Capacitive Touchscreen System with Drive-Sense Circuits
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A capacitive touchscreen system, comprising:
- a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or touch devices brought into proximity thereto;
first drive-sense circuits, one each of such first drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each first drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and to a first amplifier, a first capacitor being operably connected to a first negative input and a first output of the first amplifier, and to a first comparator operably connected to the first output of the first amplifier,second drive-sense circuits, one each of such second drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the second plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each second drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and a second amplifier, a second capacitor being operably connected to a second negative input and a second output of the second amplifier, and to a second comparator operably connected to the second output of the second amplifier, anda drive/sense processor operably connected to the first and second drive-sense circuits, respectively, and configured;
(a) to control the first plurality of first drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces and to control the second plurality of second drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of traces, and (b) to control the second drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the second plurality of traces and to control the first drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first plurality of traces.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system that is capable of sensing, simultaneous or near-simultaneous multiple finger touches made on a capacitive touchscreen. In one embodiment, drive-sense circuits operably connected to X and Y lines of the touchscreen may be interchangeably and selectably configured as either sense circuits or drive circuits by a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto.
174 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A capacitive touchscreen system, comprising:
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a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or touch devices brought into proximity thereto; first drive-sense circuits, one each of such first drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each first drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and to a first amplifier, a first capacitor being operably connected to a first negative input and a first output of the first amplifier, and to a first comparator operably connected to the first output of the first amplifier, second drive-sense circuits, one each of such second drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the second plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each second drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and a second amplifier, a second capacitor being operably connected to a second negative input and a second output of the second amplifier, and to a second comparator operably connected to the second output of the second amplifier, and a drive/sense processor operably connected to the first and second drive-sense circuits, respectively, and configured;
(a) to control the first plurality of first drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces and to control the second plurality of second drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of traces, and (b) to control the second drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the second plurality of traces and to control the first drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the first plurality of traces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of detecting touches on a capacitive touchscreen system comprising a touchscreen comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns, and a second plurality of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at an angle with respect to the rows or columns of the first plurality of electrodes, mutual capacitances existing between the first and second pluralities of traces at locations where the first and second pluralities of traces intersect, such mutual capacitances changing in the presence of one or more fingers or touch devices brought into proximity thereto, first drive-sense circuits, one each of such first drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the first plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each first drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and to a first amplifier, a first capacitor being operably connected to a first negative input and a first output of the first amplifier, and to a first comparator operably connected to the first output of the first amplifier, second drive-sense circuits, one each of such second drive-sense circuits being operably connectable to a corresponding one of the second plurality of traces by switching circuitry, each second drive-sense circuit being operably connectable to its corresponding trace and a second amplifier, a second capacitor being operably connected to a second negative input and a second output of the second amplifier, and to a second comparator operably connected to the second output of the second amplifier, and a drive/sense processor operably connected to the first and second drive-sense circuits, respectively, and configured:
- (i) to control the first drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces and to control the second drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of traces, and (ii) to control the second drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the second plurality of traces and to control the first drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the Mutual capacitances through the first plurality of traces, the method comprising;
(a) driving the first plurality of electrically conductive traces through the first drive-sense circuits; (b) sensing the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of electrically conductive traces and the second drive-sense circuits; (c) driving the second plurality of electrically conductive traces through the second drive-sense circuits; (d) sensing the mutual capacitances through the first plurality of electrically conductive traces and the first drive-sense circuits, and (e) detecting the locations of one or more touches on the touchscreen on the basis of sensed mutual capacitances exceeding predetermined voltage thresholds. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- (i) to control the first drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the first plurality of traces and to control the second drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the mutual capacitances through the second plurality of traces, and (ii) to control the second drive-sense circuits to drive at least some of the second plurality of traces and to control the first drive-sense circuits to sense at least some of the Mutual capacitances through the first plurality of traces, the method comprising;
Specification