Minimum move touch plane scanning method and device

• US 7,551,163 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Dotson, Gary Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/272,936
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1804
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A method of determining a type of touch plane operator input device comprises sensing the impedance across first and second terminals of a touch plane operator input device to distinguish the touch plane operator input device as being one of at least two different types of touch plane operator input devices. A method of processing an input from a touch plane operator input device comprises determining a first location of a first touch on the touch plane operator input device; determining a second location of a second touch on the touch plane operator input device; comparing the first and second locations to obtain an indication of an amount of difference between the first and second locations; and determining whether the indication of the amount of difference exceeds a predetermined amount. These steps are performed by discrete logic circuitry that provides an event notification to a microprocessor when the indication of the amount of difference exceeds the predetermined amount. An interface circuit for a touch plane operator input device comprises a digital signal processor that includes a data processing path along which data from a touch plane operator input device passes while being processed by the digital signal processor. The interface circuit is capable of processing data from first and second different types of touch plane operator input devices. The data path is a common data processing path that is the same for input data for both of the first and second types of touch plane operator input devices.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit that provides compatibility with a plurality of a touch plane operator input device, comprising:

a microprocessor; and

a touch device interface that interfaces the microprocessor to a touch plane operator input device, the touch device interface is compatible with a plurality of touch plane operator input devices and automatically detects the type of the touch plane operator input device comprising a touch pad, an analog resistive touch screen, a capacitive touch screen and an electrostatic touch screen, the touch device interface further automatically detects type of the analog resistive touch screen comprising a 4-wire touch screen, a 5-wire touch screen, a 7-wire touch screen, or an 8-wire touch screen, wherein the 5-wire touch screen comprises a wiper terminal, the 7-wire touch screen comprises two voltage feedback terminals and the 8-wire touch screen comprises four voltage feedback terminals.

2. The circuit of claim 1, the type of the touch plane operator input device is determined based at least in part upon interface characteristics of the touch plane operator input device.

3. The circuit of claim 2, the interface characteristics are determined based upon impedance characteristics of the touch plane operator input device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the impedance characteristics of the touch plane operator input device comprise infinite impedance and relative impedance.

5. The circuit of claim 2, the interface characteristics are based at least in part upon a size of the touch plane operator input device, wherein the touch plane operator input devices having large size include the voltage feedback terminals to compensate for effects of resistance and temperature drift.

6. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a digital signal processing circuit that reduces utilization of the microprocessor, the digital signal processing circuit distinguishes significant operator interaction with the touch plane operator input device from insignificant operator interaction with the touch plane operator input device and notifies the microprocessor when the operator interaction with the touch plane operator input device is significant.

7. The circuit of claim 6, the digital signal processing circuit compares the displacement between a first touch and a second touch with a minimum value and determines that the operator interaction is significant if the displacement is greater than the minimum value.

8. The circuit of claim 6, the digital signal processing circuit compares the displacement between a first touch and a second touch with a maximum value and determines that the operator interaction is significant if the displacement is less than the maximum value.

9. The circuit of claim 6, the digital signal processing circuit compares an x-axis displacement and a y-axis displacement between a first touch and a second touch with an x-axis minimum value and a y-axis minimum value and determines that the operator interaction is significant if one of the x-axis displacement is greater than the x-axis minimum value and the y-axis displacement is greater than the y-axis minimum value.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage feedback terminals provide voltage feedback to eliminate effects of resistance and temperature drift due to large screen size.

11. A methodology for providing compatibility for a touch device interface, comprising:

determining automatically type of a touch plane operator input device comprising a touch pad, an analog resistive touch screen, a capacitive touch screen and an electrostatic touch screen;

determining automatically subtype of the touch plane operator input device for the analog resistive touch screen comprising a 4-wire touch screen, a 5-wire touch screen, a 7-wire touch screen, or an 8-wire touch screen based at least in part upon interface characteristics of the touch plane operator input device, the interface characteristics being determined based upon impedance characteristics of the touch plane operator input device; and

configuring the touch device interface to operate with the touch plane operator input device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining automatically a subtype of the touch plane operator input device based upon at least upon one of impedance characteristics of the touch plane operator input device, the size of the touch plane operator input device and a value of a detect bit.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a first coordinate based upon a first touch on the touch plane operator input device;

determining a second coordinate based upon a second touch on the touch plane operator input device;

distinguishing significant inputs to the touch plane operator device from insignificant inputs based upon the displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate; and

notifying a microprocessor when a significant input is detected.

14. The method of claim 13, distinguishing significant inputs further comprises:

determining an x-axis displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate;

comparing the x-axis displacement to an x-axis minimum value;

if the x-axis displacement is less than the x-axis minimum value;

determining a y-axis displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate; and

comparing the y-axis displacement to a y-axis minimum value; and

ensuring that at least one of the x-axis displacement is greater than the x-axis minimum value and the y-axis displacement is greater than the y-axis minimum value.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising reducing power consumption to extend battery life by waiting in a touch detect mode until a touch is detected, the touch plane operator input device is substantially free of current flow in the touch detect mode.

16. A system that provides compatibility for a touch device interface, comprising:

means for discovering automatically type of a touch plane operator input device comprising a 4-wire analog resistive touch screen, a 5-wire analog resistive touch screen, a 7-wire analog resistive touch screen, or an 8-wire analog resistive touch screen based at least in part upon interface characteristics of the touch plane operator input device;

means for configuring the touch device interface to operate with the touch plane operator input device;

means for receiving a first coordinate based upon a first touch on the touch plane operator input device;

means for receiving a second coordinate based upon a second touch on the touch plane operator input device;

means for differentiating significant inputs to the touch plane operator device from insignificant inputs based upon the displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate; and

means for alerting a microprocessor when a significant input is detected.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for discovering automatically a subtype of the touch plane operator input device based upon at least upon one of impedance characteristics of the touch plane operator input device, the size of the touch plane operator input device and a value of a detect bit.

18. The system of claim 17, means for differentiating significant inputs further comprises:

means for discovering an x-axis displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate;

means for comparing the x-axis displacement to an x-axis minimum value;

if the x-axis displacement is less than the x-axis minimum value;

means for discovering a y-axis displacement between the first coordinate and the second coordinate; and

means for comparing the y-axis displacement to a y-axis minimum value; and

means for ensuring that at least one of the x-axis displacement is greater than the x-axis minimum value and the y-axis displacement is greater than the y-axis minimum value.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for reducing power consumption to extend battery life by waiting in a touch detect mode until a touch is detected, the touch plane operator input device is substantially free of current flow in the touch detect mode.