Input device for touch sensitive devices

• US 9,582,105 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krah, Christoph H., Shahparnia, Shahrooz, Hotelling, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US15/057,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A method for receiving data from an input device to a computing device through a touch interface. The method includes detecting an input device, synchronizing with the input device by receiving a position signal and activating an input device scan of the touch interface, receiving a data signal from the input device through at least one of a sense line or a drive line of the touch interface, and scanning the touch interface for a touch input by applying a stimulation signal to the at least one drive line and analyzing the at least one sense line.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to receive input from an input device comprising:

a touch sensor panel including a plurality of sensing lines and a plurality of driving lines; and

a touch controller in communication with the touch sensor panel and configured to perform a plurality of scans to detect an input signal corresponding to an object touching or in proximity to the touch sensor panel, the touch controller including a drive controller and a sensing circuit;

wherein the touch controller is configured to interleave a first scan of the plurality of scans and a second scan of the plurality of scans while receiving a data signal from the input device;

wherein during the first scan the drive controller is configured to drive at least one of the plurality of driving lines and the sensing circuit is configured to sense the plurality of sensing lines; and

wherein during the second scan the sensing circuit is configured to sense at least one of the plurality of sensing lines and at least one of the plurality of driving lines.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein during the second scan the sensing circuit is configured to sense the plurality of sensing lines and the plurality of driving lines, wherein the plurality of driving lines are sensed separately from the plurality of sensing lines.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scans includes a searching scan to search for the input device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, the touch controller further including a spectral analyzer configured to analyze a spectrum of frequencies to detect the data signal from the input device during the searching scan.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the spectral analyzer is configured to analyze the plurality of driving lines separately from the plurality of sensing lines to further detect a position of the input device when the data signal is received during the searching scan.

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the touch controller is configured to interleave the searching scan and the first scan before receiving the data signal from the input device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first scan includes a plurality of scan steps, wherein during each of the plurality of scan steps the drive controller is configured to drive a different group of the plurality of driving lines, and wherein interleaving the searching scan and the first scan includes performing a spectral analysis before each of the plurality of scan steps.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first scan includes a plurality of scan steps, wherein during each of the plurality of scan steps the drive controller is configured to drive a different group of the plurality of driving lines, and wherein interleaving the first scan and the second scan includes performing a second scan before each of the plurality of scan steps.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, the touch controller further configured to interrupt one or more scan steps of the first scan to receive the data signal from the input device when the data signal is detected during the one or more scan steps of the first scan.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, the touch controller further configured to repeat the one or more scan steps of the first scan that are interrupted to receive the data signal from the input device.

11. A method for receiving, at an electronic device comprising a touch sensor panel and a touch controller, data from an input device through the touch sensor panel, the method comprising:

performing a first scan of the touch sensor panel, the first scan including driving at least one of a plurality of driving lines of the touch sensor panel and sensing a plurality of sensing lines of the touch sensor panel; and

performing a second scan of the touch sensor panel, the second scan including sensing at least one of the plurality of sensing lines and at least one of the plurality of driving lines;

wherein the first scan and second scan are interleaved while receiving a data signal from the input device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second scan includes sensing the plurality of sensing lines and the plurality of driving lines, wherein the plurality of driving lines are sensed separately from the plurality of sensing lines.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

performing a searching scan to search for the input device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the searching scan includes analyzing a spectrum of frequencies to detect the data signal from the input device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the searching scan further includes detecting a position of the input device when the data signal is received during the searching scan.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the searching scan and the first scan are interleaved before receiving the data signal from the input device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first scan includes a plurality of scan steps, wherein during each of the plurality of scan steps a different group of the plurality of driving lines is driven, and wherein interleaving the searching scan and the first scan includes performing a spectral analysis before each of the plurality of scan steps.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first scan includes a plurality of scan steps, wherein during each of the plurality of scan steps a different group of the plurality of driving lines are driven, and wherein interleaving the first scan and the second scan includes performing a second scan before each of the plurality of scan steps.

19. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

interrupting one or more scan steps of the first scan to receive the data signal from the input device when the data signal is detected during the one or more scan steps of the first scan.

20. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising repeating the one or more scan steps of the first scan that are interrupted to receive the data signal from the input device.

21. A method for receiving, at an electronic device comprising a touch sensor panel and a touch controller, data from an input device through the touch sensor panel, the method comprising:

detecting the input device;

synchronizing the input device with the electronic device by receiving a position signal and activating an input device scan;

during the input device scan;

receiving a data signal from the input device through at least one line of a plurality of sense lines and a plurality of drive lines of the touch sensor panel; and

during a touch scan;

applying a stimulation signal to at least one of the plurality of drive lines; and

receiving one or more sense signals received at one or more of the plurality of sense lines.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

when the input device is detected during the touch scan, rescanning at least a portion of the touch sensor panel.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein detecting the input device further includes measuring received signals at a plurality of frequencies as the data signal is applied to the touch sensor panel, and selecting a frequency for the stimulation signal applied during the touch scan from the plurality of frequencies, wherein the selected frequency corresponds to the minimum measured signal of the received signals measured at the plurality of frequencies.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein detecting the input device further includes detecting a frequency of the data signal applied to the touch sensor panel.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the touch scan further includes:

applying the stimulation signal to a bank of drive lines; and

sensing each of the plurality of sense lines.