OPERATING A TOUCH SCREEN CONTROL SYSTEM ACCORDING TO A PLURALITY OF RULE SETS

• US 20100277429A1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Barton, Roger W., Gillespie, David W., Day, Shawn P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a display screen configured for displaying images, a touch sensor configured to detect user input in a sensing region, a host processing system and a touch screen control system. The touch screen control system comprises control circuitry and a memory configured for holding rules. The control circuitry is configured for updating the display screen in response to image data from the host processing system and for operating according to a first set of rules held in the memory. The control circuitry is also configured, in response to receiving an indication from the host processing system, for switching from operating according to the first set of rules to operating according to a second set of rules.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen configured for displaying images;

a touch sensor configured to detect user input in a sensing region, wherein said sensing region overlaps with an active area of said display screen;

a host processing system; and

a touch screen control system comprising;

a memory configured for holding rules; and

control circuitry configured for;

updating said display screen in response to image data from said host processing system;

operating according to a first set of rules held in said memory;

in response to receiving an indication from said host processing system, switching from operating according to said first set of rules to operating according to a second set of rules, wherein said second set of rules is held in said memory, and wherein at least one of said first set of rules and said second set of rules defines when said control circuitry updates said display screen in response to said user input; and

operating according to said second set of rules.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein both said first set of rules and said second set of rules further define when said control circuitry reports information about said user input to said host processing system, and wherein said first set of rules and said second set of rules differently define when said control circuitry reports information about said user input to said host processing system.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules simultaneously.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules at different times, and wherein said indication comprises said second set of rules.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said host processing system and said touch screen control system are disposed within a common housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 1;

wherein said second set of rules is configured to cause said control circuitry to update said display screen in response to a first type of user input and not in response to a second type of user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said first set of rules is configured to cause said control circuitry to never autonomously update said display screen in response to said user input.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said host processing system is configured for:

providing said indication in response to a first application running on said host processing system; and

providing a second indication in response to a second application running on said host processing system, said second indication configured to cause said control circuitry to switch to operating according to said first set of rules.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said host processing system is configured for:

providing said indication in response to a first application running on said host processing system and having priority over any other application running on said host processing system; and

providing a second indication in response to a second application running on said host processing system and having priority over any other application running on said host processing system, said second indication configured to cause said control circuitry to switch to operating according to said first set of rules.

10. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein said host processing system is configured for:

providing said indication when a first image is displayed on said display screen; and

providing a second indication when a second image is displayed on said display screen, said second indication configured to cause said control circuitry to switch to operating according to said first set of rules.

11. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein said host processing system is configured for:

providing said indication; and

entering a low power state after providing said indication.

12. A touch screen control system comprising:

a memory configured for holding rules; and

control circuitry configured to;

operate a touch sensor for detecting user input in a sensing region of a touch sensor;

update a display screen in response to image data from a host processing system, said display screen overlapped by said sensing region;

operate according to a first set of rules held in said memory;

in response to receiving an indication from said host processing system, switching from operating according to said first set of rules to operating according to a second set of rules, wherein said second set of rules is held in said memory, and wherein at least one of said first and second sets of rules defines when said control circuitry updates said display screen in response to said user input; and

operate according to said second set of rules.

13. The touch screen control system of claim 12, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules simultaneously.

14. The touch screen control system of claim 12, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules at different times, and wherein said indication comprises said second set of rules.

15. The touch screen control system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control system and said host processing system are disposed within a common housing.

16. The touch screen control system of claim 12, wherein said second set of rules is configured to cause said control circuitry to send data about said user input to said host processing system in response to a first type of user input and not in response to a second type of user input.

17. The touch screen control system of claim 12, wherein said second set of rules is configured to cause said touch screen control system to autonomously update said display screen in response to a first type of user input and not to autonomously update said display screen in response to a second type of user input.

18. A processor-implemented method for operating a touch screen control system, said method comprising:

updating a display screen in response to image data from a host processing system;

holding a first set of rules in a memory of said touch screen control system, said memory physically distinct from said host processing system;

detecting user input in a sensing region that overlaps an active area of said display screen;

operating according to said first set of rules;

in response to receiving an indication from said host processing system, switching from operating according to said first set of rules to operating according to a second set of rules, wherein at least one of said first set of rules and said second set of rules defines when said touch screen control system updates said display screen in response to said user input; and

operating according to said second set of rules.

19. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules simultaneously.

20. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said memory is configured to hold said first set of rules and said second set of rules at different times, and wherein said touch screen control system is configured to receive said indication by:

receiving said second set of rules.

21. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said operating according to said second set of rules comprises:

displaying a first portion of an image on said display screen;

detecting a motion of a first user input in said sensing region;

determining a second portion of said image to be displayed based on said motion; and

updating said display screen to display said second portion of said image.

22. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said first set of rules further defines when said touch screen control system sends data about said user input to said host processing system, and wherein said first set of rules is configured to cause said control circuitry to send data to said host processing system in response to a first type of user input and not in response to a second type of user input.

23. The processor-implemented method of claim 22, wherein said first type of user input indicates a beginning of a user interface function controlled by a linked set of subsequent user inputs and said second type of user input is one of said linked set of subsequent user inputs.

24. The processor-implemented method of claim 23, wherein said user interface function comprises drag.

25. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said operating according to said second set of rules when said display screen displays a virtual keyboard comprises:

in response to said user input, autonomously updating an image associated with said virtual keyboard.

26. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said operating according to said second set of rules comprises:

in response to a movement of said user input, autonomously updating said display screen to display a trace of said movement.

27. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said operating according to said second set of rules comprises:

in response to subsequent user input occurring after a beginning of a drag operation, autonomously updating an image associated with said drag operation.

28. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a wake-up signal to said host processing system, said wake-up signal configured for causing said host processing system to exit a low power state.

29. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said second set of rules is configured to:

cause control circuitry to update said display screen in response to a first type of user input and not in response to a second type of user input different from said first type of user input.

30. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said second set of rules is configured to:

cause control circuitry to send data about said user input to said host processing system in response to said user input; and

update said display screen in response to a first type of user input and not in response to a second type of user input different from said first type of user input.

31. The processor-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said second set of rules is configured to:

cause control circuitry to send data about said user input to said host processing system in response to said user input; and

update said display screen in response to said user input.