MULTI-LAYERED SENSING WITH MULTIPLE RESOLUTIONS

• US 20140359756A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alameh, Rachid M., Love, Robert T., Slaby, Jiri
• Granted Patent: US 9,261,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A display component (108) displays multiple icons that a user can touch. A multi-layered sensing component (104) includes at least a high resolution sensing component (204) and a low resolution sensing component (202). The low resolution sensing component is activated to detect objects touching the multi-layer sensing component. In response to the low resolution sensing component detecting an object touching one of the multiple icons, the low resolution sensing component is deactivated and at least a portion of the high resolution sensing component over the touched icon is activated. The high resolution sensing component senses the user'"'"'s fingerprint, which is authenticated. After sensing the user'"'"'s fingerprint, the high resolution sensing component is deactivated and the low resolution sensing component is reactivated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying multiple icons on a display of a device;

activating a low resolution sensing component of the device to detect touches;

detecting an object touching one of the multiple icons using the low resolution sensing component; and

in response to detecting the object touching one of the multiple icons;

deactivating the low resolution sensing component; and

activating at least an area of a high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining the area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon based on the object detected using the low resolution sensing component.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a fingerprint in at least the area using the high resolution sensing component;

authenticating the fingerprint; and

in response to authenticating the fingerprint;

deactivating the high resolution sensing component; and

activating the low resolution sensing component.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising allowing an application represented by the one icon to run with an identity of a user touching the one icon authenticated in response to authenticating the fingerprint.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, the activating at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon comprising activating a portion of the high resolution sensing component that is over the one icon or is within a threshold distance of being over the one icon.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, the high resolution sensing component comprising a sensing grid, and the activating at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon comprising activating drive lines and sense lines of the sensing grid that pass over the one icon or that are within a threshold distance of passing over the one icon.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the high resolution sensing component;

activating the low resolution sensing component;

detecting an object touching an additional one of the multiple icons using the low resolution sensing component; and

keeping the low resolution sensing component activated and the high resolution sensing component deactivated while the object is touching the additional one of the multiple icons.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, activating at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon comprising activating at least the area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon in a medium resolution mode that is less than a full resolution of the high resolution sensing component.

9. A device comprising:

a display control module configured to display multiple icons on a display;

a low resolution sensing component configured to detect an object touching one of the multiple icons; and

a high resolution sensing component configured to sense a fingerprint in an area that corresponds to the one icon.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, the low resolution sensing component being deactivated while the high resolution sensing component is sensing the fingerprint, and being reactivated after the high resolution sensing component has sensed the fingerprint.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, the high resolution sensing component being further configured to deactivate portions of the high resolution sensing component beyond the area that corresponds to the one icon, the area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon being portions of the high resolution sensing component approximately over the one icon.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, the high resolution sensing component comprising a sensing grid, and the area that corresponds to the one icon comprising drive lines and sense lines of the sensing grid that pass over the one icon or that are within a threshold distance of passing over the one icon.

13. A device comprising:

a display control module configured to display multiple icons on a display;

a high resolution sensing component;

a low resolution sensing component; and

a sensing component control module configured to;

activate the low resolution sensing component to detect touches;

detect an object touching one of the multiple icons using the low resolution sensing component; and

both deactivate the low resolution sensing component and activate at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon in response to the object touching the one of the multiple icons.

14. The device as recited in claim 13, the sensing component control module being further configured to determine the area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon based on the object detected using the low resolution sensing component.

15. The device as recited in claim 13, the sensing component control module being further configured to determine multiple additional areas of the high resolution sensing component that correspond to multiple additional concurrent touches detected using the low resolution sensing component, and activate the multiple additional areas of the high resolution sensing component.

16. The device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a driver component and a multiplexer component configured to activate different parts of the high resolution sensing component at different times.

17. The device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a driver component configured to activate the high resolution sensing component and the low resolution sensing component at different times.

18. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the low resolution sensing component is situated above the display, the high resolution sensing component is situated above the low resolution sensing component, a separation layer is situated above the high resolution sensing component and the low resolution sensing component, and a protective layer is situated on top of the high resolution sensing component.

19. The device as recited in claim 13, where to activate at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon comprises activating a portion of the high resolution sensing component that is over the one icon or is within a threshold distance of being over the one icon.

20. The device as recited in claim 13, the high resolution sensing component comprising a sensing grid, and wherein to activate at least an area of the high resolution sensing component that corresponds to the one icon comprises activating drive lines and sense lines of the sensing grid that pass over the one icon or that are within a threshold distance of passing over the one icon.