Controller and method for controlling a capacitive touch screen or the like

• US 9,727,159 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Konradi, Vadim, Dorris, Parker, Franklin, Michael, Welland, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gyawali, Bipin
• Application Number:
  US13/342,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345174
• 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 3/0445 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

Abstract

A controller for a capacitive touch screen includes a touch resolve subsystem and a processor. The touch resolve subsystem, in response to a trigger input, measures a plurality of capacitance values using a plurality of input pins. The processor controls the touch resolve subsystem to acquire a baseline capacitance in a calibration mode, to acquire a frame comprising the plurality of capacitance values in a normal operation mode, and to update the baseline capacitance to a new baseline capacitance in the normal operation mode in response to the frame without entering the calibration mode.

Claims

1. A controller for a capacitive touch screen, comprising:

a touch resolve subsystem that in response to a trigger input measures a plurality of capacitance values using a plurality of input pins; and

a processor that controls said touch resolve subsystem to acquire a baseline capacitance,

to determine an interference map for each of a plurality of values of a parameter,

wherein said interference map identifies an interference at each of said plurality of values of said parameter, and said values vary over an allowed range, and to select one of said plurality of values of said parameter based on said interference map in a calibration mode, and to acquire a frame comprising said plurality of capacitance values using said selected one of said plurality of values of said parameter in a normal operation mode,

wherein said parameter comprises a number of scan pulses per scan line.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein said processor acquires said baseline capacitance in said calibration mode by causing said touch resolve subsystem to measure said plurality of capacitance values using said plurality of input pins when the capacitive touch screen is in an untouched condition.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein said processor updates said baseline capacitance in said normal operation mode in response to changing a value of a parameter used to acquire said frame.

4. The controller of claim 1 wherein said processor determines a touch location in said normal operation mode in response to both said baseline capacitance and each of said plurality of capacitance values.

5. The controller of claim 1 wherein said controller updates said baseline capacitance to a new baseline capacitance in said normal operation mode in response to said frame without entering said calibration mode.

6. The controller of claim 1 wherein said processor determines a new baseline capacitance when changing said number of scan pulses per scan line by adjusting said baseline capacitance by a ratio of a new number of scan pulses per scan line to a current number of scan pulses per line.

7. The controller of claim 1 wherein during said calibration mode said processor acquires a plurality of baseline capacitances and builds a table of baseline offsets indicating, for each of said plurality of values of said parameter, a difference between said baseline capacitance and a reference baseline capacitance at a second value of said parameter, and wherein said processor, when changing said value of said parameter to a new desired value during said normal operation mode, adjusts said baseline capacitance by said baseline offset.

8. A method for acquiring information from a capacitive touch screen comprising:

for each of a plurality of values of a parameter;

performing a first scan of the capacitive touch screen using a value of a parameter, wherein said parameter comprises a number of scan pulses per scan line;

performing a second scan of the capacitive touch screen using said value of said parameter;

determining an interference at said value of said parameter based on a difference between said second scan and said first scan; and

at said value of said parameter wherein said interference map identifies an interference at each of said plurality of values of said parameter, and said values vary over an allowed range,

selecting a desired value of said parameter based on said interference map;

scanning said capacitive touch screen using said desired value of said parameter; and

determining a touch location in response to said scanning.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

acquiring a baseline capacitance in a calibration mode;

determining a plurality of capacitance values of a frame in a normal operation mode; and

updating said baseline capacitance to a new baseline capacitance in said normal operation mode in response to said frame without entering said calibration mode.