Enhanced touch-screen display system

In a touch-screen display system for generating pixel coordinate estimates responsive to a user touching a display screen, an apparatus for enabling detection of a “no touch” state of said touch-screen display system comprising:

• at least one bus bar;
• at least one driver electrically connected to said at least one bus bar to selectively switch said at least one bus bar between at least two of a plurality of electrical potentials;
• and
• at least one shunt electrically connected across said at least one driver.

A method of determining a touch screen coordinate for a touch screen comprising the steps of:

• turning on the driver of the coordinate to be measured;
• measuring minimum, maximum, and raw position data for the coordinate being measured;
• and
• determining the coordinate position as a function of the raw position in relation to a coordinate range.

An apparatus determining a touch screen coordinate for a touch screen comprising:

• means for turning on the driver of the coordinate to be measured;
• means for measuring minimum, maximum, and raw position data for the coordinate being measured;
• and
• means for determining the coordinate position as a function of the raw position in relation to a coordinate range.

A method of determining whether or not a touch screen has been touched comprising the steps of:

• providing an analog to digital converter which supplies an analog to digital reading;
• reading a minimum bit level;
• determining whether the reading is smaller than the minimum bit level;
• and
• determining the absence of a user touch if the modified reading is less than the minimum bit level.

Apparatus determining whether or not a touch screen has been touched comprising:

• means for providing an analog to digital reading from an analog to digital converter;
• means for reading a minimum bit level;
• means for determining whether the reading is smaller than the minimum bit level;
• and
• means for determining the absence of a user touch if the reading is less than a minimum bit level.

A method of speeding up the reading of analog to digital converter signals to a touch screen comprising the steps of:

• reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• quantifying, responsive to the difference determining step the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

Apparatus speeding up the reading of analog to digital converter signals to a touch screen comprising:

• means for reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• means for consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• means for determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• means, response to the determining means, for quantifying the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

A method of determining whether or not a touch screen has been touched comprising the steps of:

• reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• quantifying, responsive to the difference determining step the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

Apparatus determining whether a touch screen has been touched comprising:

• means for reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• means for consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• means for determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• means, response to the determining means, for quantifying the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

A method of eliminating noise from the reading of analog to digital converter signals to a touch screen comprising the steps of:

• reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• quantifying, responsive to the difference determining step the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

Apparatus eliminating noise from the reading of analog to digital converter signals to a touch screen comprising:

• means for reading a first coordinate of a coordinate pair at a first time;
• means for consecutively reading the same coordinate at a second time;
• means for determining if the absolute value of the difference between the first coordinate and the consecutive coordinate is less than a predetermined value;
• and
• means, response to the determining means, for quantifying the coordinate position as a function of the first or the consecutive coordinate.

A method of determining whether or not a touch screen has been touched comprising the steps of:

• providing an analog to digital converter which supplies an analog to digital reading;
• reading a maximum bit level;
• determining whether the reading is smaller than the maximum bit level;
• and
• determining the absence of a user touch if the modified reading is less than the maximum bit level.

Apparatus determining whether or not a touch screen has been touched comprising:

• means for providing an analog to digital reading from an analog to digital converter;
• means for reading a maximum bit level;
• means for determining whether the reading is smaller than the maximum bit level;
• and
• means for determining the absence of a user touch if the reading is less than a maximum bit level.