Methods and apparatus to detect a touch pattern using variable scan rates

• US 9,395,859 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tate, Daniel, Grivna, Edward L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cerullo, Liliana
• Application Number:
  US14/463,015
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method and apparatus scan a device at a first scanning rate and a second scanning rate, detect a first portion of a gesture through scanning at the first scanning rate, and detect a second portion of the gesture through scanning at the second scanning rate. The method and apparatus recognize the gesture based on the detected first portion of the gesture and the detected second portion of the gesture.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device having a processor and a touch sensitive display comprising a plurality of sensor electrodes;

detecting an initial touch on the touch sensitive display while scanning a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at a first scanning rate;

after detecting the initial touch on the touch sensitive display;

detecting a first portion of a gesture while scanning a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrode at a second scanning rate, wherein the first portion of the gesture satisfies a first predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the first predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the gesture is detected for a first number range of scans;

after detecting the first portion of the gesture, detecting a second portion of the gesture while scanning the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at a third scanning rate, wherein the second portion of the gesture satisfies a second predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the second predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the gesture is detected for a second number range of scans; and

after detecting the first and second portions of the gesture, recognizing the gesture based on the detected first and second portions of the gesture and performing an action on the device in accordance with the recognized gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scanning rate is greater than the first scanning rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes is a predefined first subset, and further wherein detecting the initial touch while scanning the first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises limiting an initial detection area of the touch sensitive display to the predefined first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes is a predefined second subset, and further wherein detecting the first and second portions of the gesture while scanning the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises limiting a subsequent detection area of the touch sensitive display to the predefined second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognizing of the gesture includes detecting a plurality of touches, wherein the detecting of the first portion of the gesture includes detecting a time of a touch-down of a first touch of the plurality of touches and the detecting of the second portion of the gesture includes detecting a time of a lift-off of the first touch of the plurality of touches.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the second portion of the gesture while scanning at the third scanning rate includes detecting at least a portion of a first touch by a first input object during a same period as detecting at least a portion of a second touch by a second input object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the electronic device includes scanning the electronic device while a level of power available to the touch sensitive display of the electronic device is removed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the electronic device includes scanning the electronic device while the electronic device is in a sleep mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the action on the device in accordance with the recognized gesture comprises:

initiating a wake-up of the processor of the electronic device; and

initiating user access to protected functionality of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to detecting the second portion of the gesture, detecting an absence of the first portion of the gesture while scanning at the second scanning rate, wherein the absence of the first portion of the gesture satisfies a predetermined absence of touch duration criterion.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that either the first portion of the gesture, the second portion of the gesture, or the absence of the first portion of the gesture fail to satisfy their respective predetermined duration criterions, detecting a new initial touch while scanning the first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at the first scanning rate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein recognizing the gesture further comprises recognizing the gesture based on detected first portion of the gesture, the detected second portion of the gesture, and the absence of the first portion of the gesture.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second scanning rates are the same.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second and third scanning rates are the same.

15. A touch controller comprising:

a scan module configured to scan a plurality of sensor electrodes of a touchscreen device at a first scanning rate, at a second scanning rate, and at a third scanning rate;

a presence module configured to;

detect an initial touch on the touchscreen device while the scan module scans a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at the first scanning rate;

after detecting the initial touch on the touch sensitive display;

detect a first portion of a gesture while the scan module scans a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrode at the second scanning rate, wherein the first portion of the gesture satisfies a first predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the first predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the gesture is detected for a first number range of scans;

after detecting the first portion of the gesture, detect a second portion of the gesture while the scan module scans the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at the third scanning rate, wherein the second portion of the gesture satisfies a second predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the second predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the gesture is detected for a second number range of scans; and

a touch pattern module configured to;

after the presence module detects the first and second portions of the gesture, recognize the gesture based on the detected first and second portions of the gesture and perform an action on the device in accordance with the recognized gesture.

16. The touch controller of claim 15, wherein the presence module is configured to detect at least a portion of a first touch, of the gesture, by a first input object during a same period as detecting at least a portion of a second touch, of the gesture, by a second input object.

17. The touch controller of claim 15, wherein the scan module is configured to scan the touchscreen device while a display of the touchscreen device is in a sleep mode.

18. The touch controller of claim 15, wherein the presence module is configured to detect a plurality of touches with respect to one coordinate axis of the touchscreen device.

19. A touchscreen device, comprising:

a touch sensitive display;

a plurality of sensor electrodes;

at least one processing device, the at least one processing device configured to;

detect an initial touch on the touch sensitive display while scanning a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at a first scanning rate;

after detecting the initial touch on the touch sensitive display;

detect a first portion of a gesture while scanning a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrode at a second scanning rate, wherein the first portion of the gesture satisfies a first predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the first predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the gesture is detected for a first number range of scans;

after detecting the first portion of the gesture, detect a second portion of the gesture while scanning the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes at a third scanning rate, wherein the second portion of the gesture satisfies a second predetermined touch duration criterion, and wherein the second predetermined touch duration criterion is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the gesture is detected for a second number range of scans; and

after detecting the first and second portions of the gesture, recognize the gesture based on detected first and second portions of the gesture and perform an action on the device in accordance with the recognized gesture.

20. The touchscreen device of claim 19, wherein the first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes is a predefined first subset, and further wherein detecting the initial touch while scanning the first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises limiting an initial detection area of the touch sensitive display to the predefined first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

21. The touchscreen device of claim 19, wherein the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes is a predefined second subset, and further wherein detecting the first and second portions of the gesture while scanning the second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises limiting a subsequent detection area of the touch sensitive display to the predefined second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes.