Channel scan logic

• US 10,664,095 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vu, Minh-Dieu Thi, Wilson, Thomas James, Krah, Christoph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Calvin C
• Application Number:
  US16/039,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20180321791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345204, 178 1801- 804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

channel scan logic configurable for being coupled to an event-sensitive panel that provides one or more output signals indicative of an event condition on the panel;

wherein the channel scan logic is further configurable to adjust a range of rows on the panel to be automatically scanned in a single low-power scan to detect an event condition substantially free of processor control.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for adjusting a number of timing sequences to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for adjusting a number of signal frequencies to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for adjusting an order of a number of signal frequencies to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable to wake up a processor upon the detection of the event condition.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel by repeatedly stimulating the range of rows on the panel with an AC signal until a request is received from a processor to stop scanning.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for autonomously scanning one row of the range of rows on the panel by stimulating the one row with an AC signal and waiting to scan another row until a request is received from a processor to scan another row.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, the channel scan logic further configurable for autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel with an AC signal in one frame and waiting to scan the range of rows in another frame until a request is received from a processor to scan another frame.

9. A method of scanning an event sensitive panel, comprising:

adjusting a range of rows on the panel to be automatically scanned in a single low-power scan to detect an event condition substantially free of processor control;

autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel for the event condition;

detecting the event condition on the panel; and

waking up a processor upon the detection of the event condition.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting a number of timing sequences to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting a number of signal frequencies to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting an order of a number of signal frequencies to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel by repeatedly stimulating the range of rows on the panel with an AC signal until a request is received from the processor to stop scanning.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising autonomously scanning one row of the range of rows on the panel by stimulating the one row with an AC signal and waiting to scan another row until a request is received from the processor to scan another row.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel with an AC signal in one frame and waiting to scan the range of rows in another frame until a request is received from the processor to scan another frame.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a programmable electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform a method comprising:

adjusting a range of rows on an event-sensitive panel to be automatically scanned in a single low-power scan to detect an event condition substantially free of processor control;

autonomously scanning the range of rows on the panel for the event condition;

detecting the event condition on the panel; and

waking up a processor upon the detection of the event condition.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising adjusting a number of timing sequences to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising adjusting a number of timing sequences to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising adjusting a number of signal frequencies to be applied to each row being automatically scanned.