Apparatus and method for configuring a touch screen

• US 7,663,606 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wilder, Richard L., Mattice, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US10/805,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/12, 463/13, 463/20, 463 35- 37, 345/180, 345/178, 345/179, 345156-174, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners

Abstract

In a method for determining an operating frequency of a touch screen unit a first set of sinusoidal signals may be provided to a plurality of electrodes of a touch screen, each sinusoidal signal in the first set of sinusoidal signals having a first frequency, and a first value indicative of the amount of current flowing from the plurality of electrodes when the touch screen is not being touched by a person and when the first set of sinusoidal signals is provided to the plurality of the electrodes may be determined. A second set of sinusoidal signals may be provided to the plurality of electrodes of the touch screen, each sinusoidal signal in the second set of sinusoidal signals having a second frequency, and a second value indicative of the amount of current flowing from the plurality of electrodes when the touch screen is not being touched by the person and when the second set of sinusoidal signals is provided to the plurality of the electrodes may be determined. An operating frequency of sinusoidal signals to be provided to the plurality of electrodes may be determined based on the first value and the second value.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit;

a value input device;

a touch screen unit including;

a configurable clock generator to generate a clock signal having a configurable clock frequency, the configurable clock generator having an oscillator, a phase locked loop coupled to the oscillator, and a configurable frequency divider coupled to the phase locked loop;

a sinusoid generator coupled to a plurality of electrodes of a touch screen for generating a plurality of sensed signals indicative of signals flowing from the plurality of electrodes, and coupled to the configurable clock generator, the sinusoid generator adapted to generate first and second sinusoidal signals having frequencies based on the clock frequency, wherein the first sinusoid signal can be generated at 90 degrees out of phase with the second sinusoidal signal;

a plurality of sensors coupled to the plurality of electrodes and configured to;

receive both the sensed signals and the first and second sinusoidal signals, wherein the first sinusoid signal is 90 degrees out of phase with the second sinusoidal signal; and

generate, based on the first an second sinusoidal signals, modified sensed signals indicative of signals flowing from each electrode of the plurality of electrodes as modified by the first and second sinusoidal signals;

a filter and amplitude calculator unit coupled to the plurality of sensors, the unit including a low pass filter adapted to pass only lower frequencies of the modified sensed signals below a cut off frequency, and an amplitude calculator adapted to calculate amplitudes of the modified sensed signals based on the passed lower frequencies; and

a touch position calculator coupled to the filter and amplitude calculator unit and adapted to generate an estimate of a touch position based on the calculated amplitudes of the modified sensed signals;

a main controller operatively coupled to the display unit, the value input device, and the touch screen unit, the main controller comprising a main processor and a main memory operatively coupled to the main processor,

the main controller being programmed to receive value input data via the value input device,

the main controller being programmed to cause the display unit to generate a first game display relating to one of the following games;

poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo,

the main controller being programmed to receive player input data via the touch screen unit,

the main controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

2. A gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main controller is further programmed generate the estimate of the touch position based on estimates of amplitudes of the sensed signals.

3. A gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main controller is further programmed to control the configurable clock frequency of the configurable clock generator.

4. A gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen unit comprises a touch screen controller operatively coupled to the main controller, the touch screen controller comprising a touch screen processor and a touch screen memory operatively coupled to the touch screen processor, the touch screen controller being programmed to generate the estimate of the touch position based on estimates of amplitudes of the sensed signals.

5. A gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen unit comprises a touch screen controller operatively coupled to the configurable clock generator, and the main controller, the touch screen controller comprising a touch screen processor and a touch screen memory operatively coupled to the touch screen processor, the touch screen controller being programmed to control the configurable clock frequency of the configurable clock generator.