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US 2012/0075242 A1Published application
Capacitance sensing electrode with integrated i/o mechanism
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorSteven P. HOTELLING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A touch sensing device is disclosed. The touch sensing device includes one or more multifunctional nodes each of which represents a single touch pixel. Each multifunctional node includes a touch sensor with one or more integrated I/O mechanisms. The touch sensor and integrated I/O mechanisms share the same communication lines and I/O pins of a controller during operation of the touch sensing device.
Claims37
1-34. (canceled)
A device, comprising:
- a controller,
- an I/O mechanism,
- a touch sensor,
- a first communication line connecting the touch sensor to the controller, and
- a second communication line connecting the I/O mechanism to the controller,
- wherein the controller is configured to switch between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, wherein
- in the first mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the touch sensor using the first and second communication lines, and
- in the second mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the I/O mechanism using the first and second communication lines.
5 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a controller,
- a first I/O mechanism,
- a second I/O mechanism,
- a touch sensor,
- a first communication line connecting the touch sensor to the controller, and
- a second communication line connecting the first I/O mechanism and the second I/O mechanism to the controller,
- wherein the controller is configured to switch between a first mode of operation, a second mode of operation and a third mode of operation, wherein
- in the first mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the touch sensor using the first and second communication lines,
- in the second mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the first I/O mechanism using the first and second communication lines, and
- in the third mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the second I/O mechanism using the first and second communication lines.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.