IP Library Granted Patent US 9,377,894
Granted Patent B2
US 9,377,894 · App. 14/284,613 · Granted Jun 28, 2016

Selective turning off/dimming of touch screen display region

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,377,894
App. No.
14/284,613
Granted
Jun 28, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device includes a touch screen display comprising a touch sensitive panel and a display. The touch sensitive panel receives a touch event, and records the touch event as touch panel data. The device analyzes the touch panel data to identify the touch event as a valid or a non-valid touch event, determines, if the touch event is a non-valid touch event and based on the touch panel data, one or more regions of a touch panel display associated with the non-valid touch event, and turns off or dims the determined one or more regions of the touch panel display.

Claims (68)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a touch event upon a device's touch screen display, wherein the touch screen display comprises a touch sensitive panel and a display;

recording the touch event as touch panel data;

analyzing the touch panel data to identify the touch event as a valid or a non-valid touch event;

determining, if the touch event is a non-valid touch event and based on the touch panel data, a first region of the display associated with the non-valid touch event;

turning off the first region of the display;

turning on the first region, of the display a threshold length of time subsequent to an end of the touch event, wherein the threshold length of time comprises a variable length of time that is customized by a user of the device, or is set based on execution of an algorithm that adjusts the variable length of time;

determining a second region of the display, associated with the non-valid touch event, surrounding the first region; and

dimming, using a dimming curve, the second region surrounding the first region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the touch panel data comprises:

analyzing the touch panel data to determine a persistence associated with the touch event upon the touch sensitive panel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch panel data comprises a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the touch event upon the touch sensitive panel and wherein analyzing the touch panel data comprises:

analyzing a shape of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the touch event;

determining a persistence associated with the shape of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the touch event; and

determining if the persistence associated with the shape of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the touch event is greater than a threshold period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the touch panel data to identify the touch event as a valid touch event comprises:

analyzing the touch panel data to identify a shape and movement of the touch event on the touch panel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to identifying that the touch event is a valid touch event:

determining a position of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display;

estimating a size of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display;

turning off the display in a third region corresponding to the position of the touch event; and

dimming the display in a fourth region surrounding the third region.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

turning on the third region of the display a threshold length of time subsequent to an end of the touch event.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

un-dimming the display in the fourth region the threshold length of time subsequent to an end of the touch event.

8. A device, comprising:

a touch screen display comprising a touch sensitive panel and a display and configured to:

receive a touch event upon the touch sensitive panel, and

record the touch event as touch panel data; and

a processing unit configured to:

analyze the touch panel data to identify the touch event as a valid or a non-valid touch event,

determine, if the touch event is a non-valid touch event and based on the touch panel data, one or more regions of the display associated with the non-valid touch event, and

turn off or dim the determined one or more regions of the display,

wherein in response to determining that the touch event is a valid touch event, the processing unit is further configured to:

determine a position of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display,

estimate a size of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display,

turn off the display in a first region corresponding to the position of the touch event, and

dim the display in a second region surrounding the first region; and

wherein, when dimming the display in the second region surrounding the first region, the processing unit is further configured to:

use a dimming curve to determine the second region surrounding the first region, wherein the dimming curve comprises a function that determines the second region, extending out from and surrounding the first region.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

turn on the one or more regions of the display a threshold length of time subsequent to an end of the touch event.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein, when analyzing the touch panel data, the processing unit is configured to:

analyze a two-dimensional shape of the touch event based on the touch panel data, or

analyze the touch panel data to identify a shape and movement of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein, when determining if the touch event is a non-valid touch event, the processing unit is configured to:

determine if a persistence associated with the two-dimensional shape of the touch event, based on the touch panel data, is greater than a threshold period of time.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

turn on the first region of the display, and un-dim the display in the second region, a threshold length of time subsequent to an end of the touch event.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the function comprises a progressive, a linear, an s-shaped, or a logarithmic function.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein, when dimming the display in the second region surrounding the first region, the processing unit is configured to:

cause a reduction in the supply of power to the second region of the display.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processing unit, comprising:

one or more instructions for recording a touch event upon a device's touch screen display as touch panel data, wherein the touch screen display comprises a touch sensitive panel and a display;

one or more instructions for analyzing the touch panel data;

one or more instructions for determining, based on the analysis of the touch panel data, a first region of the display associated with the touch event;

one or more instructions for turning off the determined first region of the display;

one or more instructions for determining a second region of the display, associated with the touch event, surrounding the first region; and

one or more instructions for dimming, using a dimming curve, the second region surrounding the first region.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions for determining the first region of the display further comprises:

one or more instructions for determining a position of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display;

one or more instructions for estimating a size of the touch event on the touch sensitive panel and the display;

one or more instructions for turning off the display in the first region corresponding to the position of the touch event.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the dimming curve comprises a function that determines the second region, extending out from and surrounding the first region of the display.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the function comprises a progressive, a linear, an s-shaped, or a logarithmic function.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions for dimming the second region surrounding the first region comprise:

one or more instructions for causing a reduction in supply of power to the second region surrounding the first region.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2019
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048691/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2016
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 038542/0224 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2014
From: HUNT, ALEXANDER; DRINCIC, SAMIR
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032949/0105 →