Transmitter and transmitting method thereof

• US 9,952,722 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Chin-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): EARLES, BRYAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/537,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• 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: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The present invention provides a transmitter which is configured to transmit an electrical signal to a capacitive touch sensitive device according to a transmitter status in response to a trigger event detected. As a result, the capacitive touch sensitive device can calculate the transmitter status and a relative position between the transmitter and the capacitive touch sensitive device. The electrical signal is mixed by signals having a plurality of frequencies.

Claims

1. A transmitter for transmitting an electrical signal to a capacitive touch sensitive device according to a transmitter status in response to a trigger event detected, allowing the capacitive touch sensitive device to analyze the electrical signal in order to obtain the transmitter status and a relative position between the transmitter and the capacitive touch sensitive device, wherein the electrical signal is mixed by signals having a plurality of frequencies, wherein the transmitter comprises a processing module and a sensor module, the sensor module further including an electrical signal detecting module, wherein the trigger event is triggered when the electrical signal detecting module detects an activation electrical signal corresponding to an activation frequency, wherein the processing module is used for generating the transmitter status according to a status within the sensor module, wherein when the trigger event is detected the transmitter begins transmitting the electrical signal, and when a period of time has elapsed since the trigger event is detected, the transmitter stops transmitting the electrical signal, wherein the electrical signal detecting module further includes at least one of a first demodulator, a second demodulator and a third demodulator for detecting the activation electrical signal, wherein the first demodulator includes:

a signal generator for generating an in-phase signal and an orthogonal signal, wherein the frequency of the in-phase signal and the orthogonal signal is the activation frequency;

at least a mixer for mixing the in-phase signal with a received signal to generate an in-phase analog signal, and mixing the orthogonal signal with the received signal to generate an orthogonal analog signal;

at least an integrator for performing integration on the in-phase analog signal to generate an in-phase integration signal, and performing integration on the orthogonal analog signal to generate an orthogonal integration signal;

at least a squarer for calculating the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal; and

at least one “

Root Mean Square (RMS) of Sum”

element for calculating the root mean square of the sum of the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal to obtain a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency, and wherein the second demodulator includes;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for performing analog-to-digital conversion on a received signal to produce a digital received signal;

a signal generator for generating an in-phase signal and an orthogonal signal, wherein the frequency of the in-phase signal and the orthogonal signal is the activation frequency;

at least a mixer for mixing the in-phase signal with a received signal to generate an in-phase analog signal, and mixing the orthogonal signal with the received signal to generate an orthogonal analog signal;

at least an addition integrator for performing addition integration on the in-phase analog signal to generate an in-phase integration signal, and performing addition integration on the orthogonal analog signal to generate an orthogonal integration signal;

at least a squarer for calculating the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal; and

a “

Root Mean Square (RMS) of Sum”

element for calculating the root mean square of the sum of the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal to obtain a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency, wherein the third demodulator includes;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for performing analog-to-digital conversion on a received signal to produce a digital received signal; and

a Fourier transformer for performing Fourier transform on the digital received signal to generate a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the activation electrical signal is sent by the capacitive touch sensitive device, and the electrical signal detecting module detects the activation signal only when the transmitter is in proximity or touching the capacitive touch sensitive device.

3. The transmitter of claim 2, wherein the activation frequency corresponds to a working frequency when the capacitive touch sensitive device is carrying out a full-screen driving detection.

4. The transmitter of claim 2, wherein the activation frequency is different from and not mutually resonant with the plurality of frequencies.

5. The transmitter of claim 2, wherein the activation frequency is different from and not mutually resonant with the frequency transmitted by the capacitive touch sensitive device when it is carrying out a capacitive detection.

6. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the activation signal is transmitted by the capacitive touch sensitive device, and the total time it takes for the capacitive touch sensitive device to transmit two activation signals is less than or equal to the period of time.

7. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein when the pressure sensor senses a pressure in the period of time, the processing module generates a new transmitter status and transmits an electrical signal according to the new transmitter status.

8. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein during a sleep period in which the transmitter stops transmitting the electrical signal, the transmitter is in a power saving mode, and after the sleep period, the electrical signal detecting module performs the detection of the activation electrical signal while the rest of the transmitter is still in the power saving mode.

9. The transmitter of claim 1, further comprising an excitation electrode for transmitting the electrical signal, wherein the electrical signal detecting module further includes an electrical signal detecting electrode fully or partially surrounding and insulated from the excitation signal.

10. A transmitting method applicable to a transmitter, wherein a sensor module of the transmitter further includes an electrical signal detecting module, the transmitting method comprising:

detecting a trigger event, wherein the trigger event is triggered when the electrical signal detecting module detects an activation electrical signal corresponding to an activation frequency;

generating a transmitter status according to a status within the sensor module; and

transmitting an electrical signal to a capacitive touch sensitive device according to the transmitter status in response to the trigger event detected, allowing the capacitive touch sensitive device to analyze the electrical signal in order to obtain the transmitter status and a relative position between the transmitter and the capacitive touch sensitive device, wherein the electrical signal is mixed by signals having a plurality of frequencies;

stopping the transmission of the electrical signal, when a period of time has elapsed since the trigger event is detected,

wherein the electrical signal detecting module further includes performing one of a first set of steps, a second set of steps and a third set of steps, the first set of steps including;

mixing an in-phase signal with a received signal to generate an in-phase analog signal;

mixing an orthogonal signal with the received signal to generate an orthogonal analog signal, wherein the frequency of the in-phase signal and the orthogonal signal is the activation frequency;

performing integration on the in-phase analog signal to generate an in-phase integration signal;

performing integration on the orthogonal analog signal to generate an orthogonal integration signal; and

calculating the root mean square of the sum of the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal to obtain a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency, wherein the second set of steps including;

performing analog-to-digital conversion on a received signal to produce a digital received signal;

mixing an in-phase signal with a received signal to generate an in-phase analog signal;

mixing an orthogonal signal with the received signal to generate an orthogonal analog signal, wherein the frequency of the in-phase signal and the orthogonal signal is the activation frequency;

performing addition integration on the in-phase analog signal to generate an in-phase integration signal;

performing addition integration on the orthogonal analog signal to generate an orthogonal integration signal; and

calculating the root mean square of the sum of the square of the in-phase integration signal and the square of the orthogonal integration signal to obtain a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency, and the third set of steps including;

performing analog-to-digital conversion on a received signal to produce a digital received signal; and

performing Fourier transform on the digital received signal to generate a signal strength corresponding to the activation frequency.

11. The transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the activation electrical signal is sent by the capacitive touch sensitive device, and the electrical signal detecting module detects the activation signal only when the transmitter is in proximity or touching the capacitive touch sensitive device.

12. The transmitting method of claim 11, wherein the activation frequency corresponds to a working frequency when the capacitive touch sensitive device is carrying out a full-screen driving detection.

13. The transmitting method of claim 11, wherein the activation frequency is different from and not mutually resonant with the plurality of frequencies.

14. The transmitting method of claim 11, wherein the activation frequency is different from and not mutually resonant with the frequency transmitted by the capacitive touch sensitive device when it is carrying out a capacitive detection.

15. The transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the activation signal is transmitted by the capacitive touch sensitive device, and the total time it takes for the capacitive touch sensitive device to transmit two activation signals is less than or equal to said period of time.

16. The transmitting method of claim 10, further comprising, when the status of a sensor included in the sensor module has changed in said period of time, generating a new transmitter status and transmitting an electrical signal according to the new transmitter status.

17. The transmitting method of claim 10, further comprising, during a sleep period in which the transmitter stops transmitting the electrical signal, the transmitter being in a power saving mode, and after the sleep period, activating acceleration detection while the rest of the transmitter is still in the power saving mode.

18. The transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter further includes an excitation electrode for transmitting the electrical signal, wherein the electrical signal detecting module further includes an electrical signal detecting electrode fully or partially surrounding and insulated from the excitation signal.

19. A touch processing device connected to a touch sensitive panel, comprising a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein a plurality of sensing points are formed at intersections of the first and second electrodes, wherein the touch processing device is used for allowing at least some of the plurality of first electrodes to transmit an activation signal at an activation frequency in a first period, wherein the activation signal enables a transmitter to transmit an electrical signal, and for allowing the plurality of first and second electrodes to receive the electrical signal in a second period, so as to analyze the electrical signal to obtain a transmitter status of the transmitter and a relative position between the transmitter and the touch sensitive panel, wherein the touch processing device is further used for performing a full-screen driving detection using the activation signal, wherein said full-screen driving detection comprises connecting said plurality of first electrodes and said plurality of second electrodes with a driving voltage.

20. The touch processing device of claim 19, wherein the first period is followed by the second period.

21. The touch processing device of claim 20, wherein the first period is immediately followed by the second period.

22. The touch processing device of claim 19, wherein the touch processing device is further used for performing capacitive detection in a third period using the plurality of first and second electrodes.

23. The touch processing device of claim 22, wherein the second period is followed by the third period.

24. The touch processing device of claim 19, wherein the touch processing device is further used for performing capacitive detection.

25. A touch processing method applicable to a touch processing device connected to a touch sensitive panel, wherein the touch sensitive panel includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein a plurality of sensing points are formed at intersections of the first and second electrodes, and the touch processing method comprising the following steps of:

transmitting, by the plurality of first electrodes, an activation signal at an activation frequency in a first period, wherein the activation signal enables a transmitter to transmit an electrical signal;

performing a full-screen driving detection using the activation signal, wherein said full-screen driving detection comprises connecting said plurality of first electrodes and said plurality of second electrodes with a driving voltage; and

receiving, by the plurality of first and second electrodes, the electrical signal in a second period, so as to analyze the electrical signal to obtain a transmitter status of the transmitter and a relative position between the transmitter and the touch sensitive panel.

26. The touch processing method of claim 25, wherein the first period is followed by the second period.

27. The touch processing method of claim 26, wherein the first period is immediately followed by the second period.

28. The touch processing method of claim 25, further comprising performing capacitive detection in a third period using the plurality of first and second electrodes.

29. The touch processing method of claim 28, wherein the second period is followed by the third period.

30. The touch processing method of claim 25, further comprising performing capacitive detection.