OBJECT DETECTION AND SCAN

• US 20160202784A1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bell, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,409,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• 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 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• 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

In certain embodiments, a method includes determining a position of a touch input in a touch-sensitive area of a touch sensor. The touch sensor includes a first number of electrodes having a first orientation and a second number of electrodes having a second orientation. The second orientation being different from the first orientation. The method also includes selecting a first set of the first number of electrodes corresponding to at least a portion of an area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area; and applying a first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first number of electrodes based at least in part on the area of the touch input being larger than a pre-determined area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a position of a touch input in a touch-sensitive area of a touch sensor, the touch sensor comprising a first plurality of electrodes having a first orientation and a second plurality of electrodes having a second orientation, the second orientation being different from the first orientation;

selecting a first set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponding to at least a portion of an area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area; and

applying a first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes based at least in part on the area of the touch input being larger than a pre-determined area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a first set of the second plurality of electrodes corresponding to at least the portion of the area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area;

applying, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes; and

applying, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes and the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes, a signal comprising a second pre-determined voltage to electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, and electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first pre-determined voltage is ground; and

the signal comprises a synchronization signal for a stylus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second pre-determined voltage is higher than the first pre-determined voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input is an entirety of the area of the touch input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input comprises a centroid of the area of the touch input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an edge of the area of the touch input, wherein the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponds to the detected edge of the touch input.

8. A controller comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing logic configured to cause the processor as a result of being by executed the processor, to;

determine a position of a touch input in a touch-sensitive area of a touch sensor, the touch sensor comprising a first plurality of electrodes having a first orientation and a second plurality of electrodes having a second orientation, the second orientation being different from the first orientation;

select a first set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponding to at least a portion of the area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area; and

apply a first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes based at least in part on the area of the touch input being larger than a pre-determined area.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select a first set of the second plurality of electrodes corresponding at least a portion of the area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area;

apply, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes; and

apply, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes and the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes, a signal comprising a second pre-determined voltage to electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, and electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein:

the first pre-determined voltage is ground; and

the signal comprises a synchronization signal for a stylus.

11. The controller of claim 9, wherein the second pre-determined voltage is higher than the first pre-determined voltage.

12. The controller of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input is an entirety of the area of the touch input.

13. The controller of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input comprises a centroid of the area of the touch input.

14. The controller of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an edge of the area of the touch input, wherein the selected set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponds to the detected edge of the touch input.

15. A system comprising:

a touch sensor comprising a first plurality of electrodes having a first orientation and a second plurality of electrodes having a second orientation, the second orientation is different from the first orientation; and

a controller coupled to the touch sensor, the controller comprising;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing logic configured to cause the processor as a result of being by executed the processor, to;

determine a position of a touch input in a touch-sensitive area of a touch sensor;

select a first set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponding to at least a portion of the area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area; and

apply a first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes based at least in part on the area of the touch input being larger than a pre-determined area.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select a first set of the second plurality of electrodes covering at least a portion of the area of the touch input within the touch-sensitive area; and

apply, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes; and

apply, while applying the first pre-determined voltage to the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes and the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes, a signal comprising a second pre-determined voltage to electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes, and electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes other than the selected first set of the second plurality of electrodes.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the first pre-determined voltage is ground; and

the signal comprises a synchronization signal for a stylus.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an edge of the area of the touch input, wherein the selected first set of the first plurality of electrodes corresponds to the detected edge of the touch input.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input is an entirety of the area of the touch input.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least a portion of the area of the touch input comprises a centroid of the area of the touch input.