Scalable controller for a computer input area

#Computer systems such as personal computers, personal digital assistants, automated teller machines and mobile phones may be controlled in a plurality of ways. One way to control a computer system is via an optical (e.g., infrared) touch panel. Optical touch panels are especially advantageous in applications that require 100% transparency and zero touch force (e.g., in liquid crystal display (LCD) applications).

#Most optical touch panels comprise a plurality of intersecting optical detection paths, each of which is formed between an optical emitter and an optical detector (often referred to as an emitter/detector pair). Given that different applications require optical touch panels of different size, aspect ratio and resolution, optical touch panels are manufactured with varying numbers and aspect ratios of emitter/detector pairs.

#Typically, optical touch panels having different numbers and aspect ratios of emitter/detector pairs are supported by different controllers.

#Illustrative embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a first exemplary computer input system comprising a scalable controller;

#FIG. 2 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the programmable memory of the FIG. 1 controller;

#As mentioned in the Background, optical touch panels having different numbers and aspect ratios of emitter/detector pairs are typically supported by different controllers. However, it would be less costly if optical touch panel designers, manufacturers and distributors could use a single controller to control optical touch panels having different numbers and aspect ratios of emitter/detector pairs. FIG. 1 therefore illustrates a computer input system 100 comprising a scalable controller 102.

#The scalable controller 102 comprises a plurality of (N+M) drive signal pads 104 and a plurality (N+M) of signal detection pads 106. In some cases, only a subset of the controller's pads 104, 106 may be coupled to a computer input area 108 (i.e., Q+R pads, with N≧Q and M≧R). However, an advantage of the controller 102 is that it can be configured for use with computer input areas having a variety of different numbers and aspect ratios of input detection paths. As a result, when the controller 102 is used in different applications, different numbers of its pads 104, 106 may be coupled to a computer input area. And, in some cases, all of the controller's pads 104, 106 may be coupled to a computer input area.

#A programmable memory 110 of the controller 102 stores one or more indications of the “active” ones of the pads 104, 106. In most cases, the active ones of the pads 104, 106 will be those of the pads 104, 106 that are coupled to the computer input area 108.