Master/slave mode for sensor processing devices

• US 20080158177A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Thomas James, Hori, Yutaka, Vu, Minh-Dieu Thi
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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

Abstract

A computer system having two or more controllers operating in a Master/Slave configuration is disclosed. In one embodiment, the computer system includes: a sensor panel having a first portion for generating a first set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the first portion, and a second portion for generating a second set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the second portion; a first device for receiving and processing the first set of output signals from the first portion of the panel; and a second device for receiving and processing the second set of output signals from the second portion of the panel, wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a sensor panel having a first portion for generating a first set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the first portion, and a second portion for generating a second set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the second portion;

a first device for receiving and processing the first set of output signals from the first portion of the panel; and

a second device for receiving and processing the second set of output signals from the second portion of the panel, wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the second device receives a timing signal from the first device and synchronizes its operations to the timing signal.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the first device includes a first clock generator and the second device includes a second clock generator that is disabled.

4. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the first device includes a first I/O pin and the second device includes a second I/O pin, and the timing signal is sent from the first I/O pin to the second I/O pin.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein a first microprocessor in the first device performs processing functions for both the first and second devices and a second microprocessor within the second device is disabled.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the first device comprises a first communication interface and the second device comprises a second communication interface, wherein the first and second communication interfaces communicate in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the predetermined communication protocol comprises a packet-based communication protocol, enabling data to be transmitted between the first and second communication interfaces with no intervention by the first microprocessor.

8. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the first and second communication interfaces are serial peripheral interfaces.

9. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

a level shifter configured to amplify a drive signal received from the first device to a desired amplitude; and

a decoder configured to apply the amplified drive signal to a selected row electrode within the sensor panel.

10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the panel comprises a plurality of row electrodes separated by a dielectric from a plurality of column electrodes oriented substantially orthogonally from the row electrodes.

11. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the first device and second device perform operations in a pipeline fashion.

12. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices are identical one another and each is configurable to operate in a standalone, Master or Slave mode of operation.

13. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system is embodied in a mobile telephone.

14. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system is embodiment in a digital audio player.

15. A method of processing output sense signal from a sensor panel, comprising:

providing a first set of output signals from a first portion of the sensor to a first device, wherein the first device generates a first set of results data based on the first set of output signals;

providing a second set of output signals from a second portion of the sensor panel to a second device, wherein the second device generates a second set of results data based on the second set of output signals; and

configuring the first and second devices to operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing a timing signal from the first device to the second device, wherein the timing signal synchronizes operations of the first and second device.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing the first and second sets of results data to a first microprocessor within the first device; and

disabling a second microprocessor within the second device, thereby reducing power consumption by the second device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising communicating data between the first and second devices in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the predetermined communication protocol comprises a packet-based communication protocol, enabling data to be transmitted between the first and second devices with no intervention by the first microprocessor.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

amplifying a drive signal received from the first device to a desired amplitude; and

applying the amplified drive signal to a selected drive electrode within the sensor panel.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

applying a first drive signal to a first drive electrode of the sensor panel, thereby generating the first and second sets of output signals;

storing the first set of results data in a first memory of the first device;

storing the second set of results data in a second memory of the second device;

shifting the second set of results data from the second memory to the first memory device; and

applying a second drive signal to a second drive electrode of the sensor panel, thereby generating third and fourth sets of output signals from the panel, wherein the applying, storing and shifting steps are performed in a pipeline fashion.

17. The method of claim 17 further comprising disabling a clock generator in the second device, thereby reducing power consumption by the second device.

23. An apparatus for processing output sense signal from a sensor panel, comprising:

means for providing a first set of output signals from a first portion of the sensor to a first device, wherein the first device generates a first set of results data based on the first set of output signals; and

means for providing a second set of output signals from a second portion of the sensor panel to a second device, wherein the second device generates a second set of results data based on the second set of output signals, and wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising means for providing a timing signal from the first device to the second device, wherein the timing signal synchronizes operations of the first and second device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising means for communicating data between the first and second devices in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the predetermined communication protocol comprises a packet-based communication protocol, enabling data to be transmitted between the first and second devices with no intervention by first and second processors within the first and second devices, respectively.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

means for amplifying a drive signal received from the first device to a desired amplitude; and

means for applying the amplified drive signal to a selected drive electrode within the sensor panel.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

means for applying a first drive signal to a first drive electrode of the sensor panel, thereby generating the first and second sets of output signals;

means storing the first set of results data in a first memory of the first device;

means for storing the second set of results data in a second memory of the second device;

means for shifting the second set of results data from the second memory to the first memory device; and

means for applying a second drive signal to a second drive electrode of the sensor panel, thereby generating third and fourth sets of output signals from the panel, wherein the means for applying, storing and shifting are configured to cooperatively operate in a pipeline fashion.

29. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a sensor panel having a first portion for generating a first set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the first portion, and a second portion for generating a second set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the second portion;

a first device for receiving and processing the first set of output signals from the first portion of the panel; and

a second device for receiving and processing the second set of output signals from the second portion of the panel, wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.

30. A digital audio player, comprising:

a sensor panel having a first portion for generating a first set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the first portion, and a second portion for generating a second set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the second portion;

a first device for receiving and processing the first set of output signals from the first portion of the panel; and

a second device for receiving and processing the second set of output signals from the second portion of the panel, wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.