Cypress Semiconductor Providing Pre's Touchscreen Tech

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Wednesday, January 21, 2009 11:56:24 AM

A new report from Digitimes claims that Cypress Semiconductor will be the supplier of the touch screen technology and panel on the Palm Pre. Digitimes sources claim Cypress will be the sole provider for the capacitive multi-touch technology employed on the device.

A scan of Cypress' website shows a wide range of touchscreen products. The CY8CTMG110-32LTXI or the Multi-Touch Gesture TrueTouch controller seems the likely set of components. It offers single-touch, multi-touch and gesture capabilities with support for up to 44 X/Y sensor inputs and screen sizes 8.4" and below. Cypress says it can perform traditional touchscreen functions including interpreting single touches, and gestures such as tap, double-tap, pan, pinch, scroll and rotate. All of which have already been demonstrated on the Pre in some form.

Cypress TouchScreen

Cypress Semiconductor calls itself the "leader in capacitive touch sensing solutions" and is headquartered in San Jose, just around the corner from Palm Inc in Sunnyvale. The company also has numerous sales, manufacturing and design facilities and locations around the world.

The company also has a flash video posted (.swf link) which demonstrates some of the functionality of its true touch products.

Article Comments

 (10 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down

Multitouch is not an Apple patent?

icesalmon @ 1/21/2009 1:47:57 PM # Q
That means Multitouch is not an Apple patent?

I remember that after the Pre announcement, Apple fanboys accused Palm of stealing the technology and couldn't wait to see Apple suing Palm.

And boy, have we patented it
Gekko @ 1/21/2009 2:44:40 PM # Q

"And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic. You don't need a stylus. It's far more accurate than any touch display that's ever been shipped. It ignores unintended touches, it's super-smart. You can do multi-finger gestures on it. And boy, have we patented it." - Steve Jobs - January 2007


And oh boy, we probably can't defend that patent
grimpeur @ 1/21/2009 3:07:06 PM # Q
There is a big difference to patenting something and being able to defend it in law. If... the patent was even legitimate in the first place.



RE: Multitouch is not an Apple patent?
justauser @ 1/21/2009 3:20:57 PM # Q
Isn't Windows 7 all about multitouch?

RE: Multitouch is not an Apple patent?
Gekko @ 1/21/2009 3:33:19 PM # Q

Apple on smartphone competition: "if others rip off our intellectual property, we will go after them."

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 21st 2009 at 6:21PM

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/apple-on-smartphone-competition-if-others-rip-off-our-intellec/

RE: Multitouch is not an Apple patent?
Ryan @ 1/21/2009 4:21:59 PM # Q
Just posted something on this:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/7126/apple-hints-at-smartphone-ip-battle-to-come/

Thanks for the Jobs quote G.

RE: Multitouch is not an Apple patent?
lobotomic @ 1/22/2009 2:29:43 AM # Q
Touchpads have existed for a very long time. Gestures have been used in touchpads and tablets and with mice for a very long time - for example, since quite a while ago there have been extensions for Firefox that add mouse-gestures control. Now Apple can get away with a patent for doing gestures in a touchpad with more than one finger? This is ridiculous.

Now, if their patent is on the hardware that detects the position of those multiple touches, that is one thing. Other sensor manufacturers will have to think of a different way to detect multiple touches. But I'm afraid they have yet again managed to get a US Patent Office patent on the obvious, and they are sharpening their legal knives to drive the rest of the market to a stall.

I hate Apple, and the USPO, every day more and more.

Reply to this comment

who cares

Piero @ 1/21/2009 7:06:57 PM # Q
who cares, it doesn't have backward compatibility, it's not palm, it's something else

RE: who cares
LiveFaith @ 1/21/2009 7:40:40 PM # Q
Come on outta that cave Piero. The air is great out here ...

Pat Horne
RE: who cares
Piero @ 1/21/2009 7:43:22 PM # Q
Boohoooooooooooooo!

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass:

Latest Comments

  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000