SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN A TOUCH SENSOR DISPLAY

• US 20140225841A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew Thomas, Peana, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving information communicated from a touch sensor controller configured to translate signals received from the touch sensor and control a rate of sampling of tactile touches on the touch sensor. The method may also include receiving information communicated from a proximity sensor configured to detect a human finger or stylus proximate to the touch sensor. The method may further include, based on the information communicated from the touch sensor controller and information communicated from the proximity sensor, determining a desired rate of sampling. The method may additionally include causing the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the desired rate of sampling.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a user interface comprising;

a display;

a touch sensor overlaid on the display and configured to detect tactile touches on the user interface; and

a touch sensor controller communicatively interfaced between the touch sensor and the processor and configured to;

translate signals received from the touch sensor and communicate such translated signals to the processor; and

control a rate of sampling of tactile touches on the touch sensor; and

a proximity sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to detect a human finger or stylus proximate to the touch sensor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

based on information communicated to the processor from the touch sensor and information communicated to the processor from the proximity sensor, determine a desired rate of sampling; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the desired rate of sampling.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein determining the desired rate of sampling comprises:

based on information communicated to the processor from the touch sensor and information communicated to the processor from the proximity sensor, selecting an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising at least;

a first operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a first rate of sampling; and

a second operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a second rate of sampling, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate; and

determining the desired rate of sampling in accordance with the selected operational mode.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, the processor further configured to:

while operating in the second operational mode, and while the touch sensor is operating at the second rate of sampling, select the first operational mode in response to determining that the proximity sensor indicates a human finger or stylus is proximate to the touch sensor; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling in response to selection of the first operational mode.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one display controller communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to control operation of the display, the processor further configured to determine the desired rate of sampling in response to information communicated to the processor from the at least one display controller.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, the processor further configured to, based on information regarding a program displaying graphical information to the display:

determine a first rate of sampling for a first portion of the touch sensor;

determine a second rate of sampling for a second portion of the touch sensor, the second rate of sampling different than the first rate of sampling; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the first portion of the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling and the second portion of the touch sensor operates at the second rate of sampling.

6. A method comprising:

receiving information communicated from a touch sensor controller configured to translate signals received from the touch sensor and control a rate of sampling of tactile touches on the touch sensor;

receiving information communicated from a proximity sensor configured to detect a human finger or stylus proximate to the touch sensor;

based on the information communicated from the touch sensor controller and information communicated from the proximity sensor, determining a desired rate of sampling; and

causing the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the desired rate of sampling.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the desired rate of sampling comprises:

based on information communicated to the processor from the touch sensor and information communicated to the processor from the proximity sensor, selecting an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising at least;

a first operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a first rate of sampling; and

a second operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a second rate of sampling, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate; and

determining the desired rate of sampling in accordance with the selected operational mode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

while operating in the second operational mode, and while the touch sensor is operating at the second rate of sampling, selecting the first operational mode in response to determining that the proximity sensor indicates a human finger or stylus is proximate to the touch sensor; and

causing the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling in response to selection of the first operational mode.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the desired rate of sampling in response to information communicated to the processor from at least one display controller configured to control operation of a display associated with the touch sensor.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising, based on information regarding a program displaying graphical information to a display associated with the touch sensor:

determining a first rate of sampling for a first portion of the touch sensor;

determining a second rate of sampling for a second portion of the touch sensor, the second rate of sampling different than the first rate of sampling; and

causing the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the first portion of the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling and the second portion of the touch sensor operates at the second rate of sampling.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to;

receive information communicated from a touch sensor controller configured to translate signals received from the touch sensor and control a rate of sampling of tactile touches on the touch sensor;

receive information communicated from a proximity sensor configured to detect a human finger or stylus proximate to the touch sensor;

based on the information communicated from the touch sensor controller and information communicated from the proximity sensor, determine a desired rate of sampling; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the desired rate of sampling.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein determining the desired rate of sampling comprises:

based on information communicated to the processor from the touch sensor and information communicated to the processor from the proximity sensor, selecting an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising at least;

a first operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a first rate of sampling; and

a second operational mode in which the desired rate of sampling equals a second rate of sampling, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate; and

determining the desired rate of sampling in accordance with the selected operational mode.

13. The article of claim 12, the instructions for further causing the processor to:

while operating in the second operational mode, and while the touch sensor is operating at the second rate of sampling, select the first operational mode in response to determining that the proximity sensor indicates a human finger or stylus is proximate to the touch sensor; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling in response to selection of the first operational mode.

14. The article of claim 11, the instructions for further causing the processor to determine the desired rate of sampling in response to information communicated to the processor from at least one display controller configured to control operation of a display associated with the touch sensor.

15. The article of claim 11, the instructions for further causing the processor to, based on information regarding a program displaying graphical information to a display associated with the touch sensor:

determine a first rate of sampling for a first portion of the touch sensor;

determine a second rate of sampling for a second portion of the touch sensor, the second rate of sampling different than the first rate of sampling; and

cause the touch sensor controller to control the rate of sampling such that the first portion of the touch sensor operates at the first rate of sampling and the second portion of the touch sensor operates at the second rate of sampling.