Touch apparatus, drive circuit, drive method, and electronic device

• US 10,185,436 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd
• Original Assignee: FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd
• Inventors: Xiao, Bei
• Primary Examiner(s): Simpson, Lixi C
• Application Number:
  US15/448,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 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 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

The application provides a touch apparatus, a drive circuit, a drive method and an electronic device. The drive method includes: in a pressure detection stage, providing a first pressure sensing signal to a part of detection electrode, and providing a second pressure sensing signal to the remaining detection electrodes. The first pressure sensing signal is not equal to the second pressure sensing signal. Through detecting a capacitance change between first pressure electrodes and second pressure electrodes, distance changes between a detection conductor and the first pressure electrodes and between the detection conductor and the second pressure electrodes are detected, to realize pressure sensing.

Claims

1. A drive method for a touch apparatus to realize pressure sensing, wherein,

the touch apparatus comprises:

a detection conductor and a plurality of detection electrodes arranged in an array, the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor are arranged opposite each other to form a capacitor structure for sensing a touch and a pressure;

a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform pressure sensing is defined as a pressure sensing stage, and a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform touch sensing is defined as a touch sensing stage; and

the detection conductor is in a suspended state during the pressure sensing stage;

the drive method comprises;

in the pressure sensing stage,

providing a first pressure sensing signal to a part of the plurality of detection electrodes, and providing a second pressure sensing signal to the remaining part of the plurality of detection electrodes, wherein, the first pressure sensing signal is different from the second pressure sensing signal, detection electrodes receiving the first pressure sensing signal are first pressure electrodes, detection electrodes receiving the second pressure sensing signal are second pressure electrodes, the first pressure electrodes and the detection conductor are configured to form a first capacitor structure, the second pressure electrodes and the detection conductor are configured to form a second capacitor structure, and the first capacitor structure and the second capacitor structure are connected with each other in series;

obtaining a capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes, comparing the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes with a preset first capacitance, and obtaining a capacitance change value between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes as a pressure capacitance change value; and

obtaining a pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing; and

in the touch sensing stage,

providing a first touch sensing signal to a part of the plurality of detection electrodes, and providing a second touch sensing signal to the remaining part of the plurality of detection electrodes, wherein, detection electrodes receiving the first touch sensing signal are first touch electrodes, and detection electrodes receiving the second touch sensing signal are second touch electrodes; and

performing a self-capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes, or performing a mutual capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, to realize touch sensing.

2. The drive method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, and obtaining a capacitance change value between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes as a touch capacitance change value based on the capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes and a preset second capacitance;

the obtaining a pressure signal comprises;

obtaining the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value and the touch capacitance change value.

3. The drive method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of realizing pressure sensing comprises:

determining whether a magnitude of the pressure signal is greater than a preset pressure threshold, and determining that a pressure exists in a case that the magnitude of the pressure signal is greater than the preset pressure threshold.

4. The drive method according to claim 1, wherein,

in the step of providing the first pressure sensing signal to the first pressure electrodes and providing the second pressure sensing signal to the second pressure electrodes, the first pressure sensing signal is provided to the first pressure electrodes, to ground the second pressure electrodes;

the step of obtaining the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes comprises;

detecting a capacitance to ground of the first pressure electrodes; and

the step of obtaining the pressure capacitance change value comprises;

comparing the capacitance to ground of the first pressure electrodes with the preset first capacitance, to obtain the pressure capacitance change value.

5. The drive method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of providing the first touch sensing signal to the first touch electrodes and providing the second touch sensing signal to the second touch electrodes, the first touch sensing signal is equal to the second touch sensing signal.

6. The drive method according to claim 1, wherein,

the touch apparatus further comprises:

discharge electrodes connected to the detection conductor for releasing electronic charges; and

a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform neither pressure sensing nor touch sensing is defined as an idle stage; and

the drive method further comprises;

suspending the discharge electrodes during the pressure sensing stage or the touch sensing stage, and grounding the discharge electrodes during the idle stage.

7. A drive circuit for a touch apparatus to realize pressure sensing, wherein,

the touch apparatus comprises:

a detection conductor and a plurality of detection electrodes arranged in an array, the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor are arranged opposite each other to form a capacitor structure for sensing a touch and a pressure, a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform pressure sensing is defined as a pressure sensing stage, a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform touch sensing is defined as a touch sensing stage, and the detection conductor is in a suspended state during the pressure sensing stage; and

the drive circuit comprises;

a pressure sensing module, configured to provide a first pressure sensing signal to a part of the plurality of detection electrodes, and provide a second pressure sensing signal to the remaining part of the plurality of detection electrodes, wherein, the first pressure sensing signal is different from the second pressure sensing signal, detection electrodes receiving the first pressure sensing signal are first pressure electrodes, detection electrodes receiving the second pressure sensing signal are second pressure electrodes, the first pressure electrodes and the detection conductor are configured to form a first capacitor structure, the second pressure electrodes and the detection conductor are configured to form a second capacitor structure, and the first capacitor structure and the second capacitor structure are connected with each other in series;

further configured to obtain a capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes, compare the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes with a preset first capacitance, and obtain a capacitance change value between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes as a pressure capacitance change value; and

further configured to obtain a pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing;

a touch sensing module, configured to provide a first touch sensing signal to a part of the plurality of detection electrodes, and provide a second touch sensing signal to the remaining part of the plurality of detection electrodes, wherein, detection electrodes receiving the first touch sensing signal are first touch electrodes, and detection electrodes receiving the second touch sensing signal are second touch electrodes; and

further configured to perform a self-capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes, or perform a mutual capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, to realize touch sensing; and

a control module, configured to in the pressure sensing stage, control the pressure sensing module to;

provide the first pressure sensing signal to the first pressure electrodes, provide the second pressure sensing signal to the second pressure electrodes, obtain the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes and the pressure capacitance change value, obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, and realize pressure sensing based on the pressure signal; and

configured to in the touch sensing stage, control the touch sensing module to;

provide the first touch sensing signal to the first touch electrodes, provide the second touch sensing signal to the second touch electrodes, and perform a self-capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes, or perform a mutual capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, to realize touch sensing.

8. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein,

the touch sensing module is further configured to obtain the capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, and obtain the capacitance change value between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes as a touch capacitance change value based on the capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes and a preset second capacitance;

and

the pressure sensing module is further connected with the touch sensing module, and is configured to obtain the touch capacitance change value obtained by the touch sensing module, and obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value and the touch capacitance change value.

9. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the pressure sensing module compares a magnitude of the pressure signal with a preset pressure threshold, and determines that a pressure exists in a case that the magnitude of the pressure signal is greater than the preset pressure threshold.

10. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the pressure sensing module comprises:

a pressure drive unit, configured to provide the first pressure sensing signal to the first pressure electrodes, and provide the second pressure sensing signal to the second pressure electrodes; and

a pressure detection unit, configured to obtain the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes, and obtain the capacitance change value between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes as the pressure capacitance change value based on the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes and the preset first capacitance; and

further configured to obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing.

11. The drive circuit according to claim 10, wherein the pressure drive unit comprises:

a first driver, configured to generate the first pressure sensing signal, and provide the first pressure sensing signal to the first pressure electrodes; and

a second driver, configured to generate the second pressure sensing signal, and provide the second pressure sensing signal to the second pressure electrodes.

12. The drive circuit according to claim 10, wherein the pressure detection unit comprises:

a pressure capacitance detector, configured to obtain the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes;

a pressure capacitance comparator, configured to obtain the capacitance change value between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes as the pressure capacitance change value based on the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes and the preset first capacitance;

and a pressure detector, configured to obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing.

13. The drive circuit according to claim 12, wherein,

the second pressure sensing signal is a grounding signal;

the pressure capacitance detector detects a capacitance to ground of the first pressure electrodes; and

the pressure capacitance comparator obtains the pressure capacitance change value based on the capacitance to ground of the first pressure electrodes and the first capacitance.

14. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the touch detection module comprises:

a touch drive unit, configured to provide the first touch sensing signal to the first touch electrodes, and provide the second touch sensing signal to the second touch electrodes; and

a touch detection unit, configured to perform a self-capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes, or perform a mutual capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, to realize touch sensing.

15. The drive circuit according to claim 12, wherein,

the touch sensing module further comprises:

a touch capacitance detector, configured to obtain the capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes; and

a touch capacitance comparator, configured to obtain the capacitance change value between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes as the touch capacitance change value based on the capacitance between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes and the preset second capacitance; and

the pressure detector is further configured to obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value and the touch capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing.

16. The drive circuit according to claim 12, wherein the pressure detector comprises:

a determining element, configured to compare a magnitude of the pressure signal with a preset pressure threshold, and determine that a pressure exists in a case that the magnitude of the pressure signal is greater than the preset pressure threshold.

17. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the control module comprises:

a pressure control unit, configured to in the pressure sensing stage, control the pressure sensing module to;

provide the first pressure sensing signal to the first pressure electrodes, provide the second pressure sensing signal to the second pressure electrodes, obtain the capacitance between the first pressure electrodes and the second pressure electrodes and the pressure capacitance change value, and obtain the pressure signal based on the pressure capacitance change value, to realize pressure sensing; and

a touch control unit, configured to in the touch sensing stage, control the touch sensing module to;

provide the first touch sensing signal to the first touch electrodes, provide the second touch sensing signal to the second touch electrodes, and perform a self-capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes, or perform a mutual capacitance detection on the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, to realize touch sensing.

18. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein,

the touch apparatus further comprises discharge electrodes connected to the detection conductor for releasing electronic charges;

a stage in which the plurality of detection electrodes and the detection conductor perform neither pressure sensing nor touch sensing is defined as an idle stage; and

the control module further comprises a discharge control unit, configured to suspend the discharge electrodes during the pressure sensing stage or the touch sensing stage, and ground the discharge electrodes during the idle stage.

19. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the first touch sensing signal is equal to the second touch sensing signal.

20. A touch apparatus, comprising:

a first baseplate and a second baseplate, wherein the first baseplate and the second baseplate are arranged opposite each other;

a soft support, located between the first baseplate and the second baseplate, and configured to be deformed when the first baseplate or the second baseplate is subjected to an external pressure;

a detection conductor and a plurality of detection electrodes arranged in an array, located between the first baseplate and the second baseplate, wherein a distance between the detection conductor and the plurality of detection electrodes is changed when the soft support deformed; and

the drive circuit according to claim 7.