IP Library Granted Patent US 10,001,877
Granted Patent B2
US 10,001,877 · App. 14/628,919 · Granted Jun 19, 2018

Semiconductor device

Inventor: Takayuki Noto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Synaptics Japan GK
G06F3/0418G06F1/3218G06F1/3262G06F3/044G06F3/0416Y02B60/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,001,877
App. No.
14/628,919
Granted
Jun 19, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments herein describe a touch panel controller that has a first mode and a second mode. The touch panel controller performs a normal scan in the first mode, and performs a low-power scan in the second mode. In the normal scan, all of detection points are targeted for detection on a touch detection plane of a touch panel. In the low-power scan, only every other electrode in a group of electrodes is used to generate detection data.

Claims (40)

1. A semiconductor device for generating detection data for touch detection with respect to a touch detection plane of a touch panel including a plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to intersect the first electrodes so that detection points are formed at intersections of the first and second electrodes, the touch detection plane having first edges extending in the first direction, and second edges extending in the second direction, and a center region positioned between the first edges and the second edges, the semiconductor device comprising:

a touch panel controller comprising:

a driving part configured to drive the first electrodes; and

a detection part configured to receive signals from the second electrodes and generate detection data in response to the received signals,

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a normal scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in a first mode, wherein, during the normal scan, the driving part is configured to drive each of the first electrodes and the detection part is configured to receive signals from each of the second electrodes, and

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a first low-power scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in a second mode,

wherein, during the first low-power scan, the driving part drives a first grouping of the first electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane and a second grouping of the first electrodes is undriven, the second grouping includes:

a first subset of electrodes positioned at the first edges of the touch detection plane and a second subset of electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane, wherein the first electrodes are interleaved with the second subset of electrodes,

wherein a first portion of the detection points positioned at intersections of the second electrodes and the first grouping of the first electrodes are used to generate the detection data during the first low-power scan, and

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a second low-power scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in the second mode, wherein during the second low-power scan, the driving part is configured to drive a third grouping of the first electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane and a fourth grouping of the electrodes is undriven, the fourth grouping includes:

a third subset of electrodes positioned at the first edges of the touch detection plane and a fourth subset of electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane, wherein the electrodes of the third grouping are interleaved with electrodes of the fourth subset, and wherein the first subset and the third subset have at least two electrodes in common, the first grouping and third grouping differ by at least one electrode, the second grouping and the fourth grouping differ by at one least electrode, and the first and fourth grouping have at least one electrode in common.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel controller performs the first and second low-power scans with a downtime arranged between the first and second low-power scans in the second mode.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display driver configured to control a display of a liquid crystal panel disposed under the touch panel.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein the first mode is an operation mode in which the display of a display panel by the display driver is enabled,

wherein the second mode is an operation mode in which the display of the display panel by the display driver is disabled, and

wherein the touch panel controller has a third mode in which the touch detection on the touch panel by the touch panel controller is disabled, and the display of the display panel by the display driver is disabled.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 , further comprising: a processor configured to control transition between the first, second, and third modes,

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the touch detection plane of the touch panel is being touched or not based on the detection data generated during the first low-power scan in the second mode, and

upon determining that the touch detection plane is touched, transition from the second mode to the first mode.

6. A semiconductor device for touch detection with respect to a touch detection plane of a touch panel including a plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to intersect the first electrodes so that detection points are formed at intersections of the first and second electrodes, the touch detection plane having first edges extending in the first direction, and second edges extending in the second direction, and a center region positioned between the first edges and the second edges, the semiconductor device comprising:

a touch panel controller comprising:

a driving part configured to drive the first electrodes of the touch panel; and

a detection part configured to receive signals from second electrodes of the touch panel, and generate detection data in response to the received signals,

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a normal scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in a first mode, wherein, during the normal scan, the driving part is configured to drive each of the first electrodes and the detection part is configured to receive signals from each of the second electrodes, and

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a first low-power scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in a second mode,

wherein, during the first low-power scan, the detection part is configured to generate the detection data in response to signals received from a first grouping of the second electrodes, and a second grouping of the second electrodes do not receive signals, the second grouping includes:

a first subset of electrodes positioned at the first edges of the touch detection plane and a second subset of electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane, wherein the first electrodes are interleaved with the second subset of electrodes,

wherein a first portion of the detection points positioned at intersections of the first electrodes and of the second electrodes are used to generate the detection data during the first low-power scan, and

wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform a second low-power scan on the touch detection plane of the touch panel in the second mode, wherein during the second low-power scan, the detecting part is configured to generate the detection data in response to signals received from a third grouping of the first electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane and a fourth grouping of the electrodes do not receive signals, the fourth grouping includes:

a third subset of electrodes positioned at the first edges of the touch detection plane and a fourth subset of electrodes positioned within the center region of the touch detection plane, wherein the electrodes of the third grouping are interleaved with electrodes of the fourth subset, and wherein the first subset and the third subset have at least two electrodes in common, the first grouping and third grouping differ by at least one electrode, the second grouping and the fourth grouping differ by at one least electrode, and the first and fourth grouping have at least one electrode in common.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the touch panel controller is configured to perform the first and second low-power scans with a downtime arranged between the first and second low-power scans in the second mode.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , further comprising: a display driver which controls a display of a liquid crystal panel disposed under the touch panel.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8 , wherein the first mode is an operation mode in which the display of a display panel by the display driver is enabled,

wherein the second mode is an operation mode in which the display of the display panel by the display driver is disabled, and

wherein the touch panel controller has a third mode in which the touch detection on the touch panel by the touch panel controller is disabled and the display of the display panel by the display driver is disabled.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 , further comprising: a processor configured to control transition of the between the first, second, and third modes,

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the touch detection plane of the touch panel is being touched or not based on the detection data detected by the first low-power scan in the second mode,

upon determining that the touch detection plane is touched, transition from the second mode to the first mode.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2021
From: CREATIVE LEGEND SEMICONDUCTOR (HONG KONG) LIMITED
To: OMNIVISION TDDI ONTARIO LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Reel/Frame 058035/0823 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2020
From: SYNAPTICS JAPAN GK
To: CREATIVE LEGEND SEMICONDUCTOR (HONG KONG) LIMITED
Reel/Frame 052457/0653 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2020
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 052441/0289 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2017
From: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 044037/0896 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 8, 2016
From: SYNAPTICS DISPLAY DEVICES GK
To: SYNAPTICS JAPAN GK
Reel/Frame 039710/0331 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 1, 2015
From: SYNAPTICS DISPLAY DEVICES KK
To: SYNAPTICS DISPLAY DEVICES GK
Reel/Frame 035799/0129 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2015
From: NOTO, TAKAYUKI
To: SYNAPTICS DISPLAY DEVICES KK
Reel/Frame 035008/0117 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-044560 · Mar 7, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150253927A1 · Sep 10, 2015
Cited By (2)
US 12,411,573 US 12,656,894