Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for providing enhanced touch sensing. One system providing enhanced touch sensing includes a multi-mode touch screen and a processor configured to apply at least one test signal to a sense element of the multi-mode touch screen, detect at least one return signal from the sense element, and then determine a relative position of an object corresponding to the at least one return signal, the multi-mode touch screen being capable of sensing the first object using first and second detection modes. One multi-mode touch screen comprises a multi-mode multi-touch touch screen. One processor is configured to apply an adaptive test signal to a sense element of a touch screen.

Abstract: Often times, a touch-sensitive area of a touch-screen of a communication device is touched by a finger or a hand of a user. In some instances, a touch-based stylus of the present disclosure is available to the user. The user touches the touch-sensitive area of the communication device with the touch-based stylus. The communication device induces a current within the touch-based stylus. This induced current causes a voltage to accumulate within the passive object when touched by the user. This accumulated voltage transfers to the touch-sensitive area when the touch-based stylus touches the touch-sensitive area of the communication device. Thereafter, the communication device compares signal metrics of various regions of the touch-sensitive area to detect an instance and/or a location of the touch from the touch-based stylus.

Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.

Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface includes a touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to produce distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions via the communications interface for use as gaming input.

Abstract: Elements are provided that mitigate the effects of at least one of charger noise, display noise, and non-grounding in a capacitive touch panel system. Such elements may include an array of sense lines made up of sense electrodes that are shaped differently from drive electrodes making up an array of drive lines, where the area occupied by the sense electrodes is substantially less than that taken up by the drive electrodes. Additionally, the shape of the sense electrodes, despite mitigating the aforementioned effects of charger noise, display noise, and non-grounding, maintains touch detection sensitivity.

Abstract: According to an exemplary implementation, a touch sensor includes a plurality of traces situated between first and second columns of transmitter pads on a substrate. Each trace in the plurality of traces is routed from one extremity of the substrate and ends at a corresponding transmitter pad thereby creating an available area between the first and second columns of transmitter pads for one or more remaining traces of the plurality of traces. In some implementations, for at least one trace in the plurality of traces, each of the one or more remaining traces have an expanded width in the available area. Furthermore, at least one dummy pad can be situated in the available area for at least one trace in the plurality of traces.

Abstract: A mode-configurable amplifier comprises a single-ended input for receiving a received signal from a capacitive touch panel, a differential output operable to carry a differential processed signal to a subsequent processing stage, and processing circuitry in communication with the single ended input and the differential output. The processing circuitry comprises mode selection inputs and mode selection circuitry in communication with the mode selection inputs. The mode selection circuitry is operable to configure the processing circuitry into a current operating mode selected from a high-pass filter mode, bandpass filter mode, and a trans-capacitive gain mode. The high-pass filter mode is operable to high-pass filter the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal. The bandpass filter mode is operable to bandpass filter the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal. The wideband gain mode is operable to amplify the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes reference charge cancellation features to at least partially offset a voltage distortion on a bypass capacitor of a reference buffer due to a voltage reference hit taken by a switched capacitor bank with which the bypass capacitor is connected. The charge cancellation may be configured in logic to be input signal dependent because different resolved bits or transitions between resolved bits may cause different amounts of voltage reference hits. By adjusting the bypass capacitor in response to each of at least some of the reference hits while resolving a word of bits, the reference voltage signal provided by the bypass capacitor undergoes far less settling, remaining more stable and linear for a more accurate reference voltage. Furthermore, a smaller capacitor may be used for the bypass capacitor, reducing power consumption and area on chip.

Abstract: Operating a game controller to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the game controller and transmitted to a game console via a communications interface of the game controller for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes reference charge cancellation features to at least partially offset a voltage distortion on a bypass capacitor of a reference buffer due to a voltage reference hit taken by a switched capacitor bank with which the bypass capacitor is connected. The charge cancellation may be configured in logic to be input signal dependent because different resolved bits or transitions between resolved bits may cause different amounts of voltage reference hits. By adjusting the bypass capacitor in response to each of at least some of the reference hits while resolving a word of bits, the reference voltage signal provided by the bypass capacitor undergoes far less settling, remaining more stable and linear for a more accurate reference voltage. Furthermore, a smaller capacitor may be used for the bypass capacitor, reducing power consumption and area on chip.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that allow a touch sensor, such as a mutual capacitive touch panel, to switch from an operative transmit (TX) frequency at which the mutual capacitive touch panel is driven to an alternative TX frequency. When switching to an alternative TX frequency, an alternative baseline capacitance value corresponding to the alternative TX frequency may be utilized to determine whether a touch event has occurred on the mutual capacitive touch panel. Frame scans can be repeatedly performed at the operative TX frequency and the alternative TX frequency in rapid succession, and an average difference of the frame scans can be calculated and utilized to generate the alternative baseline capacitance value which may be insensitive to sudden ambient changes and moving touch events affecting the mutual touch capacitive panel.

Abstract: Operating a remote control to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive element of the remote control that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the remote control and transmitted to a multimedia system console via a communications interface of the remote control for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate layer and a conductive layer connected with the substrate layer. An active circuit is connected with the conductive layer. A seal ring is connected with the conductive layer and separated from the active circuit by an assembly isolation region. An electrical isolation region is positioned in the conductive layer and adjacent to the assembly isolation region, where the electrical isolation region extends to the substrate layer.

Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface includes a touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to produce distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions via the communications interface for use as gaming input.

Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising touch positioning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the touch positioning logic is executed, to perform selected processing of the touch panel, including scanning a touch panel and determining a touch panel blob resulting from a touch, obtaining blob characteristics of the touch panel blob, and determining a position of the blob relative to the touch panel based on the blob characteristics. The blob characteristics can be adjusted to more accurately position the blob in circumstances where the blob is located near the edge of the touch panel, is in close proximity to another blob, or when the touch panel has variation in the received signal noise.

Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.

Abstract: A mode-configurable amplifier comprises a single-ended input for receiving a received signal from a capacitive touch panel, a differential output operable to carry a differential processed signal to a subsequent processing stage, and processing circuitry in communication with the single ended input and the differential output. The processing circuitry comprises mode selection inputs and mode selection circuitry in communication with the mode selection inputs. The mode selection circuitry is operable to configure the processing circuitry into a current operating mode selected from a high-pass filter mode, bandpass filter mode, and a trans-capacitive gain mode. The high-pass filter mode is operable to high-pass filter the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal. The bandpass filter mode is operable to bandpass filter the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal. The wideband gain mode is operable to amplify the received signal to obtain the differential processed signal.

Abstract: A method for touch detection in a touch panel display includes entering a low power touch detection mode and intermittently stimulating the touch panel display with signals to determine if any touch event occurs without locating the touch event on the touch panel. If a touch event is detected, a full scan mode is entered to locate the touch event on the touch panel. This provides both faster touch detection and lower power operation for the touch panel display and controller circuit.

Abstract: Asymmetric scanning logic implements asymmetric panel scanning by scanning some rows on a touch panel more frequently than other rows. Note that although an entire row at a time may be driven, if only particular pixels in the row are of interest (e.g., included in any region of interest for focused asymmetric scanning), then circuitry may power down the receivers for the columns in which the pixels exist to save power. The asymmetric scanning logic facilitates focused attention to specific areas of interest on the touch panel, to compensate, for example, for high noise or low signal strength in those areas of interest.