Abstract: Acoustic touch and/or force sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch and/or force sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface and an amount of force applied to the surface by the object. The position and/or an applied force can be determined using time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, for example. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a deformable material. The location of the object and the applied force can be determined based on the amount of time elapsing between the transmission of the waves and receipt of the reflected waves. In some examples, an acoustic touch sensing system can be insensitive to water contact on the device surface, and thus acoustic touch sensing can be used for touch sensing in devices that may become wet or fully submerged in water.

Abstract: In one implementation, an apparatus includes a display having a front surface and a back surface. The display includes a plurality of pixel regions that emit light from the front surface to display a displayed image and a plurality of apertures that transmit light from the front surface to the back surface. The apparatus includes a camera disposed on a side of the back surface of the display. The camera is configured to capture a captured image. The apparatus includes a processor coupled to the display and the camera. The processor is configured to receive the captured image and apply a first digital filter to a first portion of the captured image and a second digital filter, different than the first digital filter, to a second portion of the captured image to reduce image distortion caused by the display.

Abstract: An apparatus for touch-sensing includes a light-emitting layer covered by a transparent layer and configured to illuminate a surface touching the transparent layer and to allow transmission of reflected light rays from the surface to underlying layers. The underlying layers include an optical coupling layer, a collimator layer and a pixelated image sensor. The optical coupling layer bends the reflected light rays to create oblique light rays. The collimator layer includes a number of apertures to collimate the received light rays. The pixelated image sensor senses the collimated oblique light rays.

Abstract: Acoustic touch and/or force sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch and/or force sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface and an amount of force applied to the surface by the object. The position and/or an applied force can be determined using time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, for example. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a deformable material. The location of the object and the applied force can be determined based on the amount of time elapsing between the transmission of the waves and receipt of the reflected waves. In some examples, an acoustic touch sensing system can be insensitive to water contact on the device surface, and thus acoustic touch sensing can be used for touch sensing in devices that may become wet or fully submerged in water.

Abstract: Touch sensor panels (or touch screens) can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using touch electrode patterns for differential drive and/or differential sense techniques. In some examples, a touch sensor panel can include a two-dimensional array of touch nodes formed from a plurality of touch electrodes. Each column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven with a plurality of drive signals. For example, a first column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven by a first drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes in the first column (or row) and a second drive signal applied to a one or more second touch nodes of the first column (or row). In some examples, the first drive signal and the second drive signal can be complimentary drive signals. In some examples, each row (or column) of touch electrodes can be sensed by differential sense circuitry.

Abstract: A touch panel configured to compensate for negative pixel effect is disclosed. The panel can be configured to increase a capacitive sense signal, indicative of a touching or hovering object, in order to compensate for an increase in negative capacitance when the object is poorly grounded. To perform the compensation, the panel can be configured to have split sense lines so as to increase the number of electric fringe fields forming the sense signal, thereby providing a sense signal that is substantially stronger than the negative capacitance signal. Each sense line can be split into two or more strips.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to one or more intermediate layers located on a surface of a cover material of an acoustic touch screen. In some examples, the one or more layers can include one or more intermediate layers. The one or more intermediate layers can include a first layer including a plurality of features and a second layer located between the first layer and the cover material. In a touch condition, the touch object can apply a force to the top surface of the acoustic touch sensor. The applied force can create one or more local bends causing the plurality of features to move closer to the cover material and causing one or more surface discontinuities in the cover material. The acoustic waves can undergo reflections (e.g., causing the signal to be attenuated) due to the discontinuities located in the path of the wave propagation.

Abstract: Acoustic touch and/or force sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch and/or force sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface and an amount of force applied to the surface by the object. The position and/or an applied force can be determined using time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, for example. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a deformable material. The location of the object and the applied force can be determined based on the amount of time elapsing between the transmission of the waves and receipt of the reflected waves. In some examples, an acoustic touch sensing system can be insensitive to water contact on the device surface, and thus acoustic touch sensing can be used for touch sensing in devices that may become wet or fully submerged in water.

Abstract: An acoustic imaging system includes multiple transducers disposed to circumscribe a portion of substrate. An acoustic imaging system also includes a controller and an image resolver. The transducers convert electrical signals into mechanical energy and/or mechanical energy into electrical signals. The controller is adapted to apply an electrical signal to the transducers which, in response, induce a mechanical wave, such as a surface wave, into the circumscribed portion. The controller is also adapted to receive electrical signals from the transducers. The image resolver uses the electrical signals received by the controller in order to construct an image of an object in physical contact with the substrate.

Abstract: A self-capacitive touch sensor panel configured to have a portion of both the touch and display functionality integrated into a common layer is provided. The touch sensor panel includes a layer with circuit elements that can switchably operate as both touch circuitry and display circuitry such that during a touch mode of the device the circuit elements operate as touch circuitry and during a display mode of the device the circuit elements operate as display circuitry. The touch mode and display mode can be time multiplexed. By integrating the touch hardware and display hardware into common layers, savings in power, weight and thickness of the device can be realized.

Abstract: An acoustic imaging system includes multiple transducers disposed to circumscribe a portion of substrate. An acoustic imaging system also includes a controller and an image resolver. The transducers convert electrical signals into mechanical energy and/or mechanical energy into electrical signals. The controller is adapted to apply an electrical signal to the transducers which, in response, induce a mechanical wave, such as a surface wave, into the circumscribed portion. The controller is also adapted to receive electrical signals from the transducers. The image resolver uses the electrical signals received by the controller in order to construct an image of an object in physical contact with the substrate.

Abstract: A touch controller that can configure touch circuitry according to a scan plan, which can define a sequence of scan events to be performed on a touch panel is disclosed. The touch controller can include a configurable transmit section to generate stimulation signals to drive the panel, a configurable receive section to receive and process touch signals from the panel, and a configurable memory to store the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a programmable scan engine to configure the transmit section, the receive section, and the memory according to the scan plan. The touch controller advantageously provides more robust and flexible touch circuitry to handle various types of touch events at the panel. An active stylus that can generate stimulation signals that can be detected by the touch controller during various touch events at the panel is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for touch-sensing includes a light-emitting layer covered by a transparent layer and configured to illuminate a surface touching the transparent layer and to allow transmission of reflected light rays from the surface to underlying layers. The underlying layers include an optical coupling layer, a collimator layer and a pixelated image sensor. The optical coupling layer bends the reflected light rays to create oblique light rays. The collimator layer includes a number of apertures to collimate the received light rays. The pixelated image sensor senses the collimated oblique light rays.

Abstract: Electrical shield line systems are provided for openings in common electrodes near data lines of display and touch screens. Some displays, including touch screens, can include multiple common electrodes (Vcom) that can have openings between individual Vcoms. Some display screens can have an open slit between two adjacent edges of Vcom. Openings in Vcom can allow an electric field to extend from a data line through the Vcom layer. A shield can be disposed over the Vcom opening to help reduce or eliminate an electric field from affecting a pixel material, such as liquid crystal. The shield can be connected to a potential such that electric field is generated substantially between the shield and the data line to reduce or eliminate electric fields reaching the liquid crystal.

Abstract: A touch controller that can configure touch circuitry according to a scan plan, which can define a sequence of scan events to be performed on a touch panel is disclosed. The touch controller can include a configurable transmit section to generate stimulation signals to drive the panel, a configurable receive section to receive and process touch signals from the panel, and a configurable memory to store the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a programmable scan engine to configure the transmit section, the receive section, and the memory according to the scan plan. The touch controller advantageously provides more robust and flexible touch circuitry to handle various types of touch events at the panel. An active stylus that can generate stimulation signals that can be detected by the touch controller during various touch events at the panel is also disclosed.

Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a plurality of touch node electrodes. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a touch controller configured to drive and sense the plurality of touch node electrodes in a fully bootstrapped configuration to obtain a fully bootstrapped touch image, drive and sense the plurality of touch node electrodes in a second configuration, different from the fully bootstrapped configuration, to obtain a second touch image, the second touch image including an effect of water on the touch sensor panel, and determine a final touch image based on the fully bootstrapped touch image and the second touch image, the final touch image not including the effect of the water on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the second configuration comprises a mutual capacitance configuration. In some examples, the second configuration comprises a partially bootstrapped configuration.

Abstract: A touch controller is disclosed. The touch controller can include sense circuitry configured to sense, during a self-capacitance portion of a touch frame, first one or more self-capacitances associated with a first plurality of touch pixels on a touch sensor panel, and sense, during a mutual capacitance portion of the touch frame, first one or more mutual capacitances associated with the first plurality of touch pixels. A touch processor can be configured to, based on the first one or more self-capacitances and the first one or more mutual capacitances, sense a single touch event associated with the touch frame.

Abstract: Electrical shield line systems are provided for openings in common electrodes near data lines of display and touch screens. Some displays, including touch screens, can include multiple common electrodes (Vcom) that can have openings between individual Vcoms. Some display screens can have an open slit between two adjacent edges of Vcom. Openings in Vcom can allow an electric field to extend from a data line through the Vcom layer. A shield can be disposed over the Vcom opening to help reduce or eliminate an electric field from affecting a pixel material, such as liquid crystal. The shield can be connected to a potential such that electric field is generated substantially between the shield and the data line to reduce or eliminate electric fields reaching the liquid crystal.

Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a plurality of touch node electrodes. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a touch controller configured to drive and sense the plurality of touch node electrodes in a fully bootstrapped configuration to obtain a fully bootstrapped touch image, drive and sense the plurality of touch node electrodes in a second configuration, different from the fully bootstrapped configuration, to obtain a second touch image, the second touch image including an effect of water on the touch sensor panel, and determine a final touch image based on the fully bootstrapped touch image and the second touch image, the final touch image not including the effect of the water on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the second configuration comprises a mutual capacitance configuration. In some examples, the second configuration comprises a partially bootstrapped configuration.

Abstract: A touch controller is disclosed. The touch controller can include sense circuitry configured to sense, during a self-capacitance portion of a touch frame, first one or more self-capacitances associated with a first plurality of touch pixels on a touch sensor panel, and sense, during a mutual capacitance portion of the touch frame, first one or more mutual capacitances associated with the first plurality of touch pixels. A touch processor can be configured to, based on the first one or more self-capacitances and the first one or more mutual capacitances, sense a single touch event associated with the touch frame.