Touch IC communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to touch IC communications. A touch screen device includes a first touch panel, a first touch controller, a second touch panel disposed opposite the first touch panel, and a second touch controller configured to receive data from the first touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and control the first touch panel and the second touch panel. And sending a result of calculating the data to the first touch controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to touch screen devices, and in certain embodiments to a method for communicating between multiple touch panels. Background Technology

[0002] Touchscreens are commonly used in electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, and computers. In recent years, consumers have abandoned more traditional methods as they prefer the convenience of portable devices that support a more flexible lifestyle. This has led to the rise of small, portable, handheld electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and gaming systems. This has resulted in the popularity of touchscreens and touch panel displays with larger screens (while still being portable). They not only provide the functions of traditional electronic devices, but touchscreens also offer additional features.

[0003] Some electronic devices may include multiple touch panels within a single touchscreen device or system (e.g., foldable touchscreen smartphones and tablets). For example, foldable smartphones feature a flexible display that can be folded or unfolded to expose or conceal a larger screen area, effectively bridging the gap between a compact single-screen configuration and an expanded tablet form factor. These devices include one or more hinges or bending areas that allow the screen to fold without damage. Accompanying this flexible display, the device integrates an adaptable user interface that adjusts the content presentation as the phone's shape changes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for communication between independent touch panels. As described below, the embodiments relate to a touchscreen device comprising a plurality of touch panels.

[0005] One general aspect includes a touchscreen device comprising a first touch panel, a first touch controller, a second touch panel, and a second touch controller. The first touch panel has a first primary touch surface, the first touch controller is coupled to the first touch panel, the second touch panel has a second primary touch surface arranged opposite to the first primary touch surface of the first touch panel, and the second touch controller is coupled to the second touch panel and configured to receive data from the first touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the first touch controller.

[0006] Another general aspect includes a touchscreen device comprising: a first touch panel having a first main touch surface; a first touch controller configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel; a second touch panel having a second main touch surface disposed opposite to the first main touch surface of the first touch panel; and a second touch controller configured to detect a touch on the second touch panel. The first touch controller is configured to communicate with the second touch controller to disable a region of a touch channel on the second touch panel when a touch is detected on a region of a touch channel on the first touch panel.

[0007] Another general aspect includes a method of operating a touchscreen device, the method comprising: detecting touch information in a first area on a first touch panel; detecting touch information in a second area on the first touch panel; initiating communication between the first touch panel and a second touch panel, the second touch panel being arranged opposite to the first touch panel; and disabling a communication channel in the first area on the second touch panel in response to detecting a touch in the first area and the second area on the first touch panel.

[0008] Other embodiments and variations are described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To gain a more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages, the following description is now taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figures 1A to 1E A schematic representation of a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0011] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A schematic representation of communication between a touch controller or a touch IC according to one embodiment of this application is shown;

[0012] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A diagram of a communication channel on a foldable touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0013] Figures 4A to 4C A schematic representation of a foldable touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0014] Figures 5A to 5C A schematic representation of a foldable touchscreen device according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0015] Figures 6A to 6D A schematic representation of a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application and a schematic representation of communication between touch controllers are shown; and

[0016] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for operating a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a touchscreen device having multiple touchscreen panels that can communicate with each other within the device. Various embodiments of this application disclose an apparatus and method for detecting a user's grip using a touchscreen device having multiple touchscreen panels.

[0018] To improve the user experience of touchscreen devices with multiple touch panels, a first touch controller for the first touch panel and a second touch controller for the second touch panel can communicate bidirectionally. The first touch controller can send touch input data to and receive touch input data from the second touch controller, such as noise status, grip data, and temperature. The second touch controller can use the touch input data to improve its performance on the second touch panel.

[0019] A touch controller detects input signals (such as finger touches or stylus inputs) and converts them into measurable signals, which are then calculated and processed by the controller's software algorithms to determine the touch location on the screen. Known touchscreen devices with multiple touchscreen panels typically do not communicate with each other through touch controllers. Generally, each touch controller operates independently of other touch controllers within the same device.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention can provide efficient computing and better performance by utilizing idle integrated circuits (ICs) in the system and distributing computing power among all available ICs. Embodiments of the present invention can also address the problem that a touchscreen unintentionally reports user input when the user operates the device in a manner that does not typically indicate the user's intention to make selections on the touchscreen.

[0021] Figures 1A to 1E (collectively referred to as "Figure 1") illustrates a schematic representation of a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the touchscreen can be foldable, although this feature is not required. Figure 1A The illustration shows an external view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 when it is turned on. Figure 1B The illustration shows an internal view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 when it is opened. Figure 1C The illustration shows a front view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 100 when folded and closed. Figure 1D The illustration shows a rear view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 when folded and closed. Finally, Figure 1EThe illustration shows a front view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 100 when partially folded. In various embodiments, the dual-sided touchscreen device can be incorporated into a tablet computer, computer, smartphone, handheld gaming unit, or similar electronic device.

[0023] refer to Figure 1A The open external view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 includes an external touch panel 102 and a back cover 106. (Reference) Figure 1B The open internal view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 includes an internal touch panel 104. In various embodiments, the external touch panel 102 and the internal touch panel 104 may also be referred to together as touch panels, and may have the same components and operate in the same functional manner. Alternatively, the touch panels may have different components. For example, one panel may be a mutual capacitance touchscreen, and the other panel may be a self-capacitance touchscreen.

[0024] Although the external touch panel 102 is Figures 1A to 1D The internal touch panel is positioned on the user's left side, but the external touch panel can also be positioned on the right side, upper half, lower half, or both upper and lower half of the external portion of the touchscreen device. In one or more embodiments, when the dual-sided touchscreen device is not foldable, the external touch panel 102 may be on the side facing away from the user during use, and the internal touch panel 104 may be on the side facing the user during use.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 may be foldable, wherein when the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is fully closed, the internal touch panel 104 cannot be accessed by the user. Figure 1C and Figure 1D A closed external view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is shown, and Figure 1E A partially folded view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is shown. Figure 1C A front view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is shown, the front view including the previously displayed... Figure 1A The external touch panel 102 shown. Figure 1D A rear view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is shown, which includes a back cover 106 and multiple camera lenses 108. Figure 1E A partially folded view of a dual-sided touchscreen device is shown, illustrating an outer touch panel 102, an inner touch panel 104, and a hinge 109. For example, the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 may include a vertically positioned hinge that allows the left half to fold onto the right half of the device (e.g., as shown). Figure 1E (as shown in the image), or includes a horizontally positioned hinge that allows the upper half to fold onto the lower half of the device.

[0026] In various embodiments, each touch panel may include multiple touch sensors as well as a touch controller or touch IC. For example, multiple touch sensors may be arranged across rows and columns of the outer touch panel 102 and the inner touch panel 104, as described below.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the external touch panel 102 may have an external touch controller 101, and the internal touch panel 104 may have an internal touch controller 103. The positions and shapes shown in the figures are arbitrary and are intended only to indicate the presence of the controllers.

[0028] The external touch controller 101 and the internal touch controller 103 can be as follows: Figure 2A and Figure 2B As described, bidirectional communication is achieved. When the dual-sided touchscreen device 100 is turned on, the internal touch controller 103 is active, and multiple touch sensors on the internal touch panel 104 are enabled to detect user touches, such as finger touches, palm touches, or stylus / pen touches. Conversely, the external touch controller 101 is idle, and multiple touch sensors on the external touch panel 102 can also be enabled to detect user touches. The multiple touch sensors on the external touch panel 102 and the internal touch panel 104 can collect raw data corresponding to interactions on the touch panels and send and receive data from other touch panels to perform calculations.

[0029] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A schematic representation of communication between a touch controller or a touch IC according to one embodiment of this application is shown. (To be combined with...) Figures 1A to 1D To describe the touch controller.

[0030] Figure 2A A schematic representation of communication between a touch controller or a touch IC is shown. In one or more embodiments, an external touch controller 101 can communicate with an internal touch controller 103 via a host 107 without requiring an additional physical channel. Touch controllers 101 and 103 can communicate with host 107 using auxiliary I2C / I3C / SPI channels. Host 107 can be, for example, a host IC. Although Figure 2A The illustration shows two touch controllers as an example, but various embodiments of the invention may include more than two touch controllers.

[0031] Figure 2BAnother schematic representation of communication between the external touch controller 101 and the internal touch controller 103 is shown. The external touch controller 101 and the internal touch controller 103 can communicate directly with each other using auxiliary I2C / I3C / SPI channels or through other communication methods (e.g., by utilizing general purpose input / output (GPIO) pins).

[0032] Touch controllers typically function by processing touch commands to elicit corresponding responses from the operating system. In one or more embodiments, the external touch controller 101 and the internal touch controller 103 may be an active touch IC or an idle touch IC. The active touch IC may collect raw data and transmit it to the idle touch IC. The idle touch IC may use a pre-defined algorithm to compute the raw data and send the result back to the active touch IC. The raw data may include IC status information, basic environmental parameters, and grip-related information. Some examples of IC status information and basic environmental parameters may include IC status, host status, noise status, noise frequency, and temperature. Some examples of grip-related information may include the shape and characteristics of the device. In various embodiments, touch controllers 101 and 103 may be implemented in a tablet computer, computer, smartphone, handheld gaming unit, or similar electronic device.

[0033] For example, the internal touch controller 103 can be an active touch IC, and the external touch controller 101 can be an idle touch IC. The internal touch controller 103 can send raw data for the external touch controller 101 to process. In this way, the idle touch IC can be utilized to reduce the workload that would normally be handled by the active touch IC. Therefore, the active touch IC can have more computing power to process other touch commands. Furthermore, more complex or time-consuming algorithms can be used for touch processing. For example, training non-real-time data using machine learning algorithms can be time-consuming. When the data is processed by the active touch IC, a high report rate cannot be achieved. On the other hand, when the data is processed by the idle touch IC, the computing power can be doubled, resulting in better performance and a high report rate.

[0034] In one or more embodiments, the touch controllers can share information with each other to balance the computing power across multiple touch controllers. For example, external touch controller 101 and internal touch controller 103 can share information with each other to balance computing power for better performance without adding additional circuitry. For example, the touch controllers can share grip, noise, temperature, and other information, resulting in better grip / noise performance for the touch IC. Computing power can be shared between active and idle touch ICs, allowing the active touch IC to have more capabilities.

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A diagram of a communication channel on a foldable touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. (To be combined with...) Figures 1A to 1D as well as Figure 2A and Figure 2B To describe Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is an example of an embodiment of this application.

[0036] like Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, touch panels 102 and 104 may include display layers 132 and 134, matrix sensors 122 and 124, and multiple communication channels arranged in rows and columns across touch panels 102 and 104. For example, see reference... Figure 3A The external touch panel 102 may include an external display layer 132, an external matrix sensor 122, and multiple communication channels arranged in rows and columns. The multiple communication channels on the external touch panel 102 may include a transmitting (TX) touch sensor 112a and a receiving (RX) touch sensor 112b (collectively referred to as "touch sensors"). Reference Figure 3B The internal touch panel 104 may include an internal display layer 134, an internal matrix sensor 124, and multiple communication channels arranged in rows and columns. The multiple communication channels on the internal touch panel 104 may include a transmitting (TX) touch sensor 114a and a receiving (RX) touch sensor 114b.

[0037] The TX touch sensor can also be referred to as a TX electrode or TX channel. The RX touch sensor can also be referred to as an RX electrode or RX channel. The TX touch sensors 112a, 114a and the RX touch sensors 112b, 114b can span the entire touch panel in a grid-like manner operable by a touchscreen controller. In various embodiments, the TX touch sensors 112a, 114a can be formed as rows across the touchscreen panel, and the RX touch sensors 112b, 114b can be formed as columns across the touchscreen panel. In other embodiments, the RX touch sensors 112b, 114b can be formed as rows across the touchscreen panel, and the TX touch sensors 112a, 114a can be formed as columns across the touchscreen panel. In a particular embodiment, the TX touch sensors 112a, 114a and the RX touch sensors 112b, 114b can overlap.

[0038] Touch sensors 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b can be formed by electrically coupling the touchscreen to rows and columns of capacitive electrodes spanning the entire touchscreen. Touch sensors 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b have measurable mutual capacitance at their intersections. Furthermore, each touch sensor 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b may have self-capacitance that can be measured relative to ground. A touch controller can be coupled to the touch sensors 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b. When touch sensors 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b receive a touch signal, they send the touch signal to the touch controller, and the touch controller processes the touch signal.

[0039] When a user's touch is detected by matrix sensors 122 and 124, RX touch sensors 112b and 114b and TX touch sensors 112a and 114a can be enabled or disabled. In one or more embodiments, matrix sensors 122 and 124 can transmit data from multiple communication channels to touch controllers 101 and 103. For example, internal matrix sensor 124 can transmit data received from multiple touch sensors 114a and 114b and send the data to internal touch controller 103. Data from the touch sensors can be transmitted from internal touch controller 103 to host 107 or directly to external touch controller 101. In various embodiments, data from touch sensors 112a and 112b can be received by internal touch controller 103 from external touch controller 101.

[0040] A touch controller can be coupled to TX touch sensors 112a, 114a and RX touch sensors 112b, 114b. During touch sensing or touch scanning operations, the touch controller can send touch drive signals to the TX touch sensors 112a, 114a and receive touch sensing signals from the RX touch sensors 112b, 114b. When a finger presses on the intersection of a TX touch sensor 112a, 114a and an RX touch sensor 112b, 114b, the mutual capacitance or self-capacitance of these sensors will change. Therefore, a finger touch will be detected, and the touch sensing signal will change. The touch controller can measure and analyze the touch sensing signal and report the touch coordinates to the host 107.

[0041] Figures 4A to 4C A schematic representation of a foldable touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown, and Figures 5A to 5C A schematic representation of a foldable touchscreen device according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0042] Figures 4A to 4C and Figures 5A to 5C Combining Figures 1A to 1B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B as well as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Let's have a discussion. Figure 4A and Figure 5A The illustration shows an external view of the touchscreen device 200 when it is turned on and the user holds the left side of the device. Figure 4B and Figure 5B The illustration shows an internal view of the touchscreen device 200 when it is turned on and the user holds the left side of the device. Figure 4C and Figure 5C The illustration shows an internal view of the touchscreen device 200 when it is turned on and the user holds the device with both hands (i.e., the left and right sides). Although the user's hands are positioned... Figures 4A to 4C and Figures 5A to 5C The images are shown on the left and right sides, but embodiments of this application may also be applicable when the user's hands are in other positions (including the bottom, center, or top of the device).

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the touchscreen device 200 can be held by a user with one hand 401, such as Figure 4A and Figure 4B as well as Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown in the diagram. In other embodiments, the touchscreen device 200 can be held by a user with both hands 401, 402, as illustrated. Figure 4C and Figure 5C As shown in the diagram, when the touchscreen device 200 is turned on, the external touch panel 202 is idle, and the internal touch panel 204 is active. The user can use the internal touch panel 204 to, for example, read or watch videos, play games, take notes, etc. While the user is using the touchscreen device 200, the user's hand positioning can change based on whether the user intends to make a selection on the internal touchscreen.

[0044] When the user does not intend to make a selection on the internal touch panel 204, the user's hand positioning may not change frequently, and a larger surface area of ​​the touchscreen device may be covered by the user's hand 401, 402, i.e., to ensure a stable grip on the touchscreen device. On the other hand, when the user intends to make a selection on the internal touch panel, the user's hand positioning may change frequently, and a smaller surface area may be covered by the user's hand 401, 402 compared to when the user does not make a selection, i.e., so that the user can reach most of the internal touch panel with their thumb 407, 408.

[0045] In one or more embodiments, when a touch sensor detects a touch on the external touch panel 202, the external touch controller 101 sends auxiliary grip information of the external touch panel 202 to the internal touch controller 103. The internal touch controller 103 determines, for example, whether a touch by a user's thumb 407, 408 on the edge of the internal touch panel 204 should be reported.

[0046] refer to Figures 4A to 4C When a user firmly grips the touchscreen device 200, and a large surface area of ​​the external touch panel 202 is covered by the user's hand 401, 402, a touch detected in the lower right corner of the internal touch panel 204 is highly likely not to be reported. For example, when a user firmly grips the touchscreen device 200 for activities such as reading or watching videos, the user's fingers 405 and palms 403, 404 may contact a portion of the external touch panel 202, and the user's thumbs 407, 408 may contact a portion of the internal touch panel 204. In this example, the area touched by the user's thumbs 407, 408 should not be reported.

[0047] In various embodiments, the internal touch controller 103 may temporarily disable the TX touch channel 114a and RX touch channel 114b on the internal touch panel 204 that are aligned with the user's thumbs 407, 408 to prevent unintentional selection on the internal touch panel 204 while maintaining a stable grip.

[0048] refer to Figures 5A to 5C When a user intends to make a selection on the internal touch panel 204, the positioning of the user's hands 401, 402 may change frequently, and a smaller surface area of ​​the external touch panel 202 may be covered by the user's hands 401, 402 compared to when the user is not making a selection. For example, when a user uses the touchscreen device for activities such as playing games, the user's fingers 405 may contact the external touch panel 202, and the user's thumbs 407, 408 may contact a portion of the internal touch panel 204; however, the user's palm may not contact the external touch panel 202. In this example, the area contacted by the user's thumbs 407, 408 should be reported.

[0049] In various embodiments, when the user's palm 403, 404 is not in contact with the external touch panel 202, both the TX touch sensor 114a and the RX touch sensor 114b are activated to send signals to the internal touch controller 103. In this context, "all sensors" refers to all communication channels used in the specific application being implemented at that time.

[0050] Figure 6A and Figure 6BA schematic representation of a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown, and Figure 6C and Figure 6D A schematic representation of communication between touch controllers according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 6A The illustration shows an external view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 300. Figure 6B The diagram shows... Figure 6A An internal view of a dual-sided touchscreen device 300. The dual-sided touchscreen device illustrated in this figure is similar to the one described above. Figures 1A to 1D The discussion concerns dual-sided touchscreen devices, and the communication between touch controllers is similar to that regarding... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The communication discussed. Therefore, many details in this discussion will not be repeated.

[0051] refer to Figure 6A The dual-sided touchscreen device 300, when opened from the outside, includes a front touch panel 302 and a rear touch panel 306. The front touch panel 302 includes a front touch controller 301, and the rear touch panel 306 includes a rear touch controller 305. (See reference) Figure 6B The open internal view of the dual-sided touchscreen device 300 includes an internal touch panel 304. The internal touch panel 304 includes an internal touch sensor 303. (As...) Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, the touchscreen can be foldable, although this feature is not required.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, the front touch panel 302 and the rear touch panel 306 may be two separate touch panels with independent touch controllers 301, 305. In other embodiments, the front touch panel 302 and the rear touch panel 306 may be a single touch panel extending across the right and left sides of the touchscreen device.

[0053] Figure 6C and Figure 6D A schematic representation of communication between touch controllers is shown. In one or more embodiments, the front touch controller 301, the rear touch controller 305, and the internal touch controller 303 can communicate via a host 307 without requiring an additional physical channel. Touch controllers 301, 303, and 305 can communicate with host 307 using auxiliary I2C / I3C / SPI channels. Although Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illustration shows three touch controllers as an example, but various embodiments of the invention may include more than three touch controllers.

[0054] Figure 6DAnother schematic representation of communication between the front touch controller 301, the rear touch controller 305, and the internal touch controller 303 is shown. In one or more embodiments, the front touch controller 301, the rear touch controller 305, and the internal touch controller 303 may communicate directly with each other using auxiliary I2C / I3C / SPI channels.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the front touch controller 301, the rear touch controller 305, and the internal touch controller 303 can be either an active touch IC or an idle touch IC. The active touch IC can collect raw data and transmit it to the idle touch IC. The idle touch IC can use a pre-defined algorithm to compute the raw data and send the result back to the active touch IC. The idle touch IC can be used to reduce the workload typically handled by the active touch IC. Therefore, the active touch IC can have more computing power to process additional touch commands.

[0056] In one or more embodiments, touch controllers 301, 303, and 305 can share information with each other to balance the computing power among the multiple touch controllers. For example, touch controllers 301, 303, and 305 can share information with each other to balance computing power for better performance without adding additional circuitry.

[0057] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for operating a dual-sided touchscreen device according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0058] Combining Figure 1A and Figure 1B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B , Figure 3A and Figure 3B as well as Figures 4A to 4C A flowchart 700 describes a method for operating a dual-sided touchscreen device. The process begins at step 701, where a touch sensor detects a touch in a first area on a first touch panel. The first touch panel can be an internal touch panel or an external touch panel. For simplicity, the first touch panel will be described as an external touch panel. When a user intends to make a selection on the internal touch panel 104, the first area of ​​the external touch panel 102 can be an area corresponding to the position of the user's hand on the external touch panel 102. For example, the first area can be an area where the user's finger is on the external touch panel, such as... Figures 5A to 5C As shown in the image.

[0059] If no touch is detected, the process proceeds to step 703, where all communication channels are enabled on the internal touch panel, external touch panel, or both touch panels. Conversely, if a touch is detected in the first area of ​​the external touch panel, the process proceeds to step 705, where the touch sensor detects a touch in a second area of ​​the first touch panel. The second area of ​​the first touch panel can be an area on the external touch panel when the user does not intend to make a selection on the internal touch panel. For example, the second area of ​​the first touch panel could be the area where the user's finger and palm are on the external touch panel, such as... Figures 4A to 4C As shown in the image.

[0060] If no touch is detected in the second area, the process proceeds to step 703, where all communication channels are enabled on the internal touch panel, the external touch panel, or both touch panels. If a touch is detected in the second area on the external touch panel, the process proceeds to step 707, where communication between the first and second touch panels is initiated. In one or more embodiments, the communication between the first and second touch panels includes area data or grip information indicating whether the user intends to make a selection on the internal touch panel. The second touch panel can be either an internal or external touch panel. For simplicity, the second touch panel will be described as an internal touch panel.

[0061] The first and second touch panels can communicate via a host through corresponding touch controllers, or directly between touch controllers. The external touch panel sends area touch data or grip information to the internal touch panel. The internal touch panel 104 receives area data from the external touch panel 102 and disables the first area of ​​the internal touch panel. When the user does not intend to make a selection on the internal touch panel, the first area of ​​the internal touch panel corresponds to the position of the user's hand on the internal touch panel. For example, when the user holds the touchscreen device, the user's thumb may contact the internal touch panel to grip the device. In this example, the second area could be a corner or edge of the device where the user's thumb contacts the internal touch panel, such as... Figures 4A to 4C As shown in the image.

[0062] Example embodiments of the present invention are described below. Other embodiments can also be understood from the entire specification and claims submitted herein.

[0063] Example 1. A first example includes a touchscreen device comprising a first touch panel, a first touch controller, a second touch panel, and a second touch controller. The first touch panel has a first primary touch surface, the first touch controller is coupled to the first touch panel, the second touch panel has a second primary touch surface arranged opposite to the first primary touch surface of the first touch panel, the second touch controller is coupled to the second touch panel and configured to receive data from the first touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the first touch controller.

[0064] Example 2. According to the device of Example 1, the first touch controller is configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel while in an idle state and send data to the second touch controller, and the second touch controller can determine when to disable an area of ​​the touch channel on the second touch panel.

[0065] Example 3. According to the device described in Examples 1 and 2, the second touch controller can be configured to calculate data using a pre-arranged algorithm.

[0066] Example 4. The device according to Examples 1 to 3, wherein the data includes noise status, noise frequency, grip data, and temperature data.

[0067] Example 5. In the device described in Examples 1 to 4, the grip data may be based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device.

[0068] Example 6. The device according to Examples 1 to 5 may include a host, wherein the second touch controller receives data from the first touch controller through the host.

[0069] Example 7. In the device described in Examples 1 to 6, the second touch controller may use an auxiliary I2C (Internal Integrated Circuit) channel, an I3C (Improved Internal Integrated Circuit) channel, or an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) channel to receive data from the first touch controller.

[0070] Example 8. The device according to Examples 1 to 7 may include a hinge located between a first edge of the first touch panel and a first edge of the second touch panel, wherein the touch screen device is a foldable touch screen device.

[0071] Example 9. The device according to Examples 1 to 8 further includes an additional touch controller configured to receive data from the first touch controller or the second touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the corresponding first touch controller or second touch controller.

[0072] Example 10. In the device according to Examples 1 to 9, the first controller is configured to receive data from the second touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the second touch controller.

[0073] Example 11. A second example includes a touchscreen device comprising: a first touch panel having a first main touch surface; a first touch controller configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel; a second touch panel having a second main touch surface disposed opposite to the first main touch surface of the first touch panel; and a second touch controller configured to detect a touch on the second touch panel. The first touch controller may be configured to communicate with the second touch controller to disable an area of ​​a touch channel on the second touch panel when a touch is detected on an area of ​​a touch channel on the first touch panel.

[0074] Example 12. According to the device of Example 11, the first touch controller may be configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel while in an idle state and send data to the second touch controller, and the second touch controller may determine when to disable the area of ​​the touch channel on the second touch panel.

[0075] Example 13. In the device described in Examples 11 and 12, the second touch controller may be configured to calculate the data using a pre-arranged algorithm and send the calculated data to the first touch controller.

[0076] Example 14. In the device described in Examples 11 to 13, the first touch controller may be configured to send noise state, noise frequency, grip data, and temperature data to the second touch controller.

[0077] Example 15. The device according to Examples 11 to 14, wherein the grip data is based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device.

[0078] Example 16. The device according to Examples 11 to 15 may include a host, wherein the first touch controller communicates with the second touch controller through the host.

[0079] Example 17. In the device described in Examples 11 to 16, the first touch controller communicates with the second touch controller using an auxiliary I2C (Internal Integrated Circuit) channel, an I3C (Improved Internal Integrated Circuit) channel, or an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) channel.

[0080] Example 18. The device according to Examples 11 to 17 may include a hinge located between a first edge of the first touch panel and a first edge of the second touch panel, wherein the touch screen device is a foldable touch screen device.

[0081] Example 19. A third example includes a method of operating a touchscreen device. The method includes: detecting touch information in a first area on a first touch panel; detecting touch information in a second area on the first touch panel; initiating communication between the first touch panel and a second touch panel; and disabling a communication channel in the first area on the second touch panel in response to detecting a touch in the first area and the second area on the first touch panel. The second touch panel is arranged opposite to the first touch panel.

[0082] Example 20. The method according to Example 19 may further include: calculating data based on the touch information using a pre-arranged algorithm; and transmitting the calculated data between the first touch panel and the second touch panel.

[0083] Example 21. According to the method described in Examples 19 and 20, detecting touch information may include: detecting touch information on the first touch panel while the first touch panel is in an idle state.

[0084] Example 22. According to the method described in Examples 19 to 21, detecting the touch information may include: detecting noise state, grip data, or temperature data.

[0085] Example 23. The grip data is based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device, according to the method described in Examples 19 to 22.

[0086] Example 24. According to the method described in Examples 19 to 23, the communication between the first touch panel and the second touch panel can be facilitated by a host.

[0087] Although the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and combinations of the description, illustrative embodiments, and other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments.

Claims

1. A touchscreen device, comprising: A first touch panel has a first main touch surface; A first touch controller is coupled to the first touch panel; The second touch panel has a second main touch surface, which is arranged opposite to the first main touch surface of the first touch panel; as well as A second touch controller is coupled to the second touch panel and configured to receive data from the first touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the first touch controller.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first touch controller is configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel while in an idle state and to send data to the second touch controller, and wherein the second touch controller determines when to disable an area of ​​the touch channel on the second touch panel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second touch controller is configured to calculate data using a pre-arranged algorithm.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the data includes noise status, noise frequency, grip data, and temperature data.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the gripping data is based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a host, wherein the second touch controller receives data from the first touch controller via the host.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second touch controller receives data from the first touch controller using an auxiliary internal integrated circuit I2C channel, an improved internal integrated circuit I3C channel, or a serial peripheral interface SPI channel.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge located between a first edge of the first touch panel and a first edge of the second touch panel, wherein the touch screen device is a foldable touch screen device.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an additional touch controller configured to receive data from the first touch controller or the second touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the corresponding first touch controller or the second touch controller.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first touch controller is configured to receive data from the second touch controller, perform calculations on the received data, and send the result of the calculations to the second touch controller.

11. A touchscreen device, comprising: A first touch panel has a first main touch surface; A first touch controller is configured to detect touches on the first touch panel; The second touch panel has a second main touch surface, which is arranged opposite to the first main touch surface of the first touch panel; as well as The second touch controller is configured to detect touches on the second touch panel; The first touch controller is configured to communicate with the second touch controller to disable the area of ​​the touch channel on the second touch panel when a touch is detected on the area of ​​the touch channel on the first touch panel.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first touch controller is configured to detect a touch on the first touch panel while in an idle state and to send data to the second touch controller, and wherein the second touch controller determines when to disable the area of ​​the touch channel on the second touch panel.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second touch controller is configured to calculate the data using a pre-arranged algorithm and send the calculated data to the first touch controller.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the first touch controller is configured to send noise status, noise frequency, grip data, and temperature data to the second touch controller.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the gripping data is based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising a host, wherein the first touch controller communicates with the second touch controller via the host.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the first touch controller communicates with the second touch controller using an auxiliary internal integrated circuit I2C channel, an improved internal integrated circuit I3C channel, or a serial peripheral interface SPI channel.

18. The device of claim 11, further comprising a hinge located between a first edge of the first touch panel and a first edge of the second touch panel, wherein the touchscreen device is a foldable touchscreen device.

19. A method of operating a touchscreen device, the method comprising: Detect touch information in a first area on the first touch panel; Detect touch information in the second area on the first touch panel; Initiate communication between the first touch panel and the second touch panel, wherein the second touch panel is arranged opposite to the first touch panel; as well as In response to detecting a touch in the first area and the second area on the first touch panel, the communication channel in the first area on the second touch panel is disabled.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: Data is calculated based on the touch information using a pre-defined algorithm; as well as The calculated data is transmitted between the first touch panel and the second touch panel.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting touch information comprises: While the first touch panel is in an idle state, touch information on the first touch panel is detected.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting the touch information comprises: Detect noise levels, capture data, or temperature data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the grip data is based on the shape or characteristics of the touchscreen device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the initiation of the communication between the first touch panel and the second touch panel is facilitated by a host.

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