Timing scheme for touch screen supporting variable refresh rate

• US 9,910,533 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Agarwal, Manu, Bae, Hopil, Brahma, Kingsuk
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US14/866,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• 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: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167

Abstract

Various timing schemes can be used to synchronizing display functions with touch and/or stylus sensing functions for devices including a variable refresh rate (VRR) display. In a continuous-touch mode, for example, extended blanking can result in frame judder due to mismatch or latency between reporting of sensing data and the display. To minimize these issues, sensing operations can reset to re-synchronize with the display operation, and unreported data from sensing scans can be discarded or ignored. In some examples, a display frame can be divided into two sub-frames, and a system can be configured to perform a touch sensing scan during the first sub-frame of a display frame. At the conclusion of extended blanking, the sensing operations can reset to re-synchronize with the display. The touch sensing scan can be completed in one intra-frame pause and can begin at the start of the display frame.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a touch screen; and

one or more processing circuits capable of;

receiving a signal indicative of an end of an extended period during which an image displayed on the touch screen is not updated;

in response to receiving the signal, updating the image displayed on the touch screen during a display frame, the display frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames;

in response to receiving the signal, performing a touch scan of the touch screen during a pause in the updating the displayed image of a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, wherein the touch scan begins at a start of the display frame; and

wherein results of the touch scan are reported at the conclusion of the touch scan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch scan is performed during a single pause in the display update.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein only one touch scan is performed during the display frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing circuits time multiplexes performance of the touch scan and updating the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein components of the touch screen are shared between a display function and a touch scan function of the touch screen.

6. A method executed by one or more processing circuits, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of an end of a period of extended display blanking;

in response to receiving the signal, refreshing an image displayed on a touch screen during a plurality of sub-frames of a display frame;

in response to receiving the signal, performing one or more first sensing scans of the touch screen to detect a first type of object touching or hovering over the touch screen during a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, wherein the one or more first sensing scans occur during a period of the first sub-frame when refreshing the image displayed on the touch screen is paused;

performing one or more second sensing scans to detect a second type of object touching or hovering over the touch screen during one or more of the first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames and a second sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames; and

wherein the one or more second sensing scans are performed proximate to the one or more first sensing scans and during a common period of the first sub-frame when refreshing the image displayed on the touch screen is paused.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more first sensing scans include stimulating a plurality of sensors of the touch screen to detect mutual capacitance signals or self-capacitance signals.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the period of the first sub-frame when refreshing the image displayed on the touch screen is paused occurs at the start of the display frame.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more second sensing scans include detecting signals transmitted from an active stylus.

10. A method executed by one or more processing circuits, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of an end of an extended period during which an image displayed on a touch screen is not updated;

in response to receiving the signal, updating the image displayed on the touch screen during a display frame, the display frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames;

in response to receiving the signal, performing a touch scan of the touch screen during a single pause in updating the displayed image of a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames;

wherein results of the touch scan are reported at the conclusion of the touch scan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the touch scan begins at a start of the display frame.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein only one touch scan is performed during the display frame.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, can perform a method comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of an end of an extended period during which an image displayed on a touch screen is not updated;

in response to receiving the signal, updating the image displayed on the touch screen during a display frame, the display frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames;

in response to receiving the signal, performing a touch scan of the touch screen during a single pause in updating the displayed image of a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames; and

wherein results of the touch scan are reported at the conclusion of the touch scan.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the touch scan begins at a start of the display frame.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein only one touch scan is performed during the display frame.