Intergrated multi-touch surface having varying sensor granularity

• US 10,025,366 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne Carl, Elias, John Greer, Hotelling, Steven P., Kerr, Duncan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANCHA, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US15/847,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Claims

1. A method for operating a touch screen included in a touch enabled device, the touch enabled device including a processor, the method comprising:

operating one or more portions of the touch screen in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode associated with a first level of granularity, and

a second operating mode associated with a second level of granularity, different from the first level of granularity;

receiving a command from the processor; and

in response to the command;

dynamically selecting a portion of the touch screen based on the command, and

setting an operating mode of the selected portion in response to the command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is associated with one of a volume control and a media navigation control.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is determined based on at least one or more applications running on the touch enabled device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting touch inactivity during a time period, wherein;

the command is associated with the detected touch inactivity,

the operating mode of the selected portion is a sleep mode having the first level of granularity, and

the first level of granularity is less the second level of granularity.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting a touch activity;

receiving a second command associated with the detected touch activity; and

in response to the second command, setting the operating mode to have the second level of granularity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on a display of the touch screen, one or more visual control elements, wherein the selected portion of the touch screen and the command are associated with at least one of the one or more visual control elements.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, updating the display associated with the one or more visual control elements in response to the command.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more visual control elements are associated with one or more applications on the touch enabled device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more visual control elements is one or more of a slider, buttons, and knobs.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the one or more visual control elements include a first visual control element associated with the first operating mode and a second visual control element associated with the second operating mode, the first visual control element having a smaller size than the second visual control element; and

the first level of granularity is less the second level of granularity.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the selected portion is set to the second operating mode, further comprising:

setting one or more other portions of the touch screen to the first operating mode, wherein the first level of granularity is less the second level of granularity.

12. A touch enabled device comprising:

memory;

a touch screen; and

one or more processors configured to;

operate one or more portions of the touch screen in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode associated with a first level of granularity, and

a second operating mode associated with a second level of granularity, different from the first level of granularity;

receive a command from one or more programs; and

in response to the command;

dynamically select a portion of the touch screen based on the command, and

dynamically set an operating mode of the selected portion in response to the command.

13. The touch enabled device of claim 12, wherein the command is associated with one of a volume control and a media navigation control of the touch enabled device.

14. The touch enabled device of claim 12, the touch screen further comprising a display configured to display one or more visual control elements, wherein the selected portion of the touch screen and the command are associated with at least one of the one or more visual control elements.

15. The touch enabled device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to update the display associated with the one or more visual control elements in response to the command.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more visual control elements are associated with one or more applications on the touch enabled device.

17. The touch enabled device of claim 14, wherein the one or more visual control elements is one or more of a slider, buttons, and knobs.

18. The touch enabled device of claim 14, wherein:

the one or more visual control elements include a first visual control element associated with the first operating mode and a second visual control element associated with the second operating mode, the first visual control element having a smaller size than the second visual control element; and

the first level of granularity is less the second level of granularity.

19. The touch enabled device of claim 14, wherein the selected portion is set to the second operating mode, and the one or more processors is further configured to:

set one or more other portions of the touch screen to the first operating mode, wherein the first level of granularity is less the second level of granularity.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a set of instructions for operating a touch screen included in a touch enabled device, the touch enabled device including a processor, that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

operate one or more portions of the touch screen in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode associated with a first level of granularity, and

a second operating mode associated with a second level of granularity, different from the first level of granularity;

receive a command from the processor; and

in response to the command;

dynamically selecting a portion of the touch screen based on the command, and

dynamically set an operating mode of the selected portion in response to the command.