Capacitive touchscreens for thermostats using smaller capacitors in standby mode
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A capacitive touchscreen device comprising:
- a controller;
a plurality of single first capacitors, each having an individual unique input port to the controller;
a plurality of single second capacitors connected in parallel and having a common input port to the controller that is separate from any of the first capacitor input ports, each single second capacitor being different from each single first capacitor and having a smaller individual capacitance than an individual capacitance of any of the single first capacitors; and
a touchscreen including a plurality of mutually isolated touch regions, each said touch region being coupled with one of the single first capacitors and one of the single second capacitors;
whereby the capacitive touchscreen device is configured to be operable in a standby mode in which the single second capacitors are charged and the single first capacitors are not charged to reduce power consumption by the single first capacitors, and to switch to an active mode in which the single first capacitors are charged in response to a detection of a change in capacitance of one or more of the single second capacitors by the controller;
wherein in the standby mode the single second capacitors are charged via the common input port and in the active mode the single first capacitors are charged via each corresponding individual unique input port; and
wherein the controller is configured to scan only the single first capacitors for a change in capacitance during the active mode to determine which touch region is being touched by a user.
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Abstract
Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of touchscreen devices for thermostats and other electronic devices. In an exemplary embodiment, a capacitive touchscreen device includes a touchscreen having touch regions. Each touch region is coupled with at least one first capacitor and at least one second capacitor. The second capacitors are connected in parallel and have smaller capacitance than the first capacitors. The capacitive touchscreen device may be configured to be operable in a standby mode in which the second capacitors are charged and an active mode in which the first capacitors are charged.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A capacitive touchscreen device comprising:
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a controller; a plurality of single first capacitors, each having an individual unique input port to the controller; a plurality of single second capacitors connected in parallel and having a common input port to the controller that is separate from any of the first capacitor input ports, each single second capacitor being different from each single first capacitor and having a smaller individual capacitance than an individual capacitance of any of the single first capacitors; and a touchscreen including a plurality of mutually isolated touch regions, each said touch region being coupled with one of the single first capacitors and one of the single second capacitors; whereby the capacitive touchscreen device is configured to be operable in a standby mode in which the single second capacitors are charged and the single first capacitors are not charged to reduce power consumption by the single first capacitors, and to switch to an active mode in which the single first capacitors are charged in response to a detection of a change in capacitance of one or more of the single second capacitors by the controller; wherein in the standby mode the single second capacitors are charged via the common input port and in the active mode the single first capacitors are charged via each corresponding individual unique input port; and wherein the controller is configured to scan only the single first capacitors for a change in capacitance during the active mode to determine which touch region is being touched by a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating a capacitive touchscreen device comprising a controller, a plurality of single first capacitors each having an individual unique input port to the controller, a plurality of single second capacitors connected in parallel and having a common input port to the controller that is separate from any of the first capacitor input ports, and a touchscreen having a plurality of mutually isolated touch regions, each said touch region being coupled one of the single first capacitors and one of the single second capacitors, each single second capacitor being different from each single first capacitor and having a smaller individual capacitance than an individual capacitance of any of the single first capacitors, the method comprising:
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charging the single second capacitors without charging the single first capacitors when the capacitive touchscreen device is in a standby mode to reduce power consumption by the single first capacitors; charging the first capacitors when the capacitive touchscreen device is in an active mode, wherein in the standby mode the single second capacitors are charged via the common input port and in the active mode the single first capacitors are charged via each corresponding individual unique input port; scanning only the single first capacitors for a change in capacitance during the active mode to determine which touch region is being touched by a user; and switching the capacitive touchscreen device from the standby mode to the active mode in response to detection of a change in capacitance of one or more of the single second capacitors by the controller. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification