Information handling system capacitive touch totem with optical communication support

• US 10,146,366 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Files, Jace W., Liu, Yung-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/347,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information handling system touchscreen display interacts with totem devices by recognizing and tracking spectral signatures of the totem devices so that totem positions are reported as a single length, width and rotational orientation message to a host operating system. Ignore zones and hysteresis time periods are defined from the position message based upon totem context so that the host operating system processes touchscreen inputs with minimal latency and improved accuracy. Communication and battery charging are provided to the totem by the touchscreen display will illumination directed to the totem position.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor executing instructions to process information;

a memory interfaced with the processor, the memory storing the information;

a display interfaced with the processor and memory, the display presenting the information as visual images, the display having a touchscreen operable to detect touch inputs made at the display;

a scaler integrated in the display and interfaced with the host, the scalar adapting visual information communicated from the host to a display format for presentation as visual images;

a touch controller interfaced with the touchscreen and the processor, the touch controller analyzing touches detected at the touchscreen and providing inputs determined from the analyzing to the processor, the touch controller interfaced with the processor and the scalar; and

a totem resting on the display, the display touchscreen detecting contact regions of the totem, the scalar selecting touch inputs associated with the totem to adjust display settings;

wherein the scalar receives touch inputs and selectively applies the touch inputs directly from the touch controller to adjust display settings; and

wherein the touch controller forwards adjusted display settings to the processor, the processor executing an application that applies the adjusted display settings.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a multiplexor interfacing the touch controller to both the scalar and the processor, the scalar selecting touch inputs that adjust display settings and ignoring other touch inputs.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a display manager associated with the processor and assigning touch input areas for the scalar to select to adjust display settings.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the display settings comprise display color, brightness and contrast settings.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the scalar further illuminates a display portion disposed beneath the totem with a predetermined light quality and adjusts the light quality in response to communication from the scalar.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a light detector disposed in the totem and interfaced with a charger disposed in the totem, the scalar selectively illuminating a display portion disposed beneath the totem to provide a predetermined current from the light detector to the charger.

7. A method for interfacing an information handling system and display, the method comprising:

interfacing a touch controller of the display with a processor of the information handling system, the touch controller detecting touches at the display and communicating the touches as inputs to the processor;

interfacing the touch controller of the display to a scalar of the display, the scalar accepting graphical information from the information handling system and adapting the graphical information for presentation as visual images at the display;

tracking a context of inputs made at the display and detected by the touch controller;

directing the inputs from the touch controller to one of the processor or the scalar based upon the context;

defining the context with the processor by defining a first display area as a first context and a second display area as a second context; and

communicating the first and second display areas from the processor to the touch controller;

wherein;

the first context comprises adjustments to display settings; and

the second context comprises inputs to applications executing on the processor.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

placing a totem on the display; and

defining the first context as based upon the totem position.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first context comprises haptic feedback at the first display area commanded from the scalar.

10. A method for interfacing an information handling system and display, the method comprising:

interfacing a touch controller of the display with a processor of the information handling system, the touch controller detecting touches at the display and communicating the touches as inputs to the processor;

interfacing the touch controller of the display to a scalar of the display, the scalar accepting graphical information from the information handling system and adapting the graphical information for presentation as visual images at the display;

tracking a context of inputs made at the display and detected by the touch controller;

defining the context with the processor by defining a first display area as a first context and a second display area as a second context;

communicating the first and second display areas from the processor to the touch controller;

directing the inputs from the touch controller to one of the processor or the scalar based upon the context;

forwarding inputs made at the first context to the processor; and

applying the forwarded inputs at an application executing on the processor.

11. An information handling system input device comprising:

a touchscreen panel presenting visual information as images and accepting touches as inputs;

a scalar interfaced with the touchscreen panel and adjusting graphical information provided from host for presentation as visual images at the touchscreen panel;

a touch controller interfaced with the touchscreen panel and converting touches to input signals; and

a context engine associated with the touch controller, the context engine defining first and second context touch areas, the touch controller communicating inputs detected in the first context touch area to the scalar and communicating inputs detected in the second context touch area to a host information handling system;

wherein the first context touch area comprises an area associated with a totem resting on the touchscreen display panel and the scalar responds to touches at the first context touch area by illuminating touches with a charging illumination.

12. The information handling system input device of claim 11 wherein the first context touch area comprises inputs to adjust display presentation settings.

13. The information handling system input device of claim 11 further comprising a light charger and battery disposed in the totem at a bottom surface and operable to convert the charging illumination to a current that charges the battery.

14. The information handling system input device of claim 11 wherein the scalar further presents a predetermined visual image at the totem in response to touches in the first context touch area.