IP Library Granted Patent US 10,969,857
Granted Patent B2
US 10,969,857 · App. 16/232,224 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Touch sensor mode transitioning

Inventor: Martin J. Simmons (Hampshire, GB)
Assignee: Amtel Corporation
G06F1/3262G06F1/1684
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,969,857
App. No.
16/232,224
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a touch sensor controller includes a processor and a monitoring component coupled to the processor. The monitoring component is configured to perform operations comprising receiving, from an impact sensor, an output signal. The output signal is indicative of a plurality of impacts detected by the impact sensor to a surface of a housing of a device. The monitoring component is further configured to perform operations comprising initiating, based on the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern, a transition of the touch sensor from a first power mode to a second power mode.

Claims (63)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensor;

an impact sensor configured to perform operations comprising generating an output signal indicative of one or more impacts; and

one or more controllers, the one or more controllers configured to initiate, responsive to the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern that specifies an association between impacts and time, a transition of the touch sensor from a first power mode to a second power mode;

wherein:

in the first power mode, the one or more controllers are configured to receive power for scanning of a touch sensor array of the touch sensor; and

the transition from the first power mode to the second power mode causes the one or more controllers to initiate a scan of the touch sensor array.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to initiate the transition of the touch sensor from the first power mode to the second power mode by communicating a wake-up signal to a processor of the one or more controllers, wherein the wake-up signal causes the processor to receive the power for the scanning of the touch sensor array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

in the first power mode, the one or more controllers receive power for monitoring for output signals; and

in the first power mode, the power received for the scanning of the touch sensor array of the touch sensor is in addition to the power received for the monitoring for the output signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:

monitor for output signals in the first power mode; and

pause the monitoring for the output signals in the second power mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to determine that the output signal corresponds to the predefined impact pattern by:

detecting that portions of the output signal correspond to a threshold impact signal value; and

detecting that the portions of the output signal corresponding to the one or more impacts reflect a predetermined number of impacts of the predefined impact pattern and occur within a predetermined period of time of the predefined impact pattern.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers comprise one or more of a touch sensor controller and a monitoring controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impact sensor comprises one or more of:

a vibration sensor;

a piezoelectric sensor; and

an accelerometer.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying logic, the logic configured to, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from an impact sensor, an output signal, the output signal indicative of one or more impacts to a device; and

initiating, responsive to the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern that specifies an association between impacts and time, a transition of a touch sensor of the device from a first power mode to a second power mode;

wherein:

in the first power mode, the operations further comprise receiving power for scanning of a touch sensor array of the touch sensor; and

the transition from the first power mode to the second power mode causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising initiating a scan of the touch sensor array.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein initiating the transition of the touch sensor of the device from the first power mode to the second power mode comprises communicating a wake-up signal to a processor of the device, wherein the wake-up signal causes the processor to receive the power for the scanning of the touch sensor array.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein:

in the first power mode, the operations further comprise receiving power for monitoring for output signals; and

in the first power mode, the power received for the scanning of the touch sensor array of the touch sensor is in addition to the power received for the monitoring for the output signals.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring for output signals in the first power mode; and

pausing the monitoring for the output signals in the second power mode.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the output signal corresponds to the predefined impact pattern by:

detecting that portions of the output signal correspond to a threshold impact signal value; and

detecting that the portions of the output signal corresponding to the one or more impacts reflect a predetermined number of impacts of the predefined impact pattern and occur within a predetermined period of time of the predefined impact pattern.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the impact sensor comprises one or more of:

a vibration sensor;

a piezoelectric sensor; and

an accelerometer.

14. A method, comprising

receiving, from an impact sensor, an output signal, the output signal indicative of one or more impacts to a device; and

initiating, by one or more controllers and responsive to the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern that specifies an association between impacts and time, a transition of a touch sensor of the device from a first power mode to a second power mode;

wherein:

in the first power mode, the one or more controllers receive power for scanning of a touch sensor array of the touch sensor; and

the transition from the first power mode to the second power mode causes the one or more controllers to initiate a scan of the touch sensor array.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein initiating the transition of the touch sensor of the device from the first power mode to the second power mode comprises communicating a wake-up signal to a processor of the device, wherein the wake-up signal causes the processor to receive the power for the scanning of the touch sensor array.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

in the first power mode, the method further comprises receiving power for monitoring for output signals; and

in the first power mode, the power received for the scanning of the touch sensor array of the touch sensor is in addition to the power received for the monitoring for the output signals.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

monitoring for output signals in the first power mode; and

pausing the monitoring for the output signals in the second power mode.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining that the output signal corresponds to the predefined impact pattern by:

detecting that portions of the output signal correspond to a threshold impact signal value; and

detecting that the portions of the output signal corresponding to the one or more impacts reflect a predetermined number of impacts of the predefined impact pattern and occur within a predetermined period of time of the predefined impact pattern.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more controllers comprise one or more of a touch sensor controller and a monitoring controller.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the impact sensor comprises one or more of:

a vibration sensor;

a piezoelectric sensor; and

an accelerometer.

Assignments (14)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0335 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059263/0001 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058214/0625 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052856/0909 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2018
From: SIMMONS, MARTIN J.
To: ATMEL TECHNOLOGIES U.K. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047851/0847 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2018
From: ATMEL TECHNOLOGIES U.K. LIMITED
To: ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047851/0913 →