Monitoring the status of a touchscreen
View Patent ↗Touchscreen display assemblies with status monitoring features and related systems and methods are provided. Touchscreen related signals are monitored and an analysis is made of the signals and interruptions to determine if the touchscreen display assembly is in need of report. Alerts indicating the need for repair are generated at remote devices based on a determination from the analysis.
1. A monitoring system for a touchscreen display, said system comprising:
a touch sensitive electronic display; and
a controller configured to:
receive and monitor signals received at the touch sensitive electronic display;
determine if the signals are inconsistent with one or both of steady-state behavior and expected touch input based, at least in part, on duration and area of activation of the touch sensitive electronic display indicated in the signals; and,
if a determination is made the signals are inconsistent with one or both of steady-state behavior and expected touch input, automatically generate an alert indicating need for repair of the touch sensitive electronic display and comprising a visual representation of a type and a location of the damage at the touchscreen and identifying information for the display assembly.
2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
said controller is local to the touch sensitive electronic display.
3. The monitoring system of claim 2 wherein:
said controller is configured to operate the touch sensitive electronic display.
4. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
said controller is remote from the touch sensitive electronic display.
5. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
said alert comprises a report, said report comprising the visual representation.
6. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to:
determine that the type of damage is a surface obstruction where the changes to the signals indicate persistent touch input at an area of the touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time;
determine that the type of damage is physical damage where the changes to the signals are inconsistent with the expected touch input over a particular area of the touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time; and
determine that the type of damage is a failure event where the changes to the signals indicate persistent interruption over an entire touch input area of said touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time.
7. The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein:
said controller is configured to automatically:
where the type of damage is determined to be the surface obstruction, send the alert to one or more remote devices associated with an unskilled team; and
where the type of damage is determined to be the physical damage or the failure event, send the alert to one or more remote devices associated with a skilled team.
8. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
the touch sensitive electronic display comprises a liquid crystal type display; and
the touch sensitive electronic display utilizes in-cell concurrent capacitive imaging technology.
9. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to:
energize an entire array for the touchscreen touch sensitive electronic display during operations comprising providing the expected touch input; and
monitor the touch sensitive electronic display for an initial period of time to establish the steady-state behavior during said operations.
10. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to only generate the alert where the changes to the signals are inconsistent with one or both of steady-state behavior and expected touch input by at least a predetermined margin.
11. A monitoring system for a touchscreen display, said system comprising:
a touch sensitive electronic display; and
a controller configured to:
receive and monitor signals received at the touch sensitive electronic display; and
automatically generate an alert if changes to the signals inconsistent with expected steady state behavior and touch input are sensed, said alert comprising a report indicating need for repair of the touch sensitive electronic display including a visual representation of the type and the location of the damage at the touchscreen and identifying information for the display assembly.
12. A monitoring system for a touchscreen display, said system comprising:
a touch sensitive electronic display; and
a controller configured to:
receive and monitor signals received at the touch sensitive electronic display;
determine if the signals are inconsistent with one or both of steady-state behavior and expected touch input; and
when the signals are inconsistent with expected steady state behavior and touch input:
determine a type of damage based on the changes, where the type of damage is determined to be:
a surface obstruction when the changes to the signals indicate persistent touch input at an area of the touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time;
physical damage when the changes to the signals are inconsistent with the expected touch input over a particular area of the touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time; and
or
a failure event when the changes to the signals indicate persistent interruption over an entire touch input area of said touch sensitive electronic display for at least a predetermined amount of time; and
generate an alert indicating the type of damage and identifying information for the electronic display.
13. The monitoring system of claim 12 wherein:
the controller is configured to transmit the alert to a specific one of several candidate recipients based on the type of damage by:
sending the alert to one or more remote devices associated with an unskilled team where the type of damage is determined to be the surface obstruction; and
send the alert to one or more remote devices associated with a skilled team where the type of damage is determined to be the physical damage or the failure event.