Concurrent touch and negative pixel scan

• US 9,746,967 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krah, Christoph Horst, Yousefpor, Marduke
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US13/234,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• 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 concurrent touch and negative pixel scan performed at a touch panel is disclosed. The concurrent scan can include sensing an object proximate to the touch panel and sensing a negative pixel effect, based the object'"'"'s grounding condition, at the touch panel, at the same time. As a result, sense signals indicative of the proximity of the object and coupling signals indicative of the negative pixel effect'"'"'s magnitude can be captured concurrently. Because the negative pixel effect can cause errors or distortions in the sense signals, the coupling signals can be used to compensate the sense signals for the negative pixel effect.

Claims

1. A method for performing a scan at a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises a first set of conductive lines and a second set of conductive lines, the method comprising:

performing a first scan at the touch panel, the touch panel being in a first configuration wherein the first set of conductive lines are configured as drive lines and the second set of conductive lines are configured as sense lines;

during the first scan, capturing a first set of first signals indicating a touch at the touch panel and a first set of second signals indicating a negative pixel effect at the touch panel;

switching the touch panel from the first configuration to a second configuration;

performing a second scan at the touch panel, the touch panel being in the second configuration wherein the second set of conductive lines are configured as drive lines and the first set of conductive lines are configured as sense lines;

during the second scan, capturing a second set of first signals indicating the touch at the touch panel and a second set of second signals indicating the negative pixel effect at the touch panel; and

generating a modified touch signal based on the first and second set of first signals and the first and second set of second signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first scan comprises:

stimulating the touch panel to sense a proximate object;

generating first signals indicative of a proximity of the object; and

generating second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel based on a grounding condition of the proximate object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of conductive lines cross the second set of conductive lines, and the switching comprises:

switching from the first configuration, in which the first set of conductive lines act as drive lines to stimulate the touch panel to sense a proximate object and to cross-couple so as to generate second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel and in which the second set of conductive lines act as sense lines to generate first signals indicative of a proximity of the object, to the second configuration, in which the second set of conductive lines act as the drive lines and the first set of conductive lines act as the sense lines.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second scan comprises:

stimulating the touch panel to sense a proximate object;

generating first signals indicative of a proximity of the object; and

generating second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel based on a grounding condition of the proximate object.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

compensating for the negative pixel effect, the compensating including

combining the first and second sets of first signals to form combined first signals,

combining the first and second sets of second signals to form combined second signals, and

subtracting the combined second signals from the combined first signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising:

compensating for the negative pixel effect, the compensating including

combining the first and second sets of first signals to form combined first signals,

combining the first and second sets of second signals to form combined second signals, and

applying the combined second signals to the combined first signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.

7. A touch sensor panel comprising:

a first set of conductive lines;

a second set of conductive lines;

switching circuitry configured to;

switch the touch panel into a first configuration wherein the first set of conductive lines are configured as drive lines and the second set of conductive lines are configured as sense lines; and

switch the touch panel into a second configuration wherein the second set of conductive lines are configured as drive lines and the first set of conductive lines are configured as sense lines; and

scan circuitry configured to;

perform a first scan at the touch panel in the first configuration;

during the first scan, capturing a first set of first signals indicating a touch at the touch panel and a first set of second signals indicating a negative pixel effect at the touch panel;

perform a second scan at the touch panel in the second configuration;

during the second scan, capturing a second set of first signals indicating the touch at the touch panel and a second set of second signals indicating the negative pixel effect at the touch panel; and

generating a modified touch signal based on the first and second set of first signals and the first and second set of second signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein performing the first scan comprises:

stimulating the touch panel to sense a proximate object;

generating first signals indicative of a proximity of the object; and

generating second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel based on a grounding condition of the proximate object.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein the first set of conductive lines cross the second set of conductive lines, and the switching by the switching circuitry comprises:

switching from the first configuration, in which the first set of conductive lines act as drive lines to stimulate the touch panel to sense a proximate object and to cross-couple so as to generate second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel and in which the second set of conductive lines act as sense lines to generate first signals indicative of a proximity of the object, to the second configuration, in which the second set of conductive lines act as the drive lines and the first set of conductive lines act as the sense lines.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein performing the second scan comprises:

stimulating the touch panel to sense a proximate object;

generating first signals indicative of a proximity of the object; and

generating second signals indicative of a negative pixel effect at the touch panel based on a grounding condition of the proximate object.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, comprising:

negative pixel circuitry configured to;

compensate for the negative pixel effect, the compensating including;

combining the first and second sets of first signals to form combined first signals,

combining the first and second sets of second signals to form combined second signals, and

subtracting the combined second signals from the combined first signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein the switching circuitry is further configured to:

compensate for the negative pixel effect, the compensating including

combining the first and second sets of first signals to form combined first signals,

combining the first and second sets of second signals to form combined second signals, and

applying the combined second signals to the combined first signals to compensate for the negative pixel effect.