Method and apparatus pertaining to the interlacing of finger-based and active-stylus-based input detection

• US 8,917,253 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Singh, Amit Pal, Parekh, Premal, Robinson, James Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/600,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/175, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.09, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A control circuit controls detection of both finger-based input and active-stylus-based input as input via a display. In particular, during a single scan period, the control circuit interleaves use of the finger-detection resources with use of the active-stylus-detection resources.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a control circuit that controls detection of finger-based input and active-stylus-based input as input via a display;

during a single scan period, interleaving use of finger-detection resources with use of active-stylus-detection resources by using a first portion of the finger-detection resources during a first time window and a second, different portion of the finger-detection resources during a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window are non-contiguous.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second time windows are separated in time, at least in part, by the use of the active-stylus-detection resources.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the finger-detection resources include a plurality of finger-detection transmitters, and wherein interleaving the use of finger-detection resources with the use of active-stylus-detection resources comprises using a first portion of the finger-detection transmitters during a first time window and a second, different portion of the finger-detection transmitters during a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window are non-contiguous.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first portion of the finger-detection transmitters and the second portion of the finger-detection transmitters have an equal number of finger-detection transmitters.

5. A method comprising:

by a control circuit that controls detection of finger-based input and active-stylus-based input as input via a display;

during a single scan period, interleaving use of finger-detection resources with use of active-stylus-detection resources by interleaving two separate, non-contiguous finger-detection time windows during which time window at least some of the finger-detection resources are used with two separate, non-contiguous active-stylus-detection time windows during which time window at least some of the active-stylus-detection resources are used.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a display having both finger-detection resources and active-stylus-detection resources;

a control circuit operably coupled to the display and configured to control detection of finger-based input and active-stylus-based input as input via the display by, during a single scan period, interleaving use of the finger-detection resources with use of the active-stylus-detection resources by using a first portion of the finger-detection resources during a first time window and a second, different portion of the finger-detection resources during a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window are non-contiguous.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first and second time windows are separated in time, at least in part, by the use of the active-stylus-detection resources.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is configured to interleave the use of the finger-detection resources with the use of the active-stylus-detection resources by interleaving at least two separate, non-contiguous finger-detection time windows with at least two separate, non-contiguous active-stylus-detection time windows.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the finger-detection resources include a plurality of finger-detection transmitters, and wherein the control circuit is configured to interleave the use of the finger-detection resources with the use of the active-stylus-detection resources by using a first portion of the finger-detection transmitters during a first time window and a second, different portion of the finger-detection transmitters during a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window are non-contiguous.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first portion of the finger-detection transmitters and the second portion of the finger-detection transmitters have an equal number of finger-detection transmitters.

11. A non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein, which instructions, when executed by a control circuit that controls detection of finger-based input and active-stylus-based input as input via a display, cause the control circuit to, during a single scan period, interleave use of finger-detection resources with use of active-stylus-detection resources by using a first portion of the finger-detection resources during a first time window and a second, different portion of the finger-detection resources during a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window are non-contiguous.