PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR WAKING UP THE SAME FROM SLEEP MODE THROUGH TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20100134437A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Chih-Chang, Yang, Shu-Hsiang, Yang, Ming-Jer, Chien, Chung-An
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a touch screen, a micro processing unit, a central processor and a display is provided. The central processor can operate in a normal operation mode or a sleep mode. The touch screen overlays the display, and includes a first touch area, a second touch area and at least one electrode. When the central processor operates in the sleep mode and one of the first and second touch areas senses a touch, the at least one electrode generates a touch signal. The micro processing unit determines whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area according to the touch signal. If the touch is sensed by the second touch area, the micro processing unit outputs a wake-up signal to the central processing unit, so as to switch the central processor from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a central processor, capable of operating in a sleep mode and a normal operation mode;

a display, having a display area for displaying information;

a touch screen, overlaid on the display and having a first touch area overlaid on the display area of the display, a second touch area extending to outside of the display area, and at least one electrode, wherein when the central processor operates in the sleep mode and one of the first and the second touch areas senses a touch, the at least one electrode generates a touch signal; and

a micro processing unit, electrically connected to the at least one electrode, for determining whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area according to the touch signal, wherein when the touch is sensed by the second touch area, the micro processing unit outputs a wake-up signal to the central processor, so as to switch the central processor from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a touch screen controller, electrically connected between the touch screen and the central processor, wherein when the central processor operates in the normal operation mode, the touch screen controller transmits a plurality of scanning voltages to the touch screen to detect and obtain a coordinate value of a touch point and sends a read signal to make the central processor read the coordinate value of the touch point.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the micro processing unit outputs the wake-up signal to the central processor through an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro processing unit comprises:

an analog to digital converter, electrically connected to the at least one electrode, for converting the touch signal into a touch information, wherein the micro processing unit determines whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area according to the touch information.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen is a resistive touch screen.

6. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a fourth electrode, and the touch screen comprises:

a transparent thin film, wherein the first and the second electrodes are disposed at two sides of the transparent thin film along a first direction;

a transparent glass, wherein the third and the fourth electrodes are disposed at two sides of the transparent glass along a second direction;

a plurality of spacers, disposed between the transparent thin film and the transparent glass; and

a frame, disposed around the transparent glass, for fixing the transparent thin film on the transparent glass.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the central processor operates in the sleep mode, the touch screen controller transmits a pull-up voltage conducted between the second and the third electrodes, and the micro processing unit is electrically connected to the first or the second electrode.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the touch screen further comprises a plurality of touch keys disposed along the second direction in parallel.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, for containing the micro processing unit, the central processor and the touch screen controller, wherein the touch screen is disposed on a surface of the housing.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, which is a PDA phone, a smart phone, a satellite navigator or a PDA.

12. A method for waking up a portable electronic device from a sleep mode through a touch screen, the portable electronic device having a central processor, a touch screen and a micro processing unit, and the touch screen having a first touch area and a second touch area, the method comprising:

sensing a touch by one of the first and the second touch areas;

generating a touch signal when the touch is sensed;

according to the touch signal, determining, by the micro processing unit, whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area and outputting a wake-up signal if the touch is sensed by the second touch area; and

switching the central processor from the sleep mode to a normal operation mode according to the wake-up signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of scanning voltages to the touch screen to detect and obtain a coordinate value of a touch point in the normal operation mode, and sending a read signal to read the coordinate value of the touch point.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of outputting the wake-up signal according to the touch signal comprises:

converting the touch signal into a touch information; and

determining whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area according to the touch information.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the touch screen is a resistive touch screen.