Novel technology eliminates keypad ambiguity: News from Quantum Research Group

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Hal Philipp, CEO of Quantum Research Group, the charge-transfer (QT) capacitive touch company, has been granted both US and European patents for a technology that eliminates ambiguity between adjacent keys in touch keypads and keyboards. The technique, known as adjacent key suppression (trademarked AKS), uses an iterative technique that repeatedly measures a detected signal strength associated with each key, compares all the measured signal strengths to find a maximum signal change, then determines that the maximum signal change comes from the user-selected key. AKS then suppresses or ignores signals from all other keys as long as the signal from the selected key signal change remains above a nominal threshold value.

The technique was developed for keyboards using Quantum's patented charge-transfer sensing technology but is applicable to other kinds of nonbistable touch sensors including ones based on piezoelectric sensors.

It is particularly important for smaller keyboards and keypads, such as those found on mobile phones and remote controls, where the user's fingertip may be large enough to cover more than one key at a time.

AKS ensures that the key which is covered most by the fingertip is determined to be the required one and that there is no false triggering of nearby keys.

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News Release from: Quantum Research Group
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 26 July 2005

Novel technology eliminates keypad ambiguity

A novel technology that eliminates ambiguity between adjacent keys in touch keypads and keyboards has been granted both US and European patents.

Note: Readers of the Editor’s free email newsletter will have read this news when it was announced. . It’s free!

News Release from: Quantum Research Group Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 26 July 2005

Novel technology eliminates keypad ambiguity

A novel technology that eliminates ambiguity between adjacent keys in touch keypads and keyboards has been granted both US and European patents.

Note: Readers of the Editor’s free email newsletter will have read this news when it was announced. . It’s free!

News Release from: Quantum Research Group
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 26 July 2005