Integrated multi-touch surface having varying sensor granularity

• US 9,870,041 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne Carl, Elias, John Greer, Hotelling, Steven P., Kerr, Duncan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANCHA, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US15/685,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20170351314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 145 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Claims

1. A method for operating a touch screen included in a touch enabled device, the method comprising:

operating one or more portions of the touch screen in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode associated with a first level of granularity, and

a second operating mode associated with a second level of granularity, different from the first level of granularity;

dynamically selecting a portion of the touch screen based on one or more applications running on the touch enabled device; and

dynamically switching an operating mode of the selected portion based on the one or more applications running on the touch enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically selecting the portion of the touch screen further comprises:

powering one or more circuitry, the powered one or more circuitry coupled to data lines included in the selected portion of the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically selecting the portion of the touch screen further comprises:

driving one or more stimulus lines coupled to the selected portion of the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portion of the touch screen is associated with one or more visual control elements of the one or more applications.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected portion includes a higher level of granularity than at least another portion of the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more user inputs, the one or more user inputs associated with at least one of the one or more applications, wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched in response to receiving the one or more user inputs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more user inputs includes an indication of the granularity of the operation mode of the dynamically selected portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications include at least one of a map application, a media play back application, and a hand writing application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a power requirement of the one or more applications,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched based on the determined power requirement.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching from a first application to a second application,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched in response to switching from the first application to the second application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the one or more applications,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched in response to receiving the command from the one or more applications.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sensitivity requirement based on the one or more applications,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched based on the determined sensitivity requirement.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is configured for detecting a plurality of touch objects.

14. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a touch screen; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising;

operating one or more portions of the touch screen in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode associated with a first level of granularity, and

a second operating mode associated with a second level of granularity, different from the first level of granularity;

dynamically selecting a portion of the touch screen based on one or more applications running on the touch enabled device; and

dynamically switching an operating mode of the selected portion based on the one or more applications running on the touch enabled device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more circuitry coupled to data lines included in the selected portion of the touch screen, wherein the one or more circuitry are powered on at the dynamically selected portions.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more stimulus lines coupled to the dynamically selected portion of the touch screen, wherein the one or more stimulus lines are driven at the dynamically selected portions.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving one or more user inputs, the one or more user inputs associated with at least one of the one or more applications, wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched in response to receiving the one or more user inputs.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a power requirement of the one or more applications,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched based on the determined power requirement.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a command from the one or more applications,

wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched in response to receiving the command from the one or more applications.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a sensitivity requirement based on the one or more applications, wherein the operating mode of the selected portion is dynamically switched based on the determined sensitivity requirement.