a plurality of sensor electrodes coupled to respective traces. The first and second layers form a capacitive sensing stack where the first layer is between the second layer and a touch surface for interacting with the input object. The first and second layers may be disposed on either the same substrate or different substrates in the stack. In one embodiment, the first layer includes electrically floating electrodes and at least one guard electrode. These components may align with respective components in the second layer. For example, the electrically floating electrodes in the first layer may at least partially cover the sensor electrodes in the second layer.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein thus provide devices and methods that facilitate improved input devices. Specifically, the devices, systems and methods provide the ability to accurately determine user input using multiple different sensing regimes. The different sensing regimes can be used to facilitate accurate position determination of objects both at the surface and away from the surface. For example, the different sensing regimes can be used to determine position information for both ungloved and gloved fingers. In one embodiment the first sensing regime uses a first duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing and a first duty cycle of transcapacitive sensing. The second sensing regime uses a second duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing and a second duty cycle of transcapacitive sensing, where the second duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing is greater than the first duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing.

Abstract: Embodiments in the present disclosure use various individual electrodes in a capacitive sensing pixel of an electrode matrix to perform two different techniques of capacitive sensing. For example, a capacitive sensing pixel may include at least two sensor electrodes that may be driven different by a processing system depending on the current capacitive technique being used to user interaction. When performing absolute capacitive sensing, a first one of the sensor electrodes may be driven with a modulated signal in order to measure a change in absolute capacitance between the driven sensor electrode and an input object. Alternatively, when performing transcapacitance sensing, the first sensor electrode is driven with a transmitter signal while a resulting signal is measured on a second sensor electrode in the capacitive pixel. In this manner, the individual electrodes in a capacitive sensing pixel may be driven differently depending on the current capacitive sensing technique.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device with display screens that periodically update (refresh) the screen by selectively driving common electrodes corresponding to pixels in a display line. In general, the input devices drive each electrode until each display line (and each pixel) of a display frame is updated. In addition to updating the display, the input device may perform capacitive sensing using the display screen as a proximity sensing area. To do this, the input device may interleave periods of capacitive sensing between periods of updating the display based on a display frame. For example, the input device may update the first half of display lines of the display screen, pause display updating, perform capacitive sensing, and finish updating the rest of the display lines. Further still, the input device may use common electrodes for both updating the display and performing capacitive sensing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus that is configured to reduce the effects of interference that is undesirably provided to a transmitter signal that is delivered from a transmitter signal generating device to a sensor processor to determine if an input object is disposed within a touch sensing region of a touch sensing device. In one embodiment, the sensor processor includes a receiver channel that has circuitry that is configured to separately receive a transmitter signal delivered from a display processor and a sensor processor reference signal that is based on a display processor reference signal to reliably sense the presence of an object. Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide an improved apparatus and method for reliably sensing the presence of an object by a touch sensing device.

Abstract: A processing system for an input device includes a transmitter modules coupled to a plurality of transmitter electrodes including a first set and a second set of transmitter electrodes, the first set and second set being disjoint and having different sizes. The transmitter module is configured to simultaneously transmit a first plurality of transmitter signals with the first set of transmitter electrodes during a first period, and to simultaneously transmit a second plurality of transmitter signals with the second set of transmitter electrodes during a second period, wherein the first period and the second period are non-overlapping. Each of the first plurality of transmitter signals is based on a different sequence of a code, which includes a set of mathematically independent sequences and has a size equal to the size of the first set of transmitter electrodes.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided that utilize a first electrode disposed on a first substrate and a second electrode disposed on a second substrate, where the first electrode and the second electrode define at least part of a variable capacitance. A third substrate is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate having an opening arranged such that at least a portion of the first electrode and the second electrode overlap the opening. A transmission element is provided that partially overlaps the opening. The transmission element is physically coupled to the second electrode such that a force biasing the transmission element causes the second electrode to deflect relative to the first electrode, thus changing the variable capacitance. A measurement of the variable capacitance may then be used to determine force information.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices are described for determining positional information for objects using an input device. The various embodiments provide improved user interface functionality by facilitating user input with input objects that are at the surface and objects that are away from the surface. The input device includes a processing system and an array of sensor electrodes adapted to capacitively sense objects in a sensing region. The processing system is configured to determine first positional information for an input object in a first portion of the sensing region based on a difference between a first frame of the first plurality of frames and a filtered frame even when the input object is determined to be in the sensing region when the first plurality of frames are acquired, wherein the filtered frame is based on one or more of the first plurality of frames.

Abstract: A processing system for capacitance sensing includes a sensor module and a determination module. The sensor module includes sensor circuitry coupled to sensor electrodes, the sensor module configured to generate sensing signals received with the sensor electrodes. The determination module is connected to the sensor electrodes and configured to obtain, for a predetermined timeframe, a profile from the sensing signals, obtain, for the predetermined timeframe, a noise statistic, and calculate, for the predetermined timeframe, a data signal statistic for the predetermined timeframe using the profile. The determination module is further configured to calculate a signal to noise ratio (SNR) by dividing the data signal statistic by the noise statistic. When the SNR satisfies a predetermined detection threshold, an input object is detected in a sensing region of the capacitance sensing input device.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein thus provide devices and methods that facilitate improved input devices. Specifically, the devices, systems and methods provide the ability to accurately determine user input using multiple different sensing regimes. The different sensing regimes can be used to facilitate accurate position determination of objects both at the surface and away from the surface. For example, the different sensing regimes can be used to determine position information for both ungloved and gloved fingers. In one embodiment the first sensing regime uses a first duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing and a first duty cycle of transcapacitive sensing. The second sensing regime uses a second duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing and a second duty cycle of transcapacitive sensing, where the second duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing is greater than the first duty cycle of absolute capacitive sensing.

Abstract: A processing system for a capacitive input device includes functionality to perform a trans capacitance measurement of an array of sensor electrodes, determine a presence of at least one input object in the sensing region from the trans capacitance measurement, perform an absolute capacitive measurement along a first axis of the array of sensor electrodes, and suppress the determined presence of at least one input object based on a lack of a correlated input object presence from the absolute capacitive measurement along the first axis. The capacitive input device includes the array of sensor electrodes configured to sense input objects in a sensing region of the input device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device with display screens that periodically update (refresh) the screen by selectively driving common electrodes corresponding to pixels in a display line. In general, the input devices drive each electrode until each display line (and each pixel) of a display frame is updated. In addition to updating the display, the input device may perform capacitive sensing using the display screen as a proximity sensing area. To do this, the input device may interleave periods of capacitive sensing between periods of updating the display based on a display frame. For example, the input device may update the first half of display lines of the display screen, pause display updating, perform capacitive sensing, and finish updating the rest of the display lines. Further still, the input device may use common electrodes for both updating the display and performing capacitive sensing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide an input device comprising a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device. The input device includes a plurality of transmitter electrodes, each transmitter electrode comprising one or more common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing, a plurality of near-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in a near-field sensing region, and a plurality of far-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in a far-field sensing region. The input device further includes a processing system coupled to the plurality of transmitter electrodes, the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes.

Abstract: In a method of capacitive sensing an absolute capacitive sensing signal is driven through at least one of a plurality of routing traces of a printed circuit. Absolute capacitive sensing is performed with at least one sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes in a sensor electrode pattern. The at least one sensor electrode is coupled with the at least one of the plurality of routing traces. An offsetting signal is transmitted on a parallel conductor overlapping the at least one of the plurality of routing traces, such that charge is offset from the at least one of the plurality of routing traces during the absolute capacitive sensing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus that is configured to reduce the effects of interference that is undesirably provided to a transmitter signal that is delivered from a transmitter signal generating device to a sensor processor to determine if an input object is disposed within a touch sensing region of a touch sensing device. In one embodiment, the sensor processor includes a receiver channel that has circuitry that is configured to separately receive a transmitter signal delivered from a display processor and a sensor processor reference signal that is based on a display processor reference signal to reliably sense the presence of an object. Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide an improved apparatus and method for reliably sensing the presence of an object by a touch sensing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a processing system for a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device. The processing system includes a driver module, a receiver module, and a determination module. The driver module is coupled to a plurality of common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing. The receiver module is coupled to a plurality of receiver electrodes and configured for receiving resulting signals with the receiver electrodes. The determination module is configured for comparing a delta capacitive image to one or more saturation capacitance values and replacing the saturation capacitance values with one or more capacitance values from the delta capacitive image. The determination module is further configured for determining calibration values based on the saturation capacitance values. The calibration values calibrate for an air gap defined between a cover lens of a display device and the plurality of common electrodes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an input device having an array of capacitive sensor electrodes disposed on a substrate with a ground plane, and a proximity sensor electrode are disclosed herein. The input device includes a processing system configured to operate in an input mode and a proximity mode. When operating in the input mode, the processing system drives the ground plane to a grounding voltage and scans the array of capacitive sensor electrodes to detect input from an object in an active region of the input device. When operating in the proximity mode, the processing system drives a sensing signal on the ground plane, and optionally, one or more sensor electrodes of the array of capacitive sensor electrodes and receives a resulting signal from the proximity sensor electrode. The processing system generates an indication of an object presence in a second sensing region based on the resulting signal.

Abstract: An input device having a sensing region overlapping an input surface includes a first substrate, a second substrate physically coupled to the first substrate, and a sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and configured to detect input objects in the sensing region. A first force sensor includes a first electrode disposed on the first substrate and a first conductive portion of the second substrate capacitively coupled with the first electrode. The first conductive portion is configured to move relative to the first electrode such that a first variable capacitance of the first force sensor changes in response to force applied to the input surface in a first direction parallel to the touch surface.

Abstract: A processing system for baseline management includes a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry coupled to sensor electrodes, where the sensor module is configured to receive resulting signals with at least a portion of the sensor electrodes. The processing system further includes a determination module operatively connected to the sensor electrodes. The determination module is configured to obtain a first profile from the resulting signals, calculate, using the first profile, a first statistic and a second statistic for the first profile, and select, according to a first range of the first statistic and a second range of the second statistic, a baseline relaxation technique from a plurality of baseline relaxation techniques to obtain a selected baseline relaxation technique. The determination module is further configured to adjust a baseline for the capacitance sensing input device according to the selected baseline relaxation technique.