User input passive device and interactive display device touchscreen system

Abstract

A method includes transmitting, by a plurality of drive-sense circuits, a plurality of signals on a plurality of electrodes of an interactive display device and detecting, by a set of drive-sense circuits, a change in an electrical characteristic of a set of electrodes. The method further includes determining, by a processing module, that the change in the electrical characteristic is a change in mutual capacitance, determining presence of a non-interactive object, determining a two-dimensional shape of the non-interactive object, and determining whether the two dimensional shape of the non-interactive object is obstructing a personalized display area. When the non-interactive object is obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area, the method further includes determining a position of a user and adjusting positioning of at least a portion of the personalized display area based on the position of the user and the two-dimensional shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprises:
 transmitting, by a plurality of drive-sense circuits of an interactive display device, a plurality of signals on a plurality of electrodes of the interactive display device;   detecting, by a set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of drive-sense circuits, a change in an electrical characteristic of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes;   determining, by a processing module of the interactive display device, that the change in the electrical characteristic of the set of electrodes is a change in mutual capacitance;   determining, by the processing module, presence of a non-interactive object based on the change in mutual capacitance;   determining, by the processing module, a two-dimensional shape of the non-interactive object based on the change in mutual capacitance and based on positioning of the set of electrodes;   determining, by the processing module, whether the two dimensional shape of the non-interactive object is obstructing at least a portion of a personalized display area of the interactive display device; and   when the non-interactive object is obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area of the interactive display device:
 determining, by the processing module, a position of a user of the personalized display area; and 
 adjusting, by the processing module, positioning of at least a portion of the personalized display area based on the position of the user and the two-dimensional shape such that the non-interactive object is no longer obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of electrodes includes:
 a row of electrodes; and   a column of electrodes wherein, mutual capacitance is created between a row electrode and a column electrode.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 determining, by the processing module, an amount of available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device; and 
 adjusting, by the processing module, the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the amount of available display space of the interactive surface. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 determining, by the processing module, a type of data displayed on the personalized display area; and 
 adjusting, by the processing module, the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the type of data. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area comprises:
 shifting, by the processing module, the personalized display area to an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area comprises:
 wrapping, by the processing module, the personalized display area around the non-interactive object and in an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area comprises:
 breaking, by the processing module, the personalized display area into two or more display windows; and   shifting, by the processing module, the two or more display windows around the non-interactive object and in an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claims 1  further comprises:
 determining, by the processing module, a size of the non-interactive object based on the two-dimensional shape; and 
 when the size of the non-interactive object is larger than a certain size:
 ignoring, by the processing module, the non-interactive object. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claims 8  further comprises:
 when the size of the non-interactive object is smaller than a certain size:
 ignoring, by the processing module, the non-interactive object. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the ignoring the non-interactive object includes:
 ignoring, by the processing module, the non-interactive object for a time period; and   upon expiration of the time period:
 adjusting, by the processing module, positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the position of the user and the two-dimensional shape such that the non-interactive object is no longer obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area. 
   
     
     
         11 . An interactive display device includes:
 an interactive surface including a plurality of electrodes;   a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to the plurality of electrodes wherein, the plurality of drive-sense circuits is operable to:
 transmit a plurality of signals on the plurality of electrodes; 
 detect by a set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of drive-sense circuits, a change in an electrical characteristic of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes; and 
   a processing module operably coupled to the plurality of drive-sense circuits, wherein, the processing module is operable to:
 receive, from the set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of drive-sense circuits, the plurality of signals representative of the change in the electrical characteristic of the set of electrodes; 
 determine, that the change in the electrical characteristic of the set of electrodes is a change in mutual capacitance; 
 determine, presence of a non-interactive object based on the change in mutual capacitance; 
 determine, a two-dimensional shape of the non-interactive object based on the change in mutual capacitance and based on positioning of the set of electrodes; 
 determine, whether the two dimensional shape of the non-interactive object is obstructing at least a portion of a personalized display area of the interactive display device; and 
 when the non-interactive object is obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area of the interactive display device:
 determine a position of a user of the personalized display area; and 
 adjusting, positioning of at least a portion of the personalized display area based on the position of the user and the two-dimensional shape such that the non-interactive object is no longer obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the set of electrodes includes:
 a row of electrodes; and   a column of electrodes wherein, mutual capacitance is created between a row electrode and a column electrode.   
     
     
         13 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 determine an amount of available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device; and   adjust the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the amount of available display space of the interactive surface.   
     
     
         14 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 determine a type of data displayed on the personalized display area; and   adjust the positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the type of data.   
     
     
         15 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 shift the personalized display area to an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         16 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 wrap the personalized display area around the non-interactive object and in an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         17 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 break the personalized display area into two or more display windows; and   shift the two or more display windows around the non-interactive object and in an available display space of an interactive surface of the interactive display device, wherein the available display space is not obstructed by the non-interactive object.   
     
     
         18 . The interactive display device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 determine a size of the non-interactive object based on the two-dimensional shape; and   when the size of the non-interactive object is larger than a certain size:
 ignore the non-interactive object. 
   
     
     
         19 . The interactive display device of  claim 18 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 when the size of the non-interactive object is smaller than a certain size:
 ignore the non-interactive object. 
   
     
     
         20 . The interactive display device of  claim 19 , wherein the processing module is further operable to ignore the non-interactive object by:
 ignoring the non-interactive object for a time period; and   upon expiration of the time period:
 adjusting positioning of the at least the portion of the personalized display area based on the position of the user and the two-dimensional shape such that the non-interactive object is no longer obstructing the at least the portion of the personalized display area.