Touch Controller Power Management via Dynamic Bias Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch sensitive devices face significant power consumption challenges due to their operational requirements, leading to shorter battery life, reduced functionality, and larger form factors to accommodate more powerful power supplies.
Innovation Solution
A touch controller with power management logic that selectively adjusts bias current, bypasses components, adjusts operating times, and reduces slew rates in different sections to minimize power consumption, particularly during idle periods and low noise conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If touch sensitive devices use significant power to operate components and process touch events, then touch event processing efficiency is maintained, but battery life is reduced and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch controller dynamically adjusts the operating characteristics of transmit and receive channel components based on real-time noise conditions. During low noise periods, the controller reduces bias currents and operating frequencies of components such as amplifiers, ADCs, and DACs, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate touch event processing capability. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the trade-off between productivity and energy usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of power-consuming components based on measured noise levels. Specifically, the bias current, operating frequency, and slew rate of components are adjusted according to the noise conditions detected by the noise detector. During low noise conditions, parameters are reduced to minimize power consumption, while during high noise conditions, parameters are increased to maintain touch processing efficiency. This parameter adaptation directly addresses the contradiction between power consumption and processing efficiency.
2Duration of action of moving object
If touch sensitive devices reduce power consumption during idle periods, then battery life is extended, but touch event responsiveness may be degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The touch controller implements periodic noise detection and dynamic power adjustment cycles. During idle periods, the system enters a low power state with reduced component operation, extending battery life. When a touch event is detected or noise levels increase, the system quickly transitions back to full operational mode, ensuring responsive touch event processing. This periodic switching between power states allows the system to balance battery life extension with maintained responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The noise detector provides continuous feedback to the power management logic about current noise conditions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically adjust power consumption levels based on actual environmental conditions rather than using fixed power states. When noise levels indicate potential touch events or actual touches occur, the feedback triggers immediate power level adjustments, ensuring responsiveness is maintained when needed while allowing power reduction during truly idle periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Power management for a touch controller is disclosed. The touch controller can include a transmit section for transmitting stimulation signals to an associated touch sensor panel to drive the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the transmit section to reduce power during the transmission. The touch controller can also include a receive section for receiving touch signals resulting from the driving of the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the receive section to reduce power during the receipt of the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a demodulation section for demodulating the received touch signals to obtain touch event results, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the demodulation section to reduce power during the demodulation of the touch signals. The touch controller can also selectively reduce power below present low levels during idle periods.