Pixart Imaging Incorporated

Other

Sarangan Narasimhan

Thomas Patrick Murphy

Keen Hun Leong

Kevin Rathburn

David B Townsley

Kenneth D Brewer

Vitali Souchkov

Mercedes E Gil

Robert Ritter

Various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system and corresponding methods are described. A touchscreen controller is operably connected to a first plurality of drive electrodes, a second plurality of sense electrodes, and a host processor. The touchscreen controller has computer-readable button group programming instructions and data loaded into a first memory portion thereof from the host processor that comprise steps for sensing and arbitrating among touches occurring on and within a first plurality of buttons. Firmware instructions and data are loaded into a second portion of the memory of the touchscreen controller. The first plurality of buttons is arranged in a first group on the touchscreen, and the first group is located within a first portion of the touchscreen. Capacitive sensing of touches occurring on and within at least second portions of the touchscreen that are located outside the first portion of the touchscreen are controlled by the firmware instructions.

Method and apparatus for arbitrating among contiguous buttons on a capacitive touchscreen

According to one embodiment, there is provided a mutual capacitance touchscreen comprising a first set of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns and a second set of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at right angles with respect to the rows or columns of the first set, where the first and second sets of traces are electrically insulated from and interdigitated respecting one another, and gaps between the first and second sets of traces form boundaries between the first and second sets of traces that undulate and that are not straight or linear. Other embodiments of a mutual capacitance touchscreen are also disclosed, such as 'mini-diamond' sensor array patterns and sensor array patterns that may be manufactured at low cost.

Sensor patterns for mutual capacitance touchscreens

A test system for testing a capacitive-sense touchscreen is disclosed. Specifically, the test system may be incorporated within a controller that is also used to control operations of the touchscreen. The controller may include an Integrated Circuit and the test system may correspond to a test capacitor embedded into the Integrated Circuit.

In-situ detection of touchscreen panel shorts

Disclosed are various embodiments of methods and devices for operating a processor or host controller in a mutual capacitance sensing device. Methods and devices for sorting motion reports provided to a host controller or other processor in a mutual capacitance sensing device, reporting touch points to a host controller or other processor in a mutual capacitance sensing device, improving noise robustness and navigation performance in a mutual capacitance sensing device, determining a touch area of a user's finger on a touch panel or touchpad of a mutual capacitance sensing device, and avoiding false wakeups and minimizing power consumption in a mutual capacitance sensing device having a touch panel or touchpad are described.

Firmware methods and devices for a mutual capacitance touch sensing device

A coordinate-based computer authentication system () and methods have been disclosed. A method comprises providing instructions to present a graphical interface () on a display, wherein the graphical interface includes a plurality of graphical images. Selection information is received that corresponds to the selection of one or more of the plurality of graphical images. The selection information is authenticated ().

Coordinate based computer authentication system and methods

Several different methods of testing the integrity and proper operation of the drive and sense electrodes in a mutual capacitance sensing device such as a touchscreen or touchpad are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, measured values of mutual capacitance corresponding to individual cells in a mutual capacitance sensing device are compared to one another and to predetermined thresholds. The results of the comparison are employed to determine whether any of the traces forming the electrodes in the device are defective. By way of example, traces can be defective if they are broken, too thin, too thick, or shorted together. The various embodiments of the methods disclosed herein may be used for touchscreen or touchpad quality control in a manufacturing setting, or may be used to test touchscreens or touchpads that have already been incorporated into electronic devices. The various methods disclosed herein lower manufacturing costs, increase product quality and yield, and may be carried out quickly.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Sarangan Narasimhan