Abstract: A touch sensor employing capacitive sensing technology in which a series of conductive pads enabling the detection of levels of capacitance imparted to each of the conductive pads as a result of the close proximity of a tip of a digit of a user, in which adjacent pairs of the conductive pads form slider controls, in which one of the conductive pads is a corner-type conductive pad at which two adjacent slider controls formed by the corner-type conductive pad and each of two adjacent conductive pads forms a corner in the series of slider controls, and in which the series of slider controls perhaps forms a rectangular ring shape loop of slider controls in which there are four of the corner-type conductive pads at which four different pairs of slider controls meet at right angles.

Abstract: A touch sensor employing capacitive sensing technology in which a series of conductive pads enabling the detection of levels of capacitance imparted to each of the conductive pads as a result of the close proximity of a tip of a digit of a user, in which adjacent pairs of the conductive pads form slider controls, in which one of the conductive pads is a corner-type conductive pad at which two adjacent slider controls formed by the corner-type conductive pad and each of two adjacent conductive pads forms a corner in the series of slider controls, and in which the series of slider controls perhaps forms a rectangular ring shape loop of slider controls in which there are four of the corner-type conductive pads at which four different pairs of slider controls meet at right angles.

Abstract: An apparatus having a touch sensor able to detect the touch of a tip of a digit of a user, having a conductive ring able to detect the approach of the tip towards the touch sensor, having a motion sensor to sense movement of a casing the apparatus, and having components of a controller to place the apparatus in one of a lower power mode after a predetermined period of inactivity has elapsed, a partial power mode in response to an indication of the approach of a tip of a digit, and a higher power state to detect touching of the touch sensor by a tip of a digit. Other forms of proximity detectors may be employed in place of the conductive ring, or the conductive ring may be replaced by one or more elongate conductors positioned about one or more sides of the periphery of a touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus in which an outer conductive ring surrounds the periphery of a touch-sensitive surface of a touch sensor serving as a manually-operable control, wherein a portion of the outer conductive ring is also between the touch-sensitive surface and another manually-operable control that lacks the ability to sense the mere touch of a tip of a digit of a user. A processing device causes the level of capacitance of the outer conductive ring to be measured on a recurring basis for instances of an amount of additional capacitance above a minimum capacitance threshold, and employs such amounts of additional capacitance in a comparison to distinguish between the user interacting with a control surface defined on the touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor or the other manually-operable control.