Low power switching mode driving and sensing method for capacitive multi-touch system

• US 8,963,881 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orise Technology Co., Ltd (FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Orise Technology Co., Ltd (FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd)
• Inventors: Huang, Yen-Lin, Huang, Hsin-Mao, Kung, Chih-Hung, Hsu, Ying-Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/778,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/211, 345/214, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A low power switching mode driving and sensing method for capacitive multi-touch systems is used in a capacitive multi-touch system with a capacitive touch panel. When the capacitive touch system operates in an idle mode, the method uses a self-capacitance driving and sensing technology to detect touch points. When the touch points are detected on the capacitive touch panel, the capacitive touch system is switched to an active mode and uses a mutual-capacitance driving and sensing technology to detect touch points for accurately acquiring the positions related to the touch points detected. During a predetermined time interval in which there is no touch point detected, the method automatically performs a calibration to update a mutual-capacitance base image raw data and a self-capacitance base image raw data, so as to overcome the drifting of sensors of the capacitive touch system.

Claims

1. A low power switching mode driving and sensing method for capacitive multi-touch systems, which is used in a capacitive multi-touch system including a capacitive touch panel, a first driving and sensing device, a second driving and sensing device, and a controller, the first driving and sensing device and the second driving and sensing device respectively having an idle mode and an active mode for performing a self capacitance driving and sensing when the first and second driving and sensing devices are in the idle mode and a mutual capacitance driving and sensing when the first and second driving and sensing devices are in the active mode, the controller having a storage unit, a self capacitance counter, and a mutual capacitance counter, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) using the controller to initialize the first and the second driving and sensing devices;

(B) using the controller to configure the first and the second driving and sensing devices into the active mode for sensing the capacitive touch panel to thereby produce a mutual capacitance base image raw data and store the mutual capacitance base image raw data in the storage unit;

(C) using the controller to configure the first and the second driving and sensing devices into the idle mode for sensing the capacitive touch panel to produce a self capacitance base image raw data and store the self capacitance base image raw data in the storage unit;

(D) sensing the capacitive touch panel to produce a self capacitance image raw data and store the self capacitance image raw data in the storage unit;

(E) using the controller to detect touch points according to the self capacitance image raw data and the self capacitance base image raw data, and executing step (F) when the touch points are detected on the capacitive touch panel;

(F) using the controller to reset the self capacitance counter and configure the first and the second driving and sensing devices into the active mode;

(G) using the controller to reset the mutual capacitance counter;

(H) using the first and the second driving and sensing devices to sense the capacitive touch panel to produce a mutual capacitance image raw data and store the mutual capacitance image raw data in the storage unit;

(I) using the controller to detect touch points according to the mutual capacitance image raw data and the mutual capacitance base image raw data, and executing step (J) when the touch points are detected on the capacitive touch panel; and

(J) using the controller to calculate coordinates of the touch points on the capacitive touch panel according to the mutual capacitance image raw data and the mutual capacitance base image raw data,

wherein the first and the second driving and sensing devices in steps (D) and (E) are in the idle mode, and the first and the second driving and sensing devices in steps (F)-(J) are in the active mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (C) comprises the step of:

(C1) using the controller to reset the self capacitance counter.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising, when the controller in step (E) determines that there is no touch point on the capacitive touch panel, the steps of:

(K) adding the self capacitance counter by one; and

(L) using the controller to determine whether the self capacitance counter is over a first predetermined value, and executing step (D) when the self capacitance counter is not over the first predetermined value, or executing step (B) when the self capacitance counter is over the first predetermined value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, when the controller in step (I) determines that there is no touch point on the capacitive touch panel, the steps of:

(M) adding the mutual capacitance counter by one; and

(N) using the controller to determine whether the mutual capacitance counter is over a second predetermined value, and executing step (H) when the mutual capacitance counter is not over the second predetermined value, or executing step (B) when the mutual capacitance counter is over the second predetermined value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller in step (I) compares the mutual capacitance image raw data and the mutual capacitance base image raw data to detect a change of mutual capacitance on the capacitive touch panel.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein step (I) comprises the step of:

(I1) determining that the capacitive touch panel is touched when an absolute value of a difference of data P_MCIRD(k,j) and P_MCBIRD(k,j) is greater than a fifth predetermined value, where k, j indicate an image range covered by the mutual capacitance image raw data and the mutual capacitance base image raw data, P_MCIRD(k,j) indicates a value of the mutual capacitance image raw data, and P_MCBIRD(k,j) indicates a value of the mutual capacitance base image raw data.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and the second driving and sensing devices in steps (K) and (L) are in the idle mode.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and the second driving and sensing devices in steps (M) and (N) are in the active mode.

9. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller in step (E) compares the self capacitance image raw data and the self capacitance base image raw data to detect a change of self capacitance on the capacitive touch panel.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (E) comprises the step of:

(E1) determining that the capacitive touch panel is touched when an absolute value of a difference of data P_SCIRD(i) and P_SCBIRD, (i) is greater than a third predetermined value, where i indicates a data range covered by the self capacitance image raw data and the self capacitance base image raw data, P_SCIRD(i) indicates a value of the self capacitance image raw data, and P_SCBIRD(i) indicates a value of the self capacitance base image raw data.