Touch Controller Architecture with Programmable Scan Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch controllers struggle to efficiently handle various types of touch and hover events on touch panels, requiring more robust and flexible circuitry to accurately detect and process these events.
Innovation Solution
A touch controller that configures touch circuitry according to a scan plan, which defines a sequence of scan events, including a programmable scan engine to configure transmit, receive sections, and memory, enabling robust and flexible handling of touch events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed-architecture touch controllers are used, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to handle various types of touch and hover events is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The touch controller employs dynamic configuration of transmit and receive sections through a scan engine that can reconfigure the circuitry based on different scan plans. This allows the same hardware to adapt its architecture dynamically to handle various touch event types (touch, hover, stylus) without requiring multiple fixed-architecture controllers, thus improving versatility while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The configurable transmit section, configurable receive section, and programmable scan engine work together to create a universal touch controller architecture that can perform multiple functions. The same circuitry can be configured to detect touch events, hover events, or stylus events by loading different scan plans, eliminating the need for separate dedicated circuitry for each event type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If configurable touch circuitry is implemented to handle various touch events, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scan engine acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of configuring the transmit and receive sections. Instead of directly complex interconnections between all components, the scan engine serves as a central controller that interprets scan plans and automatically configures the circuitry accordingly, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves versatility through parameter changes rather than structural changes. The scan engine modifies operational parameters (such as which transmit channels are active, which receive channels are active, timing parameters) based on the scan plan being executed, allowing the same physical circuitry to handle different event types by changing its operational state rather than its physical configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch controller that can configure touch circuitry according to a scan plan, which can define a sequence of scan events to be performed on a touch panel is disclosed. The touch controller can include a configurable transmit section to generate stimulation signals to drive the panel, a configurable receive section to receive and process touch signals from the panel, and a configurable memory to store the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a programmable scan engine to configure the transmit section, the receive section, and the memory according to the scan plan. The touch controller advantageously provides more robust and flexible touch circuitry to handle various types of touch events at the panel. An active stylus that can generate stimulation signals that can be detected by the touch controller during various touch events at the panel is also disclosed.