Capacitive Touchscreen System with Multiplexers
First Claim
1. A capacitive touchscreen system comprising,a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing, between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and to second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or other touch devices brought into proximity thereto;
- a first multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces;
a second multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces;
a plurality of sense circuits operably connected to the first multiplexer, one each of such sense circuits being operably and selectably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces under the control of a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto, each sense circuit comprising a charge integrator circuit operably connected to a corresponding, comparator, anda drive circuit operably connected to the second multiplexer and configured to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces therethrough;
wherein the drive/sense processor operably is connected to the first and second multiplexers, the plurality of sense circuits and the drive circuit, the drive/sense processor being configured to control the operation of the plurality of sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first or second pluralities of traces, the sense circuits, and the first multiplexer, and to control the operation of the drive circuit to drive at least some of the first or second pluralities of traces through the second multiplexer, the drive circuit and the first and second multiplexers being controlled by the drive/sense processor such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the first plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the second plurality of traces, and further such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the second plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the first plurality of traces.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system that is capable of sensing simultaneous or near-simultaneous multiple finger touches made on a capacitive touchscreen. In one embodiment, drive and sense circuits operably connected to X and Y lines of the touchscreen may be interchangeably and selectably configured to drive and sense X and Y lines of the touchscreen, respectively, or drive and sense Y and X lines, respectively, of the touchscreen, through first and second multiplexers operating under the control of a drive/sense processor.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A capacitive touchscreen system comprising,
a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing, between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and to second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or other touch devices brought into proximity thereto; -
a first multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces; a second multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces; a plurality of sense circuits operably connected to the first multiplexer, one each of such sense circuits being operably and selectably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces under the control of a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto, each sense circuit comprising a charge integrator circuit operably connected to a corresponding, comparator, and a drive circuit operably connected to the second multiplexer and configured to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces therethrough; wherein the drive/sense processor operably is connected to the first and second multiplexers, the plurality of sense circuits and the drive circuit, the drive/sense processor being configured to control the operation of the plurality of sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first or second pluralities of traces, the sense circuits, and the first multiplexer, and to control the operation of the drive circuit to drive at least some of the first or second pluralities of traces through the second multiplexer, the drive circuit and the first and second multiplexers being controlled by the drive/sense processor such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the first plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the second plurality of traces, and further such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the second plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the first plurality of traces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A capacitive touchscreen system, comprising:
-
a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or other touch devices brought into proximity thereto; a first multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces; a second multiplexer operably connected to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces; a plurality of sense circuits operably connected to the first multiplexer and to the second multiplexer, one each of such sense circuits being operably and selectably connectable to a corresponding one of the first or second pluralities of traces under the control of a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto, each sense circuit comprising a charge integrator circuit operably connected to a corresponding comparator, and a drive circuit operably connected to the first and second multiplexers and configured to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces therethrough; wherein the drive/sense processor operably is connected to the first and second multiplexers, the plurality of sense circuits and the drive circuit, the drive/sense processor being configured to control the operation of the plurality of sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first or second pluralities of traces, the sense circuits, and the first or second multiplexers, and to control the operation of the drive circuit to drive at least some of the first or second pluralities of traces through the first or second multiplexers, the drive circuit and the first and second multiplexers being controlled by the drive/sense processor such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the first plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the second plurality of traces, and further such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the second plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the first plurality of traces. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method of detecting touches on a capacitive touchscreen system comprising a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or other touch devices brought into proximity thereto, a first multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces, a second multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces, a plurality of sense circuits operably connected to the first multiplexer, one each of such sense, circuits being operably and selectably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces under the control of a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto, each sense circuit comprising a charge integrator circuit operably connected to a corresponding comparator, and a drive circuit operably connected to the second multiplexer and configured to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces therethrough, wherein the drive/sense processor operably is connected to the first to and second multiplexers, the plurality of sense circuits and the drive circuit, the drive/sense processor being configured to control the operation of the plurality of sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first or second pluralities of traces, the sense circuits, and the first multiplexer, and to control the operation of the drive circuit to drive at least some of the first or second pluralities of traces through the second multiplexer, the drive circuit and the first and second multiplexers being controlled by the drive/tense processor such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the first plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the second plurality of traces, and further such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the second plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the first plurality of traces, the method comprising:
-
(a) driving the first plurality of electrically conductive traces through the drive circuit; (b) sensing the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of electrically conductive traces and the sense circuits; (c) driving the second plurality of electrically conductive traces through the drive circuit; (d) sensing the mutual capacitances through the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and the sense circuits, and (e) detecting the locations of one or more touches on the touchscreen on the basis of sensed mutual capacitances exceeding predetermined voltage thresholds. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method of detecting touches on a capacitive touchscreen system comprising a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or other touch devices brought into proximity thereto, a first multiplexer operably connected to the first plurality of electrically conductive traces, a second multiplexer operably connected to the second plurality of electrically conductive traces, a plurality of sense circuits operably connected to the first multiplexer and to the second multiplexer, one each of such sense circuits being operably and selectably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces under the control of a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto, each sense circuit comprising a charge integrator circuit operably connected to a corresponding comparator, and a drive circuit operably connected to the first and second multiplexers and configured to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces or second plurality of traces through the first or second multiplexers, to wherein the drive/sense processor operably is connected to the first and second multiplexers, the plurality of sense circuits and the drive circuit, the drive/sense processor being configured to control the operation of the plurality of sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first or second pluralities of traces, the sense circuits, and the first or second multiplexers, and to control the operation of the drive circuit to drive at least some of the first or second pluralities of traces through the first or second multiplexers, the drive circuit and the first and second, multiplexers being controlled by the drive/sense processor such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the first plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the second plurality of traces, and further such that when the mutual capacitances are being sensed by the sense circuits through the second plurality of traces the drive circuit is driving the first plurality of traces, the method comprising:
-
(a) driving the first plurality of electrically conductive traces through the drive circuit; (b) sensing the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of electrically conductive traces and the sense circuits; (c) driving the second plurality of electrically conductive traces through the drive circuit; (d) sensing the mutual capacitances through the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and the sense circuits, and (e) detecting the locations of one or more touches on the touchscreen on the basis of sensed mutual capacitances exceeding predetermined voltage thresholds. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
Specification