Dead zone compensation for touch screens

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring touch data values about a dead sensing zone of a touch screen, wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise a peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at an area between the first and second capacitive sensors, and;

generating compensated touch data values for the dead sensing zone by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences; and

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise first (p1), second (p2), third (p3), and fourth (p4) touch data values.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor is calculated by:

calculating a first value y1=p3−p2;

calculating a second value y2=p2−p1;

calculating a third value y3=p4−p3;

calculating the centroid

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4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compensated peak value is calculated by:

calculating an intermediate value N′=p3−(y1*centroid); and

calculating a second compensated data value N2=N′+(N′*centroid).

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compensated floating value is calculated by:

calculating a first compensated data value N1=p2−(y2*centroid).

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compensated other value is calculated by:

calculating a third compensated data value N3=p4−(y3*centroid).

7. A method, comprising:

acquiring touch data values about a dead sensing zone of a touch screen;

determining a peak value of the touch data values;

calculating a new peak value as a function of an average of the peak value and another value of the touch data values;

generating a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if a second highest value of the touch data values is less than the new peak value; and

generating compensated touch data values for the dead sensing zone if the second highest value is greater than the new peak value.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise the peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at a location between the first and second capacitive sensors.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the compensated touch data values are generated by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences; and

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise first (p1), second (p2), third (p3), and fourth (p4) touch data values.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compensated touch data values are generated by:

calculating a first value y1=p3−p2;

calculating a second value y2=p2−p1;

calculating a third value y3=p4−p3;

calculating a centroid

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calculating a first compensated data value N1=p2−(y2*centroid);

calculating an intermediate value N′=p3−(y1*centroid);

calculating a second compensated data value N2=N′+(N′*centroid);

calculating a third compensated data value N3=p4−(y3*centroid).

12. A method, comprising:

acquiring touch data values about a dead sensing zone of a touch screen;

determining a peak value of the touch data values;

calculating a new peak value as a function of an average of the peak value and another value of the touch data values;

generating a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if a second highest value of the touch data values is less than the new peak value;

generating a compensated sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if the second highest value is greater than the new peak value; and

replacing a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone with the compensated sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if the compensated sharpness value is greater than the sharpness value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise first (p1), second (p2), third (p3), and fourth (p4) touch data values.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the compensated sharpness value is generated by:

calculating a first value as a function of the second and third touch data values;

calculating a second value as a function of the first and second touch data values;

calculating a third value as a function of the third and fourth touch data values;

calculating a centroid as a function of the second, third, and fourth touch data values;

calculating a first compensated data value as a function of the second touch data value, second value, and the centroid;

calculating a second compensated data value as a function of the third touch data value, the first value, and the centroid;

calculating a third compensated data value as a function of the fourth touch data value, the third value, and the centroid; and

calculating the compensated sharpness value as a function of the first, second, and third compensated data values.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the compensated sharpness value is generated by:

calculating a first value y1=p3−p2;

calculating a second value y2=p2−p1;

calculating a third value y3=p4−p3;

calculating a centroid

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calculating a first compensated data value N1=p2−(y2*centroid);

calculating an intermediate value N′=p3−(y1*centroid);

calculating a second compensated data value N2=N′+(N′*centroid);

calculating a third compensated data value N3=p4−(y3*centroid); and

calculating the compensated sharpness value sharpness=2*N2−(N1+N3).

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise the peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at a location between the first and second capacitive sensors.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the compensated sharpness value is generated by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate the compensated sharpness value as a function of the compensated peak value, the compensated floating value, and the compensated other value.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen comprising a plurality of touch sensors, the plurality of touch sensors including a plurality of live touch sensors and at least one dead sensing zone, the at least one dead sensing zone being capacitively coupled to one of the plurality of live touch sensors; and

a touch screen controller configured for:

acquiring touch data values about the at least one dead sensing zone;

determining a peak value of the touch data values;

calculating a new peak value as a function of an average of the peak value and another value of the touch data values;

generating a sharpness value for the at least one dead sensing zone if a second highest value of the touch data values is less than the new peak value; and

generating compensated touch data values for the at least one dead sensing zone if the second highest value is greater than the new peak value.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the touch data values about the at least one dead sensing zone comprise the peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at a location between the first and second capacitive sensors.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the touch screen controller generates the compensated touch data values by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences; and

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen controller configured to:

acquire touch data values about a dead sensing zone of a touch screen;

determine a peak value of the touch data values;

calculate a new peak value as a function of an average of the peak value and another value of the touch data values;

generate a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if a second highest value of the touch data values is less than the new peak value;

generate a compensated sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if the second highest value is greater than the new peak value; and

replace a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone with the compensated sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if the compensated sharpness value is greater than the sharpness value.

22. The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise first (p1), second (p2), third (p3), and fourth (p4) touch data values.

23. The electronic device of claim 22 , wherein touch screen controller is configured to generate the compensated sharpness value by:

calculating a first value as a function of the second and third touch data values;

calculating a second value as a function of the first and second touch data values;

calculating a third value as a function of the third and fourth touch data values;

calculating a centroid as a function of the second, third, and fourth touch data values;

calculating a first compensated data value as a function of the second touch data value, second value, and the centroid;

calculating a second compensated data value as a function of the third touch data value, the first value, and the centroid;

calculating a third compensated data value as a function of the fourth touch data value, the third value, and the centroid; and

calculating the compensated sharpness as a function of the first, second, and third compensated data values.

24. The electronic device of claim 22 , wherein touch screen controller is configured to generate the compensated sharpness value by:

calculating a first value y1=p3−p2;

calculating a second value y2=p2−p1;

calculating a third value y3=p4−p3;

calculating a centroid

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;

calculating a first compensated data value N1=p2−(y2*centroid);

calculating an intermediate value N′=p3−(y1*centroid);

calculating a second compensated data value N2=N′+(N′*centroid);

calculating a third compensated data value N3=p4−(y3*centroid); and

calculating the compensated sharpness value sharpness=2*N2−(N1+N3).

25. The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise the peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, and an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at a location between the first and second capacitive sensors.

26. The electronic device of claim 25 , wherein the touch screen controller is configured to generate the compensated sharpness value by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences.

27. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen controller configured for:

acquiring touch data values about a dead sensing zone of a touch screen;

determining a peak value of the touch data values;

calculating a new peak value as a function of an average of the peak value and another value of the touch data values;

generating a sharpness value for the dead sensing zone if a second highest value of the touch data values is less than the new peak value; and

generating compensated touch data values for the dead sensing zone if the second highest value is greater than the new peak value.

28. The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise the peak value measured at a first capacitive sensor, an other touch data value measured at a second capacitive sensor, and a floating value measured at a location between the first and second capacitive sensors.

29. The electronic device of claim 28 , wherein touch screen controller generates the compensated touch data values by:

calculating a centroid of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and a further touch data value measured at a third capacitive sensor;

calculate differences between adjacent ones of the peak value, the floating value, the other touch data value, and the further touch data value;

calculate a compensated peak value as a function of the centroid, the peak value, and one of the calculated differences;

calculate a compensated floating value as a function of the centroid, the floating value, and one of the calculated differences; and

calculate a compensated other value as a function of the centroid, the further touch data value, and one of the calculated differences.

30. The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein the touch data values about the dead sensing zone comprise first (p1), second (p2), third (p3), and fourth (p4) touch data values.

31. The electronic device of claim 30 , wherein the touch screen controller generates the compensated touch data values by:

calculating a first value y1=p3−p2;

calculating a second value y2=p2−p1;

calculating a third value y3=p4−p3;

calculating a centroid

centroid

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calculating a first compensated data value N1=p2−(y2*centroid);

calculating an intermediate value N′=p3−(y1*centroid);

calculating a second compensated data value N2=N′+(N′*centroid);

calculating a third compensated data value N3=p4−(y3*centroid);

calculate the compensated sharpness as a function of the first, second, and third compensated data values.