Abstract: A capacitive touch panel includes a first sensor pattern and second sensor pattern. The first sensor pattern supports mutual-capacitance detection and the second sensor pattern supports self-capacitance detection. The first sensor pattern includes row conductors and column conductors which intersect each other at mutual-capacitance sensing locations. The second sensor pattern includes island conductors. The island conductors are grouped in clusters of conductors, each cluster providing a self-capacitance sensing location. Control circuitry coupled to the first and second sensor patterns functions to make touch/hover position detections by sensing changes in capacitance at the mutual-capacitance and self-capacitance nodes. The row and column conductors include openings, and the island conductors are positioned in vertical alignment with corresponding openings in the conductors.

Abstract: A touch screen system is configured to sense a proximate or actual touch made to a touch screen panel. In response thereto, an RF transmitter is actuated to emit RF energy. A stylus receives the emitted RF energy and includes an RF energy harvesting circuit that powers an enable circuit. The enable circuit generates an enable signal. The stylus responds to the enable signal by performing a sensing operation. The information collected in the sensing operation is then communicated over an RF communications link back to the touch screen system. The sensing operation preferably is a pressure sensing operation for detecting an applied pressure at an end of the stylus resulting from contact with the touch screen panel.

Abstract: A single ITO layer design for a touchscreen panel incorporates a matrix of sensor cells formed from a single ITO layer of capacitive sensor pads, sensor bars, force lines and sense lines. Columns of multiplexed force lines are connected to rows of sensor pads to form force trees such that the force line of the end pair of sensor pads has a wide track, with the force lines of each subsequent pair of sensor pads having a reduced track width. Disposed between the columns of force trees, the matrix of sensor cells also includes columns of sensor bars connected to control circuitry via sense lines. The control circuitry applies a signal to the force trees to generate capacitance between rows of sensor pads and adjacent sensor bars. The control circuitry senses changes in the capacitance and resolves the location of a user touch in the matrix of sensor cells.

Abstract: A capacitive touch panel includes a first sensor pattern and second sensor pattern. The first sensor pattern supports mutual-capacitance detection and the second sensor pattern supports self-capacitance detection. The first sensor pattern includes row conductors and column conductors which intersect each other at mutual-capacitance sensing locations. The second sensor pattern includes island conductors. The island conductors are grouped in clusters of conductors, each cluster providing a self-capacitance sensing location. Control circuitry coupled to the first and second sensor patterns functions to make touch/hover position detections by sensing changes in capacitance at the mutual-capacitance and self-capacitance nodes. The row and column conductors include openings, and the island conductors are positioned in vertical alignment with corresponding openings in the conductors.

Abstract: A touch controller is coupled to a touch screen and detects a first gesture at a first point on the touch screen. The first gesture includes physical contact of the touch screen by a user device at the first point. The touch controller detects a second gesture that is associated with movement of the user device from the first point to a second point on the touch screen. The second gesture includes detecting movement of the user device within a sensing range from the first point to the second point. The sensing range corresponds to an orthogonal distance from a surface of the touch screen. The touch controller detects a third gesture at the second touch point. The third gesture includes physical contact of the touch screen at the second touch point. Upon detecting the first, second and third gestures the touch controller performs a corresponding action.

Abstract: A borderless touchscreen panel includes a first conductive layer having rows of capacitive sensors and receiving traces, and a second conductive layer having columns of sensor bars and transmitting traces. The capacitive sensors are coupled to control circuitry via the receiving traces, and the sensor bars are coupled to the control circuitry via the transmitting traces. Peripheral sensor bars are disposed over the receiving traces such that the receiving traces can be routed within an active portion of the borderless touchscreen panel without obstructing its touch-detection capabilities. Furthermore, the receiving traces are comprised of a transparent material such as indium tin oxide, and therefore do not obstruct the display capabilities of the active portion. Thus, there is no need for an inactive border region since the receiving traces are disposed within the active portion without obstructing either the touch-detection or display capabilities of the borderless touchscreen panel.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving character entries in mobile computer devices uses an improved keypad. The keypad uses a dual key press method in which each key of the keypad includes a unique key definition when it alone is pressed. Each of two adjacent keys of the keypad also include a unique key definition when the two adjacent keys are pressed at substantially the same time. A keypad controller receives inputs from the keys and decodes the single key entries and the dual key entries. The keypad occupies a relatively small keypad area while providing full size keys for the user. The keypad also has a mode key that enables a user to change the alphabet mode of the keypad to a numerical mode.

Abstract: A method of matrix sensing using delay-based capacitance sensing, including using X-axis lines as active lines for capacitance measurements and using Y-axis lines as a disturbance to identify the location of a touch in a key matrix is disclosed. A sensing signal is applied to the X-axis lines, and a disturbance signal is applied to the Y-axis lines. If a location is touched, cross-capacitance is reduced, which is measured by sweeping data along the X-axis lines.

Abstract: A touch sensitive display includes a capacitive touch sensor configured to output capacitance values. A motion sensor makes a motion detection and generates a motion signal including a motion value indicative of sensed motion detection. A touch detection circuit is coupled to receive the capacitance values and motion values. The touch detection circuit processes the capacitance values to make a hovering detection and a touching detection with respect to the display. The touch detection circuit further generates an output signal including the motion value correlated in time with each of the hovering detection and touching detection. The output signal may be processed as a user interface control signal. The output signal may also be processed to determine an impulsive strength of the touching detection as a function of an elapsed time between hover and touch and the measured motion values.

Abstract: A touch controller is coupled to a touch screen and detects a first gesture at a first point on the touch screen. The first gesture includes physical contact of the touch screen by a user device at the first point. The touch controller detects a second gesture that is associated with movement of the user device from the first point to a second point on the touch screen. The second gesture includes detecting movement of the user device within a sensing range from the first point to the second point. The sensing range corresponds to an orthogonal distance from a surface of the touch screen. The touch controller detects a third gesture at the second touch point. The third gesture includes physical contact of the touch screen at the second touch point. Upon detecting the first, second and third gestures the touch controller performs a corresponding action.

Abstract: A borderless touchscreen panel includes a first conductive layer having rows of capacitive sensors and receiving traces, and a second conductive layer having columns of sensor bars and transmitting traces. The capacitive sensors are coupled to control circuitry via the receiving traces, and the sensor bars are coupled to the control circuitry via the transmitting traces. Peripheral sensor bars are disposed over the receiving traces such that the receiving traces can be routed within an active portion of the borderless touchscreen panel without obstructing its touch-detection capabilities. Furthermore, the receiving traces are comprised of a transparent material such as indium tin oxide, and therefore do not obstruct the display capabilities of the active portion. Thus, there is no need for an inactive border region since the receiving traces are disposed within the active portion without obstructing either the touch-detection or display capabilities of the borderless touchscreen panel.

Abstract: Integration of a FIFO memory, FIFO threshold and a timer, along with the other components of a touch screen system allows the number of interrupts to the touch screen controller to be reduced while allowing all point data to be acquired and preserved. In the first touch-detect event, an interrupt is issued to inform the host. The touch screen controller then automatically acquires data as long as touch is detected without host intervention. A FIFO threshold defines the minimum number of data points in FIFO memory before it issues an interrupt to inform the host that data is ready to be fetched. The timer is started once touch is detected. On every single data acquired, the timer is reset. In the event where touch is no longer detected, the timer keeps on counting until the time-up limit is reached. In this event, the touch screen controller will issue an interrupt informing the host the pen is lifted. The host then checks whether there is still data left in FIFO memory to be read.

Abstract: A display screen is configured to display information with a selectable one of many information display orientations. A touch screen panel of a touch screen system is positioned to overlie the display screen. The touch screen system operates to make a proximate touch detection, for example by a body part or stylus. A controller receives the proximate touch information from the capacitive touch screen system and interprets the proximate touch information to determine an indication from a user of a selection of an information display orientation for the display screen. The controller then controls the display screen to present information in accordance with the user selected information display orientation. The user selected information display orientation via the proximate touch detection will over-ride any other selected information display orientation such as a selection made in response to an orientation identified by an accelerometer or other gravity influenced sensor.

Abstract: A touch screen system is configured to sense a proximate or actual touch made to a touch screen panel. In response thereto, an RF transmitter is actuated to emit RF energy. A stylus receives the emitted RF energy and includes an RF energy harvesting circuit that powers an enable circuit. The enable circuit generates an enable signal. The stylus responds to the enable signal by performing a sensing operation. The information collected in the sensing operation is then communicated over an RF communications link back to the touch screen system. The sensing operation preferably is a pressure sensing operation for detecting an applied pressure at an end of the stylus resulting from contact with the touch screen panel.

Abstract: A touch sensitive display includes a capacitive touch sensor configured to output capacitance values. A motion sensor makes a motion detection and generates a motion signal including a motion value indicative of sensed motion detection. A touch detection circuit is coupled to receive the capacitance values and motion values. The touch detection circuit processes the capacitance values to make a hovering detection and a touching detection with respect to the display. The touch detection circuit further generates an output signal including the motion value correlated in time with each of the hovering detection and touching detection. The output signal may be processed as a user interface control signal. The output signal may also be processed to determine an impulsive strength of the touching detection as a function of an elapsed time between hover and touch and the measured motion values.

Abstract: A method of matrix sensing using delay-based capacitance sensing, including using X-axis lines as active lines for capacitance measurements and using Y-axis lines as a disturbance to identify the location of a touch in a key matrix is disclosed. A sensing signal is applied to the X-axis lines, and a disturbance signal is applied to the Y-axis lines. If a location is touched, cross-capacitance is reduced, which is measured by sweeping data along the X-axis lines.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for scanning an array of sensors. More particularly, the invention is directed towards scanning an array of sensors to accurately determine actuated sensors on a contact-sensitive surface. In one embodiment, three sets of sensing lines can be incorporated into the sensing area for ghost-free detection of up to two keys. Further in other embodiments, n sets of sensing lines can be incorporated into the sensing area for ghost free detection of up to n?1 keys.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a data processing system based on a multithreaded operating system. The data processing system comprises at least one processor (PROC) for processing data based on multiple threads, at least one controller unit (CU) for controlling the communication between said at least one processor (PROC) and an external peripheral device (PD) connected to said at least one controller unit (CU). Said at least one controller unit (CU) comprises at least one buffer memory (BM) for buffering data from said peripheral device (PD) connected to said at least one controller unit (CU), and at least one memory managing unit (MMU) for managing the access to said at least one buffer memory (BM) by mapping said at least one buffer memory (BM) into N banks (C0-C3) each with a dedicated prefetch register (Addr.0-Addr.3). At least one of said multiple threads (T0-T3) is mapped to one of said N banks (C0-C3) and its dedicated prefetch register (Addr.0-Addr.3).

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a power switch array with adjustable current rating power switches. A plurality of current rating power switches is provided that connects a power supply unit to a plurality of device ports. A power switch array controller is provided that adjusts an adjustable current rating in each of the plurality of adjustable current rating power switches. Each of the plurality of adjustable current rating power switches is adjustable to a selected number of current values. The power switch array controller dynamically adjusts the current ratings in the adjustable current power switches as required by the current requirements of the device ports.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving character entries in mobile computer devices uses an improved keypad. The keypad uses a dual key press method in which each key of the keypad includes a unique key definition when it alone is pressed. Each of two adjacent keys of the keypad also include a unique key definition when the two adjacent keys are pressed at substantially the same time. A keypad controller receives inputs from the keys and decodes the single key entries and the dual key entries. The keypad occupies a relatively small keypad area while providing full size keys for the user. The keypad also has a mode key that enables a user to change the alphabet mode of the keypad to a numerical mode.