Patent Document ID: 5495077
Application ID: 08252969
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An object proximity sensor, including: a touch-sensitive transducer disposed on a substrate, said touch sensitive transducer including a matrix of row conductive lines disposed in a first direction and column conductive lines disposed in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction, said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines insulated from one another, and an insulating layer disposed over said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines, said insulating layer forming a touch surface, said insulating layer having a thickness selected to promote capacitive coupling between a finger placed proximate to the touch surface of said insulating layer and said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines; means for simultaneously injecting electrical charge onto each of said row conductive lines, and for sensing a row-sense voltage created on each of said row conductive lines by said electrical charge onto each of said row conductive lines; means for simultaneously injecting electrical charge onto each of said column conductive lines, and for sensing a column-sense voltage created on each of said column conductive lines by said electrical charge onto each of said column conductive lines; and means for producing a set of object-sensed electrical signals related to said row-sense voltage and said column-sense voltage; and means for processing said set of row electrical signals and said set of column electrical signals to create a proximity electrical signal proportional to the proximity of said object to said touch surface.