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WO2017068110A1 - Active stylus for capacitive sensor areas with hand recognition - Google Patents

Active stylus for capacitive sensor areas with hand recognition Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2017068110A1
WO2017068110A1 PCT/EP2016/075352 EP2016075352W WO2017068110A1 WO 2017068110 A1 WO2017068110 A1 WO 2017068110A1 EP 2016075352 W EP2016075352 W EP 2016075352W WO 2017068110 A1 WO2017068110 A1 WO 2017068110A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
touchpad
pointing device
electronic pointing
electrical measurement
measurement signal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2016/075352
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Karl-Peter KÄMPF
Original Assignee
Stabilo International Gmbh
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stabilo International Gmbh filed Critical Stabilo International Gmbh
Publication of WO2017068110A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017068110A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/0354—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
    • G06F3/03545—Pens or stylus

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device of the type specified in the preamble of ciaim 1 , a method of the type specified in the preamble of claim 6 as well as a system of the type specified in the preamble of claim 7.
  • Modern digital input devices can be controlled via a touch-sensitive, electrically capacitiveiy acting input interface, referred to as electrically capacitiveiy acting touchpad or simply as touchpad hereinafter.
  • Particularly widely used devices are capacitiveiy acting systems, in which e.g. a grid of conductors or a grid of electrodes applied to the lower surface of the cover of the input interface has an AC voltage applied thereto.
  • the finger or the pointing device and the conductors or the electrodes define the two plates of a capacitor and the cover of the touchpad defines the dielectric thereof.
  • the conductors or electrodes are part of an RC element, i.e. part of a circuit comprising a resistor and a capacitor, the change of capacitance caused by the approaching finger or pointing device can be measured and the touch point can be determined in this way.
  • US 7 612 7676 B1 describes such a conventional electronic pointing device for a touchpad, the tip of said electronic pointing device being capable of receiving the electric charges from the AC voltage-generated, projected-capacitive sensor field of the input interface and of causing an increase of the capacitance or of the effective capacitance of the pointing device by generating a countervoltage, so that the pointing device is able to influence, via the electrical capacitive coupling to the input interface, an electric charge accumulation on the input interface in a manner that can be interpreted by the input interface of the digital input device as touch of a finger.
  • the above pointing devices and digital input devices exhibit disadvantages e.g. insofar as they are not able to differentiate whether the input interface is touched by an electronic pointing device or whether it is touched by a user's hand or finger. This has e.g. the effect that especially inputs of handwriting by means of conventiona! electronic pointing devices on known touchpads are rendered complicated and inconvenient for the user.
  • An electronic pointing device for carrying out inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad, wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, and wherein the electrical measurement signal may comprise a series of measurement pulses, may be characterized in that the electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad, so as to determine the position of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or determine the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or determine at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad or a parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may here e.g. be understood as the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad.
  • the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad may aiso be interpreted as the recognized intensity of the contact between the pointing device and the touchpad.
  • This recognized effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or the recognized intensity of the contact may here depend on the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal transmitted to the touchpad, and it may in particular depend e.g. on the modulated and amplified electrical capacitance of the pointing device tip, which can be transmitted to the touchpad.
  • the recognized effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may differ from the actual size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, predetermined e.g. by the size, e.g. the diameter, of the pointing device tip, and may be larger or smaller than the actual size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may depend on the magnitude of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or on the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, so that a change of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or a change of the effective electrical capacitance, will cause a change of the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad.
  • an increase in the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or in the effective electrical capacitance may cause an increase in the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, and a reduction of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or of the effective electrical capacitance, may, for example, cause a reduction of the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • said parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may e.g. be the magnitude of the electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad, or the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad.
  • the modulation and amplification of the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad received at the electronic pointing device in accordance with the present invention may lead to a modulation of the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad that can be recognized by the touchpad.
  • electrical measurement signal is here intended to stand in particular for an electrical measurement signal that may comprise a series of electrical measurement pulses, in particular e.g. a series of alternating current pulses.
  • the individual measurement pulses of the touchpad of the digital input device may here oscillate e.g. at a frequency of 90 to 270 kHz, and the series of measurement signal pulses, each having a pulse duration of e.g. 100 to 400 ps (microseconds), may e.g. have a frequency between 40 and 240 Hz.
  • This allows to operate, e.g. at 60 Hz, up to 41 measuring electrodes of a touchpad in succession (41 x 0.4 16.4 ms), whereby e.g. a spatial resolution of a touchpad having a width of 200 mm, which comprises strips of 4.8 mm width, can be realized.
  • modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal which can be transmitted by the electronic pointing device to the touchpad, e.g. when the pointing device tip enters into contact with the touchpad, may in particular be understood as a sequence or as the modulation of a sequence of changes of the capacitance state or of the effective capacitance of the tip of the electronic pointing device.
  • modulation may e.g. comprise a modulation of the electrical capacitance in the tip of the electronic pointing device, with changes of the capacitance state, leading to a change of the capacitance sign and/or of the magnitude of the capacitance value and/or of the duration of the capacitance state.
  • modulation of the electrical measurement signal by the electronic pointing device may comprise periodic or non-periodic amplification changes of the electrical measurement signal and/or changes of the capacitance state at specific time intervals or specific time distances.
  • the amplification of the received electrical measurement signal, or of the received measurement pulse, of the touchpad may be characterized by an amplification factor, said amplification factor resulting from the amplification ratio of the signal strength or of the capacitance value of the electrical measurement signal received by the pointing device, or of the received measurement pulse, to the signal strength or to the capacitance value of the electrical measurement signal or measurement pulse, which is amplified by the pointing device and which is to be returned to the input interface.
  • the term amplification may e.g. in particular be interpreted such that the electronic pointing device may be configured such that each received nth measurement pulse is omitted, i.e. not amplified, or it may be configured for amplifying each nth measurement pulse in a manner differing from the amplification of the other measurement pulses, n being here a natural number greater than 1.
  • n being here a natural number greater than 1.
  • amplification may here also comprise an amplification behavior in the case of which individual measurement pulses are specifically and individually amplified, or specifically and individually omitted, i.e. they are specifically and individually exempted from amplification.
  • the term amplification may also comprise a capacitance change behavior, in the case of which the electrical capacitance is specifically and individually changed due to individual measurement pulses, or is intentionally and individually not changed.
  • an electronic pointing device In comparison with known electronic pointing devices, systems and methods, an electronic pointing device according to the present invention and a method and system according to the present invention offer, among other advantages, the advantage that, due to the modulation, or due to the modulation and amplification, it can be differentiated whether the touchpad is touched by the pointing device or whether it is touched by a user's hand or fingers placed on the touchpad, since a hand or fingers placed on the touchpad do not cause a regular modulation of the electrical measurement signal at the touchpad or a modulation of the electrical measure- merit signal at the touchpad that could be confused with the modulation caused by the pointing device.
  • the modulation according to the present invention to which the electrical measurement signal, which is received by the pointing device and which can be amplified and modulated by the pointing device and returned to the touchpad, is subjected may be recognized by the touchpad as a seeming modulation of the size of the contact area of the pointing device with the touchpad.
  • the touchpad may record a seemingly changing size of the contact area of a tactile contact, whereas e.g. the size of the contact area of a hand placed on the touchpad does not change, or changes in a way that cannot be confused with a pointing device-controlled modulation of the effective size of the contact area of the pointing device.
  • a parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may describe e.g. the mean diameter of the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • a specific mean diameter of the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may be subdivided into different size classes, which can be subdivided e.g. in size class steps of 5 - 15 mm, preferably 0.45 mm.
  • an advantageous modulation of the effective size of the contact area of the pointing device may be of such a nature that contacts triggered by the pointing device on the touchpad, or two electrical measurement pulses triggered by the pointing device, differ by at least one size class, preferably by two size classes, from the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • a first triggered measurement pulse may be in a first size class, e.g. it may lie at 10.45 mm or at 20.89 mm, and a second triggered measurement pulse may lie at 31.34 or 41.78 mm. It follows that an evaluation electronics of the touchpad or of the digital input device can reliably differentiate between contacts with the touchpad triggered by the pointing device or triggered by the user's hands or fingers.
  • the electronic pointing device may be configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, may be varied from one measurement pulse to the next and may at least be sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, each returned electrical measurement pulse to be identified as a touch by the touchpad and for allowing a determination of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, e.g. the magnitude of the electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad or the effective electrical capacitance that can be transmitted from the pointing device to the touchpad, when the pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad.
  • the amplification factor with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified
  • This optional configuration of the electronic pointing device has e.g. the advantage that virtually any contact of the pointing device with the touchpad can be recorded and recognized.
  • the measurement pulses transmitted from the pointing device to the touchpad through the above-mentioned exemplary modulation and amplification can still be recognized by the touchpad as being different from a measurement signal triggered by a hand or by fingers
  • the virtually uninterrupted recognition of contacts between the pointing device and the touchpad allows, by way of example, an optimum resolution of lines or letterings, which have been entered by means of the pointing device, on the touchpad.
  • the electronic pointing device may be configured such that measurement pulses are differently amplified and/or differently modulated in groups.
  • the electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving a control signal of the digital input device, wherein the control signal may comprise information on the signal strength and/or e.g. on the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance of an electrical measurement signal triggered by the electronic pointing device on the touchpad, so as to determine the position and the at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, and wherein the electronic pointing device is additionally configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal of the touchpad depending on the received control signal.
  • a method according to the present invention for carrying out inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad by means of an electronic pointing device may comprise the following steps, among others:
  • the amplification and the modulation of the received electrical measurement signal by means of the pointing device may here be carried out such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, may be varied from one measurement pulse to the next and may at least be sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, each electrical measurement pulse transmitted or returned to the touchpad to be identified as a touch by the touchpad and for allowing, for each contact of the pointing device with the touchpad, a determination of the position and of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad may comprise an electronic pointing device for carrying out inputs at said digital input device, wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touch- pad and the electronic pointing device is configured for receiving an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, and wherein the electrical measurement signal may comprise a series of measurement pulses.
  • the digital input device may be configured for transmitting electrical measurement signals, so as to determine a position on the touchpad.
  • the electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal as well as for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and for returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad, so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • the digital input device may be configured for determining and evaluating, for the electrical measurement signals triggered by the electronic pointing device on the touchpad when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, the position and the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
  • Fig. 1 an exemplary system for digital inputs
  • Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system 100 for carrying out and recording inputs 107 by means of an exemplary electronic pointing device 01 at a digital input device 102 with an electrically capacitively acting, touch-sensitive input interface / electrically capacitively acting touchpad 108.
  • the electronic pointing device 101 may additionally comprise an electrically conductive rod whose tip 104 can be projected from the end part 105 that may also be configured as an electrically conductive component.
  • the electronic pointing device 101 may be electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 and may receive, e.g. via the tip 104, an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 of the digital input device 102.
  • the tip 104 of the electronic pointing device 101 may here be part of an electronic circuit component or may be electrically connected to an electronic circuit component (not shown).
  • the digital input device 102 may optionally be configured for transmitting a control signal to the electronic pointing device 101.
  • Said control signal may comprise information on the signal strength and/or e.g. the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance of an electrical measurement signal triggered by the electronic pointing device 101 on the touchpad 108, so as to determine the position and the at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108, and the electronic pointing device 101 may additionally be configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 depending on the received control signal.
  • the digital input device 102 may comprise e.g. at least one speaker 109 that is capable of transmitting control signals to the electronic pointing device 101 by sound, e.g. by ultrasound.
  • the electronic pointing device 101 may include at least one microphone 103.
  • the microphone 103 used for receiving the control signals may e.g. be accommodated below a gripping section 106 in an end part 105 of the electronic pointing device 101.
  • the electronic pointing device 101 may regulate the amplification and modulation of the received electrical measurement signal depending on the received control signal, so as to determine the position and the size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108.
  • Other wireless communication connections between the digital input device 102 and the electronic pointing device 01 for transmitting control signals from the digital input device 102 to the electronic pointing device 101 e.g. via Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy / Bluetooth Smart or WLAN, are, however, imaginable as well.
  • this optional communication between the touchpad 108 and the pointing device 101 e.g. the modulation and the amplification of the electrical measurement signal received by the pointing device, or the capacitance behavior of the electronic pointing device 101 , can be adapted even more effectively to the evaluation capabilities of the touchpad, so as to determine the position and e.g. the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108, and to the capacitance behavior and the capacitance sensitivity of the touchpad 108, respectively.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Position Input By Displaying (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic pointing device (101) for carrying out inputs (107) at a digital input device (102) with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad (108), wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108), wherein the electrical measurement signal comprises a series of measurement pulses, said electronic pointing device (101) being characterized in that it is configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, and for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad (108), so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101) with the touchpad (108).

Description

Active stylus for capacitive sensor areas with hand recognition
Prior art
The present invention relates to a device of the type specified in the preamble of ciaim 1 , a method of the type specified in the preamble of claim 6 as well as a system of the type specified in the preamble of claim 7.
Modern digital input devices can be controlled via a touch-sensitive, electrically capacitiveiy acting input interface, referred to as electrically capacitiveiy acting touchpad or simply as touchpad hereinafter. Particularly widely used devices are capacitiveiy acting systems, in which e.g. a grid of conductors or a grid of electrodes applied to the lower surface of the cover of the input interface has an AC voltage applied thereto.
When a finger or a pointing device of the user approaches a node of the grid, the finger or the pointing device and the conductors or the electrodes define the two plates of a capacitor and the cover of the touchpad defines the dielectric thereof.
Due to the fact that the conductors or electrodes are part of an RC element, i.e. part of a circuit comprising a resistor and a capacitor, the change of capacitance caused by the approaching finger or pointing device can be measured and the touch point can be determined in this way.
US 7 612 7676 B1, for example, describes such a conventional electronic pointing device for a touchpad, the tip of said electronic pointing device being capable of receiving the electric charges from the AC voltage-generated, projected-capacitive sensor field of the input interface and of causing an increase of the capacitance or of the effective capacitance of the pointing device by generating a countervoltage, so that the pointing device is able to influence, via the electrical capacitive coupling to the input interface, an electric charge accumulation on the input interface in a manner that can be interpreted by the input interface of the digital input device as touch of a finger.
However, the above pointing devices and digital input devices exhibit disadvantages e.g. insofar as they are not able to differentiate whether the input interface is touched by an electronic pointing device or whether it is touched by a user's hand or finger. This has e.g. the effect that especially inputs of handwriting by means of conventiona! electronic pointing devices on known touchpads are rendered complicated and inconvenient for the user.
Task
It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve an electronic pointing device for a digital input device, in particular with respect to an easier applicability of the electronic pointing device.
Solution
According to the present invention this object is achieved by an electronic pointing device according to claim 1 , a method according to claim 6 and a system according to claim 7. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject matters of the subclaims.
An electronic pointing device according to the present invention for carrying out inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad, wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, and wherein the electrical measurement signal may comprise a series of measurement pulses, may be characterized in that the electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad, so as to determine the position of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or determine the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or determine at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
The effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad or a parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may here e.g. be understood as the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad. The effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad may aiso be interpreted as the recognized intensity of the contact between the pointing device and the touchpad.
This recognized effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, or the recognized intensity of the contact, may here depend on the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal transmitted to the touchpad, and it may in particular depend e.g. on the modulated and amplified electrical capacitance of the pointing device tip, which can be transmitted to the touchpad.
It follows that the recognized effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may differ from the actual size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, predetermined e.g. by the size, e.g. the diameter, of the pointing device tip, and may be larger or smaller than the actual size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
For example, the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may depend on the magnitude of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or on the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, so that a change of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or a change of the effective electrical capacitance, will cause a change of the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad recognized by the touchpad.
In particular, e.g. an increase in the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or in the effective electrical capacitance, may cause an increase in the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, and a reduction of the electrical capacitance existing in the electronic pointing device tip, or of the effective electrical capacitance, may, for example, cause a reduction of the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
Hence, said parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may e.g. be the magnitude of the electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad, or the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad.
In other words, the modulation and amplification of the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad received at the electronic pointing device in accordance with the present invention, which can be returned to the touchpad after having been modulated and amplified, may lead to a modulation of the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad that can be recognized by the touchpad.
It follows that, when seen from the point of view of the touchpad, the size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad seems to vary.
In addition, the term electrical measurement signal is here intended to stand in particular for an electrical measurement signal that may comprise a series of electrical measurement pulses, in particular e.g. a series of alternating current pulses.
The individual measurement pulses of the touchpad of the digital input device may here oscillate e.g. at a frequency of 90 to 270 kHz, and the series of measurement signal pulses, each having a pulse duration of e.g. 100 to 400 ps (microseconds), may e.g. have a frequency between 40 and 240 Hz. This allows to operate, e.g. at 60 Hz, up to 41 measuring electrodes of a touchpad in succession (41 x 0.4 = 16.4 ms), whereby e.g. a spatial resolution of a touchpad having a width of 200 mm, which comprises strips of 4.8 mm width, can be realized.
The term modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal, which can be transmitted by the electronic pointing device to the touchpad, e.g. when the pointing device tip enters into contact with the touchpad, may in particular be understood as a sequence or as the modulation of a sequence of changes of the capacitance state or of the effective capacitance of the tip of the electronic pointing device.
In addition, the term modulation may e.g. comprise a modulation of the electrical capacitance in the tip of the electronic pointing device, with changes of the capacitance state, leading to a change of the capacitance sign and/or of the magnitude of the capacitance value and/or of the duration of the capacitance state. Furthermore, the term modulation of the electrical measurement signal by the electronic pointing device may comprise periodic or non-periodic amplification changes of the electrical measurement signal and/or changes of the capacitance state at specific time intervals or specific time distances.
The amplification of the received electrical measurement signal, or of the received measurement pulse, of the touchpad may be characterized by an amplification factor, said amplification factor resulting from the amplification ratio of the signal strength or of the capacitance value of the electrical measurement signal received by the pointing device, or of the received measurement pulse, to the signal strength or to the capacitance value of the electrical measurement signal or measurement pulse, which is amplified by the pointing device and which is to be returned to the input interface.
In addition, the term amplification may e.g. in particular be interpreted such that the electronic pointing device may be configured such that each received nth measurement pulse is omitted, i.e. not amplified, or it may be configured for amplifying each nth measurement pulse in a manner differing from the amplification of the other measurement pulses, n being here a natural number greater than 1. Exemplarily, it is also possible to amplify only each nth measurement pulse in accordance with a simple embodiment.
The term amplification may here also comprise an amplification behavior in the case of which individual measurement pulses are specifically and individually amplified, or specifically and individually omitted, i.e. they are specifically and individually exempted from amplification.
Likewise, the term amplification may also comprise a capacitance change behavior, in the case of which the electrical capacitance is specifically and individually changed due to individual measurement pulses, or is intentionally and individually not changed.
In comparison with known electronic pointing devices, systems and methods, an electronic pointing device according to the present invention and a method and system according to the present invention offer, among other advantages, the advantage that, due to the modulation, or due to the modulation and amplification, it can be differentiated whether the touchpad is touched by the pointing device or whether it is touched by a user's hand or fingers placed on the touchpad, since a hand or fingers placed on the touchpad do not cause a regular modulation of the electrical measurement signal at the touchpad or a modulation of the electrical measure- merit signal at the touchpad that could be confused with the modulation caused by the pointing device.
As mentioned above, the modulation according to the present invention to which the electrical measurement signal, which is received by the pointing device and which can be amplified and modulated by the pointing device and returned to the touchpad, is subjected may be recognized by the touchpad as a seeming modulation of the size of the contact area of the pointing device with the touchpad.
In other words, the touchpad may record a seemingly changing size of the contact area of a tactile contact, whereas e.g. the size of the contact area of a hand placed on the touchpad does not change, or changes in a way that cannot be confused with a pointing device-controlled modulation of the effective size of the contact area of the pointing device.
For example, a parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may describe e.g. the mean diameter of the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
Preferably, e.g. a specific mean diameter of the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad may be subdivided into different size classes, which can be subdivided e.g. in size class steps of 5 - 15 mm, preferably 0.45 mm.
By way of example, an advantageous modulation of the effective size of the contact area of the pointing device may be of such a nature that contacts triggered by the pointing device on the touchpad, or two electrical measurement pulses triggered by the pointing device, differ by at least one size class, preferably by two size classes, from the seemingly effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
For example, a first triggered measurement pulse may be in a first size class, e.g. it may lie at 10.45 mm or at 20.89 mm, and a second triggered measurement pulse may lie at 31.34 or 41.78 mm. It follows that an evaluation electronics of the touchpad or of the digital input device can reliably differentiate between contacts with the touchpad triggered by the pointing device or triggered by the user's hands or fingers.
In addition, the electronic pointing device may be configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, may be varied from one measurement pulse to the next and may at least be sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, each returned electrical measurement pulse to be identified as a touch by the touchpad and for allowing a determination of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, e.g. the magnitude of the electrical capacitance recorded by the touchpad or the effective electrical capacitance that can be transmitted from the pointing device to the touchpad, when the pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad.
This optional configuration of the electronic pointing device has e.g. the advantage that virtually any contact of the pointing device with the touchpad can be recorded and recognized.
Thus, it is possible to make use of the pointing device for carrying out inputs at the touchpad with high resolution, without having to give up the advantage that contacts between the touch- pad and the pointing device can reliably be differentiated from contacts between the touchpad and the user's hand or fingers.
Whereas the measurement pulses transmitted from the pointing device to the touchpad through the above-mentioned exemplary modulation and amplification can still be recognized by the touchpad as being different from a measurement signal triggered by a hand or by fingers, the virtually uninterrupted recognition of contacts between the pointing device and the touchpad allows, by way of example, an optimum resolution of lines or letterings, which have been entered by means of the pointing device, on the touchpad.
In addition, the electronic pointing device may be configured such that measurement pulses are differently amplified and/or differently modulated in groups.
Furthermore, the electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving a control signal of the digital input device, wherein the control signal may comprise information on the signal strength and/or e.g. on the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance of an electrical measurement signal triggered by the electronic pointing device on the touchpad, so as to determine the position and the at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad, and wherein the electronic pointing device is additionally configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal of the touchpad depending on the received control signal.
A method according to the present invention for carrying out inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad by means of an electronic pointing device, may comprise the following steps, among others:
• receiving an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad at the electronic pointing device, said electrical measurement signal comprising a series of measurement pulses,
• amplifying and modulating the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad received at the electronic pointing device,
• returning the electrical measurement signal, which has been amplified and modulated by the electronic pointing device, to the touchpad of the digital input device, so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
The amplification and the modulation of the received electrical measurement signal by means of the pointing device may here be carried out such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, may be varied from one measurement pulse to the next and may at least be sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, each electrical measurement pulse transmitted or returned to the touchpad to be identified as a touch by the touchpad and for allowing, for each contact of the pointing device with the touchpad, a determination of the position and of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
An exemplary system for carrying out and recording inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting, touch-sensitive input interface, viz. the touchpad, can exemplarily be described as follows hereinafter. A digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad may comprise an electronic pointing device for carrying out inputs at said digital input device, wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touch- pad and the electronic pointing device is configured for receiving an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, and wherein the electrical measurement signal may comprise a series of measurement pulses.
The digital input device may be configured for transmitting electrical measurement signals, so as to determine a position on the touchpad.
The electronic pointing device may be configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal as well as for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and for returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad, so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
In addition, the digital input device may be configured for determining and evaluating, for the electrical measurement signals triggered by the electronic pointing device on the touchpad when the electronic pointing device enters into contact with the touchpad, the position and the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device with the touchpad.
The following figure shows exemplarily:
Fig. 1 : an exemplary system for digital inputs
Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system 100 for carrying out and recording inputs 107 by means of an exemplary electronic pointing device 01 at a digital input device 102 with an electrically capacitively acting, touch-sensitive input interface / electrically capacitively acting touchpad 108.
The electronic pointing device 101 may additionally comprise an electrically conductive rod whose tip 104 can be projected from the end part 105 that may also be configured as an electrically conductive component. The electronic pointing device 101 may be electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 and may receive, e.g. via the tip 104, an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 of the digital input device 102.
The tip 104 of the electronic pointing device 101 may here be part of an electronic circuit component or may be electrically connected to an electronic circuit component (not shown).
In addition, the digital input device 102 may optionally be configured for transmitting a control signal to the electronic pointing device 101. Said control signal may comprise information on the signal strength and/or e.g. the magnitude of the effective electrical capacitance of an electrical measurement signal triggered by the electronic pointing device 101 on the touchpad 108, so as to determine the position and the at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108, and the electronic pointing device 101 may additionally be configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal of the touchpad 108 depending on the received control signal.
To this end, the digital input device 102 may comprise e.g. at least one speaker 109 that is capable of transmitting control signals to the electronic pointing device 101 by sound, e.g. by ultrasound.
For receiving the control signals transmitted by the digital input device 102, the electronic pointing device 101 may include at least one microphone 103.
The microphone 103 used for receiving the control signals may e.g. be accommodated below a gripping section 106 in an end part 105 of the electronic pointing device 101.
It is e.g. also imaginable to accommodate the microphone used for receiving the control signals at the end of the electronic pointing device 01 located opposite the tip 104, so as to be able to advantageously prevent the microphone from being covered by the user's writing hand.
Optionally, the electronic pointing device 101 may regulate the amplification and modulation of the received electrical measurement signal depending on the received control signal, so as to determine the position and the size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108. Other wireless communication connections between the digital input device 102 and the electronic pointing device 01 for transmitting control signals from the digital input device 102 to the electronic pointing device 101 , e.g. via Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy / Bluetooth Smart or WLAN, are, however, imaginable as well.
By means of this optional communication between the touchpad 108 and the pointing device 101 , e.g. the modulation and the amplification of the electrical measurement signal received by the pointing device, or the capacitance behavior of the electronic pointing device 101 , can be adapted even more effectively to the evaluation capabilities of the touchpad, so as to determine the position and e.g. the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device 101 with the touchpad 108, and to the capacitance behavior and the capacitance sensitivity of the touchpad 108, respectively.
The above is followed by one sheet comprising a figure. The reference numerals identify the following:
100 system for carrying out and recording inputs at a digital input device with an electrically capacitively acting, touch-sensitive input interface / electrically capacitively acting touch- pad
101 electronic pointing device
102 digital input device
103 microphone
104 tip of the electronic pointing device
105 end part of the electronic pointing device
106 gripping section of the electronic pointing device
107 input at the input interface / touchpad
108 electrically capacitively acting touchpad
109 speaker

Claims

Claims
1. An electronic pointing device (101) for carrying out inputs (107) at a digital input device (102) with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad (108), wherein the electronic pointing device is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108), wherein the electrical measurement signal comprises a series of measurement pulses, characterized in that the electronic pointing device (101) is configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad, amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad (108), so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101 ) with the touchpad (108).
2. The electronic pointing device (101 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic pointing device (101) is configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, varies from one measurement pulse to the next and is at least sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device (101) enters into contact with the touchpad, each returned electrical measurement pulse to be identified as a touch by the touchpad and for allowing a determination of the position and of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101 ) with the touchpad (108).
3. The electronic pointing device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured for differently amplifying measurement pulses in groups.
4. The electronic pointing device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured such that the electronic pointing device is additionally configured for receiving a control signal of the digital input device, wherein the control signal comprises information on the signal strength of an electrical measurement signal triggered by the electronic pointing device (101) on the touchpad (108), so as to determine the position and the at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101) with the touchpad (108), and the electronic pointing device (101) is additionally configured for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal of the touchpad depending on the received control signal.
A method of carrying out inputs at a digital input device (102) with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad (108) by means of an electronic pointing device (101), comprising: receiving an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108) at the electronic pointing device (101 ), said electrical measurement signal comprising a series of measurement pulses, amplifying and modulating the electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108) received at the electronic pointing device (101 , 200), returning the electrical measurement signal, which has been amplified and modulated by the electronic pointing device (101 , 200), to the touchpad (108) of the digital input device (102), so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101) with the touchpad (108).
The method according to the preceding claim, wherein the received electrical measurement signal is amplified and modulated such that the amplification factor, with which a measurement pulse received by the electronic pointing device is amplified, varies from one measurement pulse to the next and is at least sufficiently large for allowing, when the electronic pointing device (101 ) enters into contact with the touchpad, each electrical measurement pulse returned to the touchpad (108) to be identified as a touch by the touchpad (108) and for allowing a determination of the position and of at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101 ) with the touchpad (108).
A system (100) for carrying out and recording inputs at a digital input device (102) with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad (108), comprising: a digital input device (102) with an electrically capacitively acting touchpad (108), an electronic pointing device (101 ) for carrying out inputs (107) at said digital input device (102), wherein the electronic pointing device (101 , 200) is electrically capacitively coupled to an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108) and the electronic pointing device (101) is configured for receiving an electrical measurement signal of the touchpad (108), and wherein the electrical measurement signal comprises a series of measurement pulses, and wherein the digital input device (102) is configured for transmitting electrical measurement signals, so as to determine a position on the touchpad (108), and wherein the electronic pointing device ( 01) is additionally configured for receiving the electrical measurement signal as well as for amplifying and modulating the received electrical measurement signal, and for returning the modulated and amplified electrical measurement signal to the touchpad (108), so as to determine the position and at least one parameter for characterizing the effective size of the contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101 ) with the touchpad (108).
8. The system according to the preceding claim, wherein the digital input device (102) is configured for determining and evaluating, for the electrical measurement signals triggered by the electronic pointing device (101) on the touchpad (108) when the electronic pointing device (101) enters into contact with the touchpad (108), the position and the size of the effective contact area of a contact of the electronic pointing device (101) with the touchpad (108).
PCT/EP2016/075352 2015-10-23 2016-10-21 Active stylus for capacitive sensor areas with hand recognition WO2017068110A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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DE202015105665.6U DE202015105665U1 (en) 2015-10-23 2015-10-23 Active stylus for capacitive sensor surfaces with hand recognition
DE202015105665.6 2015-10-23

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7612767B1 (en) 2005-08-24 2009-11-03 Griffin Technology, Inc. Trackpad pen for use with computer touchpad
DE202012102444U1 (en) * 2011-10-28 2012-07-26 Atmel Corporation Active stylus with which gestures can be performed
US20130207938A1 (en) * 2012-02-15 2013-08-15 Andriy Ryshtun Active stylus to host data transmitting method
US20150138128A1 (en) * 2013-11-20 2015-05-21 Apple Inc. Expanded Function Touch Sensor Implement

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7612767B1 (en) 2005-08-24 2009-11-03 Griffin Technology, Inc. Trackpad pen for use with computer touchpad
DE202012102444U1 (en) * 2011-10-28 2012-07-26 Atmel Corporation Active stylus with which gestures can be performed
US20130207938A1 (en) * 2012-02-15 2013-08-15 Andriy Ryshtun Active stylus to host data transmitting method
US20150138128A1 (en) * 2013-11-20 2015-05-21 Apple Inc. Expanded Function Touch Sensor Implement

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