Integrated pixel display and touch sensor

• US 10,331,255 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US15/874,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-104, 345173-178
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a display component, a touch sensor component, and a touch-screen controller. The display component includes pixel-drive electrodes configured to display an image and the touch sensor component is configured to detect a touch input. The touch-screen controller, which is coupled to the touch sensor component, the display component, and the pixel-drive electrodes, is configured to generate a drive signal for the touch sensor component using the pixel-drive electrodes. The touch-screen controller is further configured to generate a pixel-drive signal for the display component using the pixel-drive electrodes.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a display component comprising pixel-drive electrodes configured to display an image;

a touch sensor component configured to detect a touch input;

a touch-screen controller coupled to the touch sensor component, the display component, and the pixel-drive electrodes, the touch-screen controller configured to;

generate a drive signal for the touch sensor component using a first subset of the pixel-drive electrodes; and

generate a pixel-drive signal for the display component using a second subset of the pixel-drive electrodes, wherein the first subset is different than the second subset;

wherein the touch-screen controller is separately connected to each of the pixel-drive electrodes such that the touch-screen controller treats the pixel-drive electrodes as separate entities when generating the pixel-drive signal to display the image and collectively when generating the drive signal to detect the touch input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display component comprises an organic light emitting diode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display component comprises one or more display layers of a liquid crystal display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch-screen controller is coupled to a reference voltage layer, the reference voltage layer configured to provide a reference voltage for the display component and a sense signal to the touch-screen controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes comprise a two-dimensional array of pixel-drive electrodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch-screen controller is connected to sense electrodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes are grouped into subsets of pixel-drive electrodes to form drive electrodes.

8. A controller comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising logic operable, when executed by the processor, to;

generate a drive signal for a touch sensor component of a touch screen using a first subset of pixel-drive electrodes;

detect a touch input using the touch sensor component;

generate a pixel-drive signal for a display component of the touch screen using a second subset of the pixel-drive electrodes, wherein the first subset is different than the second subset; and

display an image using the display component, the display component comprising the pixel-drive electrodes;

wherein the controller is coupled to the touch sensor component, the display component, and the pixel-drive electrodes; and

wherein the controller is separately connected to each of the pixel-drive electrodes such that the controller treats the pixel-drive electrodes as separate entities when generating the pixel-drive signal to display the image and collectively when generating the drive signal to detect the touch input.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the display component comprises an organic light emitting diode.

10. The controller of claim 8, wherein the display component comprises one or more display layers of a liquid crystal display.

11. The controller of claim 8, wherein the controller is further coupled to a reference voltage layer, the reference voltage layer configured to provide a reference voltage for the display component and a sense signal to the controller.

12. The controller of claim 8, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes comprise a two-dimensional array of pixel-drive electrodes.

13. The controller of claim 8, wherein the controller is connected to sense electrodes.

14. The controller of claim 8, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes are grouped into subsets of pixel-drive electrodes to form drive electrodes.

15. A method comprising;

generating a drive signal for a touch sensor component of a touch screen using a first subset of pixel-drive electrodes;

detecting a touch input using the touch sensor component;

generating a pixel-drive signal for a display component of the touch screen using a second subset of the pixel-drive electrodes, wherein the first subset is different than the second subset; and

displaying an image using the display component, the display component comprising the pixel-drive electrodes;

wherein a controller is separately connected to each of the pixel-drive electrodes such that the controller treats the pixel-drive electrodes as separate entities when generating the pixel-drive signal to display the image and collectively when generating the drive signal to detect the touch input.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display component comprises an organic light emitting diode.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the display component comprises one or more display layers of a liquid crystal display.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a reference voltage for the display component.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes comprise a two-dimensional array of pixel-drive electrodes.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the pixel-drive electrodes are grouped into subsets of pixel-drive electrodes to form drive electrodes.