Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable touchscreen proximity sensing. An exemplary method is performed at a touch sensitive device and includes detecting the presence of water on a capacitive sense array (CSA). The method detects decreased electrode responses from at least a subset of a plurality of sensor electrodes of the CSA that satisfy one or more first trigger conditions. The method further includes: (1) normalizing the CSA based on the detected decrease in electrode responses to form a second baseline, (2) determining that the water is removed from the portion of the CSA based on one or more subsequent electrode responses from at least the subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes that satisfy one or more second trigger conditions, and (3) normalizing the CSA based on the detected one or more subsequent electrode responses to form a third baseline.

Abstract: An exemplary method used to improve water detection on a touch-sensitive display includes performing a plurality of scans of a touch-sensitive array using at least two different scan patterns to capture response data for at least a subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The method further includes determining a signal direction for each sensor electrode in the subset using the response data. The method further includes identifying touch zone(s), each comprising a group of sensor electrodes with signal directions that point towards a peak electrode response included in the group. The peak electrode response indicates a location of a candidate touch object on the touch-sensitive array. For each identified touch zone, reporting a touch object at the location of the peak electrode response upon determination that the peak electrode response for the touch zone satisfies a predefined response threshold.

Abstract: A method of processing raw response signals for capacitive sense arrays is performed at an electronic device having one or more processors and a capacitive sense array. The process receives a raw response signal from the capacitive sense array. The process computes an offset signal that represents an average baseline value of the raw response signal over a period of time and filters the raw response signal to a limited frequency band, thereby forming a bandwidth limited signal. The process also computes a differential signal as the difference between the offset signal and the bandwidth limited signal and uses the differential signal to detect an object proximate to the capacitive sense array.

Abstract: A contact's interaction with a sensing array is subject to several external and internal stimuli which may impact a processing unit's confidence in the characteristics of that interaction or the presence of the interaction itself. Fidelity of user action is greatly improved with a step-wise and holistic analysis of a contact on an array of capacitance sensors, which allows for repetition of certain steps of processing or the entire operation if threshold confidence levels are not achieved.

Abstract: This application is directed to detecting touch events using a display pixel array. The display pixel array includes display pixels each of which is disposed between a display electrode and a common electrode. For touch sensing, a processing device drives the subset of common electrodes with an integration voltage that varies by a voltage variation at a predetermined slew rate. The processing device also drives a subset of display electrodes corresponding to the subset of common electrodes in a synchronous manner, thereby reducing an impact of parasitic capacitance associated with the subset of common electrodes. Each of the subset of display electrodes is driven with an adjusted display voltage that varies by the voltage variation at the predetermined slew rate. While driving the subsets of common and display electrodes, a capacitive sense signal associated with the subset of common electrodes is measured at an output of a capacitance sense circuit.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of peak detection are described. One method measures touch data on a sense array, the touch data represented as multiple cells. The method performs multiple different peak-detection schemes on each of the cells to generate a list of one or more possible peaks in the touch data. The method selects one or more actual peaks from the list. The actual peaks are used to determine locations of touches proximate to the sense array.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable touch screen proximity sensing with suppression of false ear touches. An example method is performed at a touch sensitive device and includes enabling or disabling grip suppression to prevent false touches from a user's ear during a phone call based on signals from motion sensors, such as gyroscopes and/or accelerometers, that indicate a direction of the touch sensitive device with respect to a user's face. Another method is performed at a touch sensitive device and includes allowing a user to input on the touch screen a predefined gesture to enable normal touch operation of a touch screen of a touch sensitive device when the device is in a proximity sensing mode.

Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a touch sensing surface having a plurality of TX electrodes and a plurality of RX electrodes. The touch sensing apparatus also includes capacitance sensing circuitry. The circuitry receives a plurality of drive signals. For each of a plurality of scanning stages, the circuitry applies a respective one of the plurality of drive signals to each of the plurality of TX electrodes substantially simultaneously according to a respective TX pattern. The respective TX pattern for each scanning stage is distinct. The circuitry receives sense signals from the plurality of RX electrodes. Each of the plurality of sense signals represents capacitance of a respective intersection of a respective TX electrode and a respective RX electrode. The circuitry then correlates the received sense signals for the plurality of scanning stages with the received drive signals to detect an object proximate to the touch panel.

Abstract: A protocol transparent retimer circuit monitors certain link layer control signals, detects far-end receiver parameters of the link partners, and detects attributes of the data signal on the link to determine the link status and operate the retimer in accordance with the determined link status. By combining and reducing host and device system states into a few retimer states, the retimer circuit is largely simplified and yet still serves its purpose. The retimer includes a controller that employs a state machine to interpret the monitored and detected signals to determine the link state and operate the retimer in an operating state corresponding to the determined link state. The approach enables the retimer to restore signal integrity and forward what ever it receives in both downstream and upstream directions of the link without frequency alteration.

Abstract: A method is performed at a touch sensing system that includes a two-dimensional capacitive sense array. The process measures the capacitance of the capacitive sensors, and identifies a first sensor whose measured capacitance is a local peak. The local peak is within a local rectangular array. The process computes column sums for each column of the rectangular array and determines whether to apply a smoothing algorithm. When the smoothing algorithm is not applied, the process computes an x-coordinate of a touch using a plurality of the column sums. When applying the smoothing algorithm, the process computes the x-coordinate of the touch as an average of two x-coordinate calculations. Each of the two x-coordinate calculations conditionally performs a horizontal shift of the local rectangular array based on comparing the peak measured capacitance to an adjacent measured capacitance and computes a respective x-coordinate using a respective plurality of the column sums.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for detecting touch inputs. In one aspect, a device includes: (1) a touch surface; (2) a plurality of sense electrodes configured to sense capacitance of a touch input; (3) one or more force electrodes configured to sense force of the touch input; and (4) a sensing module configured to: (a) determine a first capacitance; (b) determine whether the first capacitance exceeds an adaptive threshold; (c) if the first capacitance does not exceed the adaptive threshold, determine a force; (d) if the force meets one or more predefined criteria indicative of a touch input, lower the adaptive threshold; (e) determine a second capacitance; (f) determine whether the second capacitance exceeds the lowered threshold; and (g) if the second capacitance exceeds the lowered threshold, determine that the touch input is present on the touch surface.

Abstract: A touch sensing system includes a capacitive sense array. Each sensor has a unique location type. The system includes a capacitance measurement circuit coupled to the array, which measures capacitance changes at each sensor. The system also includes a memory device that stores three or more adjustment parameters. Each parameter corresponds to one or more location types, and is used in computing virtual sensor values. The system receives measured capacitance changes corresponding to a touch on the array and identifies a first sensor whose measured capacitance change is a local maximum. The system determines a location type of the first sensor. According to the location type, the adjustment parameters corresponding to the location type, and the measured capacitance changes, the system computes virtual sensor measurements. The system then computes a centroid of the touch using the measured capacitance changes and the virtual sensor measurements.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining detecting a conductive object and determining the type of object and the type of contact that object has with a touch sensitive surface, the method comprising measuring capacitance on a plurality of mutual capacitance sensors, each mutual capacitance sensor corresponding to a unit cell in an array of unit cells. After mutual capacitance is measured a peak unit cell is identified based on the measured capacitances and a matrix sum of a plurality of unit cells surround the peak unit cell is calculated. The value of the peak unit cell and the matrix sum are then compared to a range and a contact type determined based on the comparison.

Abstract: A display panel subsystem adaptively employs one of three types of input offset voltage cancellation modes based on an analysis of gray level values of sub-pixels for each row un a frame of image data. The system selects a candidate row within a selected group of rows and applies a first chopper mode to each sub-pixel in the candidate row. Under a row-based mode, the system applies a second chopper mode to each sub-pixel included in a row having gray level values matching the candidate row. Under a per-column row-based mode, the system applies the row-based mode on a per-column basis. Under a sub-pixel-wise mode, for each column, the system changes a chopper mode applied to a sub-pixel in a subsequent row relative to the last state of the chopper mode in a row having the same gray level value as a corresponding sub-pixel in the subsequent row.

Abstract: A process determines touch orientation of touches on a sense array of a touch-sensing device. The process obtains first touch data and second touch data of a conductive object proximate to the sense array at two temporally proximate times. The first and second touch data are then used to determine a first touch orientation, and the second touch data is used to determine a touch area and a provisional touch orientation. A touch orientation change is then determined as an absolute difference between the first touch orientation and the provisional touch orientation. The touch orientation change is compared with a threshold change, and the touch area is compared with a threshold area. In accordance with comparison results, the first touch orientation, the provisional orientation, or a weighted combination of them is designated as a second touch orientation corresponding to one of the two temporally proximate times.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide capacitance sensing devices and methods for forming such devices. The capacitance sensing devices include a substrate having a central and an outer portion. A plurality of substantially co-planar electrodes are on the central portion substrate. A first plurality of conductors are on the substrate. Each of the first plurality of conductors has a first end portion electrically connected to one of the plurality of electrodes and a second end portion on the outer portion of the substrate. An insulating material is coupled to the second end portions of the first plurality of conductors. A second plurality of conductors are coupled to the insulating material. Each of the second plurality of conductors is electrically connected to the second end portion of at least some of the first plurality of conductors and is insulated from the second end portion of the others of the first plurality of conductors.

Abstract: A source device communicates with a sink device over a main communication channel and configuration data is sent over a display data channel. A retimer is coupled between the source device and the sink device to improve the quality of signal transmitted from the source device to the sink device. The retimer monitors the data being sent on the display data channel to look for a desired command. Once the command is found, a copy of the command is decoded by the retimer and the configuration data and associated values are stored in a storage. The retimer uses the stored configuration data to modify the received communication data signal to match the operational characteristics between the source device and sink device and then transmit the modified signal to the sink device using these operational characteristics.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable underwater non-conductive touch tracking. An exemplary method is performed at a touch sensitive device and includes: detecting submersion of a capacitive sense array (CSA), including detecting increased electrode responses from at least a subset of a plurality of sensor electrodes of the CSA that exceed a predetermined electrode response criterion. The method further includes: (1) identifying one or more normalization factors for the CSA based on the detected increased electrode responses from the subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and (2) normalizing, using the one or more normalization factors, the CSA to form a substantially uniform baseline response across the CSA. The method further includes during the submersion, and subsequent to the normalizing, identifying one or more subsequent electrode responses that differ from the substantially uniform baseline response by at least a threshold amount.

Abstract: A protocol transparent retimer circuit monitors certain link layer control signals, detects far-end receiver parameters of the link partners, and detects attributes of the data signal on the link to determine the link status and operate the retimer in accordance with the determined link status. By combining and reducing host and device system states into a few retimer states, the retimer circuit is largely simplified and yet still serves its purpose. The retimer includes a controller that employs a state machine to interpret the monitored and detected signals to determine the link state and operate the retimer in an operating state corresponding to the determined link state. The approach enables the retimer to restore signal integrity and forward what ever it receives in both downstream and upstream directions of the link without frequency alteration.

Abstract: A touch panel display subsystem for bi-directional intra-panel communication includes a forward link and a backward link between a timing controller and one or more source drivers. The forward link includes a timing controller transmitter in the timing controller to receive video signal, video control signal and touch control signal, and to transmit over the forward link in the format of frame based packet, and a source driver receiver in the source driver to receive video signal, video control signal and touch control signal over the forward link. The backward link includes a source driver transmitter in the source driver to receive the touch sensor data and transmit the touch sensor data over the backward link when the backward link is enabled, and a timing controller receiver in the timing controller to receive the touch sensor data over the backward link when the backward link is enabled.