Electronic device and method of detecting touches on a touch-sensitive display

• US 9,367,120 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Singh, Amit Pal, Robinson, James Alexander, Dolson, John Edward, Dippel, Jeffery John Paul, Purdy, Michael Lorne
• Primary Examiner(s): Merkoulova, Olga
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, IBRAHIM A
• Application Number:
  US13/464,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-174, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A method includes applying a first plurality of pulses to scanning electrodes during a first scan to detect touches on a touch-sensitive display, receiving an indication to scan in a reduced power condition, and when in the reduced power condition, applying a second plurality of pulses to scanning electrodes during a second scan to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses than the first plurality of pulses.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning a touch-sensitive display in a plurality of first frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display in a full-power operating condition by, during each of the plurality of first frames, driving a respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a first plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes;

receiving an indication to scan in a reduced power condition; and

when in the reduced power condition, scanning the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of second frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display by, during each of the plurality of second frames, driving the respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a second plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes;

wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses than the first plurality of pulses such that fewer pulses are applied to each drive electrode when in the reduced power condition than when in the full-power operating condition, wherein the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is less than the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition and the pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition are spread apart such that a time between pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is increased compared to the time between pulses applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition, and

wherein a sleep time between scans of the touch-sensitive display is greater when in the reduced power condition compared to the time between scans of the touch-sensitive display when in the full-power operating condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the first plurality of pulses comprises applying pulses to a first drive electrode during a first scan, and wherein applying a second plurality of pulses comprises applying fewer pulses to the first drive electrode during a second scan.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising, in response to detecting a touch when in the reduced power condition, scanning the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of third frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display by, during each of the plurality of third frames, driving the respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a third plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving an indication comprises receiving, from a processor, a command to enter the reduced power condition.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising filtering data received from sense electrodes during scanning in the full-power operating condition by:

comparing the data to previous touch data which was previously reported by a touch controller to a processor; and

reporting the data received from the sense electrodes, by the touch controller to the processor only when a touch location associated with the data received from the sense electrodes differs from a previous touch location associated with the previous touch data by a threshold distance, and

discontinuing filtering when in the reduced power condition.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein scanning is performed at a first scanning rate when in the full-power operating condition, scanning is performed at a second scanning rate when in the reduced power operating condition, scanning is performed at a third scanning rate in response to detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive display when in the reduced power operating condition, and wherein the third scanning rate is between the first scanning rate and the second scanning rate.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display comprising;

drive electrodes;

sense electrodes; and

at least one controller coupled to the scanning electrodes and the sense electrodes and configured to;

perform a first scan of the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of first frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display in a full-power operating condition by, during each of the plurality of first frames, driving a respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a first plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes;

receive an indication to scan in a reduced power condition;

when in the reduced power condition, perform a second scan of the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of second frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display by, during each of the plurality of second frames, driving the respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a second plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes, wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses than the first plurality of pulses such that fewer pulses are applied to each drive electrode when in the reduced power condition than when in the full-power operating condition, wherein the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is less than the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition and the pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition are spread apart such that a time between pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is increased compared to the time between pulses applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition, and

wherein a sleep time between scans of the touch-sensitive display is greater when in the reduced power condition compared to the time between scans of the touch-sensitive display when in the full-power operating condition.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the first plurality of pulses comprises pulses applied to a first drive electrode during the first scan, and wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses applied to the first drive electrode during the second scan.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to detecting a touch when in the reduced power condition, scan the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of third frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display by, during each of the plurality of third frames, driving the respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a third plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

filter data received from sense electrodes during the first scan by;

comparing the data to previous touch data which was previously reported by the controller to a processor of the electronic device; and

reporting the data received from the sense electrodes, by the touch controller to the processor, only when a touch location associated with the data received from the sense electrodes differs from a previous touch location associated with the previous touch data by a threshold distance; and

discontinue filtering when in the reduced power condition.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon, the computer-readable code executable by at least one of a controller and a processor of the portable electronic device to:

scanning a touch-sensitive display in a plurality of first frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display in a full-power operating condition by, during each of the plurality of first frames, driving a respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a first plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes;

receive an indication to scan in a reduced power condition; and

when in the reduced power condition, scanning the touch-sensitive display in a plurality of second frames to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display by, during each of the plurality of second frames, driving the respective one of the drive electrodes by applying a second plurality of pulses to the respective one of the drive electrodes while sensing utilizing the sense electrodes;

wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses than the first plurality of pulses such that fewer pulses are applied to each drive electrode when in the reduced power condition than when in the full-power operating condition, wherein the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is less than the time during which the pulses are applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition, and the pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition are spread apart such that a time between pulses applied in one frame when in the reduced power condition is increased compared to the time between pulses applied in one frame when in the full-power operating condition, and

wherein a sleep time between scans of the touch-sensitive display is greater when in the reduced power condition compared to the time between scans of the touch-sensitive display when in the full-power operating condition.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein applying the first plurality of pulses comprises applying pulses to a first drive electrode during a first scan, and wherein applying a second plurality of pulses comprises applying fewer pulses to the first drive electrode during a second scan.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein receiving an indication comprises receiving, from a processor, a command to enter the reduced power condition.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein scanning is performed at a first scanning rate when in the full-power operating condition, scanning is performed at a second scanning rate when in the reduced power operating condition, scanning is performed at a third scanning rate in response to detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive display when in the reduced power operating condition, and wherein the third scanning rate is between the first scanning rate and the second scanning rate.