Touch rejection for communication between a touch screen device and an active stylus

1. A system, comprising:

a touch panel including plural first electrodes and plural second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes cross over each other; and

a touch controller circuit configured to operate in a first mode to detect a location of a touch made to the touch panel and, in response to the detected location of the touch, to then operate in a second mode to transmit a modulated data signal through the touch panel to an active stylus device, the touch controller circuit comprising:

a line driver circuit for each first and second electrode; and

a transmit multiplexer coupled to each line driver circuit configured to operate in the second mode to:

generate the modulated data signal for transmission to the active stylus device;

selectively cause first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal through the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said first ones of the line driver circuits and which do not pass through a region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch; and

simultaneously selectively cause second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones, to ground the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said second ones of the line driver circuits and which do pass through the region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulated data signal is a wake-up signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulated data signal is a synchronization signal.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first mode for the touch controller circuit detects change in mutual capacitance between the first and second electrodes at locations where the first and second electrodes cross over each other.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch controller circuit has a ground reference and the second ones of the line driver circuits selectively ground the first and second electrodes to said ground reference of the touch controller circuit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch controller circuit is further configured to operate in a third mode to receive a modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device through the touch panel, the touch controller circuit comprising:

a receive multiplexer coupled to the first and second electrodes; and

a receive sensor circuit coupled to an output of the receive multiplexer;

wherein the receive multiplexer is configured to operate in the third mode to select ones of the first and second electrodes to receive the modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device and pass the received modulated data signal to the receive sensor circuit.

7. A method, comprising:

using a touch panel including plural first electrodes and plural second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes cross over each other, to detect a location of a touch made to the touch panel; and

in response to the detected location of the touch, then using the touch panel to generate and transmit a modulated data signal through the touch panel to an active stylus device by selectively actuating line driver circuits for each first and second electrode, wherein selectively actuating comprises:

selectively causing first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal through the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said first ones of the line driver circuits and which do not pass through a region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch; and

simultaneously selectively causing second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones, to ground the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said second ones of the line driver circuits and which do pass through the region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modulated data signal is a wake-up signal.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modulated data signal is a synchronization signal.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein using the touch panel to detect the location comprises detecting change in mutual capacitance between the first and second electrodes at locations where the first and second electrodes cross over each other.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modulated data signal is generated with respect to a ground reference and wherein selectively causing second ones of the line driver circuits to ground comprises selectively grounding the first and second electrodes to said ground reference.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using the touch panel to receive a modulated data signal transmitted by the active stylus device by selectively coupling ones of the first and second electrodes to pass the received modulated data signal to a receive sensor.

13. A system, comprising:

a touch panel including a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes; and

a touch controller circuit that uses the plurality of electrodes in a first mode of operation to detect a location of a touch made to the touch panel and, in response to the detected location of the touch, then uses the plurality of electrodes in a second mode of operation to generate and transmit a modulated data signal through the touch panel to an active stylus device, wherein the touch controller circuit comprises:

a line driver circuit for each capacitive sensing electrode; and

a control circuit that:

selectively actuates first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal to corresponding first ones of the capacitive sensing electrodes which do not pass through a region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch; and

simultaneously selectively actuate second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones of the line driver circuits, to ground corresponding second ones of the capacitive sensing electrodes which do pass through the region of the touch panel that includes the detected location of the touch.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the modulated data signal is a wake-up signal.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the modulated data signal is a synchronization signal.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes comprises row electrodes.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes comprises column electrodes.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes comprises row and column electrodes which cross each other.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the modulated data signal is referenced to a ground reference and the second ones of the line driver circuits ground the second ones of the capacitive sensing electrodes to said ground reference.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuit has a ground reference and the second ones of the line driver circuits selectively ground the second ones of the capacitive sensing electrodes to said ground reference of the control circuit.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein the touch controller circuit further uses the plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes in a third mode of operation to receive a modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device through the touch panel, the touch controller circuit further comprising:

a receive multiplexer coupled to the capacitive sensing electrodes; and

a receive sensor circuit coupled to an output of the receive multiplexer;

wherein the control circuit further selects ones of the capacitive sensing electrodes to pass the received modulated data signal to the receive sensor circuit.

22. A system, comprising:

a touch panel including plural first electrodes and plural second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes cross over each other; and

a touch controller circuit configured in a first mode to detect a location of a touch made to the touch panel and in a second mode to transmit a wake-up signal through the touch panel to an active stylus device, the touch controller circuit comprising:

a line driver circuit for each first and second electrode; and

a transmit multiplexer coupled to each line driver circuit configured to operate in the second mode to:

selectively cause first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal through the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said first ones of the line driver circuits and which do not pass through a region of the touch panel associated with the detected location of the touch; and

simultaneously selectively cause second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones, to ground the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said second ones of the line driver circuits and which do pass through the region of the touch panel associated with the detected location of the touch.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the touch controller circuit is further operable in a third mode to receive a modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device through the touch panel, comprising:

a receive multiplexer coupled to the first and second electrodes; and

a receive sensor circuit coupled to an output of the receive multiplexer;

wherein the receive multiplexer is configured to operate in the third mode to select ones of the first and second electrodes to receive the modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device and pass the received modulated data signal to the receive sensor circuit.

24. A system, comprising:

a touch panel including plural first electrodes and plural second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes cross over each other; and

a touch controller circuit configured in a first mode to detect a location of a touch made to the touch panel and in a second mode to transmit a synchronization signal through the touch panel to an active stylus device, the touch controller circuit comprising:

a line driver circuit for each first and second electrode; and

a transmit multiplexer coupled to each line driver circuit configured to operate in the second mode to:

selectively cause first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal through the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said first ones of the line driver circuits and which do not pass through a region of the touch panel associated with the detected location of the touch; and

simultaneously selectively cause second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones, to ground the first and second electrodes that are connected to outputs of said second ones of the line driver circuits and which do pass through the region of the touch panel associated with the detected location of the touch.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the touch controller circuit is further operable in a third mode to receive a modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus device through the touch panel, comprising:

a receive multiplexer coupled to the first and second electrodes; and

a receive sensor circuit coupled to an output of the receive multiplexer;

wherein the receive multiplexer is configured to operate in the third mode to select ones of the first and second electrodes to receive the modulated data signal transmitted from the active stylus and pass the received modulated data signal to the receive sensor circuit.