POWER SAVING TOUCH ELECTRONIC BOOK

• US 20120032909A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: WANG, Tzu-Ming
• Application Number:
  US12/851,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032909A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A power saving touch electronic book, operated by a stylus, including: a proximity sensing unit, used to output an enable signal by detecting the distance the stylus is away from it, wherein the enable signal is at a first level when the distance is not larger than a predetermined threshold, and at a second level when the distance is larger than the predetermined threshold; a control unit, having an enable input end and a touch sensing interface, the enable input being coupled with the enable signal, and the touch sensing interface having a power supply output terminal which will output a power for touch sensing when the enable signal changes state from the second level to the first level; and a touch screen, coupled with the touch sensing interface to access the power for touch sensing and thereby provide a touch sensing function.

Claims

1. A power saving touch electronic book, operated by a stylus, comprising:

a proximity sensing unit, used to output an enable signal according to the distance said stylus is away from said proximity sensing unit, wherein said enable signal is at a first level when said distance is not larger than a predetermined threshold, and at a second level when said distance is larger than said predetermined threshold;

a control unit, having an enable input end and a touch sensing interface, said enable input end coupled with said enable signal, said touch sensing interface being used to output a power for touch sensing and receive a touch sensing signal when said enable signal changes state from said second level to said first level; and

a touch screen, coupled with said touch sensing interface to access said power for touch sensing and provide said touch sensing signal in response to a touch operation using said stylus.

2. The power saving touch electronic book as claim 1, wherein said control unit further comprises:

a register, used to store a predetermined value of idle time, having a default value, and the content of said register being alterable by a touch operation on said touch screen using said stylus; and

a timer, which will start counting from an initial value when said control unit receives said touch sensing signal or detects an event that said enable signal changes state from said second level to said first level, wherein said control unit will shut down said power for touch sensing when the counting value of said timer reaches said predetermined value of idle time.

3. The power saving touch electronic book as claim 1, wherein said touch screen comprises a touch module selected from the group consisting of a resistive touch module, a capacitive touch module, an optics touch module, a surface acoustic wave touch module, and a force sensing touch module.

4. The power saving touch electronic book as claim 1, wherein said touch screen comprises a display selected from the group consisting of an electrophoresis display, a MEMS display, a cholesteric liquid crystal display, an electrowetting display, and a liquid crystal display.

5. The power saving touch electronic book as claim 2, wherein said control unit is implemented with a micro controller.

6. The power saving touch electronic book as claim 1, wherein said proximity sensing unit comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of a magnetic sensor, a supersonic sensor, and a capacitive proximity sensor.