U.S. patent application number 17/139598 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-30 for ultrasonic touch sensing parasitic wave rejection.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Karan JAIN, Ehsan KHAJEH, Brian Michael KING, George Ho Yin MAK.
Application Number | 20220206630 17/139598 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005339951 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220206630 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KHAJEH; Ehsan ; et
al. |
June 30, 2022 |
ULTRASONIC TOUCH SENSING PARASITIC WAVE REJECTION
Abstract
Improving the accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing via the
reduction, elimination and/or rejection of parasitic ultrasonic
reflections caused by unintended touches is disclosed. The adverse
effects of these parasitic reflections can be mitigated by
disrupting the symmetry of the true reflections (from the intended
touch) and the parasitic reflections (from unintended touches) so
that the true touch can be disambiguated from unintended touches.
Identification of the true touch can then enable accurate touch
localization.
Inventors: |
KHAJEH; Ehsan; (Los Gatos,
CA) ; MAK; George Ho Yin; (Santa Clara, CA) ;
KING; Brian Michael; (Saratoga, CA) ; JAIN;
Karan; (San Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005339951 |
Appl. No.: |
17/139598 |
Filed: |
December 31, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04144 20190501;
G06F 3/0436 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/043 20060101
G06F003/043; G06F 3/041 20060101 G06F003/041 |
Claims
1. A touch sensing device, comprising: a touch surface having a
closed-figure shape including a first location on an outer surface
of the touch surface configured for producing a first wave
propagation discontinuity at the touch surface when a first touch
is received at the first location, and a second location on the
outer surface of the touch surface configured for producing a
second wave propagation discontinuity at the touch surface when a
second touch is received at the second location; and one or more
ultrasonic transducers coupled to the touch surface at a third
location on an inner surface of the touch surface and configured to
transmit first and second ultrasonic guided waves; wherein the one
or more ultrasonic transducers are further configured, and the
first, second and third locations are spatially arranged along the
touch surface, such that when the first ultrasonic guided wave is
transmitted and encounters the first wave propagation
discontinuity, a first modified guided wave having a first
characteristic is generated and received back at the one or more
ultrasonic transducers for use in touch localization, and when the
second ultrasonic guided wave is transmitted and encounters the
second wave propagation discontinuity, a second modified guided
wave having a second characteristic is generated and received back
at the one or more ultrasonic transducers for use in touch
localization.
2. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first modified
guided wave is a first reflected guided wave generated when the
first ultrasonic guided wave reflects off the first wave
propagation discontinuity, and the second modified guided wave is a
second reflected guided wave generated when the second ultrasonic
guided wave reflects off the second wave propagation
discontinuity.
3. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first modified
guided wave is a first unabsorbed guided wave generated when the
first ultrasonic guided wave passes through the first wave
propagation discontinuity.
4. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more
ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array for
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude.
5. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first
characteristic is a first amplitude of the first modified guided
wave and the second characteristic is a second amplitude of the
second modified guided wave, the touch surface including an
absorbent material configured for reducing the second amplitude as
compared to the first amplitude.
6. The touch sensing device of claim 5, wherein the absorbent
material is located at the second location.
7. The touch sensing device of claim 5, wherein the one or more
ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array for
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude.
8. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first
characteristic is a first time period and the second characteristic
is a second time period that occurs prior to the first time period,
and wherein the third location is proximate to the second
location.
9. The touch sensing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more
ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array for
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude.
10. The touch sensing device of claim 4, wherein during a first
time period the phased array is configured for transmitting the
first ultrasonic guided wave in a first direction, and transmitting
the second ultrasonic guided wave in a second direction opposite
the first direction at a same time as the transmission of the first
ultrasonic guided wave.
11. The touch sensing device of claim 10, wherein during a second
time period following the first time period, the phased array is
configured for transmitting a third ultrasonic guided wave with a
third amplitude in the second direction, and transmitting a fourth
ultrasonic guided wave with a fourth amplitude less than the third
amplitude in the first direction at the same time as the
transmission of the third ultrasonic guided wave.
12. A method for touch sensing, comprising: identifying a first
location on a touch surface having a closed-figure shape for
producing a first wave propagation discontinuity when a first touch
is received at the first location on an outer surface of the touch
surface; identifying a second location on the outer surface of the
touch surface for producing a second wave propagation discontinuity
when a second touch is received at the second location;
transmitting first and second ultrasonic guided waves from a third
location on an inner surface of the touch surface; when the first
ultrasonic guided wave encounters the first wave propagation
discontinuity, generating a first modified guided wave having a
first characteristic; when the second ultrasonic guided wave
encounters the second wave propagation discontinuity, generating a
second modified guided wave having a second characteristic; and
utilizing the first and second modified guided waves for touch
localization.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising utilizing pulse-echo
ultrasonic touch sensing wherein the first modified guided wave is
a first reflected guided wave generated when the first ultrasonic
guided wave reflects off the first wave propagation discontinuity,
and the second modified guided wave is a second reflected guided
wave generated when the second ultrasonic guided wave reflects off
the second wave propagation discontinuity.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising utilizing
pitch-catch ultrasonic touch sensing wherein the first modified
guided wave is a first unabsorbed guided wave generated when the
first ultrasonic guided wave passes through the first wave
propagation discontinuity.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the
first ultrasonic guided wave with a first amplitude and
transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a second
amplitude less than the first amplitude.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first characteristic is a
first amplitude of the first modified guided wave and the second
characteristic is a second amplitude of the second modified guided
wave, and the method comprises reducing the second amplitude as
compared to the first amplitude by absorbing energy of the second
modified guided wave.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising absorbing the energy
of the second modified guided wave at the second location.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the
first ultrasonic guided wave with a first amplitude and
transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a second
amplitude less than the first amplitude.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first characteristic is a
first time period and the second characteristic is a second time
period that occurs prior to the first time period, and wherein the
third location is proximate to the second location.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting the
first ultrasonic guided wave with a first amplitude and
transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a second
amplitude less than the first amplitude.
21. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the
first ultrasonic guided wave in a first direction during a first
time period, and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave in
a second direction opposite the first direction at a same time as
the transmission of the first ultrasonic guided wave.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: during a second
time period following the first time period, transmitting a third
ultrasonic guided wave with a third amplitude in the second
direction, and transmitting a fourth ultrasonic guided wave with a
fourth amplitude less than the third amplitude in the first
direction at the same time as the transmission of the third
ultrasonic guided wave.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] This relates generally to ultrasonic touch sensing systems,
and more particularly, to the rejection of parasitic waves caused
by objects making inadvertent contact with a touch surface of an
ultrasonic touch sensing system.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] Many types of electronic devices are presently available
that are capable of receiving touch input to initiate operations.
Examples of such devices include desktop, laptop and tablet
computing devices, smartphones, media players, wearables such as
watches and health monitoring devices, smart home control and
entertainment devices, headphones and earbuds, and devices for
computer-generated environments such as augmented reality, mixed
reality, or virtual reality environments. Many of these devices can
receive input through the physical touching of buttons or keys,
mice, trackballs, joysticks, touch panels, touch screens and the
like. Capacitive touch sensing, in particular, has become popular.
With capacitive touch sensing, a user can perform various functions
by touching a capacitive touch sensing array using a finger, stylus
or other object at a particular location or locations. A computing
system can recognize the touch and the position of the touch within
the capacitive touch sensing array, and thereafter perform one or
more actions based on the touch. However, the conductive electrodes
of capacitive touch sensing systems can interfere with the
performance of nearby electronics such as antennas or other systems
that are adversely affected by the presence of conductive material.
In addition, capacitive touch sensing systems can experience
sensing errors or reduced performance when conductive,
electrically-floating liquids (e.g., water droplets) or insulated
objects (e.g., gloved fingers) come into contact with its
touch-sensitive surface. This can be particularly problematic for
devices that are intended for outdoor use, exercise, and other
situations where bodies of water, rain, or perspiration may be
present, or for devices that are intended for use in cold weather,
where gloved fingers are to be expected.
SUMMARY
[0003] Examples of the disclosure are generally directed to
providing ultrasonic touch sensing capability. In some examples,
this ultrasonic touch sensing capability can be integrated into
existing device structures to facilitate user input without adding
extra structure. Unlike capacitive touch sensing systems, in some
ultrasonic touch sensing systems the transducers/electrodes can be
implemented far from touch areas, and long-range touch sensing can
be achieved (e.g., sonar). Accordingly, when electronics such as
antennas are co-located with active touch areas, these ultrasonic
systems are less likely to adversely affect those electronics. In
addition, ultrasonic touch sensing systems can be less affected
when conductive, electrically-floating liquids (e.g., water
droplets) or insulated objects (e.g., gloved fingers) come into
contact with its touch-sensitive surface.
[0004] Ultrasonic touch sensing systems, like other touch sensing
systems, can be adversely affected when an object unintentionally
makes contact with the touch-sensitive surface, either alone or at
the same time as an intended touch. In ultrasonic touch sensing
systems, these unintentional contacts can produce reflections of a
generated ultrasonic wave, referred to herein as "parasitic"
ultrasonic waves or reflections. When an unintended touch occurs
alone (without a simultaneously occurring intended touch), the
parasitic reflection caused by the unintended touch can be
erroneously interpreted as indicative of an intended, valid touch.
When an unintended touch occurs at the same time as an intended
touch, the ultrasonic transducers may be unable to distinguish the
parasitic reflections from "true" reflections caused by an intended
touch (due to the rough "symmetry" of the true and parasitic
reflections), and the parasitic reflections can corrupt the proper
detection of the valid touch.
[0005] Accordingly, some examples of the disclosure are directed to
improving the accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing via the
reduction, elimination and/or rejection of parasitic ultrasonic
reflections. Fundamentally, the adverse effects of these parasitic
reflections can be mitigated by disrupting the symmetry of the true
reflections (from the intended touch) and the parasitic reflections
(from the unintended touch). In one example, an absorbent material
can be placed in a location where unintended object touches (e.g.,
from an ear or cheek) are expected, so that ultrasonic waves
propagated in the direction of the unintended touching object are
absorbed by the absorbent material, resulting in significant
attenuation of the amplitude of the parasitic reflection as
compared to the true reflection from an intended touch (e.g., from
a finger). This attenuation of the parasitic wave can disrupt the
symmetry of the amplitude of the parasitic and true reflections,
which can allow for rejection of the parasitic reflection and
processing of the true reflection. In another example, the
ultrasonic transducer can be placed in an area where unintended
object touches are expected, so that parasitic reflections can be
received at the transducer much earlier than true reflections from
an intended touch. This time separation of the parasitic wave from
the true wave can disrupt the symmetry of the parasitic and true
reflections, which can allow for rejection of the parasitic
reflection and processing of the true reflection. In yet another
example, a multi-element phased array of ultrasonic transducers can
be employed to selectively direct ultrasonic waves in different
directions at different times. For example, the phased array can
first direct ultrasonic waves towards an area where unintended
object touches are expected, and then direct ultrasonic waves
towards an area where intended touches are expected. The time
separation of the directional ultrasonic waves can cause true
reflections from an intended touch, and parasitic reflections from
an unintended touch, to be received back at the transducer at
different times. This time separation of the parasitic wave from
the true wave disrupts the symmetry of the parasitic and true
reflections, which can allow for rejection of the parasitic
reflection and processing of the true reflection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate systems that can employ ultrasonic
touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection according to examples
of the disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device
including ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave rejection,
and in some examples, an additional force sensing system according
to examples of the disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a process for ultrasonic touch and
optional force sensing of an object in contact with a touch and/or
force sensitive surface according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary configuration of an
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuit according to
examples of the disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a wearable device in the form of wireless
earbud according to examples of the disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 6A illustrates a cylinder with circumferential
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 6B illustrates a one-dimensional multi-pixel array of
ultrasonic transducers for circumferential ultrasonic touch sensing
according to examples of the disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 6C illustrates an ultrasonic transducer operating in a
circumferential pulse/echo or time of flight (TOF) configuration
according to examples of the disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 6D illustrates an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver pair
operating in a circumferential pitch/catch or tomography (imaging
using penetrating waves) configuration according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0015] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the baselining of reflected and
partially absorbed guided waves (GWs) according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 7C illustrates the determination of a finger signature
from reflected and unabsorbed GWs according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 8A illustrates circumferential pulse-echo or TOF
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 8B illustrates circumferential pitch-catch ultrasonic
touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 8C illustrates circumferential pitch-catch ultrasonic
touch sensing using tomography according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 9A illustrates a cylinder with axial ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 9B illustrates a cylinder with embedded axial
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 9C illustrates axial pulse-echo or TOF ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 10 illustrates a cylinder with radial ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 11A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer operating in a
pulse/echo or TOF configuration in the presence of a finger and
also in the presence of an unintended touching object such as an
ear or cheek according to examples of the disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 11B illustrates a reflected GW resulting from the
reflection of an incident GW off a wave propagation discontinuity
caused by finger according to examples of the disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 11C illustrates a parasitic reflection resulting from
the reflection of an opposing GW off a wave propagation
discontinuity caused by an object such as an ear or cheek according
to examples of the disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 11D illustrates a superposition of a reflected GW and a
parasitic reflection according to examples of the disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 12A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer with absorbent
material at an expected location of an unintended touch and
operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration according to
examples of the disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 12B illustrates a reflected GW resulting from the
reflection of an incident GW off of a wave propagation
discontinuity caused by a finger according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 12C illustrates a parasitic reflection resulting from
the reflection of an opposing GW off a wave propagation
discontinuity caused by an object such as an ear or cheek but in
the presence of absorbent material according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 13A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer located near
an expected unintended touch location and operating in a pulse/echo
or TOF configuration according to examples of the disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 13B illustrates a graph of parasitic reflections
occurring in a touch rejection window and reflected GWs occurring
in an active touch detection window according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0033] FIG. 14A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer phased array
operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration and generating a
counterclockwise incident GW according to examples of the
disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 14B illustrates an ultrasonic transducer phased array
operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration and generating a
clockwise incident GW according to examples of the disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 14C illustrates a finger signature corresponding to a
reflected GW and an object (e.g., ear/cheek) signature
corresponding to a parasitic reflection generated by the ultrasonic
transducer phased array of FIGS. 14A and 14B according to examples
of the disclosure.
[0036] FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate a combined approach of placing
ultrasonic phased arrays at the expected location of unintended
touches according to examples of the disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 16A illustrates an implementation wherein ultrasonic
transducers (or phased arrays) can be co-located with force sensors
in the same module according to examples of the disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 16B illustrates an earbud with an integrated ultrasonic
touch and force sensing module located within a cylinder according
to examples of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] In the following description of various examples, reference
is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and
in which it is shown by way of illustration specific examples that
can be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples can be
used and structural changes can be made without departing from the
scope of the various examples.
[0040] Ultrasonic touch sensing systems can be adversely affected
when an object unintentionally makes contact with the
touch-sensitive surface, either alone or at the same time as an
intended touch. These unintentional contacts can produce parasitic
ultrasonic waves or reflections. When an unintended touch occurs
alone (without a simultaneously occurring intended touch), the
parasitic reflection caused by the unintended touch can be
erroneously interpreted as indicative of an intended, valid touch.
When an unintended touch occurs at the same time as an intended
touch, the ultrasonic transducers may be unable to distinguish the
parasitic reflections from true reflections caused by an intended
touch (due to the rough symmetry of the true and parasitic
reflections), and the parasitic reflections can corrupt the proper
detection of the valid touch.
[0041] Accordingly, some examples of the disclosure are directed to
improving the accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing via the
reduction, elimination and/or rejection of parasitic ultrasonic
reflections. Fundamentally, the adverse effects of these parasitic
reflections can be mitigated by disrupting the symmetry of the true
reflections (from the intended touch) and the parasitic
reflections. In one example, an absorbent material can be placed in
a location where unintended object touches (e.g., from an ear or
cheek) are expected, so that ultrasonic waves propagated in the
direction of the unintended touching object are absorbed by the
absorbent material, resulting in significant attenuation of the
amplitude of the parasitic reflection as compared to the true
reflection from an intended touch (e.g., from a finger). This
attenuation of the parasitic wave can disrupt the symmetry of the
amplitude of the parasitic and true reflections, which can allow
for rejection of the parasitic reflection and processing of the
true reflection. In another example, the ultrasonic transducer can
be placed in an area where unintended object touches are expected,
so that parasitic reflections can be received at the transducer
earlier than true reflections from an intended touch. This time
separation of the parasitic wave from the true wave can disrupt the
symmetry of the parasitic and true reflections, which can allow for
rejection of the parasitic reflection and processing of the true
reflection. In yet another example, a multi-element phased array of
ultrasonic transducers can be employed to selectively direct
ultrasonic waves in different directions at different times. For
example, the phased array can first direct ultrasonic waves towards
an area where unintended object touches are expected, and then
direct ultrasonic waves towards an area where intended touches are
expected. The time separation of the directional ultrasonic waves
can cause true reflections from an intended touch, and parasitic
reflections from an unintended touch, to be received back at the
array at different times. This time separation of the parasitic
wave from the true wave disrupts the symmetry of the parasitic and
true reflections, which can allow for rejection of the parasitic
reflection and processing of the true reflection.
[0042] FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate systems that can employ ultrasonic
touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection according to examples
of the disclosure. FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary mobile
telephone 136 that can employ ultrasonic touch sensing with
parasitic wave rejection according to examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 1B illustrates an example digital media player 140 that can
employ ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection
according to examples of the disclosure. FIG. 1C illustrates an
example personal computer 144 that can employ ultrasonic touch
sensing with parasitic wave rejection according to examples of the
disclosure. FIG. 1D illustrates an example tablet computing device
148 that can employ ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave
rejection according to examples of the disclosure. FIG. 1E
illustrates an example wearable device 150 (e.g., a watch) that can
employ ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection
according to examples of the disclosure. FIG. 1F illustrates
another example wearable device, over-ear headphones 160, that can
employ ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection
according to examples of the disclosure. FIG. 1G illustrates
another example wearable device, in-ear headphones or earbuds 170,
that can employ ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave
rejection according to examples of the disclosure. It should be
understood that the example devices illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1G are
provided by way of example, and other types of devices can employ
ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave rejection, and in some
examples, can additionally employ force sensing.
[0043] Ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave rejection can be
incorporated in the above described systems to add touch sensing
capabilities to a surface of the system. In some examples, a touch
screen (e.g., capacitive, resistive, etc.) can be augmented with
ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave rejection to provide
touch sensing capability in conditions where the device may get wet
(e.g., exercise, swimming, rain, washing hands) or for use with
non-conductive or partially-conductive touch objects (e.g., gloved
or bandaged fingers) or poorly grounded touch objects (e.g.,
objects not in contact with the system ground of the device). In
some examples, an otherwise non-touch sensitive display can be
augmented with ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave
rejection to provide a touch sensing capability. In such examples,
the display can be implemented without the stack-up required for a
capacitive touch screen. In some examples, ultrasonic touch sensing
and parasitic wave rejection can be used to provide touch sensing
capability for a non-display surface. For example, ultrasonic touch
sensing and parasitic wave rejection can be used to provide touch
sensing capabilities on earbuds, a track pad (e.g., trackpad 146 of
personal computer 144), a button, a scroll wheel, part or all of
the housing, or any other surfaces of the device (e.g., on the
front, rear or sides).
[0044] As the examples of FIGS. 1E-1G illustrate, some examples of
the disclosure are particularly directed to wearable devices, which
can provide users with immediately accessible input mechanisms for
initiating or performing various functions. This user input can
control the wearable device itself, or it can be converted to
wireless communications for control of other devices such as
smartphones, watches and the like. In some examples, ultrasonic
touch sensing capability can be integrated within existing wearable
device structures. In these examples, a user can tap, touch or
slide one or more fingers along a touch-sensitive area (e.g., an
area along the shaft), and ultrasonic transducers within the
touch-sensitive area can detect these touches and sliding motions
and initiate or perform functions such as volume control. For
example, ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave rejection can
be integrated into over-ear headphones 160 (e.g., in exterior
circular region 162, interior circular region 164, and/or over-head
band 166) or in-ear headphones 170 (e.g., in earbud 172 or
cylindrical antenna 174) to provide touch input (e.g., single-touch
or multi-touch gestures including tap, hold and swipe). The touch
sensing surfaces for ultrasonic touch sensing with parasitic wave
rejection can be made of various materials (e.g., metal, plastic,
glass, etc.) or a combination of materials.
[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device
including ultrasonic touch sensing and parasitic wave rejection,
and in some examples, an additional force sensing system according
to examples of the disclosure. In some examples, housing 202 of
device 200 (e.g., corresponding to devices 136, 140, 144, 148, 150,
160 and 170 above) can be coupled (e.g., mechanically) with one or
more ultrasonic transducers 204. In some examples, transducers 204
can be piezoelectric transducers, which can be made to vibrate by
the application of electrical signals when acting as a transmitter,
and generate electrical signals based on detected vibrations when
acting as a receiver. In some examples, transducers 204 can be
formed from a piezoelectric ceramic material (e.g., PZT or KNN) or
a piezoelectric plastic material (e.g., PVDF or PLLA). In various
examples, transducers 204 can be bonded to housing 202 by a bonding
agent (e.g., a thin layer of stiff epoxy), deposited on one or more
surfaces through processes such as deposition, lithography, or the
like, or integrally formed within the housing. When electrical
energy is applied to transducers 204 and causes them to vibrate,
the one or more surfaces in contact with the transducers can also
be caused to vibrate, and the vibrations of the molecules of the
surface material can propagate as an ultrasonic wave through the
one or more surfaces/materials. In some examples, vibration of
transducers 204 can be used to produce ultrasonic waves at a
selected frequency over a broad frequency range (e.g., 500 kHz-10
MHz) in the medium of the surface of the electronic device. It
should be understood that other frequencies outside of the
exemplary range above can be used while remaining within the scope
of the present disclosure.
[0046] In some examples, transducers 204 can be partially or
completely disposed on (or coupled to) a portion of display 208,
which in some examples can be integrated with additional
(non-ultrasonic) touch circuitry 212 to a form touch screen,
although it should be understood that some example devices do not
include either a display 208 or additional touch circuitry 212
(their optional nature indicated by dashed lines). Device 200 can
further include ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
circuitry 206, which can include circuitry for driving electrical
signals to stimulate vibration of transducers 204 (e.g., transmit
circuitry), as well as circuitry for sensing electrical signals
output by transducers 204 when the transducer is stimulated by
received ultrasonic energy (e.g., receive circuitry). In some
examples, timing operations for ultrasonic touch and optional force
sensing circuitry 206 can optionally be provided by a separate
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing controller 210 that can
control the timing of operations by ultrasonic touch and optional
force sensing circuitry 206. In some examples, ultrasonic touch and
optional force sensing controller 210 can be coupled between
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuitry 206 and host
processor 214. In some examples, controller functions can be
integrated with ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
circuitry 206 (e.g., on a single integrated circuit). Output data
from ultrasonic touch and optical force sensing circuitry 206 can
be output to a host processor 214 for further processing to
determine a location of, and optionally a force applied by, an
object contacting the device, and to reject parasitic ultrasonic
wave reflections, as will be described in more detail below. In
some examples, the processing for determining the location and
optionally the force of the contacting object, and for rejecting
parasitic ultrasonic wave reflections, can be performed by
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuitry 206,
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing controller 210 or a
separate sub-processor of device 200 (not shown).
[0047] Host processor 214 can receive ultrasonic and optionally
other touch sensor outputs (e.g., capacitive) and non-touch sensor
outputs, reject parasitic ultrasonic wave reflections, and initiate
or perform actions based on those sensor outputs. Host processor
214 can also be connected to program storage 216 and optionally to
display 208. Host processor 214 can, for example, communicate with
display 208 to generate an image on the display, such as an image
of a user interface (UI), and can use ultrasonic touch and optional
force sensing circuitry 206 (and, in some examples, their
respective controllers), and in some examples, touch sensing
circuitry 212, to detect a touch on or near display 208 and in some
examples an applied force, such as a touch input and/or force input
at the displayed UI. The touch input and/or force input can be used
by computer programs stored in program storage 216 to perform
actions that can include, but are not limited to, moving an object
such as a cursor or pointer, scrolling or panning, adjusting
control settings, opening a file or document, viewing a menu,
making a selection, executing instructions, operating a peripheral
device connected to the host device, answering a telephone call,
placing a telephone call, terminating a telephone call, changing
the volume or audio settings, storing information related to
telephone communications such as addresses, frequently dialed
numbers, received calls, missed calls, logging onto a computer or a
computer network, permitting authorized individuals access to
restricted areas of the computer or computer network, loading a
user profile associated with a user's preferred arrangement of the
computer desktop, permitting access to web content, launching a
particular program, encrypting or decoding a message, and/or the
like. Host processor 214 can also perform additional functions that
may not be related to touch and/or force processing.
[0048] Note that one or more of the functions described herein,
including the rejection of parasitic ultrasonic wave reflections,
can be performed by firmware stored in memory and executed by
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuitry 206 (or their
respective controllers), and in some examples, touch circuitry 212,
or stored in program storage 216 and executed by host processor
214. The firmware can also be stored and/or transported within any
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use by or in
connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing
system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the
instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the
instructions. In the context of this document, a "non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium" can be any medium (excluding a
signal) that can contain or store the program for use by or in
connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device. The non-transitory computer readable medium storage can
include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or
device, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access
memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an
erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) (magnetic), a
portable optical disc such a CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, or
DVD-RW, or flash memory such as compact flash cards, secured
digital cards, USB memory devices, memory sticks, and the like.
[0049] The firmware can also be propagated within any transport
medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution
system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system,
processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the
instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device and execute the instructions. In the context of this
document, a "transport medium" can be any medium that can
communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in
connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device. The transport readable medium can include, but is not
limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or
infrared wired or wireless propagation medium.
[0050] It is to be understood that device 200 is not limited to the
components and configuration of FIG. 2, but can include other or
additional components in multiple configurations according to
various examples. Additionally, the components of device 200 can be
included within a single device, or can be distributed between
multiple devices. Additionally, it should be understood that the
connections between the components is exemplary and different
unidirectional or bidirectional connections can be included between
the components depending on the implementation, irrespective of the
arrows shown in the configuration of FIG. 2.
[0051] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary process 300 for ultrasonic
touch and optional force sensing of an object in contact with a
touch and/or force sensitive surface, and for rejecting parasitic
ultrasonic wave reflections according to examples of the
disclosure. At 302, ultrasonic energy can be transmitted (e.g., by
one or more transducers) along a surface and/or through the
thickness of a material in the form of an ultrasonic wave. In some
examples, the wave can propagate as a compressive wave, a guided
wave such as a shear horizontal wave, a Rayleigh wave, a Lamb wave,
a Love wave, or a Stoneley wave. Other propagation modes for the
transmitted ultrasonic energy can also exist based on the
properties of the surface material, geometry and the manner of
energy transmission from the transducers to the surface of the
device. In some examples, the surface can be formed from plastic,
glass, sapphire crystal, metal, ceramics, or wood. Transmitted
energy can propagate along the surface and/or through the thickness
until a wave propagation discontinuity in the surface is reached
(e.g., an object, such as a finger in contact with the surface),
which can cause a portion of the energy to reflect. In some
examples, a wave propagation discontinuity can occur at edges of
the surface material (e.g., when the ultrasonic wave propagates to
the edge of the surface opposite the transducer). When the
transmitted energy reaches one of the wave propagation
discontinuities described above, some of the energy can be
reflected, and a portion of the reflected energy can be directed to
one or more transducers. In some examples, water or other fluids in
contact with the surface of the device will not act as a wave
propagation discontinuity to the ultrasonic waves, and thus the
ultrasonic touch sensing process can be effective for detecting the
presence of an object (e.g., a user's finger) even in the presence
of water drops (or other low-viscosity fluids) on the surface of
the device or even while the device is fully submerged.
[0052] At 304, returning ultrasonic energy can be received, and the
ultrasonic energy can be converted to an electrical signal by one
or more transducers. At 306, the ultrasonic sensing system can
determine whether one or more objects is contacting the surface of
the device, and can further detect the position of one or more
objects based on the received ultrasonic energy. In some examples,
a distance of the object from the transmission source can be
determined from a time-of-flight between transmission and reception
of reflected energy, and a propagation rate of the ultrasonic wave
through the material. In some examples, baseline reflected energy
from one or more intentionally included wave propagation
discontinuities (e.g., edges) can be compared to a measured value
of reflected energy corresponding to the one or more wave
propagation discontinuities. The baseline reflected energy can be
determined during a measurement when no object (e.g., finger) is in
contact with the surface. Deviations of the reflected energy from
the baseline can be correlated with a presence of an object
touching the surface. In some examples, parasitic ultrasonic wave
reflections can be rejected.
[0053] Although process 300, as described above, generally refers
to reflected waves received by the same transducer(s) that
transmitted the waves, in some examples, the transmitter and
receiver functions can be separated such that the transmission of
ultrasonic energy at 302 and receiving ultrasonic energy at 304 may
occur at different co-located transducers (e.g., one transducer in
a transmit configuration and one transducer in a receive
configuration). In some examples, the ultrasonic energy can be
transmitted along and/or through the surface by one or more
transducers and received at a different location along the surface
by one or more additional transducers (not shown). The attenuation
of the received ultrasonic energy can be used to detect the
presence of and/or identify the position of one or more objects on
the surface. Exemplary device configurations and measurement timing
examples that can be used to implement process 300 will be
described in further detail below. In some examples, the
transmitted ultrasonic energy can be received at the transmitting
transducer and also received at one or more other non-transmitting
transducers located in different positions (e.g., at different
locations along the surface). Energy can reflect from one or more
objects at multiple angles, and the energy received at all of the
receiving transducers can be used to determine the position of the
one or more objects. In some examples, the non-transmitting
transducers can be free of artifacts that can be associated with
transmitting ultrasonic energy (e.g., ringing). In some examples,
the energy can be received at two transducers perpendicular to the
transmitting transistor.
[0054] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary configuration of an
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuit 400 according
to examples of the disclosure. Ultrasonic touch and optional force
sensing circuit 400 can include transmit circuitry (also referred
to herein as Tx circuitry or transmitter) 402, switching circuitry
404, receive circuitry (also referred to herein as Rx circuitry or
receiver) 408 and input/output (I/O) circuit 420 (which together
can correspond to ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
circuitry 206) and ultrasonic scan control logic 422 (which can
correspond to ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
controller 210). Transmitter 402, switching circuitry 404, receiver
408, I/O circuit 420 and/or ultrasonic scan control logic 422 can
be implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)
in some examples. In some examples, ultrasonic touch and optional
force sensing circuit 400 can also optionally include transducers
406 (which can correspond to transducers 204).
[0055] In some examples, a transmitter 402 can generate an
electrical signal for stimulating movement of one or more of a
plurality of transducers 406. In some examples, the transmitted
signal can be a differential signal, and in some examples, the
transmitted signal can be a single-ended signal. In some examples,
transmitter 402 can be a simple buffer, and the transmitted signal
can be a pulse (or burst of pulses at a particular frequency). In
some examples, transmitter 402 can include a digital-to-analog
converter (DAC) 402A and an optional filter 402B that can be
optionally used to smooth a quantized output of DAC 402A. In some
examples, characteristics of the transducer itself can provide a
filtering property and filter 402B can be omitted. DAC 402A can be
used to generate a transmit waveform (e.g., any transmit waveform
suitable for the touch and optional force sensing operations
discussed herein). In some examples, the transmit waveform output
can be pre-distorted to equalize the channel. In some examples, the
characteristics of each channel, such as the properties of the
surface material coupled to transducers 406, the wave propagation
discontinuities in the surface material, and the reflection
characteristics of an edge of the device can be measured and
stored. In some examples, the channel characteristics can be
measured as a manufacturing step (or factory calibration step), and
in other examples the characteristics can be measured as a periodic
calibration step (i.e., once a month, once a year, etc. depending
on how quickly the channel characteristics are expected to change).
In some examples, the channel characteristics can be converted to a
transfer function of the channel, and the transmit waveform can be
configured using the inverse of the channel transfer function such
that the returning signal is equalized (e.g., returning signal can
be detected as a pulse or a burst of pulses despite the transmitted
waveform having a seemingly arbitrary waveform). In some examples,
a single differential pulse can be used as a transmit waveform. For
example, a bipolar square pulse (where the voltage applied to the
transducer can be both positive and negative) can be used as the
transmit waveform, and the bipolar square pulse can be implemented
using a single-ended or differential implementation. In some
examples, an energy recovery architecture can be used to recover
some of the energy required for charging and discharging the
transducer.
[0056] Switching circuitry 404 can include multiplexers (MUXs)
and/or demultiplexers (DEMUXs) that can be used to selectively
couple transmitter 402 and/or receiver 408 to one of transducers
406 that can be the active transducer for a particular measurement
step in a measurement cycle. In a differential implementation,
switching circuitry 404 can include two MUXs and two DEMUXs. In
some examples, a DEMUX can have a ground connection, and the
non-selected DEMUX outputs can be shorted, open, or grounded. In
some examples, the same transducer 406 can be coupled to
transmitter 402 by switching circuitry 404 (e.g., DEMUXs) during
the drive mode and coupled to receiver 408 by switching circuitry
404 (e.g., MUXs) during the receive mode. Thus, in some examples, a
single transducer 406 can be used both for transmitting and
receiving ultrasonic energy. In some examples, a first transducer
can be coupled to transmitter 402 by switching circuitry 404 (e.g.
DEMUXs) and a second transducer can be coupled by switching
circuitry 404 (e.g., MUXs) to receiver 408. For example, the
transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer can be
discrete piezoelectric elements, where the transmitting transducer
can be designed for being driven by higher voltages (or currents)
to produce sufficient motion in transducer 406 to generate an
ultrasonic wave in the surface of a device (e.g., device 200
above), and the receiving transducer can be designed for receiving
smaller amplitude reflected energy. In such a configuration, the
transmit-side circuitry (e.g., transmitter 402 and DEMUXs of
switching circuitry 404) can be optionally implemented on a high
voltage circuit, and the receive-side circuitry (e.g., receiver 408
and MUXs of switching circuitry 404) can be optionally implemented
on a separate low voltage circuit. In some examples, switching
circuitry 404 (MUXs and DEMUXs) can also be implemented on the high
voltage circuit to properly isolate the remaining receive-side
circuitry (e.g., receiver 408) during transmission operations by
transmit side circuitry. Additionally or alternatively, in some
examples, the transmit circuit can include an energy recovery
architecture that can be used to recover some of the energy
required for charging and discharging the transducer. It should be
understood that for a single-ended implementation, switching
circuitry 404 can include a single DEMUX and MUX. In such a
configuration, transmitter 402 and receiver 408 can be single-ended
as well. Differential implementations, however, can provide
improved noise suppression over a single-ended implementation.
[0057] Receiver 408 can include an amplifier 410 such as a
low-noise amplifier (LNA) configured to sense the transducer.
Receiver 408 can also include a gain and offset correction circuit
412. The gain and offset correction circuit can include a
programmable gain amplifier (PGA) configured to apply gain to
increase (or in some cases decrease) the amplitude of the signals
received from LNA. The PGA can also be configured to filter (e.g.,
low pass) the signals received from the LNA to remove high
frequency components. Additionally, the PGA circuit can also be
configured to perform baselining (offset correction).
[0058] In some examples, the output of gain and offset correction
circuit 412 can optionally be coupled to one or more analog
processing circuits. In some examples, the output of gain and
offset correction circuit 412 can be coupled to a demodulation
circuit 414 configured to demodulate the received signals (e.g., by
I/Q demodulation). In some examples, the output of the gain and
offset correction circuit 412 can be coupled to an envelope
detection circuit 415 configured to perform envelope detection on
the received signals. In some examples, the output of gain and
offset correction circuit 412 can be filtered at filter 416. In
some examples, these blocks/circuits can be placed in a different
order. In some examples, the processing of one or more of these
analog processing circuits can be performed in the digital
domain.
[0059] The received signals, whether raw or processed by one or
more of demodulation circuit 414, envelope detection circuit 415 or
filter 416, can be passed to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
418 for conversion to a digital signal. In some examples, an
input/output (I/O) circuit 420 can be used to transmit received
data for processing. In some examples, the output of I/O circuit
420 can be transferred to a host processor of the device, or to an
auxiliary processor (sub-processor) separate from the host
processor. For example, as illustrated, the output of I/O circuit
420 can be coupled to a processor system-on-chip (SoC) 430, which
can include one or more processors. In some examples, processor SoC
430 can include a host processor 432 (e.g., an active mode
processor) and an auxiliary processor 434 (e.g., a low power
processor). In some examples, some digital signal processing can be
performed (e.g., by ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
circuit 400) before transmitting the data to other processors in
the system (e.g., processor SoC 430). In some examples, the I/O
circuit 420 is not only used for data transfer to processor SoC 430
(e.g., host processor 432), but also is used for writing the
control registers and/or firmware download from processor SoC
430.
[0060] The components of receiver circuitry 408 described above can
be implemented to detect touch (e.g., presence and location of a
touch on a surface). In some examples, receiver 408 can also
include a force detection circuit 424 to detect applied force
(e.g., of the touch on the surface). In some examples, the force
detection circuit 424 can include the same or similar components as
described above (e.g., amplifier, gain and offset correction,
etc.). In some examples, the function of force detection circuit
424 can be performed using the same components described above that
are used to determine time-of-flight for touch detection. In some
examples, a low-power time gating circuit can be used to determine
time-of-flight for force detection. Data from force sensing circuit
424 can be transferred to I/O circuit 420 and/or processor SoC 430
for further processing of force data in a similar manner as
described above for touch data. In some examples the same circuitry
for touch detection can be used to detect force.
[0061] A control circuit, ultrasonic scan control circuit 422, can
be used to control timing and operations of the circuitry of
ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing circuit 400. Ultrasonic
scan control circuit 422 can be implemented in hardware, firmware,
software or a combination thereof. In some examples, ultrasonic
scan control circuit 422 can include digital logic and timing
control. Digital logic can provide the various components of
ultrasonic touch and/or sensing circuit 400 with control signals. A
timing control circuit can generate timing signals for ultrasonic
touch and optional force sensing circuit 400 and generally sequence
the operations of ultrasonic touch and optional force sensing
circuit 400. In some examples, the ultrasonic touch and optional
force sensing circuit 400 can receive a master clock signal from an
external source (e.g., clock from the host processor, crystal
oscillator, ring oscillator, RC oscillator, or other
high-performance oscillator). In some examples, an on-chip
oscillator can be used to generate the clock. In some examples, a
master clock signal can be generated by an on-chip phase locked
loop (PLL), included as part of ultrasonic touch and optional force
sensing circuit 400, using an external clock as the input. In some
examples, a master clock signal can be routed to the ultrasonic
touch sensing circuit from processor SoC 430. The appropriate
master clock source can be determined based on a tradeoff between
area, thickness of the stack-up, power and electromagnetic
interference.
[0062] It is to be understood that the configuration of FIG. 4 is
not limited to the components and configuration of FIG. 4, but can
include other or additional components (e.g., memory, signal
processor, etc.) in multiple configurations according to various
examples. Additionally, some or all of the components illustrated
in FIG. 4 can be included in a single circuit, or can be divided
among multiple circuits while remaining within the scope of the
examples of the disclosure.
[0063] Examples of the disclosure are directed to improving the
accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing via the reduction, elimination
and/or rejection of parasitic ultrasonic reflections in devices
such as desktop, laptop and tablet computing devices, smartphones,
media players, wearables such as watches and health monitoring
devices, smart home control and entertainment devices, headphones
and earbuds, and devices for computer-generated environments such
as augmented reality, mixed reality, or virtual reality
environments. Some examples of the disclosure are particularly
directed to wearable devices, which can provide users with
immediately accessible input mechanisms for initiating or
performing various functions.
[0064] FIG. 5 illustrates a wearable device in the form of wireless
earbud 500 according to examples of the disclosure. Some devices,
such as earbud 500, can have limits on the implementation and
placement of touch sensors such as capacitive touch sensors, due to
the interference of the touch electrodes with other device
operations. In the example of FIG. 5, earbud 500 can include
cylindrical shaft 502 that can include antenna 504. Although
cylindrical shaft 502 may be a logical location to provide user
touch input, such as by sliding finger 506 over a portion of the
shaft to provide volume control, utilizing capacitive touch sensing
in that location can interfere with the performance of antenna 504.
In addition, particularly in wearable devices such as earbud 500,
which may be used outdoors, for exercise, and in other situations
where water or perspiration may be present, capacitive touch
electrodes can be adversely affected by water or perspiration
droplets. Capacitive touch electrode performance can also suffer in
the presence of insulated objects such as gloved fingers, which can
be expected when wearable devices are used outside in cold
weather.
[0065] Unlike capacitive touch sensing systems, in some ultrasonic
touch sensing systems the transducers/electrodes can be implemented
far from touch areas, and long-range touch sensing can be achieved
(e.g., sonar). Accordingly, when electronics such as antennas are
co-located with active touch areas, these ultrasonic systems are
less likely to adversely affect those electronics. In addition,
ultrasonic touch sensing systems can be less affected when
conductive, electrically-floating liquids (e.g., water droplets) or
insulated objects (e.g., gloved fingers) come into contact with its
touch-sensitive surface.
[0066] FIG. 6A illustrates cylinder 602 with circumferential
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
Although a cylinder is illustrated in the example of FIG. 6A and in
other examples illustrated and explained herein, it should be
understood that any reference to a cylindrical shape and axial,
circumferential and radial implementations are for convenience of
explanation only, and that examples of the disclosure can include
other shapes that allow for ultrasonic waves to travel similarly,
such as longitudinally along an axis, transversely along a surface
such as a perimeter, and/or orthogonally with respect to the
surface. In the example of FIG. 6A, one-dimensional multi-pixel
array 608 of ultrasonic transducers can be located axially along a
length of cylinder 602 to detect finger 606. Note that although the
term "finger" may be used throughout this disclosure as causing the
intended touch, its use is merely for convenience of explanation,
and it should be understood that intended touches from objects
other than fingers (e.g., a stylus, knuckle, wand, writing
implement, etc.) fall within examples of the disclosure.
[0067] FIG. 6B illustrates one-dimensional multi-pixel array 608 of
ultrasonic transducers 610 for circumferential ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure. Although the
example of FIG. 6B illustrates 10 pixels (i.e., 10 ultrasonic
transducers), any number of pixels can be employed, with more
pixels generally providing more accurate touch localization. In
some examples, the ultrasonic transducers can be formed from piezo
material such as potassium sodium niobate (KNN), aluminum nitride
(AlN), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and can be glued to a
wall of cylinder 602.
[0068] FIG. 6C illustrates an ultrasonic transducer 610 operating
in a circumferential pulse/echo or time of flight (TOF)
configuration according to examples of the disclosure. Although
only one transducer 610 is shown in the cross-sectional view of
FIG. 6C, multiple transducers may be present in a one-dimensional
multi-pixel array, as in FIG. 6B. In the example of FIG. 6C,
transducer 610 can transmit an ultrasonic incident guided wave (GW)
612. Although FIG. 6C only shows incident GW 612 propagating in the
counterclockwise direction, in some examples GWs can propagate in
both directions, counterclockwise and clockwise, and in other
examples, GWs can be directionally controlled to propagate
primarily in one direction, with minimal propagation in the other
direction. In some examples, each transducer 610 in array 608 can
generate an incident GW 612 one at a time, in series, while some or
all transducers 610 can receive reflections 614 of that incident GW
(i.e., a modified GW) after encountering a boundary created by
discontinuities in the wave propagation characteristics of the
material of the cylinder caused by a touching object or finger 606
at about the same time. Time-of-flight (TOF) algorithms can
thereafter be applied to reflection data (if any) received at each
transducer to localize the finger.
[0069] FIG. 6D illustrates an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver pair
616 and 618 operating in a circumferential pitch/catch or
tomography (imaging using penetrating waves) configuration
according to examples of the disclosure. Although only one
transmitter/receiver pair 616 and 618 is shown in the
cross-sectional view of FIG. 6D, multiple transmitter/receiver
pairs may be present in a one-dimensional multi-pixel array 608, as
in FIG. 6B. In the example of FIG. 6D, transmitter 616 can transmit
an ultrasonic incident GW 612. Although FIG. 6D only shows incident
GW 612 propagating in the counterclockwise direction, in some
examples GWs can propagate in both directions, counterclockwise and
clockwise, and in other examples, GWs can be directionally
controlled to propagate primarily in one direction, with minimal
propagation in the other direction. In some examples, each
transmitter 616 in array 608 can generate incident GWs 612 one at a
time, in series, while some or all receivers 618 can receive
unabsorbed GW 620 (i.e., an incident GW that has been modified
after encountering object or finger 606 and is comprised of energy
from incident GW 612 that was not reflected and/or absorbed by a
wave propagation discontinuity in the material of cylinder 602
caused by finger 606 and instead passes through the discontinuity
and continues to propagate in the counterclockwise direction), and
tomography algorithms can thereafter be applied to the receive data
(if any) at each receiver to localize the finger.
[0070] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the baselining of reflected and
partially absorbed GWs according to examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 7A illustrates the propagation of ultrasonic incident GW 712
(directed primarily in the counterclockwise direction) in the
absence of a finger according to examples of the disclosure. In the
example of FIG. 7A, incident GW 712 originates at the 9 o'clock
position of cylinder 702, and in the absence of any finger touch,
propagates in a counterclockwise direction largely unimpeded (the
secondary or opposing GW propagating in the clockwise direction is
not shown in FIG. 7A).
[0071] FIG. 7B illustrates reflected GW 714 and unabsorbed GW 720
in the presence of finger 706 according to examples of the
disclosure. In the example of FIG. 7B, an incident GW (not shown)
originates at the 9 o'clock position of cylinder 702, and modified
or reflected GW 714 is generated due to encountering (e.g.,
reflecting off) the wave propagation discontinuity caused by finger
706 at the 6 o'clock position. However, only a small amount of the
incident GW is absorbed or reflected by the wave propagation
discontinuity caused by finger 706, and most of the incident GW
continues as modified or unabsorbed GW 720.
[0072] Although FIG. 7B only illustrates reflected GW 714 returning
from the location of finger 706 to be received by a transducer (not
shown), in some examples an ultrasonic transducer mounted to an
interior of cylinder 702 may first receive large amplitude
reflections from the outer surface of the cylinder, followed by
reflected GW 714. The amplitude of reflected GW 714 can depend on
the material of the cylinder. For example, if ABS plastic is used,
a 1V p-p excitation signal can generate reflected GW 714 with an
amplitude of about 1 mV p-p, which can provide for adequate touch
localization. In general, plastics can have a much closer impedance
match with a finger than glass or aluminum, so a finger and a
plastic touch surface can interact to produce reflections and
absorption of ultrasonic waves sufficient for adequate touch
localization. In particular, hard plastics such as ABS or
polycarbonate can produce less attenuation of ultrasonic signals in
the general propagation path as compared to softer plastics. For
example, the attenuation of an ultrasonic signal through ABS
plastic at 5 MHz is about 1.1 dB/mm, and at 2 MHz the attenuation
is about 0.5 to 0.2 dB/mm, all of which can provide for adequate
touch localization.
[0073] FIG. 7C illustrates the determination of a finger signature
from modified (reflected and unabsorbed) GWs according to examples
of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 7C, absorbed GW 722 is
the result of the subtraction of unabsorbed GW 720 from incident GW
712, and represents the amount of energy absorbed or reflected by
the finger. Subtracting reflected GW 714 from absorbed GW 722
results in the amount of energy absorbed, but not reflected, by the
finger. Together, absorbed GW 722 and reflected GW 714 represents a
finger signature for a finger 706 touching cylinder 702 at the 6
o'clock position. This finger signature can be used to determine
touch localization in either TOF or pitch-catch touch sensing. In a
TOF/pulse-echo system, the circumferential location of a finger can
be determined based on the round-trip time of reflected GW 714 and
the known speed of sound in the cylinder material. The axial
location of the finger can be determined by having multiple pixels
along the cylinder axis. If a finger is in the path of an incident
GW transmitted from an ultrasonic transducer (i.e., pixel), a
reflection should be received by the pixel; otherwise, no
reflection will be detected. In a pitch-catch system, the axial
location of the finger can be determined by measuring the energy in
absorbed GW 722 at each pixel along the axis. If the energy in
absorbed GW 722 is non-zero, it can be assumed that a finger is
present at that axial location. In a more general case, tomography
can be utilized to create a two-dimensional (2D) image.
[0074] FIG. 8A illustrates circumferential pulse-echo or TOF
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
In the example of FIG. 8A, cylinder 802 (e.g., the cylinder of FIG.
6C) is shown in a flattened configuration for ease of explanation,
including optional absorption area 826 (to be described in further
detail below). Ultrasonic incident GWs 812 can be launched downward
(with respect to the orientation of FIG. 8A) from an array of
ultrasonic transducers 810 in series, in some examples from left to
right (although in other examples incident GWs 812 can be launched
from transducers 810 in series in any order, including a series of
non-adjacent transducers). Wave propagation discontinuities caused
by finger 806 and encountered by incident GWs 812 can cause
modified GWs (reflected GWs 814) to be received back at transducers
810 (while other GWs unblocked by the discontinuities are not
reflected), which creates a rise in the reflected energy plot 824
in certain areas and can enable finger localization in the axial
direction. In addition, based on TOF measurements (how long it took
for incident GW 812 to be reflected and received back at the
transducer), an outline of the leading edge of finger 806 (i.e.,
the finger touch boundary closest to the transducers) can be
localized in the circumferential direction. Although FIG. 8A
illustrates reflected GWs 814 being received only by the same
transducers 810 that generated the incident GWs 812 being
reflected, in other examples the incident GWs can reflect back at
multiple angles, where they can be received by multiple transducers
810 at about the same time. Tomography algorithms can then be
applied to the reflected GW data from the multiple transducers to
enable finger localization of both the leading and distal finger
touch boundaries in the circumferential direction.
[0075] Finger localization in the axial and circumferential
directions can allow for two-dimensional (2D) touch sensing, which
can enable gesture detection. For example, a 2D virtual slider can
detect finger movement in multiple directions, and initiate or
perform multiple operations based on those directions (e.g.,
up/down swipes for volume control, left/right swipes for changing
audio tracks). Even if only a one-dimensional (1D) virtual slider
is available, having 2D sensing can improve the performance of the
slider. For example, if a finger slides diagonally over a 1D
slider, only a small portion of the finger slide may be detected,
but with 2D sensing, the diagonal motion can be fully detected and
mapped back to 1D motion. In another example, if the speed of
finger motion over a 1D slider is utilized as a parameter, 2D
sensing can more accurately determine the speed of a diagonal slide
as compared to 1D sensing, which might detect the entire slide, but
with less apparent velocity.
[0076] FIG. 8B illustrates circumferential pitch-catch ultrasonic
touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure. In the
example of FIG. 8B, cylinder 802 (e.g., the cylinder of FIG. 6D) is
shown in a flattened configuration for ease of explanation,
including optional absorption area 826 (to be described in further
detail below). Ultrasonic incident GWs 812 can be launched downward
(with respect to the orientation of FIG. 8B) from an array of
ultrasonic transmitters 816 in series, in some examples from left
to right. Wave propagation discontinuities caused by finger 806 and
encountered by incident GWs 812 can cause some amount of
reflection, but most of the energy in the form of modified GWs
(unabsorbed GWs 820) can continue to propagate in the same
direction as GW 812 until they are received by receivers 818. Other
GWs unblocked by the wave propagation discontinuities are not
reflected. The different energy levels of unabsorbed GWs 820 and
unblocked GWs can create a decrease in the reflected energy plot
824 in certain areas and can enable finger localization in the
axial direction. Although FIG. 8B illustrates unblocked incident
GWs 812 or unabsorbed GWs 820 being received directly into
receivers 818 along the same circumferential path as the
transmitters 816 that generated the incident GWs 812, in other
examples the unabsorbed GWs can exit the wave propagation
discontinuity area caused by object 806 at multiple angles, where
they can be received by multiple receivers 818 at about the same
time. Tomography algorithms can thereafter be applied to the
received data at the multiple receivers 818 to enable finger
localization in the circumferential direction. Finger localization
in the axial and circumferential directions can allow for
two-dimensional (2D) touch sensing, which can enable gesture
detection as described above with respect to FIG. 8A.
[0077] FIG. 8C illustrates circumferential pitch-catch ultrasonic
touch sensing using tomography according to examples of the
disclosure. In the example of FIG. 8C, all ultrasonic transmitters
816 can transmit sequentially, and receivers 818 can measure the
energy from each transmitter. If finger 806 is present in touch
detection area, certain transmitter-to-receiver paths should
experience an energy change. If sufficient numbers of transmitter
(Tx) and receivers (Rx) are present, a 2D image can be
generated.
[0078] FIG. 9A illustrates cylinder 902 with axial ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure. In the example of
FIG. 9A, a one-dimensional multi-pixel array 928 of ultrasonic
transducers can be located at least partially circumferentially
around cylinder 902 and affixed to a surface of the cylinder to
detect finger 906. Although FIG. 9A illustrates array 928 located
along an entire circumference of cylinder 902 at one edge of the
cylinder, in other examples the transducers may only extend
partially around a circumference of the cylinder, and may be
located away from the edge of the cylinder.
[0079] FIG. 9B illustrates cylinder 902 with embedded axial
ultrasonic touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure.
In the example of FIG. 9B, a one-dimensional multi-pixel array 930
of ultrasonic transducers can be located at least partially
circumferentially around cylinder 902 and embedded within the
cylinder to detect finger 906. Although FIG. 9B illustrates array
930 located only partially circumferentially around cylinder 902 at
one edge of the cylinder, in other examples the transducers can
extend entirely around a circumference of the cylinder, and can be
located away from the edge of the cylinder.
[0080] FIG. 9C illustrates axial pulse-echo or TOF ultrasonic touch
sensing according to examples of the disclosure. In the example of
FIG. 9C, cylinder 902 (e.g., the cylinder of FIG. 9A) is shown in a
flattened configuration for ease of explanation. Ultrasonic
incident GWs 912 can be launched to the right (with respect to the
orientation of FIG. 9C) from an array 928 of ultrasonic transducers
910 in series, in some examples from bottom to top. Wave
propagation discontinuities caused by finger 906 and encountered by
incident GWs 912 can cause modified GWs (reflected GWs 914) to be
received back at transducers 910 (while other GWs unblocked by the
wave propagation discontinuities are not reflected), which creates
a rise in the reflected energy plot 924 in certain areas and can
enable finger localization in the circumferential direction. In
addition, based on TOF measurements (how long it took for incident
GW 912 to be reflected and received back at the transducer), an
outline of the leading edge of finger 906 (i.e., the finger touch
boundary closest to the transducers) can be localized in the axial
direction. Although FIG. 9C illustrates reflected GWs 914 being
received only by the same transducers 910 that generated the
incident GWs 912 being reflected, in other examples the incident
GWs can reflect back at multiple angles, where they can be received
by multiple transducers 910 at about the same time. Tomography
algorithms can then be applied to the reflected GW data from the
multiple transducers to enable finger localization of both the
leading and distal finger touch boundaries in the axial direction,
as shown in plot 932. Finger localization in the axial and
circumferential directions can allow for two-dimensional (2D) touch
sensing, which can enable gesture detection as described above.
[0081] Although not shown in FIG. 9C, in some examples of the
disclosure axial pitch-catch ultrasonic touch sensing can be
employed in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 8B.
[0082] FIG. 10 illustrates cylinder 1002 with radial ultrasonic
touch sensing according to examples of the disclosure. In the
example of FIG. 10, a two-dimensional multi-pixel array 1034 of
ultrasonic transducers can be formed on a substrate (e.g.,
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)) and laminated at least partially
circumferentially and axially to the inner curvature of cylinder
1002. The transducers in array 1034 can launch ultrasonic GWs 1012
in the radial direction to detect finger 1006. Although FIG. 10
illustrates array 1034 located along only a partial circumference
of cylinder 1002 along an entire axial length of the cylinder, in
other examples the transducers can extend entirely around a
circumference of the cylinder, can extend only partially along the
axial length of the cylinder, and can be located away from the edge
of the cylinder. If finger 1006 is present along the outer surface
of cylinder 1002, some of the ultrasonic wave energy is absorbed by
wave propagation discontinuities caused by the finger, and less
energy is reflected back to array 1034. This change in reflected
energy can be detected to realize 2D touch localization.
[0083] FIG. 11A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer 1110 operating
in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration in the presence of finger 1106
and also in the presence of an unintended touching object such as
an ear or cheek 1138 according to examples of the disclosure.
Although only one transducer 1110 is shown in the cross-sectional
view of FIG. 11A, multiple transducers may be present in a
one-dimensional multi-pixel array, as in FIG. 6B. In the example of
FIG. 11A, transducer 1110 can transmit an ultrasonic incident GW
1112 in a counterclockwise direction. In some examples, each
transducer 1110 can generate an incident GW 1112, one transducer at
a time, in series. In some examples, each incident GW 1112
transmitted by a single transducer 1110 can encounter and reflect
off wave propagation discontinuities caused by finger 1106, and
some or all transducers in the array can receive a modified GW
(reflected GW 1114) at about the same time. TOF algorithms can
thereafter be applied to reflection data (if any) received at each
transducer 1110 after all transducers have transmitted their GWs in
series, in order to localize the finger.
[0084] However, in the example of FIG. 11A, each transducer 1110
can also transmit opposing GW 1136 in a clockwise direction, while
transmitting incident GW 1112 in the counterclockwise direction. An
unintended touching object 1138 such as an ear or cheek touching
cylinder 1102 at the 12 o'clock position can generate a modified GW
(parasitic reflection 1140) after being encountered by opposing GW
1136 that can interfere with finger touch localization, as will be
described below.
[0085] FIG. 11B illustrates reflected GW 1114 resulting from the
reflection of incident GW 1112 off wave propagation discontinuities
caused by finger 1106 according to examples of the disclosure. FIG.
11C illustrates parasitic reflection 1140 resulting from the
reflection of opposing GW 1136 off a wave propagation discontinuity
caused by an object such as an ear or cheek 1138 according to
examples of the disclosure. FIG. 11D illustrates a superposition of
reflected GW 1114 and parasitic reflection 1140 according to
examples of the disclosure. Although the examples of FIGS. 11B-11D
show reflected GW 1114 being received back at transducer 1110
slightly earlier than parasitic reflection 1140 due to finger 1106
being somewhat closer to the transducer than object 1138, the
superposition of reflections in FIG. 11D shows that the two
reflections can be difficult to separate. Fundamentally, the rough
symmetry of the location of the finger and the object with respect
to the transducer location, along with the rough symmetry of the
reflected GW 1114 and parasitic reflection 1140 received back at
the transducers, can make it difficult or impossible to
disambiguate the finger reflection from the object reflection,
which can lead to errors in localization of the finger.
[0086] FIG. 12A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer 1210 with
absorbent material 1226 at an expected location of an unintended
touch and operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration according
to examples of the disclosure. Although only one transducer 1210 is
shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 12A, multiple transducers
may be present in a one-dimensional multi-pixel array, as in FIG.
6B. In some examples, a 0-3 tungsten-epoxy composite can be used as
an absorbent. This composite can be created by mixing tungsten
particles with epoxy. The epoxy type and percentage of filler can
be selected such that the average acoustic impedance of the
absorbent matches the impedance of cylinder material. This
impedance matching can help with efficient energy transition from
the cylinder to the absorbent. In addition, the tungsten particles
can cause scattering of ultrasonic waves. The scattered waves can
then be absorbed in the epoxy matrix. This process can make the
composite material highly absorbent. In the example of FIG. 12A,
transducer 1210 can transmit an ultrasonic incident GW 1212 in a
counterclockwise direction, and also opposing GW 1236 in the
clockwise direction. In some examples, each transducer 1210 can
generate an incident GW 1212 and opposing GW 1236, one transducer
at a time, in series.
[0087] Absorbent material 1226 can be selectively placed at a
location where unintended touches are expected to occur (e.g., at
the 12 o'clock position in the example of FIG. 12A), and/or between
the transducer 1210 and the location where unintended touches are
expected to occur (e.g., between the 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock
positions). Absorbent material 1226 can effectively narrow the
transmissive portion of cylinder 1202 at or before the location
where unintended touches are expected to occur, and can be selected
to absorb most of opposing GW 1236 prior to it encountering and
reflecting off wave propagation discontinuities caused by object
1238. As a result, only a small parasitic reflection may be
received back at transducer 1210. For each incident GW 1212
transmitted by a single transducer 1210, some or all transducers in
the transducer array can receive a modified GW (reflected GW 1214)
after the incident GW encounters (reflects off) wave propagation
discontinuities caused by finger 1206 at about the same time. TOF
algorithms can thereafter be applied to reflection data (if any)
received at each transducer 1210 after all transducers have
transmitted their GWs in series, in order to localize the
finger.
[0088] FIG. 12B illustrates reflected GW 1214 resulting from the
reflection of incident GW 1212 off wave propagation discontinuities
caused by finger 1206 according to examples of the disclosure. FIG.
12C illustrates parasitic reflection 1240 resulting from the
reflection of opposing GW 1236 off wave propagation discontinuities
caused by an object such as an ear or cheek 1238 but in the
presence of absorbent material 1226 according to examples of the
disclosure. As shown in the example of FIG. 12C, the amplitude of
parasitic reflection 1240 can be greatly reduced (compare with FIG.
11C) due to absorbent material 1226. Reduction of parasitic
reflection 1240 can depend on the quality of absorbent material
1226 and the location of an unintended touch with respect to the
absorbent material. In some examples, the amplitude of parasitic
reflection 1240 can be reduced by about 20-30 dB. Because of the
minimal parasitic reflection 1240, the superposition of reflected
GW 1214 and parasitic reflection 1240 can yield a signature that is
close to the reflected GW 1214, which can result in more accurate
touch localization of finger 1206.
[0089] Although not shown in FIG. 12A, in other examples a
pitch-catch or tomography architecture can also be employed, with
an array of receivers located on the opposite side of cylinder 1202
as shown in FIG. 6D. In other examples, transducer 1210 can be
replaced by a phased array of transducers, which can generate
incident GW 1212 in the counterclockwise direction, with a much
smaller opposing GW 1236 generated in the clockwise direction,
which can further reduce parasitic reflection 1240 resulting from
the reflection of opposing GW 1236 off wave propagation
discontinuities caused by object 1238.
[0090] Fundamentally, by placing absorbent material 1226 at an
expected location of an unintended touch, the amplitude symmetry of
reflected GW 1214 and parasitic reflection 1240 can be disrupted,
which can allow the parasitic reflection to be rejected (e.g., by
filtering). Disambiguation of the desired reflected GW 1214 from
the undesired parasitic reflection 1240 can result in more accurate
touch localization.
[0091] FIG. 13A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer 1310 located
near (proximate) an expected unintended touch location and
operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration according to
examples of the disclosure. Although only one transducer 1310 is
shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 13A, multiple transducers
may be present in a one-dimensional multi-pixel array, as in FIG.
6B. In the example of FIG. 13A, transducer 1310 can transmit an
ultrasonic incident GW 1312 in a counterclockwise direction, and
also opposing GW 1336 in the clockwise direction. In some examples,
each transducer 1310 can generate an incident GW 1312 and opposing
GW 1336, one transducer at a time, in series. In the example of
FIG. 13A, transducer 1310 can be placed at a location where an
unintended object touch such as from an ear or cheek 1338 can be
expected.
[0092] FIG. 13B illustrates a graph of parasitic reflections 1340
occurring in a touch rejection window 1344 and reflected GWs 1314
and 1342 occurring in an active touch detection window 1346
according to examples of the disclosure. By placing transducer 1310
near the expected location of an unintended object touch 1338, any
modified GW (parasitic reflection 1340) generated due to an
incident GW encountering and reflecting off wave propagation
discontinuities caused by the unintended object touch can occur in
touch rejection window 1344 well before any modified GWs (reflected
GWs 1314 or 1342) are received. Parasitic reflections 1340
occurring in touch rejection window 1344 can be ignored (e.g.,
using temporal filtering) when performing touch localization.
[0093] Referring again to FIG. 13A, incident GW 1312 and opposing
GW 1336 can travel around cylinder 1302 in opposite directions
until they encounter and reflect off the wave propagation
discontinuity caused by finger 1306, and modified GWs (reflected
GWs 1314 and 1342) are generated. Reflected GWs 1314 and 1342 can
be received back at transducer 1310 within an active touch
detection window 1346, well after any parasitic reflections 1340
are received within touch rejection window 1344, as shown in the
lower waveform in FIG. 13B. In the example of FIG. 13B, reflected
GWs 1314 and 1342 occur at different times due to incident GW 1312
travelling a shorter distance to finger 1306 than opposing GW 1336,
although in other examples this need not be the case. GW
reflections occurring in active touch detection window 1346 can be
considered when performing touch localization. As FIG. 13B
indicates, in some examples an increase in amplitude of reflected
GW 1314 and reflected GW 1342 can be used to identify the start of
finger 1306 from both the counterclockwise and clockwise directions
(see locations 1348 and 1350, respectively). In addition, a finger
centroid 1352 can also be computed from the positions 1348 and
1350.
[0094] FIG. 13A also illustrates touch detection span 1354. In some
examples of the disclosure, the main touch feature can be a slider,
and a particular angle such as 90-120 degrees can be established
for touch detection span 1354. The active touch detection window
1346 shown in FIG. 13B can be set such that touches outside of this
window are outside touch detection span 1354, and can be ignored as
an invalid touch.
[0095] Although not shown in FIG. 13A, in other examples a
pitch-catch or tomography architecture can also be employed, with
an array of receivers located at the 9 o'clock position (for
clockwise opposing GWs 1336) and at the 3 o'clock position (for
counterclockwise incident GWs 1312) of cylinder 1302. In other
examples, transducer 1310 can be replaced by a phased array of
transducers, which can generate incident GWs 1312 and 1336 in the
counterclockwise and clockwise directions, respectively, one at a
time, with a much smaller opposing GWs generated in the opposite
directions, which can further reduce parasitic reflections 1340
resulting from the reflection of opposing GWs off wave propagation
discontinuities caused by object 1338.
[0096] Fundamentally, placement of transducer 1310 near the
expected location of an unintended touch can ensure that the
distance from the transducer to an unintended touch and to an
intended touch are significantly different, which can disrupt the
temporal symmetry of the reflected GWs 1314 and 1342 and parasitic
reflection 1340, and allow the parasitic reflection to be rejected
(e.g., by temporal filtering). Disambiguation of the desired
reflected GWs 1314 and 1342 from the undesired parasitic reflection
1340 can result in more accurate touch localization.
[0097] FIG. 14A illustrates an ultrasonic transducer phased array
1456 operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration and generating
a counterclockwise incident GW 1458 according to examples of the
disclosure. Although only one partially circumferential phased
array 1456 is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 14A,
multiple transducer phased arrays may be present in a
two-dimensional (circumferential and axial) multi-pixel phased
array. In the example of FIG. 14A, phased array 1456 can include
multiple transducers 1410a-1410d (labeled from top to bottom in the
orientation of FIG. 14A). Transducer 1410a can launch a pulse at
time 0, transducer 1410b can launch a pulse at time dt, transducer
1410c can launch a pulse at time 2dt, and transducer 1410d can
launch a pulse at time 3dt. As a result, incident GW 1458 can be
generated in the counterclockwise direction, with a much smaller
opposing GW 1460 generated in the clockwise direction.
[0098] FIG. 14B illustrates an ultrasonic transducer phased array
1456 operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration and generating
a clockwise incident GW 1462 according to examples of the
disclosure. After incident GW 1458 is generated in the
counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 14A, transducer 1410d
can launch a pulse at time 0, transducer 1410c can launch a pulse
at time dt, transducer 1410b can launch a pulse at time 2dt, and
transducer 1410a can launch a pulse at time 3dt. As a result,
incident GW 1462 can be generated in the clockwise direction, with
a much smaller opposing GW 1464 generated in the counterclockwise
direction. Generating clockwise incident GW 1462 as shown in FIG.
14B can help to disambiguate a weak touch (e.g., a light touch) by
finger 1406 from an unintended touch by object 1438. For example,
in the example of FIG. 14A, counterclockwise incident GW 1458 may
produce a weak reflected GW 1466 when only a weak (light) intended
touch (or possibly no touch) is present. In addition, opposing GW
1460 (though having much lower energy than counterclockwise
incident GW 1458) can produce a weak reflected GW 1470 when an
unintended touch is present. Without more, it may be difficult to
determine whether a weak reflection received at transducer phased
array 1456 is from a weak intended touch or from an unintended
object. However, if clockwise incident GW 1462 is thereafter
generated as shown in FIG. 14B, the presence of a strong parasitic
reflection 1468 can be used to confirm that an unintended object
(instead of a weak intended touch) is present.
[0099] In some examples, each array 1456 can generate an incident
GW 1458 or 1462, one transducer at a time, in series. In some
examples, for each incident GW 1458 or 1462 transmitted by a single
array 1456, one or more of the transducers in the transducer array
can receive a modified GW (reflected GW 1466 from finger 1406 or
parasitic reflection 1468 from object 1438) at about the same time.
In some examples, the same transducer (pixel) that generated the
incident wave can receive the reflected wave. In other examples, a
plurality or all of the transducers in the array can receive the
reflected wave. Although a plurality or all of the transducers in
array 1456 may receive the reflected wave, the reflected wave
amplitude will often have a maximum amplitude at the same
transducer (pixel) that transmitted the incident wave. The
amplitude of reflected waves can drop significantly as the receive
pixel gets farther away from the transmit pixel. TOF algorithms can
thereafter be applied to reflection data (if any) received at each
transducer 1410a-1410d after all phased arrays have transmitted
their GWs in series, in order to localize the finger.
[0100] FIG. 14C illustrates a finger signature corresponding to
reflected GW 1466 and an object (e.g., ear/cheek) signature
corresponding to parasitic reflection 1468 generated by the
ultrasonic transducer phased array 1456 of FIGS. 14A and 14B
according to examples of the disclosure. In the example upper graph
of FIG. 14C, which corresponds to FIG. 14A, a modified GW
(parasitic reflection 1470) caused by small opposing GW 1460
encountering and reflecting off wave propagation discontinuities
caused by object 1438 can have a minimal amplitude, while the
modified GW (reflected GW 1466) caused by incident GW 1458
encountering and reflecting off wave propagation discontinuities
caused by finger 1406 can have a comparatively larger amplitude. In
the example lower graph of FIG. 14C, which corresponds to FIG. 14B,
a modified GW (parasitic reflection 1468) caused by incident GW
1462 encountering and reflecting off wave propagation
discontinuities caused by object 1438 can have a comparatively
larger amplitude, while the modified GW (reflected GW 1472) caused
by small opposing GW 1464 encountering and reflecting off wave
propagation discontinuities caused by finger 1406 can have a
comparatively smaller amplitude.
[0101] As the top graph of FIG. 14C illustrates, the small opposing
GW 1460 produced by the phased array in FIG. 14A can result in
minimal parasitic reflections 1470, which can make it easier to
detect reflected GW 1466 and determine finger localization while
ignoring the effect of parasitic reflections (using filtering or
time windowing, for example). Similarly, as the bottom graph of
FIG. 14C illustrates, the small opposing GW 1464 produced by the
phased array can result in minimal reflected GWs 1472, which can
make it easier to detect parasitic reflection 1468 while ignoring
reflected GW 1472 (using filtering or time windowing, for
example).
[0102] Fundamentally, by utilizing an ultrasonic phased array to
first transmit GWs primarily in the counterclockwise direction
(FIG. 14A) and then transmit GWs primarily in the clockwise
direction (FIG. 14B), the symmetry of a single transducer
transmitting GWs in both directions at the same time and the
additional amplitude symmetry of receiving reflected GWs and
parasitic reflections with similar amplitudes can be disrupted,
which can allow the parasitic reflections to be rejected (e.g., by
filtering). In essence, the ability to transmit GWs primarily in a
single direction, and in opposite directions at different times,
provides for separate investigations of touching objects near the
bottom of cylinder 1402 (with respect to the orientation of FIGS.
14A and 14B) and near the top of the cylinder. Disambiguation of
desired reflected GWs caused by those touching objects from
undesired parasitic reflections can result in more accurate
intended touch localization.
[0103] Although not shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, in other examples a
pitch-catch or tomography architecture can also be employed, with
an array of receivers located on the opposite side of cylinder 1402
from array 1456 as shown in FIG. 6D.
[0104] FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate a combined approach of placing
ultrasonic phased arrays at the expected location of unintended
touches according to examples of the disclosure. FIG. 15A
illustrates an ultrasonic phased array 1556 formed from transducers
1510a-1510d operating in a pulse/echo or TOF configuration in the
presence of finger 1506 and also in the presence of an unintended
touching object such as an ear or cheek 1538 according to examples
of the disclosure. Although only one phased array 1556 is shown in
the cross-sectional view of FIG. 15A, multiple phased arrays may be
present in a two-dimensional multi-pixel array. In the example of
FIG. 15A, phased array 1556 can transmit an ultrasonic incident GW
1562 in a clockwise direction. In some examples, each phased array
1556 can generate an incident GW 1562, one transducer at a time, in
series.
[0105] In the example of FIG. 15A, phased array 1556 can be placed
at a location where an unintended object touch such as from an ear
or cheek 1538 can be expected. By placing phased array 1556 near
the expected location of an unintended object touch, any parasitic
reflections 1540 off wave propagation discontinuities caused by the
unintended object touch can occur in touch rejection window 1544
well before any reflected GW 1542 is received, as shown in the
upper waveform in the example of FIG. 15C. Parasitic reflections
1540 occurring in touch rejection window 1544 can be ignored when
performing touch localization.
[0106] Similarly, in the example of FIG. 15B, phased array 1556 can
transmit an ultrasonic incident GW 1512 in a counterclockwise
direction. By placing phased array 1556 near the expected location
of an unintended object touch, any parasitic reflections 1540 off
wave propagation discontinuities caused by the unintended object
touch can occur in touch rejection window 1544 well before any
reflected GW 1514 is received, as shown in the lower waveform in
the example of FIG. 15C. Parasitic reflections 1540 occurring in
touch rejection window 1544 can be ignored when performing touch
localization.
[0107] Referring again to FIGS. 15A and 15B, incident GW 1562 and
incident GW 1512 can travel around cylinder 1502 in opposite
directions until they reflect off the wave propagation
discontinuity caused by finger 1506, and reflected GWs 1542 and
1514 are generated, respectively. Reflected GWs 1542 and 1514 can
be received back at phased array 1556 within an active touch
detection window 1546, well after any parasitic reflections 1540
are received within touch rejection window 1544, as shown in FIG.
15C. In the example of FIG. 15C, reflected GWs 1542 and 1514 occur
at different times due to incident GW 1562 travelling a longer
distance to finger 1506 than incident GW 1512, although in other
examples this need not be the case. GW reflections occurring in
active touch detection window 1546 can be considered when
performing touch localization. As FIG. 15D indicates, in some
examples an increase in amplitude of reflected GW 1514 and
reflected GW 1542 can be used to identify the start of finger 1506
from both the counterclockwise and clockwise directions (see
locations 1548 and 1550, respectively). In addition, a finger
centroid 1552 can also be computed from the positions 1548 and
1550.
[0108] Fundamentally, by utilizing an ultrasonic phased array to
first transmit GWs primarily in the clockwise direction (FIG. 15A)
and then transmit GWs primarily in the counterclockwise direction
(FIG. 15B), the symmetry of a single transducer transmitting GWs in
both directions at the same time and the additional amplitude
symmetry of receiving reflected GWs and parasitic reflections with
similar amplitudes can be disrupted, which can allow the parasitic
reflections to be rejected (e.g., by filtering). In addition,
placement of the phased array 1556 near the expected location of an
unintended touch can ensure that the distance from the phased array
to an unintended touch and to an intended touch are significantly
different, which can disrupt the temporal symmetry of the reflected
and parasitic GWs and allow the parasitic reflection to be rejected
(e.g., by temporal filtering).
[0109] Although not shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, in other examples a
pitch-catch or tomography architecture can also be employed, with
an array of receivers located at the 9 o'clock position (for
clockwise incident GWs 1562) and at the 3 o'clock position (for
counterclockwise incident GWs 1512) of cylinder 1502.
[0110] FIG. 16A illustrates an implementation wherein ultrasonic
transducers 1610 (or phased arrays) can be co-located with force
sensors 1674 in the same module 1668 according to examples of the
disclosure. In the example of FIG. 16A, piezo ultrasonic
transducers 1610 can alternate with strain gauge force sensors 1674
in module 1668, although in other examples different types of
ultrasonic transducers and force sensors can be employed. In some
examples, transducers 1610 can be independently driven using time
division multiplexing (TDM), but in other examples they can be
driven simultaneously. The wider spacing of transducers 1610 shown
in FIG. 16A (as compared to FIG. 6B, for example) can result in
lower touch localization (resolution), but in some examples this
lower resolution can be mitigated using triangulation and TOF data
from multiple transducers, which can result in a reduction in the
number of transducers. In other examples, more transducers 1610 can
be employed, which can require less algorithmic complexity but
greater expense and integration challenges.
[0111] FIG. 16B illustrates an earbud 1600 with an integrated
ultrasonic touch and force sensing module 1668 located within
cylinder 1602 according to examples of the disclosure. In the
example of FIG. 16B, module 1668 can be located in an area selected
to be easily accessible to a user yet away from expected locations
of unintended touches, while avoiding sensitive electronics such as
an antenna.
[0112] Therefore, according to the above, some examples of the
disclosure are directed to a touch sensing device comprising a
touch surface including a first location configured for producing a
first wave propagation discontinuity at the touch surface when a
first touch is received at the first location, and a second
location configured for producing a second wave propagation
discontinuity at the touch surface when a second touch is received
at the second location; and one or more ultrasonic transducers
coupled to the touch surface at a third location and configured to
transmit first and second ultrasonic guided waves; wherein the one
or more ultrasonic transducers are further configured, and the
first, second and third locations are spatially arranged along the
touch surface, such that when the first ultrasonic guided wave is
transmitted and encounters the first wave propagation
discontinuity, a first modified guided wave having a first
characteristic is generated and received back at the one or more
ultrasonic transducers for use in touch localization, and when the
second ultrasonic guided wave is transmitted and encounters the
second wave propagation discontinuity, a second modified guided
wave having a second characteristic is generated and received back
at the one or more ultrasonic transducers for use in touch
localization. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples the first modified
guided wave is a first reflected guided wave generated when the
first ultrasonic guided wave reflects off the first wave
propagation discontinuity, and the second modified guided wave is a
second reflected guided wave generated when the second ultrasonic
guided wave reflects off the second wave propagation discontinuity.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples the first modified guided wave is
a first unabsorbed guided wave generated when the first ultrasonic
guided wave passes through the first wave propagation
discontinuity. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples the one or more
ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array for
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the first characteristic is a first amplitude of the
first modified guided wave and the second characteristic is a
second amplitude of the second modified guided wave, the touch
surface including an absorbent material configured for reducing the
second amplitude as compared to the first amplitude. Additionally
or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the absorbent material is located at the second
location. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples the one or more
ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array for
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the first characteristic is a first time period and
the second characteristic is a second time period that occurs prior
to the first time period, and wherein the third location is
proximate to the second location. Additionally or alternatively to
one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples the
one or more ultrasonic transducers are configured as a phased array
for transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples during a first time period the phased array is
configured for transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave in a
first direction, and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave
in a second direction opposite the first direction at a same time
as the transmission of the first ultrasonic guided wave.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples during a second time period
following the first time period, the phased array is configured for
transmitting a third ultrasonic guided wave with a third amplitude
in the second direction, and transmitting a fourth ultrasonic
guided wave with a fourth amplitude less than the third amplitude
in the first direction at the same time as the transmission of the
third ultrasonic guided wave.
[0113] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a method for
touch sensing, comprising identifying a first location on a touch
surface for producing a first wave propagation discontinuity when a
first touch is received at the first location; identifying a second
location on the touch surface for producing a second wave
propagation discontinuity when a second touch is received at the
second location; transmitting first and second ultrasonic guided
waves from a third location on the touch surface; when the first
ultrasonic guided wave encounters the first wave propagation
discontinuity, generating a first modified guided wave having a
first characteristic; when the second ultrasonic guided wave
encounters the second wave propagation discontinuity, generating a
second modified guided wave having a second characteristic; and
utilizing the first and second modified guided waves for touch
localization. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples the method further
comprises utilizing pulse-echo ultrasonic touch sensing wherein the
first modified guided wave is a first reflected guided wave
generated when the first ultrasonic guided wave reflects off the
first wave propagation discontinuity, and the second modified
guided wave is a second reflected guided wave generated when the
second ultrasonic guided wave reflects off the second wave
propagation discontinuity. Additionally or alternatively to one or
more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples the method
further comprises utilizing pitch-catch ultrasonic touch sensing
wherein the first modified guided wave is a first unabsorbed guided
wave generated when the first ultrasonic guided wave passes through
the first wave propagation discontinuity. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the method further comprises transmitting the first
ultrasonic guided wave with a first amplitude and transmitting the
second ultrasonic guided wave with a second amplitude less than the
first amplitude. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of
the examples disclosed above, in some examples the first
characteristic is a first amplitude of the first modified guided
wave and the second characteristic is a second amplitude of the
second modified guided wave, and the method comprises reducing the
second amplitude as compared to the first amplitude by absorbing
energy of the second modified guided wave. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the method further comprises absorbing the energy of
the second modified guided wave at the second location.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples the method further comprises
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave with a first
amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic guided wave with a
second amplitude less than the first amplitude. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples the first characteristic is a first time period and
the second characteristic is a second time period that occurs prior
to the first time period, and wherein the third location is
proximate to the second location. Additionally or alternatively to
one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples the
method further comprises transmitting the first ultrasonic guided
wave with a first amplitude and transmitting the second ultrasonic
guided wave with a second amplitude less than the first amplitude.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples the method further comprises
transmitting the first ultrasonic guided wave in a first direction
during a first time period, and transmitting the second ultrasonic
guided wave in a second direction opposite the first direction at a
same time as the transmission of the first ultrasonic guided wave.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples the method further comprises,
during a second time period following the first time period,
transmitting a third ultrasonic guided wave with a third amplitude
in the second direction, and transmitting a fourth ultrasonic
guided wave with a fourth amplitude less than the third amplitude
in the first direction at the same time as the transmission of the
third ultrasonic guided wave.
[0114] Although examples of this disclosure have been fully
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be
noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent
to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to
be understood as being included within the scope of examples of
this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *