Apparatus for driving a touch pad and a portable terminal having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11112851-B2
Application number	US-202016748237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2006
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for driving a touchpad of a portable terminal including a second control unit controlling the touchpad in an active mode is provided. The apparatus includes a sensor unit for generating interrupt signals when pressure on the touchpad is sensed, a first control unit for outputting activating signals to activate the second control unit when the interrupt signals are input and a switching unit for transmitting the interrupt signals generated from the sensor unit to the first control unit when the second control unit is in an inactive mode. Accordingly, even though the multimedia processor embedded in the portable terminal is in an inactive mode, the multimedia processor is activated when a user presses the touchpad, thereby making it possible to process signals input by touching the touchpad, particularly, to keep the user interface. Furthermore, the multimedia processor embedded in the portable terminal can reduce the consumption of battery power required to maintain the user interface, as compared with multimedia processors maintaining operating in a conventional polling method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a touch input detection component;
a first processor; and
a second processor electrically coupled with the first processor,
wherein the first processor is configured to:
based on a signal for activating the first processor generated in response to a user input applied to the touch input detection component while the first processor is inactive, switch the first processor from being inactive consuming lower power to being active to perform operations of the electronic device, and
output a first signal to the second processor, the first signal being for activating the second processor,

wherein the second processor is configured to:
based on the first signal input to the second processor while the first processor is active, switch the second processor to be active to receive a touch input signal, and
based on receiving a touch input signal while the first processor and the second processor are active, output a second signal to the first processor, and

wherein the first processor is further configured to, based on receiving the second signal from the second processor, perform an operation of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first processor is further configured to consume power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active, and
wherein the second processor is further configured to consume power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is inactive while the first processor is in a sleep state, and the second processor is inactive while the second processor is in the sleep state.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is inactive while the second processor is in a power off state.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is further configured to maintain an interface between the electronic device and a user of the electronic device while the second processor is active.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first processor, when active, is further configured to perform one or more operations of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor, when active, is further configured to receive one or more touch input signals.

12. An electronic device comprising:
a touch input detection component;
a first processor; and
a second processor electrically coupled with the first processor,
wherein the first processor is configured to:
based on a signal for activating the first processor generated in response to a user input applied to the touch input detection component while the first processor is inactive, switch the first processor from being inactive to being active, the first processor consuming power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active, and
output a first signal to the second processor, the first signal being for activating the second processor,

wherein the second processor is configured to:
based on the first signal input to the second processor while the first processor is active, switch the second processor to be active, and
based on receiving a touch input signal while the first processor and the second processor are active, output a second signal to the first processor, and

wherein the first processor is further configured to, based on receiving the second signal from the second processor, perform an operation of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 ,
wherein the second processor is further configured to consume power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

16. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first processor is inactive while the first processor is in a sleep state, and the second processor is inactive while the second processor is in the sleep state.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

18. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second processor is inactive while the second processor is in a power off state.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the touch input detection component comprises a touch screen display.

20. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second processor is further configured to maintain an interface between the electronic device and a user of the electronic device while the second processor is active.

21. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first processor, when active, is further configured to perform one or more operations of the electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second processor, when active, is further configured to receive one or more touch input signals.

23. An electronic device comprising:
a touch input detection component;
a sensor disposed below the touch input detection component and configured to detect a pressure applied to the touch input detection component;
a first processor; and
a second processor electrically coupled with the first processor,
wherein the first processor is configured to:
based on a signal for activating the first processor generated by the sensor in response to detecting the pressure applied to the touch input detection component, while the first processor and the second processor are inactive, switch the first processor from being inactive to being active, the first processor consuming power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active, and
output a first signal to the second processor, the first signal being for activating the second processor,

wherein the second processor is configured to:
based on the first signal input to the second processor while the first processor is active, switch the second processor from being inactive to being active, and
based on receiving a touch input signal while the first processor and the second processor are active, output a second signal to the first processor, and

wherein the first processor is further configured to, based on receiving the second signal from the second processor, perform an operation of the electronic device.

24. The electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the second processor is further configured to consume power at a lower rate of power consumption while being inactive than while being active.

25. The electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the first processor is inactive while the first processor is in a sleep state, and the second processor is inactive while the second processor is in the sleep state.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Jae-Hyoung
• Kim Hark-Sang
• Park Seok-Hyo

Classifications

• G06F1/3262 Primary

  Power saving in digitizer or tablet · CPC title

• G06F1/3203

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• Y02D30/50

  in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title