Dynamic switching of power modes for touch screens using force touch

• US 10,126,807 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nathan, Arokia, Lai, Jackson Chi-Sun, Cha, Suk-Bae, Church, Corbin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zubajlo, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US14/624,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Switching of power modes for touch screens is disclosed. In example embodiments a touch detect mode may be activated for touchscreen operation. The touchscreen may be a projected capacitance screen that includes force sensing based on piezo electric sensors. The touch detect mode may be a low power mode in which at least one channel, but fewer than all channels of the touch screen are monitored. When is determined that a touch event has occurred a switch to a scan mode for touchscreen operation may be performed. Scan mode may be a higher power mode in which all channels of the touch screen are scanned at least for position sensing. The touch detect mode monitoring may be implemented by monitoring the total charge on the at least one channel and providing a voltage signal. When the voltage signal meets predetermined criteria an indication of a touch event may be generated.

Claims

1. A method of switching power modes for a projected capacitive touchscreen which comprises a plurality of panel traces including plurality of transmitter traces and a plurality of receiver traces forming a touch sensing grid, wherein at least a portion of a piezoelectric layer is between the transmitter and receiver traces and forms a plurality of piezoelectric sensors in the touch sensing grid, the method comprising:

activating a scan mode for high power operation of the touchscreen and configuring a switch by coupling each of the plurality of receiver traces of to a corresponding scan output of a plurality of scan outputs of the switch, wherein in the scan mode a driver circuit applies a voltage to each of the plurality of transmitter traces and a first signal generated from a first one or more sensors of the plurality of piezo electric sensors of the touchscreen on a first one of the plurality of receiver traces is output on a corresponding first one of the plurality of scan outputs;

activating a touch detect mode for low power operation of the touch screen and configuring the switch for the touch detect mode by coupling at least one of the plurality of panel traces to a monitor output of the switch, wherein in the touch detect mode the driver circuit applies no voltage to any of the plurality of panel traces;

monitoring the monitor output for a second signal generated by a second one or more sensor elements of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors using touch detection circuitry while in touch detect mode;

generating a third signal at a touch detect output of the touch detection circuitry when the second signal generated at the monitor output of the switch meets a predetermined criteria; and

,

transitioning from the touch detect mode in response to the generation of the third signal at the touch detect output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning comprises switching from the touch detect mode to the scan mode in response to the generation of the third signal at the touch detect output.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan mode comprises a high power mode in which all channels of the plurality of receiver traces of the touch screen are scanned and the touch detect mode comprises a low power mode in which all or less than all of the plurality of panel traces of the touch screen are monitored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors comprise the same one or more sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the monitor output while in touch detect mode comprises monitoring the amount of charge on the at least one of the plurality of panel traces.

6. An apparatus for switching power modes of a projected capacitive touchscreen which comprises a plurality of panel traces including a plurality of transmitter traces and a plurality of receiver traces forming a touch sensing grid, wherein at least a portion of a piezoelectric layer is between the transmitter and receiver traces and forms a plurality of piezoelectric sensors in the touch sensing grid, the apparatus comprising:

a switch having a plurality of channel inputs, a plurality of scan outputs and a monitor output, wherein each of the plurality of channel inputs is coupled to one of the plurality of panel traces;

touch detection circuitry coupled to the monitor output and having a touch, detect output;

a processor coupled to the switch and the touch detection circuitry; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory including code executable to cause the processor to control the apparatus to;

activate a scan mode for high power operation of the touchscreen and configure the switch for the scan mode by coupling each of the plurality of channel inputs that is coupled to a receiver trace to a corresponding scan output of the plurality of scan outputs, wherein in the scan mode a driver circuit is controlled to apply a voltage to each of the plurality of transmitter traces and a first signal generated from a first one or more sensors of the plurality of piezo electric sensors of the touchscreen on a first one of the plurality of receiver traces is output on a corresponding first one of the plurality of scan outputs;

activate a touch detect mode for low power operation of the touch screen and configure the switch for the touch detect mode by coupling at least one of the plurality of channel inputs to the monitor output of the switch, wherein in the touch detect mode the driver circuit is controlled to apply no voltage to any of the plurality of panel traces;

monitor the monitor output for a second signal generated by a second one or more sensors of the plurality of piezoelectric sensor sensors while in touch detect mode;

generate a third signal at a touch detect output when the second signal generated at the monitor output of the switch meets a predetermined criteria; and

,

transition from the touch detect mode in response to the generation of the third signal at the touch detect output.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the code is further executable to cause the processor to control the apparatus to transition from the touch detect mode by switching from the touch detect mode to the scan mode in response to the generation of the signal at the touch detect output.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors compose the same one or more sensors.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scan mode comprises a high power mode in which all receiver traces of the touch screen are scanned and the touch detect mode comprises a low power mode in which all or less than all the panel traces of the touch screen are monitored.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the code is executable to cause the processor to control the apparatus to monitor the monitor output by monitoring the amount of charge on the at least one of the plurality panel traces.

11. An apparatus for switching a touchscreen between power modes, wherein the touch screen comprises a plurality of transmitter channels and a plurality of receiver channels forming a touch sensing grid, wherein each of the plurality of receiver channels is coupled to one of a plurality of channel outputs providing channel signals, and at least a portion of a piezoelectric layer is between the transmitter and receiver channels forming the plurality of piezoelectric sensor elements in the touch sensing grid, the apparatus comprising:

a switch configurable for a scan mode and a touch detect mode, the switch having a plurality of channel inputs, a plurality of scan outputs, and a monitor output, wherein each channel output of the touchscreen is coupled to one of the plurality of channel inputs of the switch and the switch is configured to receive a channel signal generated from at least one piezoelectric sensor element of a plurality of piezoelectric sensor elements of the touchscreen on at least one of the plurality of channel inputs, wherein the switch is configurable to couple each of the plurality of channel inputs to a corresponding scan output of the plurality of scan outputs when the apparatus is in the scan mode, and to couple at least one of the plurality of channel inputs to the monitor output when the apparatus is in the touch detect mode;

a driver circuit that provides a voltage to the touchscreen while the apparatus is in scan mode in order that the channel signal from the at least one piezoelectric sensor element is generated at the least one piezoelectric element using the voltage, and provides no voltage to the touchscreen while the apparatus is in touch

detect mode in order that the channel signal from the at least one piezoelectric sensor element is generated at the at least one piezoelectric sensor element passively; and

,

touch detection circuitry coupled to the at least one monitor output, the touch detect circuitry having a touch detect signal output and configured to monitor the monitor output when the apparatus is in the touch detect mode and generate a touch detect signal when the signal generated at the monitor output of the switch meets a predetermined criteria.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the touch detection circuitry comprises conversion circuitry configured to convert a charge on the monitor output to a voltage level and the touch detection circuitry generates the touch detect signal when the voltage level meets a predetermined criteria.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the touch detection circuitry further comprises processing circuitry coupled to the conversion circuitry, and the processing circuitry monitors the voltage level and generates the touch detect signal when the voltage level meets a predetermined criteria.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a processing unit configured to control the switch while in touch detect mode to connect each of the at least one of the plurality of channels inputs to the monitor output in a sequence that allows position determination of a touch on the touchscreen.