Power-efficient touch input processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10754456-B2
Application number	US-201816232283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A method for power-efficient touch input, in which touch sensor data from a touch input is obtained by touch circuitry. Touch sensor data is obtained from touch input at touch circuitry included in a device that also includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC) and a display controller stack outside of the SOC. The touch sensor data is stored in a buffer. When the SOC is in a low-power state, the touch sensor data is communicated to the display controller stack for immediate display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for power-efficient touch input, the apparatus comprising:
a buffer; and
processing circuitry to:
obtain, by touch circuitry, touch sensor data from touch input, the touch circuitry included in a device that also includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a display controller stack separate from the SOC, the buffer and the processing circuitry;
store the touch sensor data in the buffer;
communicate, when the SOC is in a low-power state, the touch sensor data to the display controller stack for immediate display, wherein the touch sensor data is communicated directly from the buffer, bypassing the SOC, to the display controller stack;
signal, upon a trigger, the SoC to transition from the low-power state to an active state, the trigger based on a measurement; and
provide, in response to the SOC transitioning to the active state, the touch sensor data to the SOC from the buffer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement is an elapsed time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the trigger is the elapsed time being greater than a threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the threshold is variable and set based on an activation frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the activation frequency is between one and thirty hertz inclusive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to obtain the touch sensor data, the processing circuitry filters the touch input.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, to filter the touch input, the processing circuitry classifies the touch input to eliminate noise.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the noise includes an unintentional touch interaction.

9. A method for power-efficient touch input, the method comprising:
obtaining touch sensor data from touch input, the touch sensor data provided by touch circuitry included in a device that also includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC) and a display controller stack outside of the SOC;
storing the touch sensor data in a buffer;
communicating, when the SOC is in a low-power state, the touch sensor data to the display controller stack for immediate display, wherein the touch sensor data is communicated directly from the buffer, bypassing the SOC, to the display controller stack;
signaling, upon a trigger, the SoC to transition from the low-power state to an active state, the trigger based on a measurement; and
providing, in response to the SOC transitioning to the active state, the touch sensor data to the SOC from the buffer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is an elapsed time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the trigger is the elapsed time being greater than a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold is variable and set based on an activation frequency.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the activation frequency is between one and thirty hertz inclusive.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein obtaining the touch sensor data includes filtering the touch input.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein filtering the touch input includes classifying the touch input to eliminate noise.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the noise includes an unintentional touch interaction.

17. At least one non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions for power-efficient touch input, the instructions, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
obtaining touch sensor data from touch input, the touch sensor data provided by the touch circuitry included in a device that also includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC) and a display controller stack outside of the SOC;
storing the touch sensor data in a buffer;
communicating, when the SOC is in a low-power state, the touch sensor data to the display controller stack for immediate display, wherein the touch sensor data is communicated directly from the buffer, bypassing the SOC, to the display controller stack;
signaling, upon a trigger, the SoC to transition from the low-power state to an active state, the trigger based on a measurement; and
providing, in response to the SOC transitioning to the active state, the touch sensor data to the SOC from the buffer.

18. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the measurement is an elapsed time.

19. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the trigger is the elapsed time being greater than a threshold.

20. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the threshold is variable and set based on an activation frequency.

21. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the activation frequency is between one and thirty hertz inclusive.

22. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17 , wherein obtaining the touch sensor data includes filtering the touch input.

23. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22 , wherein filtering the touch input includes classifying the touch input to eliminate noise.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the noise includes an unintentional touch interaction.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Cheng Antonio S
• Li Yifan
• Diefenbaugh Paul
• Sinha Vishal
• Bui Kathy

Classifications

• G06F1/3262 Primary

  Power saving in digitizer or tablet · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title