Abstract: A system and method for increasing the proximity sensing distance of a touch and proximity sensitive touch sensor to thereby enable greater distance of detectability of a user in a proximity sensing mode of a touch sensor by driving a time varying voltage or drive signal onto a user who is also holding a touch sensor with at least one hand, and then sensing the drive signal from the user's fingers or thumb on sense electrodes that are on the touch sensor when the fingers are within a proximity sensing distance of sense electrodes in the touch sensor.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a touch sensor include a dynamic suspension system to enable the touch sensor to emulate the tactile sensation that a user feels when using pushbutton switches, wherein a touch sensor is combined with at least one snap dome and a post inside the snap dome to keep the touch sensor rigid until the touch sensor is allowed to be displaced when a force is applied, and then the post is retracted or released to enable movement of the touch sensor and the snap dome are disclosed. Also disclosed are systems and methods for a clickable touchpad that enables the clickable function to be selectively locked or unlocked in accordance with detected or sensed conditions are disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method that combines skimmer detection technology with a waterproof and sealed touch sensor keypad that may be used outdoors in wet environments, and is capable of being operated by a user wearing gloves.

Abstract: A system and method for injecting a signal on a sense electrode in order to increase the security of the touch sensor if signals are capable of being intercepted by a probe, the injected signals being capable of creating a signal on the sense electrode that replicates the signal of an actual finger, creating a signal on a sense electrode that is equal to but opposite of an actual finger in order to cancel out the signal from the actual finger and therefore hide its presence, and create a pseudo random signal on sense electrodes so that it is difficult to correlate measurable signals on sense electrodes to actual finger position.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the number of electrodes needed to operate a touch sensor by arrangement of drive and sense electrodes on a single layer touch sensor, the electrodes being arranged such that drive signals that are sent to the electrodes are sent in a non-uniform pattern that enables selected regions of the touch sensor to generate a useful drive signal while the remaining regions do not. The arrangement of the drive and sense electrodes is such that the routing of signals to and from the electrodes may not interfere with operation of the touch sensor.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a fluid flow strain gauge that may be mounted inside a pipe and connected to a base unit that uses capacitive or resistive technology to determine a direction and a rate of flow of a fluid through the pipe by measuring the force applied to the strain gauge by the flow of fluid.

Abstract: A system and method that combines skimmer detection technology with a waterproof and sealed touch sensor keypad that may be used outdoors in wet environments, and is capable of being operated by a user wearing gloves.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the proximity sensing distance of a touch and proximity sensitive touch sensor to thereby enable greater distance of detectability of a user in a proximity sensing mode of a touch sensor by driving a time varying voltage or drive signal onto a user who is also holding a touch sensor with at least one hand, and then sensing the drive signal from the user's fingers or thumb on sense electrodes that are on the touch sensor when the fingers are within a proximity sensing distance of sense electrodes in the touch sensor.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a fluid flow strain gauge that may be mounted inside a pipe and connected to a base unit that uses capacitive or resistive technology to determine a direction and a rate of flow of a fluid through the pipe by measuring the force applied to the strain gauge by the flow of fluid.

Abstract: A system and method for using data from a single-layer touch sensor to track a single object by using a coded stimulus drive pattern in order to multiplex data onto a sense electrode, measure the sense electrode, and then demultiplexing information from the measurement of the sense electrode in order to obtain position information regarding at least one object on the touch sensor.

Abstract: A touch sensor having a plurality of parallel drive electrodes that are being electrically driven, providing stimulus on one end or simultaneously on both ends, thus creating a linear or varying electric field across the length of the drive electrodes, wherein adjacent sensor electrodes are connected to a sense amplifier and analog-to-digital (ADC) converter to determine the position of an object that comes near to the drive and/or sense electrodes, wherein the system uses self-capacitance and measures the amount of current driven by each driver, wherein the system uses a mutual capacitance current divider in a first method by driving an electrode with a time varying voltage and measuring induced currents at each end of an adjacent sense electrode and using ratiometric equations to determine finger position, and using a mutual capacitance voltage divider in a second method.

Abstract: A system and method for injecting a signal on a sense electrode in order to increase the security of the touch sensor if signals are capable of being intercepted by a probe, the injected signals being capable of creating a signal on the sense electrode that replicates the signal of an actual finger, creating a signal on a sense electrode that is equal to but opposite of an actual finger in order to cancel out the signal from the actual finger and therefore hide its presence, and create a pseudo random signal on sense electrodes so that it is difficult to correlate measurable signals on sense electrodes to actual finger position.

Abstract: A system and method for disposing a capacitive proximity and touch sensor in locations where an integrated circuit package may be vulnerable to intrusion by providing electrodes in the packaging that may prevent interception of data obtained by a probe that is brought into proximity of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method for detecting multiple objects on a touchpad having a grid of orthogonal electrodes, wherein all drive electrodes are simultaneously stimulated, and then frequency or electrode coding is used to separate each electrode junction and produce a capacitance image of the touchpad surface in a single measurement sequence.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling an electronic appliance to verify the authenticity of a detachable peripheral device before that peripheral device is used by measuring a controlled impedance of a common wire and returning a proportional value, wherein the host may change or modulate the impedance of the wire before or during each measurement that the peripheral device makes, and if the peripheral device's reported answer matches the expected answer of the host, then the host device may allow the peripheral device to function properly.

Abstract: A system and method for balancing the capacitive charge on touch sensor electrodes so that every two adjacent routes have the same capacitance as any other adjacent two routes, wherein routing electrodes are spaced further and further apart, or graduated, as they get longer, to thereby balance the capacitance on the touch sensor electrodes without having to add or subtract an offset from each touch sensor electrode.

Abstract: A capacitance sensitive proximity and touch-sensitive detection device having an XY electrode grid sensor, wherein a compensation matrix is created when the capacitance sensitive touchpad is installed within a PIN Entry Device (PED), wherein the compensation matrix enables the capacitance sensitive touchpad to compensate and be balanced for the operating environment of the PED, and wherein physical keys of a keypad can be also be individually identified as an actuated key by using a unique “key profile” for each key, and wherein the insertion of a foreign conductive and/or dielectric material such as an intruding sensor in proximity of the XY electrode grid sensor of the touchpad will cause an imbalance in the electrodes on the capacitance sensitive proximity and touch-sensitive detection device, thereby alerting detection circuitry that tampering has occurred with the PED.

Abstract: A system and method for disposing one or a plurality of flying sense electrode segments so as to physically cover integrated circuits, circuit pathways and other components on at least one circuit board to physically secure the circuits, pathways and components from probes or data interception.

Abstract: Capacitive sensing electrodes may be placed in strategic locations inside, outside or inside and outside of a card reader, wherein touch sensor circuitry is then used to take mutual capacitance or self-capacitance measurements that are saved in non-volatile memory as a reference intrusion measurement that is not deleted when power is removed, wherein the reference intrusion measurement may then be used during subsequent intrusion measurements to determine if a skimming device has been disposed adjacent to the card reader, and if a skimming device is detected, appropriate action may be taken such as the automatic disabling of the card reader, the display of a message indicating that the card reader should not be used, or any other action that may prevent a financial card from being compromised.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the number of electrodes needed to operate a touch sensor by arrangement of drive and sense electrodes on a single layer touch sensor, the electrodes being arranged such that drive signals that are sent to the electrodes are sent in a non-uniform pattern that enables selected regions of the touch sensor to generate a useful drive signal while the remaining regions do not. The arrangement of the drive and sense electrodes is such that the routing of signals to and from the electrodes may not interfere with operation of the touch sensor.