Touch detection using multiple simultaneous stimulation signals

• US 10,747,355 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2018
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krah, Christoph Horst, Hotelling, Steven Porter, O'Connor, Sean Erik, Westerman, Wayne Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US15/997,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20180275820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 2004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

The use of multiple stimulation signals having one or more frequencies and one or more phases to generate an image of touch on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Each of a plurality of sense channels can be coupled to a column in a touch sensor panel and can have one or more mixers. Each mixer in the sense channel can utilize a circuit capable generating a demodulation frequency of a particular frequency. At each of multiple steps, various phases of one or more selected frequencies can be used to simultaneously stimulate the rows of the touch sensor panel, and the one or more mixers in each sense channel can be configured to demodulate the signal received from the column connected to each sense channel using the one or more selected frequencies. After all steps have been completed, the demodulated signals from the one or more mixers can be used in calculations to determine an image of touch for the touch sensor panel at each of the one or more frequencies.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of drive and a plurality of sense lines, the apparatus comprising:

controller circuitry comprising drive circuitry and sense circuitry, wherein;

the drive circuitry is configured to;

in a panel scan mode, simultaneously apply a plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines, the plurality of stimulation signals having a stimulation frequency and multiple stimulation phases; and

in a spectrum analyzer mode, not apply the plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines; and

the sense circuitry is configured to;

in the panel scan mode, determine first demodulated sense signals based on one or more demodulation signals and sensed signals received from the plurality of sense lines, the one or more demodulation signals having a demodulation frequency and multiple demodulation phases based on the stimulation frequency and the multiple stimulation phases; and

in the spectrum analyzer mode, determine second demodulated sense signals based on a plurality of demodulation signals and sense signals received from the plurality of sense lines; and

the controller circuitry is configured to determine the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during a subsequent frame, wherein the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during the subsequent frame is determined based on the second demodulated sense signals determined in the spectrum analyzer mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sense circuitry comprises sense channels, wherein each of the sense channels is coupled to one of the plurality of sense lines and wherein each of the sense channels comprises a charge amplifier and one or more signal mixers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein determining the first demodulated sense signals comprises, for each of the sense channels, mixing an output of the charge amplifier with one of the one or more demodulation signals having the demodulation frequency at at least one of the one or more mixers.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing a noise signal formed by summing an output of the charge amplifier from a plurality of the sense channels at the one or more mixers of one or more sense channels with the plurality of demodulation signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first sense channel of the sense channels mixes, at one of the one or more mixers of the first sense channel, the noise signal with an in-phase demodulation signal at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and wherein a second sense channel of the sense channels mixes, at one of the one or mixers of the second sense channel, the noise signal with a quadrature demodulation signal at the first of the one or more demodulation frequencies.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first sense channel of the sense channels mixes the noise signal with first in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and wherein a second sense channel of the sense channels mixes the noise signal with second in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a second of the one or more demodulation frequencies.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the sense channels comprises one or more frequency generator circuits configured to generate the plurality of demodulation signals in the spectrum analyzer mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more of the frequency generator circuits comprises a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO).

9. A method for controlling a touch panel comprising a plurality of drive and a plurality of sense lines, the method comprising:

in a panel scan mode;

simultaneously applying a plurality of stimulation signals to a plurality of drive lines, the plurality of stimulation signals having a stimulation frequency and multiple stimulation phases; and

determining first demodulated sense signals based on one or more demodulation signals and sensed signals received from the plurality of sense lines, the one or more demodulation signals having a demodulation frequency and multiple demodulation phases based on the stimulation frequency and the multiple stimulation phases;

in a spectrum analyzer mode;

not applying the plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines; and

determining second demodulated sense signals based on a plurality of demodulation signals and sensed signals received from the plurality of sense lines; and

determining the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during a subsequent frame, wherein the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during the subsequent frame is determined based on the second demodulated sense signals determined in the spectrum analyzer mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sense signals are received at sense channels, wherein each sense channel of the sense channels is coupled to receive a sense signal of the sense signals from a sense line, and wherein each of the sense channels comprises a charge amplifier and one or more signal mixers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the first demodulated sense signals comprises, for each of the sense channels, mixing an output of the charge amplifier with one of the one or more demodulation signals having the demodulation frequency at at least one of the one or more mixers.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing a noise signal formed by summing an output of the charge amplifier from a plurality of the sense channels at the one or more mixers of one or more sense channels with the plurality of demodulation signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing, at one of the one or more mixers of a first of the sense channels, the noise signal with an in-phase demodulation signal at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and mixing, at one of the one or mixers of a second of the sense channels, the noise signal with a quadrature demodulation signal at the first of the one or more demodulation frequencies.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing, at a first of the sense channels, the noise signal with first in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and mixing, at a second of the sense channels, the noise signal with second in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a second of the one or more demodulation frequencies.

15. A device for controlling a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of drive and a plurality of sense lines, the device comprising:

controller circuitry, comprising drive circuitry and sense circuitry, configured to operate in a panel scan mode and a spectrum analyzer mode, wherein;

while operating in the panel scan mode in a first frame;

the drive circuitry is configured to simultaneously apply a first plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines, the first plurality of stimulation signals having a first stimulation frequency and multiple stimulation phases; and

the sense circuitry is configured to determine a first plurality of demodulated sense signals based on a first plurality of sense signals received from the plurality of sense lines received from the plurality of sense lines and based on one or more first demodulation signals, the one or more first demodulation signals having a first demodulation frequency and multiple demodulation phases based on the first stimulation frequency and the multiple stimulation phases; and

while operating in the spectrum analyzer mode, subsequent to operating in the panel scan mode in the first frame;

the drive circuitry is configured to not apply the plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines; and

the sense circuitry is configured to determine a second plurality of demodulated sense signals based on a second plurality of sense signals received from the plurality of sense lines and based on a second plurality of demodulation signals; and

while operating in the panel scan mode in a second frame;

the drive circuitry is configured to simultaneously apply a second plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines, the second plurality of stimulation signals having the second stimulation frequency and multiple stimulation phases, wherein the second stimulation frequency is based on the second plurality of demodulated sense signals.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first stimulation frequency is selected from one or more first low-noise frequencies and the second stimulation frequency is selected from one or more second low-noise frequencies.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein determining the second plurality of demodulated sense signals comprises:

mixing a noise signal based on the second plurality of sense signals received from the plurality of the sense lines with the second plurality of demodulation signals;

accumulating in-phase and quadrature components of the mixed noise signal for each of the second plurality of demodulation signals;

calculating a magnitude of the accumulated in-phase and quadrature components for each of the second plurality of demodulation signals; and

determining the one or more second low-noise frequencies by selecting one or more frequencies of the second plurality of demodulation signals with smallest magnitude.

18. The device of claim 15, where the controller circuitry comprising the drive circuitry and the sense circuitry is implemented in an integrated circuit.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the sense circuitry comprises a plurality of sense channels, a plurality of demodulator circuits, and a plurality of accumulator circuits.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, that when executed by a processor, performs a method for controlling a touch panel comprising a plurality of drive and a plurality of sense lines, the method comprising:

in a panel scan mode;

simultaneously applying a plurality of stimulation signals to a plurality of drive lines, the plurality of stimulation signals having a stimulation frequency and multiple stimulation phases; and

determining first demodulated sense signals based on one or more demodulation signals and sensed signals received from the plurality of sense lines, the one or more demodulation signals having a demodulation frequency and multiple demodulation phases based on the stimulation frequency and the multiple stimulation phases;

in a spectrum analyzer mode;

not applying the plurality of stimulation signals to the plurality of drive lines; and

determining second demodulated sense signals based on a plurality of demodulation signals and sensed signals received from the plurality of sense lines; and

determining the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during a subsequent frame, wherein the stimulation frequency to be used in the panel scan mode during the subsequent frame is determined based on the second demodulated sense signals determined in the spectrum analyzer mode.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the sense signals are received at sense channels, wherein each sense channel of the sense channels is coupled to receive a sense signal of the sense signals from a sense line, and wherein each of the sense channels comprises a charge amplifier and one or more signal mixers.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein determining the first demodulated sense signals comprises, for each of the sense channels, mixing an output of the charge amplifier with one of the one or more demodulation signals having the demodulation frequency at at least one of the one or more mixers.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing a noise signal formed by summing an output of the charge amplifier from a plurality of the sense channels at the one or more mixers of one or more sense channels with the plurality of demodulation signals.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing, at one of the one or more mixers of a first of the sense channels, the noise signal with an in-phase demodulation signal at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and mixing, at one of the one or mixers of a second of the sense channels, the noise signal with a quadrature demodulation signal at the first of the one or more demodulation frequencies.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein determining the second demodulated sense signals comprises mixing, at a first of the sense channels, the noise signal with first in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a first of the one or more demodulation frequencies, and mixing, at a second of the sense channels, the noise signal with second in-phase and quadrature demodulation signals at a second of the one or more demodulation frequencies.