System and methods for detecting debris on a touchscreen system display screen

• US 8,959,435 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Komer, Joseph L., Mabie, Ted D., Dixon, David M., Vondrasek, Clayton C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/215,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 345173-175
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Touchscreen electronics for detecting debris on a display screen of a touchscreen system and alerting a user to the presence of the debris broadly comprises a plurality of transmitters, a plurality of receivers, and a controller. Each transmitter may transmit at least one beam across the display screen. The receivers may detect the beams from the transmitters, and each receiver may generate a receive signal. The controller communicates with the transmitters and the receivers and may be configured to analyze the receive signals to determine if debris may be present on the display screen. If so, then the controller may generate an alert signal to indicate that the display screen needs to be cleaned or examined.

Claims

1. Touchscreen electronics for detecting debris on a display screen of a touchscreen system and alerting a user to the presence of the debris, the touchscreen electronics comprising:

a plurality of transmitters for transmitting beams across the display screen;

a plurality of receivers for detecting the beams from the transmitters and generating receive signals; and

a controller in communication with the transmitters and the receivers and configured to;

analyze a status of the receive signals to detect touch inputs based on one or more of the receivers that detect the transmitted beams within a first time period,

analyze a status of the receive signals to detect a possible presence of debris on the display screen based on one or more of the receivers that do not detect the transmitted beams from the transmitters within the first time period, the transmitted beams that are not detected by the one or more receivers within the first time period being stuck broken beams, and

if the receive signals suggest the presence of debris on the display screen;

determine a location on or adjacent to the display screen corresponding to the detected debris, and

generate an alert signal on the display screen to visually instruct a user to clean the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris.

2. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the generated alert signal on the display screen includes a prompt indicating the determined location of the detected debris.

3. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams intersect.

4. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams are closest together.

5. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the first time period is at least five seconds.

6. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alert signal if a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeds a first value and a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeds a second value.

7. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alert signal if a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeds a first value, a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeds a second value, and a third number of stuck broken beams along a second axis of the display screen exceeds a third value.

8. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location of the one or more receivers that have not detected the beams from the transmitters for the first time period.

9. The touchscreen electronics of claim 8, wherein the receivers are positioned adjacent to the display screen.

10. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a box.

11. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a circle.

12. A method for detecting debris on a display screen of a touchscreen system and alerting a user to the presence of the debris, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a plurality of beams from a plurality of transmitters to a plurality of receivers;

b) detecting the beams from the transmitters and generating receive signals;

c) analyzing a status of the receive signals to detect touch inputs based on one or more of the receivers that detect the transmitted beams within a first time period;

d) analyzing a status of the receive signals to detect a possible presence of debris on the display screen based on one or more of the receivers that do not detect the beams from the transmitters within the first time period, the transmitted beams that are not detected by the one or more receivers within the first time period being stuck broken beams;

e) determining a location on or adjacent to the display screen corresponding to the detected debris, if the receive signals suggest the presence of debris on the display screen; and

f) generating an alert signal on the display screen to visually instruct a user to clean the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris, if the receive signals suggest the presence of debris on the display screen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generated alert signal on the display screen includes a prompt indicating the determined location of the detected debris.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams intersect.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams are closest together.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first time period is at least five seconds.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein step f) is performed if a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeds a first value and a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeds a second value.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein step f) is performed if a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeds a first value, a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeds a second value, and a third number of stuck broken beams along a second axis of the display screen exceeds a third value.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location of the one or more receivers that have not detected the beams from the transmitters for the first time period.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receivers are positioned adjacent to the display screen.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a box.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a circle.

23. A method for detecting debris on a display screen of a touchscreen system and alerting a user to the presence of the debris, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a plurality of beams from a plurality of transmitters to a plurality of receivers;

b) detecting the beams from the transmitters and generating receive signals;

c) analyzing a status of the receive signals to detect touch inputs based on one or more of the receivers that detect the transmitted beams within a first time period;

d) analyzing a status of the receive signals to detect a plurality of stuck broken beams based on one or more of the receivers that do not detect the transmitted beams from the transmitters within a first time period;

e) determining a location on or adjacent to the display screen corresponding to a position of the stuck broken beams; and

f) generating an alert signal on the display screen to visually instruct a user to clean the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the generated alert signal on the display screen includes a prompt indicating the determined location of the detected debris.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams intersect.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first time period is at least five seconds.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the stuck broken beams include a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeding a first value and a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeding a second value.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the stuck broken beams include a first number of stuck broken beams along a first axis of the display screen exceeding a first value, a second number of stuck broken beams along an opposing side of the first axis exceeding a second value, and a third number of stuck broken beams along a second axis of the display screen exceeding a third value.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location at which a plurality of stuck broken beams are closest together.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the determined location of the detected debris is the location of the one or more receivers that have not detected the beams from the transmitters for the first time period.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the receivers are positioned adjacent to the display screen.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a box.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the location of the display screen corresponding to the detected debris is identified by a circle.