Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)

Mohammed Zourob

Alexander Hunt

Andreas Kristensson

Mohammed Abdulaziz

Bryan Smith

An apparatus () and method () disclosed herein embody techniques for adapting read operations with respect to a touch sensor (), to avoid or mitigate touch-detection problems arising from inoperative sensing lines () used to detect touch inputs to a touch surface () of the touch sensor (). A particular advantage is that the avoidance or mitigation techniques address instances of touch sensor malfunctioning that involve isolated instances of sensing-line malfunctions. A further advantage is that the technique allows for continued 'normal' organization, sizing, and placement of user-interface elements displayed on the touch surface ()—e.g., a touchscreen display surface—because the technique provides for touch detection in regions of the touch surface () affected by inoperative sensing lines (), at least in cases where an inoperative sensing line () is bounded by operative sensing lines ().

Method and apparatus for adapting operation of a device to touch-sensor malfunctions

A technique for performing partial reads of a touch sensor () provides several advantages, including scalability to touch sensors with high sensing-line counts, and reductions in operating power. The technique involves identifying a region () of the touch surface () of the touch sensor () to be read and performing a partial read directed to the identified region. Rather than exciting all sensing lines of the touch surface (), the partial read excites one or more of the sensing lines () that are involved with the identified region (), without exciting one or more of the uninvolved sensing lines (). Identifying the region or regions () to be read involves, for example, obtaining touch-control information from a software application () running on a host device () that includes the touch sensor ().

Method and apparatus for performing partial reads of a touch sensor

An apparatus () and method () provide power-efficient reading of a touch sensor () by performing transform-based reading of the touch sensor () according to a read configuration () that accounts for touch-surface areas that are indicated as touch targets () for receiving touch input. Advantages such as power savings and more robust touch detection flow from the intelligent selection of which sensing lines () of the touch sensor () to excite and which excitation frequencies () to use for exciting them.

Method and apparatus for interfacing with a touch sensor

Methods () and apparatuses () disclosed herein embody a technique for reading a touch sensor () that provides several advantages, including scalability to touch sensors with high column/row counts and reductions in operating power. 'Reading' in this context refers to the application of one or more excitation frequencies to one or more column lines () and row lines () used for detecting touch inputs to a touch surface () of the touch sensor (), along with the corresponding transformation of the resulting sensing signals into frequency domain values and evaluation of the values () corresponding to the excitation frequencies. The technique in an example implementation involves a hierarchical reading scheme that divides the touch surface (), or any portion thereof, into regions, and performs initial touch detection at the per-region resolution, with subsequent higher-resolution reading of at least the region(s) where touch inputs have been detected.

A technique for reading the columns and rows of a touch sensor provides several advantages, including scalability to touch sensors with high column/row counts. Reading the touch sensor relies on combining the row or column outputs of the touch sensor, during column and/or row excitation of the touch sensor, with the resulting combined signal or signals transformed into the frequency domain and touch detection based on evaluation of the frequency-domain values corresponding to the excitation frequencies.

A technique for reading the columns () and rows () of a touch sensor () provides several advantages, including scalability to touch sensors with high column/row counts. A simultaneously applied set of column input signals () yields a corresponding set of column output signals () that are combined into a combined column signal () that is transformed into the frequency domain after digitization, to yield column values () corresponding to the respective touch sensor columns (). The same process applied with respect to the touch sensor rows () yields a set of row values (), with evaluation of the frequency-domain column and row values () providing the basis for detecting touch inputs to the touch sensor ().

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London, Canada

Mohammed Zourob