Touch scan modes during device charging

• US 10,203,803 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zuber, Wesley W., Shih, David H. C., Bokma, Louis W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Azongha, Sardis F
• Application Number:
  US14/475,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Touch scan modes for touch sensitive devices during device charge is disclosed. To prevent adverse effects to the touch sensor panel due to inductive noise while the device is charging, the touch controller can switch to a touch scan mode (i.e., power charging touch mode) that can cancel or reduce noise from the touch scan or touch image. Power charging touch modes can include low noise frequency selection, increased number of touch samples employed to calculate an average, and simultaneous sampling. In some examples, a power charging touch mode can be different from a normal touch scan mode (i.e., a touch scan mode when the device is not charging). With the one or more power charging touch modes, false touch readings, erroneous touch location identification, and/or undetected touches can be eliminated or reduced.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning a touch sensor panel of a first device in a mode;

receiving a first indication from a power supply circuit of the first device; and

in response to receiving the first indication;

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a notification that the first device is not coupled to a charger located external to the first device, setting the mode to a first mode,

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a signal received at a first time from the charger and indicating that the charger is at the first time supplying charge to the first device, setting the mode to a second mode, and

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a low power state of a battery of the first device, setting the mode to a third mode,

wherein;

the first mode comprises a non-charging scan mode,

the second mode comprises a power charging scan mode, the power charging scan mode comprising dynamically changing a length of sample time during a touch scan, and

the third mode comprises a low power consumption mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power charging scan mode further comprises:

sampling a touch pixel in the touch sensor panel a first number of times, wherein the first number is greater than a second number, the second number being associated with the non-charging scan mode; and

averaging touch values from the sampled touch pixel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more touch values is greater than the average and one or more touch values is less than the average.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power charging scan mode further comprises a center of mass calculation, the center of mass calculation comprising:

stimulating one or more touch pixels of the touch sensor panel at a same time; and

scanning the one or more touch pixels to determine a plurality of touch values.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the power charging scan mode further comprises:

scaling each of the plurality of touch values to form a plurality of scaled touch values;

summing the plurality of scaled touch values;

summing the plurality of touch values; and

dividing the summed scaled touch values by the summed touch values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein scaling each of the plurality of touch values includes multiplying each of the plurality of touch values by the center of mass of the one or more touch pixels.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a number of stimulated touch pixels is same as a number of touch pixels in the touch sensor panel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indication is received when an input voltage level is greater than a predetermined value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second indication; and

in response to receiving the second indication;

in accordance with a determination that the second indication corresponds to a signal that the first device is decoupled from the charger, setting the mode to the first mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to a second device, one or more touch values from sense circuitry; and

receiving, from the second device, at least one of a touch value and a center of mass location.

11. A touch sensor panel comprising:

logic configured to scan the touch sensor panel in a mode and to receive a first indication from a power supply circuit,

wherein the logic is further configured to, in response to receiving the first indication;

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a notification that the touch sensor panel is not coupled to a charger located external to the touch sensor panel, set the mode to a first mode,

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a signal received at a first time from the charger and indicating that the charger is at the first time supplying charge to the touch sensor panel, set the mode to a second mode, and

in accordance with a determination that the first indication corresponds to a low power state of a battery, set the mode to a third mode,

wherein;

the first mode comprises a non-charging scan mode,

the second mode comprises a power charging scan mode, the power charging scan mode comprising dynamically changing a length of sample time during a touch scan, and

the third mode comprises a low power consumption mode.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 11, further comprising

sense circuitry configured to, in the power charging scan mode, sample a touch pixel in the touch sensor panel a first number of times, wherein the first number is greater than a second number, the second number being associated with the non-charging scan mode, and

wherein the logic is further configured to average touch values from the sampled touch pixel.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 12, wherein one or more touch values is greater than the average and one or more touch values is less than the average.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 11, further comprising:

drive circuitry configured to, in the power charging scan mode, stimulate one or more touch pixels of the touch sensor panel at a same time; and

sense circuitry configured to, in the power charging scan mode, scan the one or more touch pixels to determine a plurality of touch values.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, further comprising:

a scaler configured to, in the power charging scan mode, scale each of the plurality of touch values to form a plurality of scaled touch values;

an adder configured to, in the power charging scan mode, sum the plurality of scaled touch values;

an adder configured to, in the power charging scan mode, sum the plurality of touch values; and

a divider configured to, in the power charging scan mode, divide the summed scaled touch values by the summed touch values.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 15, wherein the scaler is further configured to, in the power charging scan mode, multiply each of the plurality of touch values by a center of mass of the one or more touch pixels.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 11, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to:

monitor an input voltage level,

determine whether the input voltage level is greater than a predetermined value, and

generate the first indication when the input voltage level is greater than the predetermined value.

18. The touch sensor panel of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to receive a second indication, and in response to receiving the second indication:

in accordance with a determination that the second indication corresponds to a signal that the touch sensor panel is decoupled from the charger, set the mode to the first mode.