CUSTOMIZING OPERATION OF A TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20130127757A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mann, Eytan, Geller, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A method for customizing operation of a digitizer system operated with an electronic device is described, the electronic device including software applications. The method includes operating the digitizer system in a first mode of operation, the first mode of operation defined by a plurality of operating parameters, receiving instructions for adjusting one or more operating parameters of the digitizer system, wherein the instructions are defined by a software application, the software application operative to receive input from the digitizer system, and updating operation of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software applications.

Claims

1. A method for customizing operation of a digitizer system operated with an electronic device, the electronic device including software applications, the method comprising:

operating the digitizer system in a first mode of operation, the first mode of operation defined by a plurality of operating parameters;

receiving instructions for adjusting one or more operating parameters of the digitizer system, wherein the instructions are defined by a software application, the software application operative to receive input from the digitizer system; and

updating operation of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions defined by one software application operative to receive input from the digitizer system is different than the instructions defined by another software application operative to receive input from the digitizer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions defined by a software application change during an operating session of the software application and wherein operation of the digitizer system is updated responsive to the changes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is selected from a group consisting of:

word processing application, drawing application, gaming application, internet browsing application, e-mail application, spreadsheet application, navigation application, data processing application, social networks application, phone dialing application, messaging application, security and/or signature verification application, handwriting recognition application, translation application, data consuming or processing application, image processing or displaying application, audio processing or playing application, video processing or playing application, electronic books application, news application and price comparison application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is a power management application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system includes a digitizer sensor formed from a plurality of conductive lines spread over a sensing surface and wherein the digitizer system is operative to alter a routine for triggering the conductive lines of the digitizer sensor responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to alter a refresh rate of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to toggle between activating or suspending activation of a processing routine for processing sampled data responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing routine is selected from a group including:

gesture detection, smoothing algorithms and palm detection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to activate one or more of stylus detection and fingertip detection responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to activate single touch detection or multi-touch detection responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the digitizer system is operative to activate a processing routine for detection of up to a predefined number of simultaneous fingertip touches responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to toggle between activating and suppressing hover detection of one or more of stylus or fingertip responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to alter number of bits used for sampling analog output responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operative to alter resolution of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is operative to learn a parameter characterizing how a user operates with the digitizer system and to define the instructions responsive to the parameter learned.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitizer system is operated with a mobile phone or a smart phone.

18. An electronic device including a host computer, electronic display and digitizer system, the electronic device comprising:

a controller associated with the host computer that receives instructions for adjusting one or more operating parameters of the digitizer system, the instructions defined by a software application, the software application running on the host computer;

a controller for operating the digitizer system, the controller operative to operate the digitizer system in a first mode of operation and to updating operation of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software application; and

an interface medium for communicating instructions defined by a software application to the controller of the digitizer system.

19. An electronic device of claim 18 comprising memory having stored thereon at least two software applications, each defining the one or more operating parameters of the digitizer system, wherein at least one of the operating parameters defined by one of the at least two software applications is different than that defined by the other of the at least two software applications.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the software application is selected from a group consisting of:

word processing application, drawing application, gaming application, internet browsing application, e-mail application, spreadsheet application, navigation application, data processing application, social networks application, phone dialing application, messaging application, security and/or signature verification application, handwriting recognition application, translation application, data consuming or processing application, image processing or displaying application, audio processing or playing application, video processing or playing application, electronic books application, news applications and price comparison application.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the software application is a power management application.

22. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the digitizer system includes a digitizer sensor formed from a plurality of conductive lines spread over a sensing surface and wherein the controller for operating the digitizer system is operative to alter a routine for triggering the conductive lines of the digitizer sensor responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

23. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller for operating the digitizer system is operative to alter a refresh rate of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

24. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller for operating the digitizer system is operative to toggle between activating or to suspending activation of a processing routine for processing sampled data responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the processing routine is selected from a group including:

gesture detection, smoothing algorithms and palm detection.

26. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller of the digitizer system is operative to activate one or more of stylus detection and fingertip detection responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

27. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller of the digitizer system is operative to activate one of single touch detection or multi-touch detection responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the controller of the digitizer system is operative to activate a processing routine for detection of up to a predefined number of simultaneous fingertip touches responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

29. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller of the digitizer system is operative to toggle between activating and suppressing hover detection of one or more of stylus or fingertip responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

30. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller of the digitizer system is operative to alter number of bits used for sampling analog output responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

31. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller digitizer system is operative to alter resolution of the digitizer system responsive to the instructions defined by the software application.

32. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone or a smart phone.