Correlated data acquisition among different touch sensors

• US 10,025,440 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Tan, Kien Beng
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US15/208,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic device including a first touch circuit to be coupled to a first touch sensing unit, the first touch sensing unit having first drive lines and first sense lines intersecting the first drive lines. A second touch circuit is to be coupled to a second touch sensing unit, the second touch sensing unit having second drive lines and second sense lines intersecting the second drive lines. A touch force circuit is to be coupled to a touch force sensing unit, the touch force sensing unit having third drive lines and third sense lines intersecting the third drive lines. The first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit are configured to drive the first, second, and third drive lines as a function of a synchronization signal, and acquire data from the first, second, and third sense lines as a function of the synchronization signal.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first touch circuit to be coupled to a first touch sensing unit, the first touch sensing unit comprising first drive lines and first sense lines intersecting the first drive lines;

a second touch circuit to be coupled to a second touch sensing unit, the second touch sensing unit comprising second drive lines and second sense lines intersecting the second drive lines;

a touch force circuit to be coupled to a touch force sensing unit, the touch force sensing unit comprising third drive lines and third sense lines intersecting the third drive lines;

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit are configured to;

drive the first drive lines, second drive lines, and third drive lines as a function of a synchronization signal, and

acquire data from the first sense lines, second sense lines, and third sense lines as a function of the synchronization signal.

2. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit drive the first drive lines, second drive lines and third drive lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines during driving of the first drive lines and during driving of the second drive lines;

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit acquire data from the first, second, and third sense lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first and third sense lines, and

acquiring data from the second and third sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines.

3. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit drive the first, second, and third drive lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines during driving of the first drive lines;

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit acquire data from the first, second, and third sense lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first and third sense lines, and

acquiring data from the second sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a rate of the acquiring of the data from the first, second, and third sense lines is greater than a rate of change of the data from the first, second, and third sense lines.

5. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit drive the first, second, and third drive lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines in a time window beginning subsequent in time to beginning driving of the first drive lines and ending precedent in time to ending driving of the second drive lines;

wherein the first touch circuit, second touch circuit, and touch force circuit acquire data from the first, second, and third sense lines as a function of the synchronization signal by, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first sense lines,

acquiring data from the second sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines, and

acquiring data from the third sense lines in a time window beginning subsequent in time to beginning acquiring data from the first sense lines and ending precedent in time to ending acquiring data from the second sense lines.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second touch sensing units have a first acquisition time associated therewith;

wherein the touch force sensing unit has a second acquisition time associated therewith;

wherein the first and second acquisition times are unequal; and

wherein the synchronization signal is a function of a slower of the first and second acquisition times.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data acquired from the first touch sensing unit by the first touch circuit comprises touch location data;

wherein the data acquired from the second touch sensing unit by the second touch circuit comprises touch location data; and

wherein the data acquired from the touch force sensing unit by the touch force circuit comprises touch force data.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data acquired from the first touch sensing unit by the first touch circuit comprises touch force data.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second touch circuits drive the first and second drive lines with first and second drive signals having first and second frequencies;

wherein the touch force circuit drives the third drive lines with a third drive signal having a third frequency; and

wherein the third frequency is less than the first and second frequencies.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first and second frequencies are equal.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second touch circuits drive the first and second drive lines with first and second drive signals having first and second frequencies;

wherein the touch force circuit drives the third drive lines with a third drive signal having a third frequency; and

wherein the third frequency is equal to the first and second frequencies.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first touch circuit comprises a first touch integrated circuit;

and wherein the second touch circuit comprises a second touch integrated circuit.

13. A method, comprising:

generating a synchronization signal at a host device; and

in response to the synchronization signal;

driving first, second, and third drive lines using a first touch circuit, a second touch circuit, and a touch force circuit; and

acquiring data from first, second, and third sense lines intersecting the first, second, and third drive lines using the first touch circuit, the second touch circuit, and the touch force circuit;

wherein the data acquired from the first sense lines comprises touch location data;

wherein the data acquired from the second sense lines comprises touch location

data;

wherein the data acquired from the third sense lines comprises touch force data;

wherein the synchronization signal is not a system clock signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein driving the first, second, and third drive lines comprises, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines during driving of the first and second drive lines;

wherein acquiring data from the first, second, and third sense lines comprises, in response to the transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first sense lines,

acquiring data from the second sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines, and

acquiring data from the third sense lines during acquisition of data from the first and second sense lines.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein driving the first, second, and third drive lines comprises, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines during driving of the first drive lines;

wherein acquiring data from the first, second, and third sense lines comprises, in response to the transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first and third sense lines, and

acquiring data from the second sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a rate of the acquiring of the data from the first, second, and third sense lines is greater than a rate of change of the data from the first, second, and third sense lines.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein driving the first, second, and third drive lines comprises, in response to a transition of the synchronization signal:

driving the first drive lines,

driving the second drive lines subsequent in time to driving the first drive lines, and

driving the third drive lines in a time window beginning subsequent in time to beginning driving of the first drive lines and ending precedent in time to ending driving of the second drive lines;

wherein acquiring data from the first, second, and third sense lines comprises, in response to the transition of the synchronization signal;

acquiring data from the first sense lines,

acquiring data from the second sense lines subsequent in time to acquiring data from the first sense lines, and

acquiring data from the third sense lines in a time window beginning subsequent in time to beginning acquiring data from the first drive lines and ending precedent in time to ending acquiring data from the second drive lines.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a first touch circuit to be coupled to a first touch sensing unit;

a second touch circuit to be coupled to a second touch sensing unit;

wherein one of the first touch circuit and the second touch circuit is configured to generate a synchronization signal;

wherein the first and second touch circuits are configured to, in response to the synchronization signal, synchronously acquire data from the first and second touch sensing units, respectively.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first touch sensing unit has a first acquisition time associated therewith;

wherein the second touch sensing unit has a third acquisition time associated therewith;

wherein the first and third acquisition times are unequal; and

wherein the synchronization signal is a function of a slower of the first and third acquisition times.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the data acquired from the first touch sensing unit by the first touch circuit comprises touch location data.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the data acquired from the first touch sensing unit by the first touch circuit comprises touch force data.

22. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising a touch force circuit coupled to a touch force sensing unit;

wherein the touch force circuit is also configured to, in response to receipt of the synchronization signal, synchronously acquire data from the touch force sensing unit, with the data acquired from the touch force sensing unit comprises touch force data; and

wherein the data acquired from the first and second touch sensing units by the first and second touch circuits comprises touch location data.

23. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first and second sensing unit comprise capacitive touch sensors.