TOUCH SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING CUSTOMIZED SENSORS AND GENERICIZED CONTROLLERS
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing touch sensing circuit arrangements, each touch sensing circuit arrangement including a sensor to generate touch-related signals responsive to a touch input to the sensor, and a controller board to determine touch positions based on the touch-related signals, the method comprising:
- producing a plurality of different sensors, each of the different sensors customized by including a memory device storing computer-executable firmware instructions executable by the controller board for determining touch positions;
producing a plurality of controller boards; and
assembling a touch sensing circuit arrangement that includes one of the plurality of different sensors and that includes one of the plurality of controller boards.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Touch sensing circuit arrangements include a touch sensor and a controller board. The touch sensor includes one or more sensing elements to generate touch-related signals responsive to a touch input to the sensor, and a memory device storing computer-executable firmware instructions for determining touch positions based on the touch-related signals. The controller board includes query logic executable by the controller board to cause the controller board to query for the computer-executable firmware instructions stored on the memory device of the touch sensor, and a processor circuit to determine touch positions by executing the firmware instructions loaded onto the generic controller board in response to the query.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing touch sensing circuit arrangements, each touch sensing circuit arrangement including a sensor to generate touch-related signals responsive to a touch input to the sensor, and a controller board to determine touch positions based on the touch-related signals, the method comprising:
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producing a plurality of different sensors, each of the different sensors customized by including a memory device storing computer-executable firmware instructions executable by the controller board for determining touch positions; producing a plurality of controller boards; and assembling a touch sensing circuit arrangement that includes one of the plurality of different sensors and that includes one of the plurality of controller boards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of tracking parts for assembling touch sensing circuit arrangements responsive to specific orders, comprising:
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associating a different sensor-part number with each of a plurality of different types of sensors, each of the different sensors including a memory device storing computer-executable firmware instructions specific to the type of sensor for determining touch positions; associating a single controller-part number with each of a plurality of controller boards, each controller board configured for connection to each different type of sensor; for each different sensor-part number, managing an inventory of the associated type of sensor based in part on sensor-specific information contained in the orders; and managing an inventory of the controller boards based in part on the total inventory for all of the different sensors.
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14. A testing method for use with a touch sensing circuit arrangement that includes a controller board to determine touch positions based on touch-related signals generated by a sensor responsive to a touch input to the sensor, the sensor including a memory device storing a configuration profile including computer-executable firmware instructions for determining touch positions, the testing method comprising:
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assembling the touch sensing circuit arrangement by connecting the sensor to the controller board; loading the computer-executable firmware instructions onto the controller board from the sensor memory device; stimulating the touch sensor to generate test touch signals; evaluating the test touch signals using the computer-executable firmware instructions loaded onto the controller board; and verifying or modifying the configuration profile for the sensor responsive to results of the test touch signal evaluating step. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification