Capacitive sensing on large touch screens

• US 9,880,209 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwartz, Adam, Schediwy, Richard R., Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Hargreaves, Kirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Natalini, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US14/804,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 324658-690
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

An input device comprises a first plurality of sensor electrodes, a second plurality of sensor electrodes, and a processing system. The processing system comprises a first integrated circuit, a second integrated circuit, and a central controller. The first integrated circuit is coupled to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive first resulting signals therewith. The second integrated circuit is coupled to the second plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive second resulting signals therewith. The central controller is communicatively coupled to the first and second integrated circuits. The central controller is configured to receive the first resulting signals from the first integrated circuit and the second resulting signals from the second integrated circuit and is configured to determine positional information from the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals and to communicate the positional information to a host processor.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a first plurality of sensor electrodes comprising first transmitter electrodes and first receiver electrodes;

a second plurality of sensor electrodes comprising second transmitter electrodes and second receiver electrodes; and

a processing system comprising;

a first integrated circuit coupled to said first plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to transmit a first transmitter signal with at least one of said first transmitter electrodes and to receive first resulting signals with said first receiver electrodes, wherein said first resulting signals comprise effects corresponding to said first transmitter signal;

a second integrated circuit coupled to said second plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to transmit a second transmitter signal with at least one of said second transmitter electrodes and to receive second resulting signals with said second receiver electrodes, wherein said second resulting signals comprise effects corresponding to said second transmitter signal; and

a central controller communicatively coupled to said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit,

wherein said central controller is configured to transmit a clock signal to said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit,

wherein said clock signal is configured to synchronize transmission of said first transmitter signal and said second transmitter signal at a predetermined frequency, and

wherein said central controller is configured to receive said first resulting signals from said first integrated circuit and said second resulting signals from said second integrated circuit and is configured to determine positional information from said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals and to communicate said positional information to a host processor.

2. The input device of claim 1 further comprising a third plurality of sensor electrodes and wherein said processing system further comprises a third integrated circuit coupled to said third plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive third resulting signals with said third plurality of sensor electrodes.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein said central controller is further configured to determine said positional information further based on said third resulting signals.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein determining said positional information comprises determining an image.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein receiving said first resulting signals with said first integrated circuit and receiving said second resulting signals with said second integrated circuit occur concurrently.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein said central controller is configured to apply a baseline to said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein said first integrated circuit is configured to receive third resulting signals with said first plurality of sensor electrodes and said second integrated circuit is configured to receive fourth resulting signals with said second plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein said central controller is configured to determine interference based on said third resulting signals and said fourth resulting signals.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein said central controller is configured to wake-up said input device based on said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein said central controller is configured to control one or more characteristic of said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit.

10. A processing system for a capacitive sensing device comprising:

a first integrated circuit configured to couple to a first plurality of sensor electrodes, said first plurality of sensor electrodes comprising first transmitter electrodes and first receiver electrodes, said first integrated circuit further configured to transmit a first transmitter signal to at least one of said first transmitter electrodes and to receive first resulting signals from said first receiver electrodes, wherein said first resulting signals comprise effects corresponding to said first transmitter signal;

a second integrated circuit configured to couple to a second plurality of sensor electrodes, said second plurality of sensor electrodes comprising second transmitter electrodes and second receiver electrodes, said second integrated circuit further configured to transmit a second transmitter signal to at least one of said second transmitter electrodes and to receive second resulting signals from said second receiver electrodes, wherein said second resulting signals comprise effects corresponding to said second transmitter signal; and

a central controller communicatively coupled to said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit,

wherein said central controller is configured to transmit a clock signal to said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit,

wherein said clock signal is configured to synchronize transmission of said first transmitter signal and said second transmitter signal at a predetermined frequency, and

wherein said central controller is configured to receive said first resulting signals from said first integrated circuit and said second resulting signals from said second integrated circuit and is configured to determine positional information from said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals and to communicate said positional information to a host processor.

11. The processing system of claim 10, further a third integrated circuit coupled to a third plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive third resulting signals with said third plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein said central controller is further configured to determine said positional information further based on said third resulting signals.

12. The processing system of claim 10, wherein determining said positional information comprises determining an image.

13. The processing system of claim 10, wherein receiving said first resulting signals with said first integrated circuit and receiving said second resulting signals with said second integrated circuit occur concurrently.

14. The processing system of claim 10, wherein said central controller is configured to apply a baseline to said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals.

15. The processing system of claim 10, wherein said first integrated circuit is configured to receive third resulting signals with said first plurality of sensor electrodes and said second integrated circuit is configured to receive fourth resulting signals with said second plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein said central controller is configured to determine interference based on said third resulting signals and said fourth resulting signals.

16. The processing system of claim 10, wherein said central controller is configured to wake-up said host processor based on said first resulting signals and said second resulting signals.

17. The processing system of claim 10, wherein said central controller is configured to control one or more characteristic of said first integrated circuit and said second integrated circuit.