Electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of detecting touches

• US 9,436,324 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Singh, Amit Pal, Ho, Christopher Ying Wai
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US14/070,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 touch-sensitive display includes first electrodes and second electrodes coupled to a first controller to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing. The touch-sensitive display also includes third electrodes coupled to a second controller to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing utilizing the third electrodes and the second electrodes. The first electrodes are different from the third electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive display comprising:

common electrodes of a display and second electrodes coupled to a first controller to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, wherein the second electrodes include fingers joined at ends thereof to provide a generally U-shaped electrode on the touch-sensitive display;

third electrodes disposed between the fingers of the second electrodes such that one of the third electrodes disposed between the fingers of two different, consecutive second electrodes that each comprises at least two fingers joined together, the third electrodes and the second electrodes coupled to a second controller to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing utilizing the third electrodes and the second electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operating in a low power condition;

wherein the third electrodes are wider at a first end than a second end such that the third electrodes are shaped to, by the at least one controller, identify a location of a touch along a length of at least one of the third electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition, and to detect a gesture to identify a direction of the gesture along a length of at least one of the fingers of the second electrodes during detection of touches by self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition;

wherein the common electrodes are not utilized during self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition; and

wherein the at least one controller comprises a touch controller coupled to the second electrodes to detect touches when the second electrodes are utilized to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and a display controller is coupled to the common electrodes to drive the common electrodes when the common electrodes are utilized to detect touches, and wherein the touch controller is coupled to the third electrodes to detect touches when the third electrodes are utilized to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing.

2. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 1, wherein touch data received from the third electrodes is not utilized during mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

3. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 1, wherein the third electrodes are disposed between the fingers of second electrodes such that one of the third electrodes is disposed between fingers of two consecutive electrodes of the second electrodes and is not disposed between fingers of any one of the second electrodes.

4. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is coupled to the second controller to coordinate control of the common electrodes and the second electrodes to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

5. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 1, wherein a first coordinate value is determined based on touch data received from the third electrodes and the second coordinate value is determined based on touch data received from the second electrodes.

6. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 1, wherein the third electrodes are disposed between the second electrodes such that consecutive second electrodes are separated by third electrodes.

7. A portable electronic device comprising the touch-sensitive display according to claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

detecting touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing utilizing common electrodes coupled to a display controller and utilized to display information and second electrodes coupled to a touch controller of a touch-sensitive display, which second electrodes each include at least two fingers joined at ends thereof to provide a generally U-shaped electrode on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting touches by self-capacitance touch sensing utilizing the second electrodes and utilizing third electrodes of the touch-sensitive display when the touch-sensitive display is operating in a low power condition, which third electrodes are disposed between the fingers of the second electrodes that each comprises at least two fingers joined together such that one of the third electrodes disposed between the fingers of two different, consecutive second electrodes, the third electrodes and the second electrodes;

wherein the third electrodes are wider at a first end than a second end such that the third electrodes are shaped to, by the at least one controller, identify a location of a touch along a length of at least one of the third electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition, and to detect a gesture to identify a direction of the gesture along a length of at least one of the fingers of the second electrodes during detection of touches by self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition;

wherein the common electrodes are not utilized during self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition; and

wherein the at least one controller comprises a touch controller coupled to the second electrodes to detect touches when the second electrodes are utilized to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and a display controller is coupled to the common electrodes to drive the common electrodes when the common electrodes are utilized to detect touches, and wherein the touch controller is coupled to the third electrodes to detect touches when the third electrodes are utilized to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the third electrodes are not utilized during mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein touch data received from the third electrodes is not utilized during mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon, the computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 8.