Develop Bugs

NOTIFICATION BAR scrolling down without touching it: Static Electr & Capacitive Scrns

NOTIFICATION BAR scrolling down without touching it: Static Electr & Capacitive Scrns
I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this at least once. I didn't post here as a thread til I got confirmation from one other DESIRE user that this has happened to him as well.
I don't know the exact triggers or even the exact scenarios, but this has happened several times to me already:
I am using the phone in horizontal mode and tapping menu items or inputting text, and my finger is nowhere even close to the Notification Bar at top of screen -- and yet suddenly the Notification Bar will auto-scroll down, interrupting what I was doing. Repeated times. It would happen again, with no accidental slippage of my finger or anything. My finger would be nowhere near the bar.
I am wondering if there is any kind of static electricity effect with capacitive screens that can set off a menu action.
So I am asking the experts here. Is that possible? Is it anything that was reported with the Nexus One?
RELATED (1): After this happened a few time in ONE SESSION using the phone -- it happened to be while uploading videos to YouTube, I wanted to test to see if I moved my finger close to the Notification Bar would this perhaps trigger this auto-scroll-down. So I moved my finger just slightly above the surface of the glass at the Notification Bar, and it didn't make it scroll down, but on this occasion, it set off a kind of jumpiness whereby the notification bar was rapidly shifting up and down a few pixels, as though it was receiving input. Has anyone seen this happen? I have not yet been able to get this to repeat from that session of using the phone a few days ago. I was lying down on my bed, and I'm pretty sure sheets produce a lot of static electricity, so this is my layman's question. Is there some causal effect here?
RELATED (2): A variation on this problem would be where I am actually trying to select a menu choice, and instead of my finger-press activating the menu item, instead the menu item jumps up slightly, and does not get selected.
This, again, happened when I was in ALBUM MODE, watched a video in horizontal display, then tapped-and-held the video to bring up the context menu that includes various SHARE options. One of those options is YouTube (the last item of the menu). I would try to select "YouTube" but the menu jumped upwards slightly, and wouldn't get selected.
I have been able to reproduce this one (Related 2) today, days later, in totally different environment .
So, a bunch of questions:
1. Is there such a thing as a static electricity effect that confuses the screen?
2. Are there other kinds of known screen-response problems that could be at play here?
3. Is this something that sounds like "it's defective so return it", or is this a somewhat common experience, sporadically?

the only time I've had that happen to me is when I use a cheap charger I've got and yeah the screen just skitses out. I am using a hero tho but this is the first time I've seen anyone else encounter this so I thought il'd churp in.

I had something similar only once.
The notification bar went mad. It was flicking up and down constantly without me touching the phone at all.
I had to pull the battery to fix the problem.
Hasn't happened since.
Fon22

Happened to me also when loading a ROM in Nesoid.

So I'm not sensing any concerns re; any defect... but still wondering, since I don't know the physics of capacitive screens... Is static electricity the culprit? Never happened once on my GSM HERO... so something is at play here.. or is it an intermittent defect that rarely shows up?

quicksite said:
So I'm not sensing any concerns re; any defect... but still wondering, since I don't know the physics of capacitive screens... Is static electricity the culprit? Never happened once on my GSM HERO... so something is at play here.. or is it an intermittent defect that rarely shows up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The capacitive touch screens work by detecting a disturbance in the EM field on the glass surface. There's a few ways to do it, I think the way mobile phones are doing this is to put a field of their own over the glass and detect fingers on the surface based on what levels of the field they'd expect to see at different points around the screen, and doing some comparisons on what levels are actually detected.
Please someone correct me if I'm wrong BTW.
I've noticed this notification bar problem today and yesterday. Lucky I at least saw how I caused it. My finger was to close to the top right of the screen because of the way I was holding the handset. That combined with the lacklustre multi-touch support on this handset made the phone detect it as a finger swipe that rapidly moved downwards.
I've always had similar problems with capacitative and inductive touch technologies. I don't actually need to touch the desires screen to activate a touch. The worsted was the Zen Micro with the touch controls. I could activate that thing from about 10-15mm away. The touch on-off-dimming lamps too. I usually cycle those through all their light levels with a single touch. Where as my brother actually struggles to activate those, really has to press his hand down hard on them.

Brilliant, Alex... You got right inside my head and answered exactly what i was trying to ask.... the physics of the system.
I'm okay with little glitches here and there, and I am sure I will learn to avoid proximity issues that tend to trigger these mis-fires... just as I learned to adjust my tap-key behavior in typing on the on-screen keyboard on capacitive screen vs all the resistive screens I had used before on Windows Mobile, where fingernails could & would engage the resistive screen -- vs learning that the bottom surface of the finger has to make contact on the keys on capacitive screen... (sorry i am USA and we still resist the world's metric standard, so i don't know the equivalent distance in cm,)... but it's over a 1/4-inch of an upward shift in the position of one's fingers above the capacitive screen from the tip of the fingernail.
But once you train your senses to activate the keys sensors properly, the finger impact behaviors of resistive screens goes away after a while (at least for me)
(oh, btw, I ordered the new HTC capacitive stylus which is a couple of months old now, but is an official DESIRE accessory, so that will be an interesting experience... the thing i miss most about the resistive screen and stylus was being able to scribble notes really fast, way faster than i could ever type -- and draw pretty detailed images or maps and directuions for people. so it will be interesting to see the granularity of control the capacitive stylus will give)
So thanks very much for giving me the exact level of detail I can process as a lay person.. and for assuring me, as the rest of you have as well, that this apparently comes with the territory of this phone -- and therefore should not be seen as a defect. Because i sure as hell didn't want to go shipping this phone back. I can live with an occasional spazzoid misread of intended impact spot on screen...
And, fnally, this was funny -- re the different degree of touch we all consider "normal" --
The touch on-off-dimming lamps too. I usually cycle those through all their light levels with a single touch. Where as my brother actually struggles to activate those, really has to press his hand down hard on them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!
Alex_w said:
The capacitive touch screens work by detecting a disturbance in the EM field on the glass surface. There's a few ways to do it, I think the way mobile phones are doing this is to put a field of their own over the glass and detect fingers on the surface based on what levels of the field they'd expect to see at different points around the screen, and doing some comparisons on what levels are actually detected.
Please someone correct me if I'm wrong BTW.
I've noticed this notification bar problem today and yesterday. Lucky I at least saw how I caused it. My finger was to close to the top right of the screen because of the way I was holding the handset. That combined with the lacklustre multi-touch support on this handset made the phone detect it as a finger swipe that rapidly moved downwards.
I've always had similar problems with capacitative and inductive touch technologies. I don't actually need to touch the desires screen to activate a touch. The worsted was the Zen Micro with the touch controls. I could activate that thing from about 10-15mm away. The touch on-off-dimming lamps too. I usually cycle those through all their light levels with a single touch. Where as my brother actually struggles to activate those, really has to press his hand down hard on them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I was thinking it is softwarerelated. The bar remains halfway the screen, is in the layer below the active app, and jumps to front upon touching the screen.

I have the Problem, too. And that since Monday. I went mad since yesterday evening so i tried to go back to stock, unroot and all.
But the problem is still there.
How can i fix it? Or is my Phone damaged?!
The Notification Bar scrolls down without touching the display and then freezes the phone. so i must lock the phone and relock it and then i can use the phone but after a short time the same problem came back!!

So I reckon you're an undertaker for a living?
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

erklat said:
So I reckon you're an undertaker for a living?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i don't understand what you mean
The problem makes me crazy because i have now the stock rom because i thougt it was an issue due a custom rom or a kernel or something.
If you can help me please do that, this problem robs me to sleep
But i havent the Desire. I Have the HTC EVO 3D GSM

19Marc89 said:
Sorry but i don't understand what you mean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol digging up the dead
Sent from my HTC Desire

Sorry but I do not understand the background of your information which is in context with my problem of the notification bar.

@19Marc89 He meant that you responded to a an old (dead) post. Listen, I'm trying to recondition an old Motorola Milestone (Droid) with a crazy touchscreen problem, whose cause I believe I've narrowed down to static electricity - can you do me a favor and try stroking the glass side of the phone lengthwise in one direction down your sleeve, preferably if you have a wool sweater on? Call me crazy, but this works for me, at least temporarily. I posted more here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1041943&page=5

install gravitybox. go to >statusbar tweaks>disable peek. click it. problem solved!
quicksite said:
I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this at least once. I didn't post here as a thread til I got confirmation from one other DESIRE user that this has happened to him as well.
I don't know the exact triggers or even the exact scenarios, but this has happened several times to me already:
I am using the phone in horizontal mode and tapping menu items or inputting text, and my finger is nowhere even close to the Notification Bar at top of screen -- and yet suddenly the Notification Bar will auto-scroll down, interrupting what I was doing. Repeated times. It would happen again, with no accidental slippage of my finger or anything. My finger would be nowhere near the bar.
I am wondering if there is any kind of static electricity effect with capacitive screens that can set off a menu action.
So I am asking the experts here. Is that possible? Is it anything that was reported with the Nexus One?
RELATED (1): After this happened a few time in ONE SESSION using the phone -- it happened to be while uploading videos to YouTube, I wanted to test to see if I moved my finger close to the Notification Bar would this perhaps trigger this auto-scroll-down. So I moved my finger just slightly above the surface of the glass at the Notification Bar, and it didn't make it scroll down, but on this occasion, it set off a kind of jumpiness whereby the notification bar was rapidly shifting up and down a few pixels, as though it was receiving input. Has anyone seen this happen? I have not yet been able to get this to repeat from that session of using the phone a few days ago. I was lying down on my bed, and I'm pretty sure sheets produce a lot of static electricity, so this is my layman's question. Is there some causal effect here?
RELATED (2): A variation on this problem would be where I am actually trying to select a menu choice, and instead of my finger-press activating the menu item, instead the menu item jumps up slightly, and does not get selected.
This, again, happened when I was in ALBUM MODE, watched a video in horizontal display, then tapped-and-held the video to bring up the context menu that includes various SHARE options. One of those options is YouTube (the last item of the menu). I would try to select "YouTube" but the menu jumped upwards slightly, and wouldn't get selected.
I have been able to reproduce this one (Related 2) today, days later, in totally different environment .
So, a bunch of questions:
1. Is there such a thing as a static electricity effect that confuses the screen?
2. Are there other kinds of known screen-response problems that could be at play here?
3. Is this something that sounds like "it's defective so return it", or is this a somewhat common experience, sporadically?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
REPLY :
install gravitybox. go to >statusbar tweaks>disable peek. click it. problem solved!

I know I am many years late but did you somehow manage to solve this problem?

[Q] Section of Screen Unresponsive

Hello,
I just noticed a couple of days ago that a section of my screen has become slighly unresponsive. It appears to be intermittent, and Swype in Landscape mode is primarily affected.
In landscape mode, keys m, j, and u are not responding. During shutdown as well, the power off confirmation both yes and no button locations are unresponsive.
These areas of the screen are responsive usually, except during power off confirmation and using Swype. Could this be a software issue?
Does anyone know what might be the cause, or how to fix it?
I have not yet tried any fixes, though I may just restore using a backup ROM I made shortly after I rooted my device. If that doesn't work... then :|
EDIT: This appears to have started shortly after I installed LauncherPro, or it may have also occurred since I removed all pre-loaded Google Apps to replace with the newest versions off the Market. :\
EDIT 2: Restored my ROM, m key has regained some responsiveness, other keys no good. Using Swype, the line goes near them, and then just breaks, sometimes. Other times, if I swype really fast, I can passover and include the key, but cannot swype up vertically among them. Unable to press them directly either.
Switch to Android keyboard and things seem to be ok again... fully responsive... this is weird.
EDIT 3: Crap... one row in the middle seems to be affected... somewhat. Downloaded a drawing app, and this one row doesn't want to play nice. It responds properly in most instances, yet there definitely seems to be a problem.
EDIT 4: Appears that a section of my screen is non-responsive. A whole row. Argh. When I move shortcuts, passing nearby this 'dead row' the icons jump. In swype, it acts like an invisible barrier, either I move really fast and it sorta jumps across that key, or I move really slow, and it's like my finger is lifted off the screen. Android appears to be compensating heavily for the non-responsive section and guessing my inputs. Tapping in this area still appears to be somewhat responsive, dragging or swiping across this area is producing very mix to bad results.
I need to have the touchscreen/digitizer replaced, right? The LCD panel appears to have no issue. Argh. Could it be due to the InvisibleShield I put on top?

I had a similar problem with my G2. I tried putting one of the Zagg protective covers on it and immediately afterwards the touchscreen would not respond properly. I would have dead spots on top right of screen and bottom left. At first I thought it might have been from the solution seeping into the phone, but I think I might have used too much pressure and damaged the digitizer. I ordered one earlier this week and will update you with my results.

The screen is capacitive... which means that your finger completes an ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. If your screen protector is blocking current at all, this will manifest as a loss of sensitivity.
The second thing to understand is that you can't just touch the screen with your finger to complete the circuit, the other end of the circuit has to be completed as well. The metal ring around the screen is the other side of the circuit! You need to be touching that metal ring in order for it to work properly. Even with the phone just resting on your hand, you may not be contacting the ring and may experience a loss of sensitivity. In portrait mode, try clamping your fingers around the back of the phone to contact the ring on the far side. In landscape mode, use your index fingers to touch the top part of the ring.
If these suggestions don't help (including removing the screen protector), then you most likely have a bad digitizer. Check the ribbon wires to make sure that they haven't pulled out at all before replacing.

Just replaced my digitizer and it works great now.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

johntinman said:
Just replaced my digitizer and it works great now.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one u bought is it the one with t mobile with it??
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Yes, i got it from repairsuniverse.com for ~ $70
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

[Q] Screen too sensitive

My Acer A100 (love it to pieces) but my screen is a little too sensitive. On my A500, under Settings/Screen there is a option to change but I haven't found anything on my A100.
Any suggestion?

What do you mean it is too sensitive? I didn't know that was possible.

I find it too sensitive too. Always double typing letters with thumb keyboard and unintentionally clicking when trying to scroll. I didn't realize there was an option to adjust on my A500, but i haven't found a need for it on that tab. I've looked for apps that might help, but no luck.

I agree that the unintentional entry into threads while scrolling seems to be a reault of over sensitivity. Starts to become rather annoying after a while.
Sent from my A100 using xda premium

Glad to see I am not the only one. I suppose that does not offer a solution on how to make it tolerable.

guags99 said:
I find it too sensitive too. Always double typing letters with thumb keyboard and unintentionally clicking when trying to scroll. I didn't realize there was an option to adjust on my A500, but i haven't found a need for it on that tab. I've looked for apps that might help, but no luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thousannd dtimes this. I could type on my trannsformmer with thumb keyboard like a champ. With tthis thing, I have to type soo painstakingly to avoid ddouble keypresses.
The above was not exaggerated for dramatic effect.

You can put a screen protector on it. That will reduce the sensitivity.

THAT. Is a good idea.

I have put a screen protector; also as suggested by Acer tech support, removed the sticker from the side. Still too sensitive for my liking.

I also find too sensitive and have a screen protector installed. I also find it hard to click on links. If there are two links close by I always click on the one that I did not intend to. Seems its a little off. Anyone have this problem?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

I have had my a100 for 2 months now. I really like it but what I find irritating is the inconsistent screen response. Most of the time it is too sensitive that it toes a letter multiple times or the back button will go back more than one screen. Other times I have to hit a link or a button a couple of times before it responds. Sometimes I hit a link and a link adjacent to it will be launched. I also have problems with scrolling a it will launch a link instead of scrolling. I already have a screen protector but it did not improve things.

I was just about to start a new thread for this, but it seems like a common problem with the A100.
Scrolling through my dropbox is nearly IMPOSSIBLE, every time I try to scroll, it clicks a link.
Also, trying to long press a item can be difficult, because it will treat it like a click instead of a long press.

I was having the same problem too!
I found out that after disabling SwiftKey X tablet keyboard returned the Acer to a great state of sensitivity level.
This might be the same thing, but with another keyboard or something.
I was constantly pressing the wrong icons and doing unintentional actions while scrolling!!!
I hope this could help.

how did you disable it the swift keyboard?
Sent from my A100 using xda premium

jahciple,
You either uninstall it from My App in Market App. Or uncheck the keyboard from input methods.
I hope that works for you!
Please post your feedback and share it with us!

nm i thought you were referring to the stock keyboard.
Sent from my A100 using xda premium

I think the problem when scrolling and it accidentally selecting is because the touch screen loses connection with your finger and thinks you lifted it off and then touched it again. If you download multitouch vis and test touch sensitivity by running your finger from side to side that the colored dots will flicker or sometimes disappear as if you lifted yout finger off. So I think its not because its too sensitive but less sensitive. This happens more if you just lay the tablet down on a surface so only your finger is touching it. If you touch the bezel with your other hand it as you touch test with the other then it will respond better. This could possibly be grounding issue.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App

Definitely having this problem on mine. This is really the only issue I have with the device, and it's quite frustrating!

Same here. Sometimes when I'm scrolling on the home screen it either scrolls backwards or scroll two pages over (skipping one page). Anyone else have the issue? As for the other issues (clicking links while scrolling) I experience those too. I really love the device too. I was gonna get the Nook Tablet but I gott this for cheaper and it's just as good if not better.
Sent from my A100 using xda premium

i think we need to bring this up to acers attention. Im sure its just a matter of software update. When the original evo 4g came out it had touch screen issue where it wouldnt respond correctly unless your touching the device with your other hand. It was fixed via software update. Same thing happens with this device. Again download multitouch vis and you can test touch sesitivity while laying it on a surface while running one finger all across the screen you will see it flicker as if its not recognizing complete touch. But once you hold the device up with the other hand while touching the screen with the other then it doesnt flicker.

Any way to calibrate the touch screen?

I've noticed the touch position is a little bit off (offset to the right). Check the images attached. I turned on "show touches" in the Developer Options to demonstrate. In the first picture I put my finger on the left edge of the display and took a screenshot. What it *should* look like is the point being half on and half off the display. The second one I did the same to the right side; notice how the center of the point is entirely off the display, indicating it's sensing a touch the isn't even on the display. This has occasionally made me miss a button, so I know there's a real tangible effect to it.

I have noticed this too, is there no way of fixing this? gets very annoying while typing because it occasionally puts on a different letter!

Did you ever figure out a way?

xxxda13 said:
Did you ever figure out a way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately I haven't

how bout touch test in hidden menu.
ie for intl version.
3845#*855#

radeonxt said:
how bout touch test in hidden menu.
ie for intl version.
3845#*855#
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't find the touch test option there..
Where exactly is it and what does it do?
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

Did anyone find a way to calibrate?

Calibration
For the. LG g3, it's under gestures. Motion sensor Calibration

SmartChick said:
For the. LG g3, it's under gestures. Motion sensor Calibration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a different type of calibration. We're talking about touches and where the phone registers touches on the screen. It seems a bit off.

@scy1192, how did you generate those 2 images? how did you test out the touch screen result?
thanks in advance for the answer.
scy1192 said:
I've noticed the touch position is a little bit off (offset to the right). Check the images attached. I turned on "show touches" in the Developer Options to demonstrate. In the first picture I put my finger on the left edge of the display and took a screenshot. What it *should* look like is the point being half on and half off the display. The second one I did the same to the right side; notice how the center of the point is entirely off the display, indicating it's sensing a touch the isn't even on the display. This has occasionally made me miss a button, so I know there's a real tangible effect to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

codercollective said:
@scy1192, how did you generate those 2 images? how did you test out the touch screen result?
thanks in advance for the answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enable developer options then in the developer options menu, choose "Show touches"
Also, I found out the reason it was doing that. Seems like the touch point shown doesn't exactly match up to where it detects your touch. Must just be an error of the "show touches" option now drawing on the screen correctly.

Let me bump that thread since I have a bit of information to add.
Just for anyone wondering - you can
"Upgrade the Touch Firmware" in the Test-Settings Menu (just like you could with the G2)
I guess that 's what LG means with Touch Re-Calibration.
There are also quite some tests you can do there to see if anything is off.
I think it comes down to their Keyboard and Sensitivity of the Hardware in itself and the thickness of your Fingers.
I noticed that I often misstype with the LG-Keyboard - that is due to the buttons being to small in width and most importantly the area between the SPACEBAR and Soft-Buttons which doesn't know if it should trigger the spacebar or the menukey as such won't do anything when you hit the sweet spot inbetween them. So to workaround that the best would be to hide the softbuttons upon entering text.
Cheers.

Any update ? Upgrading the touch firmware didn't help for me. The problem happen after I changed the screen.

Screen Recognising finger while not touching screen

Is there anyone els experiencing the same "problem" (not sure if it is a problem or can be disabled) sometimes while using the phone not always tho I can scroll through the broser or any other app im using without touching the screen just by hovering my finger over the screen.

Its a feature called air view not a problem.. go to settings-> controls-> air view.. disable it..
Sent from my SM-N750 using XDA Free mobile app

I have air view already disabled but it still happens... while browsing sometimes 2 3 times in a week for a of couple seconds but on lockscreen with the watercolour eff most of the time its there.
maybe its a firmware error :/
Thanks anyway

I had got the same thing....actually its not a problem but a feature with which you can use your phone even with gloves on....It basically makes the screen more sensitive and even when you dont touch it and just hover a bit above it,the phone detects the touch...
To disable this goto Setting --> Controls --> Increase Touch senstivity and untick it....
That should solve it....

cgprince06 said:
Is there anyone els experiencing the same "problem" (not sure if it is a problem or can be disabled) sometimes while using the phone not always tho I can scroll through the broser or any other app im using without touching the screen just by hovering my finger over the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem??? I don't think it's a problem. I kinda like it and often flaunt it to my friends... "See the MAGIC" hahaha .. Amazing Samsung