Electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of detecting touches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9244572-B2
Application number	US-201213464811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2012
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A touch-sensitive display includes first electrodes and second electrodes arranged and constructed to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and third electrodes and the second electrodes arranged and constructed to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing, wherein the first electrodes are different from the third electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch-sensitive display comprising:
common electrodes of a display and second electrodes coupled to at least one controller to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, wherein the second electrodes each include fingers joined at ends thereof to provide a generally U-shaped electrode on the touch-sensitive display; and
third electrodes disposed between the fingers of the second electrodes such that one of the third electrodes is disposed between the fingers of one of the second electrodes, the third electrodes and the second electrodes coupled to the at least one controller to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in a low power condition,
wherein the third electrodes are wider at a first end than a second end such that the third electrodes are shaped to, by the at least one controller, identify a location of a touch at least one of the third electrodes, to identify the location along a length of the one of the third electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operation in the low power condition, and to detect a gesture and identify a direction of the gesture along a length of at least one of the fingers of the second electrodes during detection of touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the common electrodes are not utilized during the self-capacitance touch sensing, when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the at least one controller comprises a touch controller coupled to the second electrodes to sense a touch when the second electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and a display controller is coupled to the common electrodes to drive the common electrodes when the common electrodes are utilized to detect touches,
wherein the touch controller is coupled to the third electrodes to sense touches when the third electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing, and
wherein the third electrodes are not utilized during the mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

2. A portable electronic device comprising: a touch-sensitive display comprising:
common electrodes of a display and second electrodes coupled to at least one controller to detect touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing, wherein the second electrodes each include fingers joined at ends thereof to provide a generally U-shaped electrode on the touch-sensitive display; and
third electrodes disposed between the fingers of the second electrodes such that one of the third electrodes is disposed between the fingers of one of the second electrodes, the third electrodes and the second electrodes coupled to the at least one controller to detect touches by self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in a low power condition,
wherein the third electrodes are wider at a first end than a second end such that the third electrodes are shaped to, by the at least one controller, identify a location of a touch at least one of the third electrodes, to identify the location along a length of the one of the third electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition, and to detect a gesture and identify a direction of the gesture along a length of at least one of the fingers of the second electrodes during detection of touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the common electrodes are not utilized during the self-capacitance touch sensing, when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the at least one controller comprises a touch controller coupled to the second electrodes to sense a touch when the second electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and a display controller is coupled to the common electrodes to drive the common electrodes when the common electrodes are utilized to detect touches,
wherein the touch controller is coupled to the third electrodes to sense touches when the third electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing, and
wherein the third electrodes are not utilized during the mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

3. A method comprising:
detecting touches by mutual-capacitance touch sensing utilizing common electrodes utilized to display information and second electrodes of a touch-sensitive display, which second electrodes each include two fingers joined at ends thereof to provide a generally U-shaped electrode on the touch-sensitive display; and
detecting touches by self-capacitance touch sensing utilizing the second electrodes and third electrodes of the touch-sensitive display when the touch-sensitive display is operating in a low power condition, which the third electrodes are disposed between the fingers of the second electrodes such that one of the third electrodes is disposed between the fingers of one of the second electrodes,
wherein the third electrodes are wider at a first end than a second end such that the third electrodes are shaped to, by at least one controller coupled to the third electrodes, identify a location of a touch on at least one of the third electrodes, to identify the location along a length of one of the third electrodes when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition, and to detect a gesture and identify a direction of the gesture along a length of at least one of the fingers of the second electrodes during detection of touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the common electrodes are not utilized during the self-capacitance touch sensing, when the touch-sensitive display is operating in the low power condition,
wherein the at least one controller comprises a touch controller coupled to the second electrodes to sense a touch when the second electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the mutual-capacitance touch sensing, and a display controller is coupled to the common electrodes to drive the common electrodes when the common electrodes are utilized to detect touches,
wherein the touch controller is coupled to the third electrodes to sense touches when the third electrodes are utilized to detect touches by the self-capacitance touch sensing, and
wherein the third electrodes are not utilized during the mutual-capacitance touch sensing.

Assignees

• Singh Amit Pal
• Dolson John Edward
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Singh Amit Pal
• Dolson John Edward

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• Y02B60/1242

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F1/3262 Primary

  Power saving in digitizer or tablet · CPC title

• G06F1/3265

  Power saving in display device · CPC title