Portable electronic device and method for waking up the same from sleep mode through touch screen

• US 9,075,474 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Shu-Hsiang, Hsu, Chih-Chang, Chien, Chung-An, Yang, Ming-Jer
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US12/609,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a touch screen, a micro processing unit, a central processor and a display is provided. The central processor can operate in a normal operation mode or a sleep mode. The touch screen overlays the display, and includes a first touch area, a second touch area and at least one electrode. When the central processor operates in the sleep mode and one of the first and second touch areas senses a touch, the at least one electrode generates a touch signal. The micro processing unit determines whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area according to the touch signal. If the touch is sensed by the second touch area, the micro processing unit outputs a wake-up signal to the central processing unit, so as to switch the central processor from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a central processor, capable of operating in a sleep mode and a normal operation mode;

a display, having a display area for displaying information;

a touch screen, overlaid on the display and having a first touch area, a second touch area, a first electrode extending from the first touch area to the second touch area along a first direction, and a second electrode extending along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first touch area and the second touch area are respectively formed by a part of the touch screen, the first touch area is electrically connected to the second touch area through the first electrode, and the second touch area extends along the second direction and is close to the second electrode; and

a micro processing unit, electrically connected to the first electrode, wherein when the central processor is operated in the sleep mode, the micro processing unit is for;

detecting a touch signal from the first electrode;

comparing a voltage value corresponding to the touch signal with a predetermined value to obtain a comparison result;

determining which one of the first touch area and the second touch area senses a touch according to the comparison result; and

outputting a wake-up signal to the central processor to switch the central processor from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode when the second touch area senses the touch,

and when the central processor is operated in the sleep mode and the first touch area senses the touch, the micro processing unit does not output the wake-up signal.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a touch screen controller which is electrically connected between the touch screen and the central processor, when the central processor operates in the normal operation mode, the touch screen controller alternately transmits a scanning voltage to the touch screen, and when the central processor operates in the sleep mode, the touch screen controller stops transmitting the scanning voltage and transmits a pull-up voltage conducted between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the micro processing unit outputs the wake-up signal to the central processor through an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a housing, for containing the micro processing unit, the central processor and the touch screen controller, wherein the touch screen is disposed on a surface of the housing.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro processing unit comprises:

an analog to digital converter, electrically connected to the first electrode, for converting the touch signal into a touch information, wherein the micro processing unit determines whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area by comparing the touch information with the predetermined value.

6. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen is a resistive touch screen.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises:

a third electrode and a fourth electrode;

a transparent thin film, wherein the first and the third electrodes are disposed at two sides of the transparent thin film along the first direction;

a transparent glass, wherein the second and the fourth electrodes are disposed at two sides of the transparent glass along the second direction;

a plurality of spacers, disposed between the transparent thin film and the transparent glass; and

a frame, disposed around the transparent glass, for fixing the transparent thin film on the transparent glass.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen further comprises a plurality of touch keys disposed along the second direction in parallel.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, which is a PDA phone, a smart phone, a satellite navigator or a PDA.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the micro processing unit further comprises an analog to digital converter which converts the touch signal from the first electrode into a digital touch information, and the micro processing unit determines whether the touch is sensed by the first area or the second area base on the digital touch information.

11. A method for waking up a portable electronic device from a sleep mode, the portable electronic device having a micro processing unit, a central processor, which is capable of operating in the sleep mode and a normal operation mode, and a touch screen having a first touch area, a second touch area, a first electrode extending from the first touch area to the second touch area along a first direction, and a second electrode extending along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first touch area and the second touch area are respectively formed by a part of the touch screen, the first touch area is electrically connected to the second touch area through the first electrode, the second touch area extends along the second direction and is close to the second electrode, and the method comprises:

detecting a touch signal from the first electrode;

when the central processor is operated in the sleep mode, the micro processing unit is for;

comparing a voltage value corresponding to the touch signal with a predetermined value to obtain a comparison result;

determining which one of the first touch area and the second touch area senses a touch according to the comparison result;

outputting a wake-up signal to the central processor when the second touch area senses the touch; and

switching the central processor from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode according to the wake-up signal; and

do not output the wake-up signal when the central processor is operated in the sleep mode and the first touch area senses the touch.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of scanning voltages to the touch screen to detect and obtain a coordinate value of a touch point in the normal operation mode, and sending a read signal to read the coordinate value of the touch point.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of outputting the wake-up signal according to the touch signal comprises:

converting the touch signal into a touch information; and

determining whether the touch is sensed by the first or the second touch area by comparing the touch information with the predetermined value.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the touch screen is a resistive touch screen.