METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCED RATE TOUCH SCANNING ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150062023A1
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: TOORIANS, Arman, COLLINS, Robert, MCCAFFREY, Jonathan B., EKICI, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 9,823,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are capable of lowering touch scan rates in a manner that conserves power resources without compromising performance or user experience thereby promoting battery life. Embodiments of the present invention perform touch scan operations using a touch sensitive panel at a first scan rate. In response to certain events automatically detected within the mobile device (e.g., when a full-screen video is being displayed), embodiments of the present invention may then perform touch scan operations at a second scan rate that is slower than the first scan rate that also consumes less power compared to the first scan rate. As such, for events or use cases in which limited user interaction with the touch sensitive panel is typical, embodiments of the present invention may lower touch scan rates in a manner that still enables users to interact with applications (e.g., interaction with playback controls during video playback) and promotes efficient power usage and extends battery life.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a touch sensitive panel of a computing device, said method comprising:

scanning said touch sensitive panel at a first rate to detect a first-type user interaction therewith;

detecting an event within said computing device; and

responsive to said event, scanning said touch sensitive panel at a second rate to detect a second-type user interaction therewith, said second rate slower than said first rate wherein less power is consumed at said second rate versus said first rate and wherein further said event indicates a presence of a use case of said computing device in which limited user interaction of said touch sensitive panel is typical.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said event is an identification of a surface type made when compositing layers of surface data associated with a plurality of applications into a final image for display, wherein said compositing surface data comprises:

using a compositing module, receiving said layers of surface data from said plurality of applications; and

extracting surface type information from said surface data.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein said surface type is a video surface.

4. The method as described in claim 2, wherein said surface type is a camera surface.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said event is an activation of a telephone application.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said event is a soft keyboard display event.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising restoring said first rate when:

(a) said event terminates or (b) a touch event is detected.

8. A system for controlling a touch sensitive panel of a computing device, said system comprising:

a touch sensor operable to perform scanning operations at a first rate to detect a first-type user interaction therewith, wherein said touch sensor is operable to perform said scanning operations at a second rate to detect a second-type user interaction therewith, said second rate slower than said first rate wherein less power is consumed at said second rate versus said first rate; and

a monitoring module operable to prescribe said second rate for said touch sensor via control signals sent thereto responsive to a detection of an event within said computing device, wherein said event indicates a presence of a use case of said computing device in which limited user interaction of said touch sensor is typical.

9. The system as described in claim 8, wherein said event is an identification of a surface type made by a compositing module, wherein said compositing module is operable to composite layers of surface data associated with a plurality of applications into a final image for display, wherein said compositing module is further operable to receive said layers of surface data from said plurality of applications and abstract surface type information from said surface data.

10. The system as described in claim 9, wherein said surface type is a video surface.

11. The system as described in claim 9, wherein said surface type is a camera surface.

12. The system as described in claim 8, wherein said event is an activation of a telephone application.

13. The system as described in claim 8, wherein said event is a soft keyboard display event.

14. The system as described in claim 8, wherein said monitoring module is further operable to restore said first rate when:

(a) said event terminates or (b) a touch event is detected.

15. A method of controlling a touch sensitive panel of a computing device, said method comprising:

scanning said touch sensitive panel at a first rate to detect a first-type user interaction therewith, wherein said first rate is a default scan rate;

detecting an event within said computing device;

responsive to said event, scanning said touch sensitive panel at a second rate to detect a second-type user interaction therewith, said second rate slower than said first rate wherein less power is consumed at said second rate versus said first rate and wherein further said event indicates a presence of a use case of said computing device in which limited user interaction of said touch sensitive panel is typical; and

responsive to detecting a termination of said event, scanning said touch sensitive panel at said default rate.

16. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said event is an identification of a surface type made when compositing surface data associated with a plurality of applications into a final image for display, wherein said compositing surface data comprises:

using a compositing module, receiving said surface data from said plurality of applications; and

extracting surface type information from said surface data.

17. The method as described in claim 16, wherein said surface type is a video surface.

18. The method as described in claim 16, wherein said surface type is a camera surface.

19. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said event is an activation of a telephone application.

20. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said event is a soft keyboard display event.

21. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said event is a full-screen video display event.