Active-matrix touchscreen

• US 10,170,535 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Display Company Technology Limited (Sensinnovat BVBA)
• Original Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Dong Hui
• Application Number:
  US15/705,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20180006107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/18 High density interconnect [HDI] connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0075 relating to heat extraction or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/64 Heat extraction or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/87 Arrangements for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 Tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/90 Assemblies of multiple devices comprising at least one organic light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 : Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 : using temporary substrates

Abstract

An active-matrix touchscreen includes a substrate, a system controller, and a plurality of spatially separated independent touch elements disposed on the substrate. Each touch element includes a touch sensor and a touch controller circuit that provides one or more sensor-control signals to the touch sensor and receives a sense signal responsive to the sensor-control signals from the touch sensor. Each touch sensor operates independently of any other touch sensor.

Claims

1. An active-matrix touchscreen having a touch area in which the active-matrix touchscreen is responsive to touches, the touchscreen comprising:

a substrate;

a system controller;

a plurality of spatially separated independent touch elements disposed in a two-dimensional array within the touch area on and in contact with the substrate, each touch element comprising;

a mutual-capacitive touch sensor comprising at least two electrical conductors in a common layer on and in contact with the substrate, the two electrical conductors forming a capacitor; and

a touch controller circuit on and in contact with the substrate for providing one or more sensor-control signals to the touch sensor and for receiving a sense signal responsive to the one or more sensor-control signals from the touch sensor, wherein each touch sensor operates independently of any other touch sensor of the plurality of touch elements, wherein the two electrical conductors of each touch element are electrically separate from the two electrical conductors of any other touch element,

wherein the touch controller circuit of one or more of the plurality of spatially separated independent touch elements is disposed between the respective touch sensors of two or more of the plurality of spatially separated independent touch elements over the substrate.

2. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein each touch element transmits a touch signal to the system controller independently of any other touch element of the plurality of touch elements in response to a respective detected touch.

3. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein each touch controller circuit operates independently of any other touch controller circuit of the plurality of touch elements.

4. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor-control signals comprise a touch sensor drive signal and a touch sensor sense signal.

5. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein each touch element comprises a touch analysis circuit that analyzes the sense signal to determine a touch.

6. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the two electrical conductors are interdigitated.

7. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the two electrical conductors are both electrically connected to a common touch controller circuit of the plurality of touch controller circuits.

8. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the touch elements each comprise a touch transmission circuit responsive to an interrogation signal from the system controller.

9. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the touch elements each comprise a touch transmission circuit that independently provides a touch signal to the system controller.

10. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, wherein the touch controller circuits are integrated circuits disposed on and in contact with the substrate.

11. The active-matrix touchscreen of claim 1, comprising one or more light emitters disposed on the substrate.

12. A display, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of inorganic light-emitting diodes disposed exclusively on and in contact with the substrate;

a plurality of touch sensors exclusively on and in contact with the substrate, wherein the plurality of inorganic light-emitting diodes and the plurality of touch sensors are disposed on a common surface of the substrate;

a system controller; and

a plurality of touch controller circuits, each touch controller circuit associated with a touch sensor and disposed on the substrate for providing one or more sensor-control signals to the touch sensor and for receiving a sense signal responsive to the one or more sensor-control signals from the touch sensor, wherein each touch sensor operates independently of any other touch sensor of the plurality of touch elements, each touch controller circuit and associated touch sensor forming a touch element,

wherein one or more of the plurality of touch controller circuits are disposed between two or more of the plurality of touch sensors.

13. The display of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive touch sensor and comprises one or more capacitors, each of the one or more capacitors connected to the touch controller of the respective touch element.

14. The display of claim 13, wherein the one or more capacitors are formed on the substrate.

15. The display of claim 13, wherein the touch sensor is a self-capacitive touch sensor.

16. The display of claim 13, wherein the touch sensor is a mutual-capacitive touch sensor having at least two electrical conductors.

17. The display of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive touch sensor, an optical touch sensor, an acoustic touch sensor, an inductive touch sensor, a piezo-electric sensor, or a resistive touch sensor.

18. The display of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor is an optical touch sensor and the optical touch sensor comprises a light-sensitive semiconductor diode.

19. The display of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive touch sensor, an optical touch sensor, an acoustic touch sensor, an inductive touch sensor, a piezo-electric sensor, or a resistive touch sensor.

20. The display of claim 12, wherein the substrate is a backplane substrate and the touch controller circuits are formed in or on one or more touch substrates different from the backplane substrate and the touch substrates are disposed on the backplane substrate.

21. The display of claim 12, wherein the area over the substrate of each touch sensor is larger than the area over the substrate of each inorganic light-emitting diode.

22. The display of claim 12, wherein the substrate is a backplane substrate and the touch controller circuits are formed in or on the backplane substrate.