Touchscreen testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9710105-B2
Application number	US-201514620819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Touchscreen testing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a conductor is placed proximal to a touchscreen device and the touchscreen device is tested by simulating a touch of a user by placing the conductor in a grounded state and lack of a touch by the user by placing the conductor in an ungrounded state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
causing an electrical switch to place a conductor positioned proximal to a touchscreen device in a grounded state by a computing device when positioned proximal to the touchscreen device to emulate a touch by a user; and
causing the electrical switch to place the conductor in an ungrounded state when positioned proximal to the touchscreen device by a computing device to emulate lack of a touch by the user.

2. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein an amount of grounding in the grounding state applied by the conductor is adjusted to reduce ghost touches and missed touch reports.

3. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising: testing by collecting data from digitizers of the touchscreen device.

4. A method as described in claim 3 , wherein the data references amplitudes of touches.

5. An apparatus comprising:
a conductor configured to contact a touchscreen device;
an electrical switch that is electrically coupled to the conductor; and
one or more modules communicatively coupled to the electrical switch, the one or more modules configured to test the touchscreen device by simulating a touch of a user using the electrical switch by placing the conductor in a grounded state and lack of touch by the user by placing the conductor in an ungrounded state.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 5 , wherein the placing of the conductor in the ungrounded state is performed while the conductor is in contact with the touchscreen device yet simulates the lack of the touch by the user.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 5 , wherein the testing further comprises collecting data from the touchscreen device.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 5 , further comprising adjusting grounding of the conductor.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 8 , wherein the adjusting is performed to reduce ghost touches and missed touch reports.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 9 , wherein the adjusting is based on establishing a passive minimum and maximum and establishing an active minimum and maximum of values described in data received from digitizers of the touchscreen device and using the established passive minimum and maximum and established active minimum and maximum to select a grounding condition.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 9 , wherein the adjusting is performed by varying an amount of grounding material.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11 , wherein the adjusting performed by varying the amount of grounding material is performed without receiving data from digitizers of the touchscreen device that reference amplitudes of touches.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a conductor configured to contact a touchscreen device; and
one or more modules communicatively configured to test the touchscreen device by simulating a touch of a user by placing the conductor in a grounded state and lack of touch by the user by placing the conductor in an ungrounded state.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 13 , wherein the placing of the conductor in the ungrounded state is performed while the conductor is in contact with the touchscreen device yet simulates the lack of the touch by the user.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 13 , wherein the testing further comprises collecting data from the touchscreen device.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 13 , further comprising adjusting grounding of the conductor.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 16 , wherein the adjusting is performed to reduce ghost touches and missed touch reports.

18. An apparatus as described in claim 17 , wherein the adjusting is based on establishing a passive minimum and maximum and establishing an active minimum and maximum of values described in data received from digitizers of the touchscreen device and using the established passive minimum and maximum and established active minimum and maximum to select a grounding condition.

19. An apparatus as described in claim 17 , wherein the adjusting is performed by varying an amount of grounding material.

20. An apparatus as described in claim 19 wherein the adjusting performed by varying the amount of grounding material is performed without receiving data from digitizers of the touchscreen device that reference amplitudes of touches.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Uzelac Aleksandar
• Stevens David A
• Zhao Weidong
• Shigemitsu Takahiro
• Willoughby Briggs A
• Pierce John Graham

Classifications

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title

• G09G3/006

  Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays (testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309) · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G01R31/28

  Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer ({EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002;} testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers {or computer components} G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 {; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00}) · CPC title

• G01R31/2829

  Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems (testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844) · CPC title