POWER-SAVING FUNCTION FOR TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE

• US 20060284857A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: OH, Jang Geun
• Application Number:
  US11/422,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power-saving function for a touch screen device provides efficient use of power, such as from a battery for a portable device. The touch screen device may include a sampling unit for digitizing an input to the touch screen. The power-saving function is provided with a battery level-monitoring unit for monitoring a battery level, and a sampling rate controller for controlling a sampling rate of the sampling unit based on the battery level monitored by the battery level-monitoring unit.

Claims

1. A power-saving apparatus for a device having a touch screen and a sampling unit for digitizing an input to the touch screen, the apparatus comprising:

a battery level-monitoring unit for monitoring a battery level; and

a sampling rate controller for controlling a sampling rate of the sampling unit based on the battery level monitored by the battery level-monitoring unit.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory device for storing a correlation between a threshold value of the battery level and the sampling rate of the sampling unit, the memory device being operatively connected to the sampling rate controller.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sampling rate controller is configured for providing a first mode for setting the sampling rate and a second mode for setting the sampling rate, wherein the first mode sets the sampling rate according to the battery level, and the second mode sets the sampling rate to a constant value.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second mode is provided regardless of the battery level.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mode of the sampling rate controller is selectively controllable by a user.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sampling rate controller is configured for automatically controlling the sampling rate based upon the battery level.

7. A touch screen device, the device comprising:

a sampling unit for digitizing an input to the touch screen; and

a power saving apparatus, wherein the power saving apparatus includes;

a battery level-monitoring unit for monitoring a battery level of a battery; and

a sampling rate controller of the sampling unit, the sampling rate controller being configured for controlling a sampling rate of the sampling unit based on the battery level monitored by the battery level-monitoring unit.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sampling unit includes an Analog-to-Digital (AD) converter.

9. The device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a memory device for storing a correlation between a threshold value of the battery level and the sampling rate of the sampling unit, the memory device being operatively connected to the sampling rate controller.

10. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sampling rate controller is configured for providing a first mode for setting the sampling rate and a second mode for setting the sampling rate, wherein the first mode sets the sampling rate according to the battery level, and the second mode sets the sampling rate to a constant value.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second mode is provided regardless of the battery level.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mode of the sampling rate controller is selectively controllable by a user.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sampling rate controller is configured for automatically controlling the sampling rate based upon the battery level.

14. The device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

the touch screen; and

the battery providing a power supply.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein controlling the sampling rate comprises setting the sampling rate based on a correlation between a threshold value of the battery level and the sampling rate of the sampling unit stored in a look-up table.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein controlling the sampling rate of the sampling unit based on the battery level comprises:

comparing a threshold value for the battery level stored in a memory device with a current battery level; and

setting the sampling rate to a new sampling rate based on the battery level stored in the memory device.

15. A method for adjusting a sampling rate of a sampling unit in a touch screen device, the method comprising:

monitoring a battery level; and

controlling the sampling rate of the sampling unit based on the battery level.