Variable size and variable orientation touch screen display

Abstract

A variable touch screen includes a first touch screen display and a second touch screen display, where the first touch screen display includes a first plurality of electrodes and first touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, where the first touch screen circuity includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to drive a plurality of sensor signals onto the plurality of electrodes, sense first effects that the plurality of electrodes have on the plurality of sensor signals and produce a first plurality of sensed signals based on the first effects. The second touch screen display has a first edge of the first touch screen display that, when oriented such that the first edge is aligned adjacent to a first edge of the second touch screen display, increases a size of the variable touch screen.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variable touch screen that is customizable in size and orientation, the variable touch screen comprising:
 a first touch screen display, wherein the first touch screen display includes:
 a first plurality of electrodes; and 
 first touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, wherein the 
 first touch screen circuity includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a plurality of sensor signals onto the plurality of electrodes; 
 sense first effects that the plurality of electrodes have on the plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a first plurality of sensed signals based on the first effects; and 
 
   a second touch screen display, wherein a first edge of the first touch screen display, when oriented such that the first edge is aligned adjacent to a first edge of the second touch screen display, increases a size of the variable touch screen, and wherein the second touch screen display includes:
 a second plurality of electrodes; and 
 second touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the second plurality of electrodes, wherein the second touch screen circuity includes a second plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a second plurality of sensor signals onto the second plurality of electrodes; 
 sense second effects that the second plurality of electrodes have on the second plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a second plurality of sensed signals based on the second effects. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The variable touch screen of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first and second touch screen displays includes a centralized processing module that, when enabled, is configured to:
 process the first plurality of sensed signals to determine a touch event on the first touch screen display; and   process the second plurality of sensed signals to determine a second touch event on the second touch screen display.   
     
     
         3 . The variable touch screen of  claim 2 , wherein the centralized processing module is configured to determine that one or more of the first touch event and second touch event indicates one or more of:
 a location of one or more touches; and   a meaning of the one or more touches.   
     
     
         4 . The variable touch screen of  claim 2 , wherein the centralized processing module is implemented by a processing module of one of the first touch screen circuitry or the second touch screen circuitry. 
     
     
         5 . The variable touch screen of  claim 2 , wherein the centralized processing module is implemented by processing modules of the first and second touch screen circuitries, and wherein the centralized processing module functions as a distributed processing module. 
     
     
         6 . The variable touch screen of  claim 1  further comprises:
 a third touch screen display, wherein a second edge of the third touch screen display, when oriented such that the second edge is adjacent to a second edge of the first touch screen display, increases the size of the variable touch screen, and wherein the third touch screen display includes:
 a third plurality of electrodes; and 
 third touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the third plurality of electrodes, wherein 
 the third touch screen circuity includes a third plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a third plurality of sensor signals onto the third plurality of electrodes; 
 sense third effects that the third plurality of electrodes have on the third plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a third plurality of sensed signals based on the third effects. 
 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The variable touch screen of  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the first, second, and third touch screen displays includes a centralized processing module that, when enabled, is configured to:
 process the first plurality of sensed signals to determine a touch event on the first touch screen display; and   process the second plurality of sensed signals to determine a second touch event on the second touch screen display; and   process the third plurality of sensed signals to determine a third touch event on the third touch screen display.   
     
     
         8 . The variable touch screen of  claim 6  further comprises:
 a fourth touch screen display, wherein a first edge of the fourth touch screen display, when oriented such that the first edge is adjacent to a first edge of the third touch screen display, increases the size of the variable touch screen, and wherein the fourth touch screen display includes:
 a fourth plurality of electrodes; and 
 fourth touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the fourth plurality of electrodes, wherein the fourth touch screen circuity includes a fourth plurality of drive-sense circuits when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a fourth plurality of sensor signals onto the fourth plurality of electrodes; 
 sense fourth effects that the fourth plurality of electrodes have on the fourth plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a fourth plurality of sensed signals based on the fourth effects. 
 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The variable touch screen of  claim 8 , wherein a second edge of the fourth touch screen display is adjacent to a second edge of the second touch screen display. 
     
     
         10 . The variable touch screen of  claim 8 , wherein the centralized processing module is operably coupled to each of the first, second, third and fourth touch screen circuitry and configured to process the each of the first, second, third and fourth plurality of sensed signals to determine touch events. 
     
     
         11 . The variable touch screen of  claim 1 , wherein the first edge of the first touch screen display is bezel-less and one or more other edges of the first touch screen display includes a near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         12 . The variable touch screen of  claim 11 , wherein the first touch screen circuitry is housed in the near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         13 . The variable touch screen of  claim 12 , wherein the first edge of the second touch screen display is bezel-less and one or more other second edges of the second touch screen display includes a second near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         14 . The variable touch screen of  claim 11 , wherein the second touch screen circuitry is housed in the second near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         15 . The variable touch screen of  claim 1 , wherein the first touch screen circuitry and the second touch screen circuity are coupled together via one or more of:
 a wired connection; and   a wireless connection.   
     
     
         16 . A touch screen comprising:
 a first touch screen display, wherein the first touch screen display includes:
 a first plurality of electrodes aligned in a first orientation; and 
 a second plurality of electrodes aligned in a second orientation, wherein the first and second orientations cause at least a first subset of the first plurality of electrodes to overlap at least 
 a second subset of the second plurality of electrodes; 
 first touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes, wherein the first touch screen circuity includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a plurality of sensor signals onto the first and second plurality of electrodes; 
 sense first effects that the plurality of electrodes have on the first and second plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a first plurality of sensed signals based on the first effects; and 
 
   a second touch screen display, wherein a first edge of the first touch screen display is positioned adjacent to a first edge of the second touch screen display, and wherein the second touch screen display includes:
 a third plurality of electrodes aligned in the third orientation; and 
 a fourth plurality of electrodes aligned in a fourth orientation, wherein the third and fourth orientations cause at least a third subset of the third plurality of electrodes to overlap at least a fourth subset of the fourth plurality of electrodes, and wherein the third orientation substantially aligns with the first orientation; and 
 second touch screen circuitry operably coupled to the third and fourth plurality of electrodes, wherein the second touch screen circuity includes a second plurality of drive-sense circuits that, when enabled, are configured to:
 drive a second plurality of sensor signals onto the third and fourth plurality of electrodes; 
 sense second effects that the third and fourth plurality of electrodes have on the second plurality of sensor signals; and 
 produce a second plurality of sensed signals based on the second effects. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The touch screen of  claim 16 , wherein the first edge of the first touch screen display is bezel-less and one or more other edges of the first touch screen display includes a near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         18 . The touch screen of  claim 17 , wherein the first touch screen circuitry is housed in the near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         19 . The touch screen of  claim 18 , wherein the first edge of the second touch screen display is bezel-less and one or more other second edges of the second touch screen display includes a second near bezel-less frame. 
     
     
         20 . The touch screen of  claim 16 , wherein the first touch screen circuitry and the second touch screen circuity are coupled together and to a centralized processing module of the apparatus via one or more of:
 a wired connection; and   a wireless connection.