US Patent 8040321 Touch-sensor with shared capacitive sensors

A method and apparatus to implement a touch-sensor device using shared capacitive sensors. The apparatus includes a first plurality of sensor elements coupled together, a second plurality of sensor elements coupled together independently of the first plurality of sensor elements, and a third plurality of sensor elements coupled together independently of the first and second pluralities of sensor elements. The sensor elements of the first, second, and third pluralities of sensor elements are interspersed and disposed in a repetitive sequence along a movement path of a conductive object.