Apple Inc.

Zhao Liu

Ari Y Benbasat

Stephen Theodore Schooley

Joshua A Hoover

Judd E Reed

Clayton J McCoy

Kendall L Helbert

Sean M Cole

Devon J Rosner

An electronic device such as a portable electronic device may have display with a capacitive touch sensor. A cover may have a front portion and a rear portion that bend along a bend axis. The front portion may overlap the display when the cover is closed. Conductive structures such as a patterned conductive layer having elongated strips of conductive material separated by gaps or another predetermined pattern may be formed in the front portion of a cover or other portion of a cover that overlaps the display and capacitive touch sensor when the cover is closed. Control circuitry in the device can gather capacitance images with the touch sensor and can detect when the cover has transitioned from open to closed or from closed to open from whether the predetermined pattern becomes present or becomes absent in the capacitance images.

Electronic devices with covers

Low-power touch detection can be beneficial for an electronic device to maintain touch detection and enable response to certain touch inputs in a low-power state (e.g., a sleep state), while consuming less power than touch detection during an awake state. For example, sensing touch during the sleep state can allow the electronic device to wake (e.g., transition from the sleep state to the awake state) in response to detecting a certain touch input (e.g., a tap or other touch input) on its touch screen while in the sleep state. Examples of the disclosure provide various ways for the electronic device to further reduce power consumption in the low-power state by simplifying the processing requirements for touch input to the touch-sensitive surface.

Low power touch detection

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Zhao Liu