Driver integrated circuit, driving method, and touch display system

• US 10,055,047 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Guan-Ying, Chang, Yaw-Guang
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSARIO, NELSON M
• Application Number:
  US14/751,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20160283018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A driver integrated circuit (IC), arranged to selectively operate in a display mode, a self-capacitor mode and a mutual-capacitor mode when the driver IC is coupled to a touch display panel, wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC outputs display data to a plurality of source lines of the touch display panel; when the driver IC operates in the self-capacitor mode, the driver controls the source lines to have a predetermined voltage; and when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, the driver IC sequentially sends an impulse signal to the source lines.

Claims

1. A driver integrated circuit (IC), arranged to selectively operate in a display mode, a self-capacitor mode and a mutual-capacitor mode when the driver IC is coupled to a touch display panel, wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC outputs display data to a plurality of source lines of the touch display panel;

when the driver IC operates in the self-capacitor mode, the driver controls the source lines to have a predetermined voltage; and

when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, the driver IC sequentially sends an impulse signal to the source lines, wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC controls common lines of the touch display panel to have a common voltage; and

when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, a first section of the common lines are sequentially floating, and the common lines are different from the plurality of source lines, the first section of the common lines comprise a plurality of common lines parallel to each other.

2. The driver IC of claim 1, wherein when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, the driver IC controls one of the first section of the common lines to be floating and the rest of the first section of the common lines to have a reference voltage, and the driver IC sends the impulse signal to one of the source lines corresponding to the one of the first section of the common lines which is floating.

3. The driver IC of claim 2, comprising:

a common voltage source, arranged to provide the common voltage;

an impulse signal generator, for generating the impulse signal;

a buffer, for storing the display data; and

a multiplexing circuit, coupled to the common voltage source, the impulse signal generator and the buffer, for selectively outputting the display data, the predetermined voltage or the impulse signals to the source lines of the display panel, and for selectively outputting the common voltage, the first reference voltage or the second reference voltage to the first section of the common lines or making the first section of the common lines be floating.

4. The driver IC of claim 3, wherein the multiplexing circuit is further arranged for selectively outputting the common voltage to a second section of the common lines of the touch display panel or receiving sensed voltages from the second section of the common lines, the second section of the common lines comprises a plurality of common lines and the second section of the common lines and the first section of the common lines are intersected.

5. The driver IC of claim 4, wherein when the driver IC operates in the self-capacitor mode, the multiplexing circuit is further arranged for receiving sensed voltage from the first section of the common lines.

6. A driving method of a touch display panel, comprising:

selectively operating in a display mode, a self-capacitor mode and a mutual-capacitor mode;

when operating in the display mode, outputting display data to a plurality of source lines of the touch display panel;

when operating in the self-capacitor mode, controlling the source lines to have a predetermined voltage; and

when operating in the mutual-capacitor mode, sequentially sending an impulse signal to the source lines;

when operating in the display mode, controlling common lines of the touch display panel to have a common voltage;

when operating in the self-capacitor mode, controlling a first section of the common lines to have a reference voltage, wherein the first section of the common lines comprise a plurality of common lines parallel to each other; and

when operating in the mutual-capacitor mode, the first section of the common lines are sequentially floating;

wherein the common lines are different from the plurality of source lines.

7. The driving method of claim 6, wherein when operating in the mutual-capacitor mode, controlling one of the first section of the common lines to be floating and the rest of the first section of the common lines to have a second reference voltage, and sending the impulse signal to one of the source lines corresponding to the one of the first section of the common lines which is floating.

8. The driving method of claim 7, further comprising:

when operating in the display mode, outputting the common voltage to a second section of the common lines of the touch display panel, wherein the second section of the common lines comprises a plurality of common lines and the second section of the common lines and the first section of the common lines are intersected; and

when operating in the self-capacitor mode and the mutual-capacitor mode, receiving sensed voltages from the second section of the common lines.

9. The driving method of claim 8, wherein when operating in the self-capacitor mode, receiving sensed voltage from the first section of the common lines.

10. A touch display system, comprising:

a touch display panel, comprising;

a plurality of gate lines;

a plurality of source lines, disposed above the gate lines, where the gate lines and the sources lines are intersected; and

a plurality of common lines, disposed above the sources lines, wherein the common lines have a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections, and the first sections and second sections are intersected;

a driver IC, coupled to the touch display panel, arranged to selectively operate in a display mode, a self-capacitor mode and a mutual-capacitor mode when the driver IC is coupled to a touch display panel, wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC outputs display data to a plurality of source lines of the touch display panel;

when the driver IC operates in the self-capacitor mode, the driver controls the source lines to have a predetermined voltage; and

when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, the driver IC sequentially sends an impulse signal to the source lines;

wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC controls common lines of the touch display panel to have a common voltage; and

when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, a first section of the common lines are sequentially floating, and the common lines are different from the plurality of source lines, the first section of the common lines comprise a plurality of common lines parallel to each other.

11. The touch display system of claim 10, wherein when the driver IC operates in the mutual-capacitor mode, the driver IC controls one of the first sections of the common lines to be floating and the rest of the first sections of the common lines to have a reference voltage, and the driver IC sends the impulse signal to one of the source lines corresponding to the one of the first sections of the common lines which is floating.

12. The touch display system of claim 11, comprising:

a common voltage source, arranged to provide the common voltage;

an impulse signal generator, for generating the impulse signal;

a buffer, for storing the display data; and

a multiplexing circuit, coupled to the common voltage source, the impulse signal generator and the buffer, for selectively outputting the display data, the predetermined voltage or the impulse signals to the source lines of the display panel, and for selectively outputting the common voltage or the reference voltage to the first sections of the common lines or making the portion of the common lines be floating.

13. The touch display system of claim 12, wherein the multiplexing circuit is further arranged for selectively outputting the common voltage to the second sections of the common lines of the touch display panel or receiving sensed voltages from the second sections of the common lines, the second section of the common lines comprises a plurality of common lines and the second section of the common lines and the first section of the common lines are intersected.

14. The touch display system of claim 13, wherein when the driver IC operates in the self-capacitor mode, the multiplexing circuit is further arranged for receiving sensed voltage from the first sections of the common lines.

15. A touch display system, comprising:

a touch display panel, comprising;

a plurality of gate lines;

a plurality of source lines, disposed above the gate lines, where the gate lines and the sources lines are intersected; and

a plurality of common lines, disposed above the sources lines, wherein the common lines have a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections, and the first sections and second sections are intersected;

a driver IC, coupled to the touch display panel, arranged to selectively operate in a display mode and a detecting mode when the driver IC is coupled to a touch display panel, wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC outputs display data to a plurality of source lines of the touch display panel; and

a stylus, arranged to touch the touch display panel and generate an impulse signal;

wherein when the driver IC operates in the display mode, the driver IC controls common lines of the touch display panel to have a common voltage; and

when the driver IC operates in the detecting mode, a first sections of the common lines are sequentially floating, and the common lines are different from the plurality of source lines, the first section of the common lines comprise a plurality of common lines parallel to each other.

16. The touch display system of claim 15, wherein when the driver IC operates in the detecting mode, the stylus sends the impulse signal to the common lines, and when one of the first sections under the point the stylus touched is floating, the impulse signal is coupled to the one of the first sections.

17. The touch display system of claim 16, comprising:

a common voltage source, arranged to provide the common voltage;

a buffer, for storing the display data; and

a multiplexing circuit, couple to the common voltage source and the buffer, for selectively outputting the display data, the predetermined voltage or the impulse signals to the source lines of the display panel, and for selectively outputting the common voltage or the reference voltage to the first sections of the common lines or making the portion of the common lines be floating.

18. The touch display system of claim 17, wherein the multiplexing circuit is further arranged for selectively outputting the common voltage to the second sections of the common lines of the touch display panel or receiving sensed voltages from the second sections of the common lines, the second section of the common lines comprises a plurality of common lines and the second section of the common lines and the first section of the common lines are intersected.