Touch-based user interface touch sensor power

• US 8,669,949 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Cipriano, Barry V., Vincent, Christopher D., Rip, Bojan, Carvajal, Santiago, Sakalowsky, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorad, Waseem
• Application Number:
  US12/887,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

An apparatus having a touch sensor able to detect the touch of a tip of a digit of a user, having a conductive ring able to detect the approach of the tip towards the touch sensor, having a motion sensor to sense movement of a casing the apparatus, and having components of a controller to place the apparatus in one of a lower power mode after a predetermined period of inactivity has elapsed, a partial power mode in response to an indication of the approach of a tip of a digit, and a higher power state to detect touching of the touch sensor by a tip of a digit. Other forms of proximity detectors may be employed in place of the conductive ring, or the conductive ring may be replaced by one or more elongate conductors positioned about one or more sides of the periphery of a touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a power source of limited capacity to provide electric power to the apparatus;

a motion sensor to sense movement of the casing;

a touch sensor disposed on the casing and providing a touch-sensitive surface enabling a touch of a tip of a digit of a user to the touch-sensitive surface to be detected;

a conductive ring disposed about the periphery of the touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor enabling an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface to be detected;

a sensor interface coupled to the touch sensor to monitor the touch-sensitive surface for an indication of a touch of the touch-sensitive by the tip and to monitor the conductive ring for an indication of an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface;

a processing device able to access the sensor interface and the motion sensor; and

a storage accessible to the processing device and storing a sequence of instructions that when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to;

place the apparatus in a lower power mode in response to an elapsing of a first predetermined time period without receiving an indication of the casing having been moved, without receiving an indication of the conductive ring detecting an approach of the tip, and without receiving an indication of a touch of the touch-sensitive surface by the tip, wherein the processing device disables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface and the conductive ring, and awaits an indication from the motion sensor that the casing has been moved;

place the apparatus in a partial power mode in response to receiving an indication from the motion sensor of the casing being moved following the apparatus being in the lower power mode, wherein the processing device disables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface, and enables monitoring of the conductive ring for an indication of an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface; and

place the apparatus in a higher power mode in response to receiving an indication from the conductive ring of the approach of the tip following the apparatus being in the partial power mode, wherein the processing device enables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface for an indication of a touch by the tip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further caused by the sequence of instructions to:

maintain the apparatus in the higher power mode for no longer than a second predetermined time period after the most recent instance of a touch of a tip to the touch-sensitive surface being detected, wherein the second predetermined time period is shorter than the first predetermined time period; and

place the apparatus in the partial power mode in response to an elapsing of the second predetermined time period without receiving an indication of the tip touching the touch-sensitive surface following the apparatus being in the higher power mode.

3. An apparatus comprising

a casing;

a motion sensor to sense movement of the casing;

a touch sensor disposed on the casing and providing a touch-sensitive surface enabling a touch of a tip of a digit of a user to the touch-sensitive surface to be detected;

a conductive ring disposed about the periphery of the touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor enabling an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface to be detected;

a sensor interface coupled to the touch sensor to monitor the touch-sensitive surface for an indication of a touch of the touch-sensitive by the tip and to monitor the conductive ring for an indication of an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface; and

a controller, wherein;

the controller comprises;

a main portion that comprises a first processing device; and

a second portion that comprises the sensor interface and

a second processing device;

the controller places the apparatus in a lower power mode in response to an elapsing of a first predetermined time period without the first processing device receiving an indication of the casing having been moved, without the second processing device receiving an indication of the conductive ring detecting an approach of the tip, and without the second processing device receiving an indication of a touch of the touch-sensitive surface by the tip, wherein the second processing device disables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface and the conductive ring, and the first processing device awaits an indication from the motion sensor that the casing has been moved;

the controller places the apparatus in a partial power mode in response to the first processing device receiving an indication from the motion sensor of the casing being moved following the apparatus being in the lower power mode, wherein the second processing device disables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface and the second processing device enables monitoring of the conductive ring for an indication of an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface; and

the controller places the apparatus in a higher power mode in response to the second processing device receiving an indication from the conductive ring of the approach of the tip following the apparatus being in the partial power mode, wherein the second processing device enables monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface for an indication of a touch by the tip.

4. A method comprising:

placing an apparatus incorporated into a user interface of an audio/visual device in a lower power mode in response to an elapsing of a first predetermined time period without receiving an indication of a casing of the apparatus having been moved, without receiving an indication of a conductive ring of the apparatus detecting an approach of a tip of a digit of a user of the apparatus, and without receiving an indication of a touch of a touch-sensitive surface of a touch sensor of the apparatus by the tip, wherein monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface and the conductive ring are disabled, and an indication that the casing has been moved is awaited;

placing the apparatus in a partial power mode in response to receiving an indication of the casing being moved following the apparatus being in the lower power mode, wherein monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface is disabled, and monitoring of the conductive ring for an indication of an approach of the tip towards the touch-sensitive surface is enabled; and

placing the apparatus in a higher power mode in response to receiving an indication from the conductive ring of the approach of the tip following the apparatus being in the partial power mode, wherein monitoring of the touch-sensitive surface for an indication of a touch by the tip is enabled.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

maintaining the apparatus in the higher power mode for no longer than a second predetermined time period after the most recent instance of a touch of a tip to the touch-sensitive surface being detected, wherein the second predetermined time period is shorter than the first predetermined time period; and

placing the apparatus in the partial power mode in response to an elapsing of the second predetermined time period without receiving an indication of the tip touching the touch-sensitive surface following the apparatus being in the higher power mode.