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`APPLICATION DATA SHEET
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`Electronic Version v14
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`Stylesheet Version v14.1
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`Applicant Information:
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`Inventor 1:
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`Applicant Authority Type:
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`Citizenship:
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`Given Name:
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`Inventor
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`us
`Harald
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`Family Name:
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`Philipp
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`Residence:
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`City of Residence:
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`Hamble
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`Country of Residence:
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`GB
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`QProx Limited
`Address-1 of Mailing Address:
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`Address-2 of Mailing Address:
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`651 Holiday Dr. Bldg. 5 Suite 300
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`City of Mailing Address:
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`Pittsburgh
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`State of Mailing Address:
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`PA
`Postal Code of Mailing Address:
`15520
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`Country of Mailing Address:
`us
`412-391-7367
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`Phone:
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`Fax:
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`412-291-1015
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`h.phil@qprox.com
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`Correspondence Information:
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`20191
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`Customer Number:
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`11111111111111111111111111111111111
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`
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`Application Information:
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`Title of Invention :
`
`Type :
`Application
`Attorney Docket Number :
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`
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`Botanic Information:
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`Capacitive Keyboard with Non-Locking
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`Reduced Keying Ambiguity
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`provisional, utility
`PKW
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`Publication Information:
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`Suggested Figure for Publication
`-
`Suggested Classification
`-
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 1
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`

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`Suggested Technology Center -
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`Total Number of Drawing Sheets -
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`Representative Information:
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`practitioner(s) at Customer Number:
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`20191
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`11111111111111111111111111111111111
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`as my attorney(s) or agent(s) to prosecute the application identified above, and to
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`transact all business in the United States Patent and Trademark Office connected
`therewith.
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`Domestic Priority Information:
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`Foreign Priority Information:
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 2
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`

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`FEE TRANSMITTAL
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`Electronic Version v10
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`Stylesheet Version v10
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`Title of Capacitive Keyboard with Non-Locking Reduced Keying Ambiguity
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`
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`Invention
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`Application Number :
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`Date:
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`First Named Applicant: Harald Philipp
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`Attorney Docket Number:
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`PKW
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`TOT AL FEE AUTHORIZED $ 100
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`Patent fees are subject to annual revisions on or about October 1st of each year.
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`Filing as small entity
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`BASIC FILING FEE
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`2005
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`Deposit name:
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`David Kiewit
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`David Kiewit
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`Deposit authorized name:
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`Signature:
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`/David A Kiewit/
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`Date (YYYYMMDD):
`
`2005-12-21
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`Charge Any Additional Fee Required Under 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.16 and 1.17.
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 3
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`

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`TRANSMITTAL
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`Electronic Version v1 .1
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`Stylesheet Version v1 .1.0
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`Title of
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`Invention
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`Capacitive Keyboard with Non-Locking Reduced Keying Ambiguity
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`
`Application Number :
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`Date :
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`First Named Applicant: Harald Philipp
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`Confirmation Number:
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`Attorney Docket Number:
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`PKW
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`I hereby certify that the use of this system is for OFFICIAL correspondence between patent
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`applicants or their representatives and the USPTO. Fraudulent or other use besides the filing
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`of official correspondence by authorized parties is strictly prohibited, and subject to a fine
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`and/or imprisonment under applicable law.
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`I , the undersigned, certify that I have viewed a display of document(s) being electronically
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`submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, using either the USPTO provided
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`style sheet or software, and that this is the document(s) I intend for initiation or further
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`prosecution of a patent application noted in the submission. This document(s) will become
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`part of the official electronic record at the USPTO.
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`Elec. Sign. Sign. Capacity
`Submitted By:
`/David A Kiewit/ Agent
`David A Kiewit
`Registered Number: 34640
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 4
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`

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`Documents being submitted:
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 5
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`

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`Comments
`Comments
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`I
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 6
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 6
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`

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`ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RECEIPT
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`
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`Electronic Version 1.1
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`
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`Stylesheet Version v1 .1.1
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`
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`Title of Capacitive Keyboard with Non-Locking Reduced Keying Ambiguity
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`Invention
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`Submision Type
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`Provisional Application
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`Application Number:
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`EFS ID:
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`60/597851 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
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`99757
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`Message
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`Server Response: Confirmation
`Code
`ISVR1 Submission was successfully submitted
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`Even if Informational or Warning Messages
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`appear below, please do not resubmit this
`application
`ICON1 5814
`USPTOEFSNot Eer assistance with e-filing a patent
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`application, contact the Patent Electronic
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`Business Center: Toll-Free Number:1 (866)
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`217-9197 Website:
`http://www.uspto.gov/ebc/
`
`First Named Applicant: Harald Philipp
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`
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`Attorney Docket Number: PKW
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`Timestamp:
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`
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`2005-12-21 20:51 :44 EDT
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 7
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`14b0 Message Digest: cec525f6f1 ed8a48d08f4676fafabae7ce21
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`A. Digital Certificate Holder cn=David
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`
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`Kiewit,ou=Registered
`Name:
`
`Attorneys,ou=Patent and
`Trademark
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`Commerce,o=U.S.
`Govern ment,c=US
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 8
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`Capacitive Keyboard with Non-locking Reduced Keying Ambiguity
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`DESCRIPTION
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`Background
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`an array of for controlling and apparatus [Para l] The invention relates to method
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`capacitive position sensors, and, more specifically for preventing accidental false inputs
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`from keys adjacent to a selected key in a capacitive keyboard ..
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`keypads often used in keyboards, sensors are [Para 2] Arrays of capacitive proximity
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`and other touch-input apparatus. Two characteristics of capacitive sensors that lead to
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`their use instead of conventional metallic switches are: l) Capacitive sensors can be made in
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`small sizes, which is desirable if a small, tightly packed keyboard is required; and 2)
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`Capacitive sensors are particularly easy to environmentally seal, which is desirable if the
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`keyboard is to be used in a wet environment or where there is a concern that contaminants
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`may be spilled on the keyboard.
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`the packed, or when used in when tightly [Para 3] Conventional capacitive sensors,
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`presence of conductive liquid films, suffer a keying ambiguity problem. In a small keyboard,
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`for example, a user's finger is likely to overlap from a desired key to onto adjacent ones.
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`This is especially problematic if the user has large fingers or if he or she presses on the
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`keyboard surface hard enough to deform his or her finger. The same sort of effect is found
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`when a conducting film is spilled on a keyboard, in which case the user's finger is sensed as
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`though it were the size of the puddle. Problems of this sort are particularly acute in cash
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`register keyboards used in food service establishments where beverage and food sauce
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`spills are a frequent occurrence.
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`Page l of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 9
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`teaches a capacitive field sensor the inventor [Para 4] In his US Patent 5,730,165,
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`employing a single coupling plate and a method of detecting a change in capacitance of the
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`coupling plate, Cx, to ground. The apparatus taught in US 5,730,165 comprises pulse
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`circuitry for charging the coupling plate and for subsequently transferring the charge from
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`the plate into a charge detector, which may be a sampling capacitor, Cs. The transferring
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`operation is carried out by means of a transfer switch electrically connected between the
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`coupling plate and the charge detector. The disclosure of US 5,730,165 is herein
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`incorporated by reference.
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`circuitry for measuring teaches pulse the inventor [Para 5] In his US patent 6,466,036
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`capacitance to ground, the circuitry comprising a plurality of electrical switching elements,
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`each of which has one side electrically connected to either a power supply voltage or to a
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`circuit ground point. This circuit arrangement, which may be used with a keyboard as well
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`as for many other applications, is more compatible with available integrated circuit design
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`and manufacturing practices than is prior art pulse circuitry, which commonly had one side
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`of at least one switching element floating. These improved arrangements thereby provide
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`superior performance at a lower manufacturing cost. The disclosure of US patent 6,466,036
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`is herein incorporated by reference.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`keying ambiguity a method of removing [Para 6] One aspect of the invention provides
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`by measuring a detected signal strength associated with each key in an array, comparing
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`the measured signal strengths to find a maximum, determining that the key having the
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`maximum signal strength is the unique user-selected first key until either the first key's
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`signal strength drops below some threshold level or a second key's signal strength exceeds
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`Page 2 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 10
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`the first key's signal strength. While either the first or second key are selected, the method
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`deselects all other keys. In this aspect , the array under consideration may be a keyboard, or
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`any convenient subset thereof.
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`keys in which each key [Para 7] Another aspect of the invention is an array of capacitive
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`has a respective detection integrator counter (DI) associated with it. Each DI is a clocked
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`counter that counts up by one incremental value on each capacitive acquisition cycle during
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`which a signal strength from the associated key is above some nominal threshold value, and
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`that counts down toward zero if the signal strength is less than the nominal value. A
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`controller receives a respective input from each DI and determines that one of the keys is
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`selected, e.g., wins, when the detection integration (DI) count associated with that key
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`meets an associated, selected terminal count value, TC. The incremental magnitude used for
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`counting down can be the same as that for counting up, i.e., l, or it can be different, i.e., 2,
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`to preferentially accelerate the count-down 'losing' process over the winning process, in
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`order to facilitate better suppression of noise. The rate of counting down DI can also be the
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`complete value, i.e., the DI can be cleared in one cycle.
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`above their nominal thresholds, [Para 8] When two or more keys have signal strengths
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`the key with the lesser signal strength will have its associated DI decremented or cleared
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`each cycle while this condition exists. If any two or more keys have equal and maximal
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`signal strengths, such keys' Di's will continue to increment until the first to reach TC wins.
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`[Para 9] In another aspect of the invention, the DI of a selected key may be decremented
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`or cleared and that key deselected even if the signal strength of that key is above the
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`threshold value and its DI equals its associated TC value, if a second key becomes selected
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`by virtue of its signal strength being greater than the signal strength of the first key while
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`also being above its own threshold value and having its associated DI equal its associated
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`TC. If there are multiple keys with signal strengths above their associated threshold values,
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`Page 3 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 11
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`their associated Dis will count up and down in competition, until one key's DI finally equals
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`its TC and wins over all others including over the previously selected key.
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`[Para l 0]
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`In the above discussions, it should be understood that the principle of having
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`one signal greater than another is simplified for explanatory purposes. In order to avoid
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`indecisiveness and eliminate oscillation between two or more keys having more or less the
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`same signal strengths, the winning key should preferably be given a slight advantage in the
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`decision process. This may be done, for example, by requiring a non-selected key's signal
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`to exceed the currently selected key's signal by a small amount. This can be done by
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`subtracting a small amount off the signals of non-selected keys, or by adding a small
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`amount onto the selected key's signal.
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`[Para 11]
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`An advantage of this method over those disclosed in my co-pending US
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`applications l 0/617,602 and 11 /160,885 is that the method disclosed herein permits the
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`smooth rollover of key selection as a finger slides from one key to the next, while still
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`reducing key ambiguity. In the aforementioned applications, the first key to win remains I
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`selected even if the maximal signal strength has shifted to a new key, provided that the first
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`key has enough signal strength left to retain its state, i.e., by having its signal strength in
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`excess of its associated threshold value. Therefore the instant invention may be referred to
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`as 'non-locking' key ambiguity reduction.
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`[Para l 2]
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`In yet another aspect of the invention, if the signal strengths of two keys that
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`are approaching a detection threshold value and that are both in a defined keyboard
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`neighborhood both exceed the threshold value and their signal strengths are equal to each
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`other (or are within a selected tolerance value) at the same time, an algorithm executed by a
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`controller is used to declare one of the two keys to be active and the other to be inactive. It
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`will be recognized that a wide variety of algorithms are possible and include, but are not
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`Page 4 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 12
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`limited to, a random, or pseudo-random selection of the active key, or a declaration of
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`activity based on which key was scanned first.
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`[Para l 3]
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`The principle also applies in the minimal case where the Di's terminal count
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`(TC) is chosen to be equal to one. This is functionally the same as though there were no DI,
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`but rather just a simple signal comparison function with an inhibiting logic gate following it.
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`Here, the inputs to the inhibiting gate also includes the logical comparisons of the signal
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`strengths among the keys in the neighborhood.
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`[Para 14]
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`Those skilled in the keyboard arts will understand that the above-mentioned
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`neighborhoods can be defined in a wide variety of ways. In some cases, a neighborhood of a
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`given key may consist of all the keys immediately adjacent the given key, or may comprise
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`all the keys having no more than one key between them and the given key. In other cases,
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`the neighborhood may comprise all the keys in a matrix array --e.g., in keyboard for use in
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`a numerical data entry application in which only one key is to be active at a time so that the
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`sequence of input digits is uniquely determined. In other cases, such as in a typing or
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`computer-input keyboard, the neighborhood of a key may comprise all other keys in the
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`keyboard except for special purpose keys, such as a capitalization shift key, a control key,
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`and the like. Moreover, some embodiments of the invention provide a keyboard that is
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`configurable by a user who programs a controller to selectively consider or ignore various
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`keys in an array. In some cases there might be two neighborhoods each acting
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`independently of the other for key ambiguity resolution purposes.
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`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
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`[Para l 5]
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`Figures la to l c show an array of tightly spaced capacitive buttons which would
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`benefit from the invention.
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`Page 5 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 13
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`capacitive mouse surface or a [Para 16] Figure 2 shows a 2-D touch surface such as a
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`capacitive touch screen, with buttons around it which would benefit from the invention.
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`capacitive mouse surface or a [Para l 7] Figure 3 shows a 2-D touch surface such as a
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`capacitive touch screen, with a guard ring disposed around it to suppress activation of the
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`touch screen area when a finger strays just outside the 2-D mouse or screen area, which
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`would benefit from the invention.
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`of the invention. [Para 18] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of apparatus
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`carried out in a [Para 19] Figure Sa and Sb is a flow chart showing logical operations
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`preferred method of the invention.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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`spaced capacitive [Para 20] Turning now to Fig. l A, one finds an array of 'N' tightly
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`buttons in a key panel 11 which would benefit from the invention. When using such small
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`key panels it is inevitable that a finger will encompass much more than the intended key. A
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`finger touching a principle desired key electrode l could easily create a 'fingerprint' outline
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`3, as shown in dashed lines, where the fingerprint has a centroid location A,. This
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`fingerprint also encompasses keys other than the intended key. The amount of intersecting
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`surface area between the dashed line and each key area is a reasonable representation of
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`the amount of signal level change each intersected key will receive due to the touch,
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`although even non-touched keys will also see an increase in signal due to mere finger
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`proximity and to fringe-field effects within the touch panel.
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`[Para 21] The desire is to select the one and only one key which is intended by the user
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`while suppressing adjacent keys intersected by the fingerprint. In this 'non-locking' key
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`suppression invention, if the finger slides to a new key location 4, shown dotted with its
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`centroid at location B, where the movement is shown by the arrow from A to B, this
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`Page 6 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 14
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`

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`movement will not cause the first key l to remain solely active even though it has sufficient
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`signal to still retain its state, i.e., its signal still lies past its threshold level despite being
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`reduced by the movement to a new key. Instead, the invention provides that the newly
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`intended key 2, having a larger signal level due to a higher degree of fingerprint
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`intersection than key l, becomes the solely active key by switching off the active state of
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`key l.
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`[Para 22]
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`Figures lb and l c further detail the change in signals on the keys of Fig. la by
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`virtue of the relative electrode surface intersections with the fingerprint first at location A
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`(Fig. lb) and then at location B (Fig l c). The signal strengths are shown in the bar plots in
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`the lower portions of the respective figures. It is desired that in order for a key it 'win', its
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`signal change must exceed a threshold value, and it has to be the largest signal change. In
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`Fig. lb, key l wins. In Fig. l c, key 2 wins.
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`To prevent chatter between keys which have near-identical signal strengths (ie
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`[Para 23]
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`fingerprint areas) the switchover from one key to another should preferably occur when:
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`S2 >=(Sl +kl)
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`(Eqn. l ). Where S2 is the key signal change due to touch from
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`switch 2, Sl is the same but from switch l, and 'kl' is a small adder value which makes the
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`switchover process slightly more difficult than would occur with straight equivalence. After
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`the switchover of the keys, the new switchover condition from 2 back to l becomes:(2) Sl
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`>= (S2+k2) (Eqn. 2)
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`[Para 24]
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`Note that 'k2' can be the same or a different amount than kl according to the
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`needs of the design. In this example, S l and S2 could have been any two keys and the
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`equations and principles are obviously extended over the entire set of keys, not just pairs of
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`keys.
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`[Para 2 5]
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`Fig. 2 shows a configuration of a capacitive mouse or capacitive touch screen
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`area 6 with surrounding buttons 7. The principles of operation described in conjunction
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`Page 7 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 15
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`with Fig. l apply similarly to Fig. 2, in that the area 6 can be treated as a single key with a
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`single signal strength for purposes of key suppression. Fig. 2 applies when the keys 7 are
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`very close to pointing surface 6 and fingerprints 3 and 4 can overlap both the capacitive
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`screen and one or more capacitive buttons.
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`touch screen mouse or capacitive [Para 26] Fig 3. shows a configuration of a capacitive
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`area 6 with a surrounding 'key' 8. The principles of operation described in conjunction with
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`Fig. l apply similarly to Fig. 3, in that the area 6 can be treated as a single key with a single
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`signal strength for purposes of key suppression, while the outer 'key' 8 acts to detect errant
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`touch which falls partially on both 6 and 8. In this application, 8 is actually used commonly
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`as a guard ring and is not necessarily intended as an actual control key. A finger sliding
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`from 3 to 4 would still potentially leave the active screen 6, but in fact the touch is not legal
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`since its areal centroid at 'B' lies principally outside the screen area. 'Key' 8 detects this
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`out-of-position fingerprint and the logic of the invention causes the screen 6 to fall out of
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`detection or to be ignored by further processing.
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`[Para 27] In order to make the determination of an out-of-position fingerprint according
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`to Fig. 3, equations (l) and (2) can be used to prevent chatter as discussed supra. However,
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`Equations (l) and (2) presume the gain of the sensing channels with respect to finger
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`surface area are comparable, so that equivalent fingerprint surface areas on different keys
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`produce comparable signal changes. This is not always the case in any of the instances
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`described with respect to Figs. l, 2 or 3. The electrode sizes of different keys may not be
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`equal, and for various reasons (such as stray loading capacitance variations, etc.) the
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`electrical gains among the various keys can differ. In these instances, equations (l) and (2)
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`might even require negative values for kl or k2. Alternatively, the signals Sl and S2 could
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`be scaled into a state of equivalence: b*S2 >= (a*Sl +kl), or S2 >= (a*Sl +kl )/b
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`(Eqn. 3); and similarly, Sl >= (b*S2+k2)/a (Eqn. 4) where 'a' and 'b' are
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`Page 8 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 16
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`

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`experimentally determined scaling constants. Comparable equations can be developed that
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`scale and/or offset the signals into equivalence for comparison purposes, to create the
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`desired suppression effect without chatter.
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`[Para 28]
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`Turning now to Fig. 4, one finds a schematic representation of apparatus of the
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`invention l 0, comprising an array of N capacitive proximity sensors l 2 labeled "Key l ", ...
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`, "Key N". Each of the sensors l 2 has an output to a respective counter 14 that supplies data
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`to and is controlled by suitable control logic 16. Those skilled in the electronic arts will
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`appreciate that although the counters 14 and control logic 16 are depicted with discrete
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`blocks in the schematic diagram, these features could be provided either by separate
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`physical circuit elements, or could all be provided by a single microcontroller, as depicted
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`by the dashed phantom line l 8 in Fig. 4. Moreover, although the array of keys l 2 is
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`depicted as being a simple linear array, it will be appreciated by one who reads the
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`completed disclosure contained herein that many other sorts of arrays can be used and will
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`encompass, without being limited to, arrays used as computer keyboards, keypads of the
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`sort commonly used in telephony and automated banking, cash register data input
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`keyboards, etc.
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`[Para 29]
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`The addition of counters 14, or of the logical function equivalent thereof, when
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`used in the accordance with the teachings of this disclosure, can remove or resolve
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`ambiguities by methods involving comparison of signal strengths from various keys 12.
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`This process involves examining the differences over one or more sequential signal
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`samples.
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`[Para 30]
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`Turning now to Figs. Sa and Sb, one finds flow charts depicting a preferred
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`method of the invention for operating apparatus l O so as to suppress extraneous key
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`signals or to otherwise resolve keying ambiguities. This method may be carried out by a
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`microprocessor l 8 operating under control of a program stored in a, preferably, non-
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`Page 9 of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 17
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`volatile memory, or may be carried out by means of discrete circuit elements connected to
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`provide hardwired logic. Although the flowcharts of Figs. Sa and Sb depict operation in
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`terms of a single sensor key l, variously labeled "Key l" or "Kl" with associated signal level
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`S l and Detect Integrator DI l, it will be understood that this simplification is solely in the
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`interest of clarity of presentation and that an algorithm controlling an actual keyboard could
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`carry out substantially the depicted method for each of the N keys in a parallel fashion.
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`and of sensor outputs, comparisons on iterated [Para 31] The depicted method relies
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`selects a single sensor output to become active or 'on' based on that sensor both having an
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`output in excess of a detection threshold for some selected number of counter cycles
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`(which may be one) and thereafter having the highest output of all the sensors in the array
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`that have also exceeded the detection threshold for the selected number of cycles of the
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`counters. It will be recognized that one could choose to clock all the counters in parallel in
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`order to achieve this, or that one could scan through the counters and operate them one at
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`a time in rapid succession so as to provide the selected number of counter cycles for each
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`sensor within a sufficiently short time period that a user could not perceive a delay in
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`operation of the keyboard.
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`[Para 32] A signal Sl, acquired from sensor key Kl (block 24) is compared with a
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`selected signal threshold value (block 26). If S l is less than the threshold value, the value,
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`Dl, in the DI associated with Kl is decremented by a selected amount (z) or otherwise
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`reduced (block 28) if it is greater than zero. If the value is above the threshold, Dl is next
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`checked to make sure it has the strongest change in signal due to touch (30). If this
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`condition is not met, the counter Dl is also decremented or otherwise reduced. Only if the
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`counter Dl exceeds its terminal count value TC (32) does the key become active ('on') via
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`block (33); when it does so the control logic forces all other active keys to become inactive
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`and resets their respective DI counters. In keyboards comprising a large number of keys,
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`Page l O of 22
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`Samsung EX1005 Page 18
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`only one of which should be active at a time, this OFF status will, of course, be the
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`predominant result of an analysis of the output of any given key.
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`active [Para 33] Note that in Fig. Sa, in order for a key to gain dominance over an already
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`key, it must exceed the active key's last measured signal level by a small added amount 'k'.
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`'k' can be an added constant or can be determined as a percentage of the signal level of the
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`active key, or any of a number of other methods. The adder 'k' can also be zero, i.e., no
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`adder, although this would tend to make the decision process unstable should there be any
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`small amount of signal noise which would introduce dithering between two competing keys.
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`Finally the key Kl can gain dominance in block 33 if the TC is reached, and when it does so
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`it forces all other active keys to become inactive and resets their DI counters.
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`[Para 34]
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`Turning off a key can be forced via block (33) as shown in Fig. Sa, or it can be
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`deactivated according to Fig. Sb. Whether a key remains on, in the absence of any other
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`keys with larger signals (Fig. Sa), is determined by whether the key's signal change remains
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`above the hysteresis level. In block (35), the determination is made if the signal is below the
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`hysteresis point, and if so the DI is reduced in value by some known amount (block 36). If
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