Touch detection apparatus having subdivided drive electrodes and display apparatus having the same

• US 10,353,513 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Mizuhashi, Hiroshi, Noguchi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US15/470,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• 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 3/04166 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 3/0445 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

According to an aspect, a touch detection apparatus includes: a plurality of drive electrodes, wherein at least one of the drive electrodes includes a plurality of subdivided electrodes; a plurality of first touch detection electrodes; a second touch detection electrode; a first shift register circuit in which a plurality of first shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another; a second shift register circuit in which a plurality of second shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another; and a selection circuit that supplies a signal of the first shift register circuit to the drive electrode in a first mode, and supplies a signal of the second shift register circuit to the subdivided electrode in a second mode.

Claims

1. A touch detection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of drive electrodes arranged in a first direction in a detection region, wherein the drive electrodes include;

at least one first drive electrode that is not subdivided, and

at least one second drive electrode that includes a plurality of subdivided electrodes arranged at a finer pitch than an arrangement pitch of the drive electrodes;

a plurality of first touch detection electrodes respectively extending in the first direction, the first touch detection electrodes being arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction in the detection region, wherein the first touch detection electrode covers an entire length of each of the drive electrodes in the first direction, and each of the first touch detection electrodes outputs a first touch detection signal indicating an electrical change in the first touch detection electrode generated when the touch operation is performed in the detection region at a timing when a drive signal is output to the drive electrodes;

a second touch detection electrode that extends along the first direction intersecting with the subdivided electrodes and outputs a second touch detection signal, wherein the second touch detection electrode partially covers a combined length of all of the drive electrodes in the first direction;

a first shift register circuit in which a plurality of first shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another, wherein the first shift signal output circuits each generate a signal for sequentially driving the drive electrodes;

a second shift register circuit in which a plurality of second shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another, wherein the second shift signal output circuits each generate a signal for sequentially driving the subdivided electrodes; and

a selection circuit that supplies;

the signal of the first shift register circuit to the drive electrode in a first mode in which the drive electrodes including at least one second drive electrode are sequentially driven and the signal of the first shift register circuit is transmitted to all the subdivided electrodes included in the at least one second drive electrode at a time to cause the subdivided electrodes to function as a respective first drive electrode, and

the signal of the second shift register circuit to the subdivided electrode in a second mode in which the subdivided electrodes are sequentially driven such that a subdivided electrode to which the signal of the second shift register circuit is transmitted is shifted one by one from a first end toward a second end of an arrangement direction of the subdivided electrode, wherein

each of the first shift signal output circuits generates the signal for sequentially driving the drive electrodes in the first mode and not in the second mode, and

each of the second shift signal output circuits generates the signal for sequentially driving the subdivided electrodes in the second mode and not in the first mode.

2. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first touch detection electrodes and the second touch detection electrodes are arranged at positions not in contact with the drive electrodes and the subdivided electrodes,

the first touch detection signal is a signal based on capacitance generated between the drive electrodes to which the drive signal is transmitted and the first touch detection electrode, and

the second touch detection signal is a signal based on capacitance generated between the subdivided electrodes to which the drive signal is transmitted and the second touch detection electrode.

3. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive electrodes each include the subdivided electrodes.

4. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drive signal is transmitted, in the second mode, to the subdivided electrodes included in a drive electrode arranged at a position corresponding to a position of a finger specified based on the first touch detection signal that is output at a transmission timing of the drive signal in the first mode.

5. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a selection switching circuit that selectively transmits the drive signal to a subdivided electrode included in one of the drive electrodes each including the subdivided electrodes.

6. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a combining circuit that changes the number and a combination of subdivided electrodes to which the drive signal is transmitted at the same timing.

7. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal output circuit that outputs a signal for operating a switch included in the selection circuit; and

a combination circuit that switchably couples, to the signal output circuit, one of a drive electrode not including the subdivided electrodes and the subdivided electrode.

8. The touch detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driving potential line that indicates electric potential functioning as the drive signal to be applied to the drive electrodes.

9. A display apparatus with a touch detection function, the display apparatus comprising:

a display device that displays an image;

a plurality of drive electrodes arranged in a first direction along a display surface on which the image is displayed by the display device, wherein the drive electrodes include;

at least one first drive electrode that is not subdivided, and

at least one second drive electrode that includes a plurality of subdivided electrodes arranged at a finer pitch than an arrangement pitch of the drive electrodes;

a plurality of first touch detection electrodes respectively extending in the first direction, the first touch detection electrodes being arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction along the display surface, wherein the first touch detection electrode covers an entire length of each of the drive electrodes in the first direction, and each of the first touch detection electrodes outputs a first touch detection signal indicating an electrical change in the first touch detection electrode generated when the touch operation is performed on the display surface at a timing when a drive signal is output to the drive electrodes;

a second touch detection electrode that extends along the first direction intersecting with the subdivided electrode, wherein the second touch detection electrode partially covers a combined length of all of the drive electrodes in the first direction;

a first shift register circuit in which a plurality of first shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another, wherein the first shift signal output circuits each generate a signal for sequentially driving the drive electrodes;

a second shift register circuit in which a plurality of second shift signal output circuits are sequentially coupled to one another, wherein the second shift signal output circuits each generate a signal for sequentially driving the subdivided electrodes; and

a selection circuit that supplies;

the signal of the first shift register circuit to the drive electrode in a first mode in which the drive electrodes including the at least one second drive electrode are sequentially driven and the signal of the first shift register circuit is transmitted to all the subdivided electrodes included in the at least one second drive electrode at a time to cause the subdivided electrodes to function as a respective first drive electrode, and

the signal of the second shift register circuit to the subdivided electrode in a second mode in which the subdivided electrodes are sequentially driven such that a subdivided electrode to which the signal of the second shift register circuit is transmitted is shifted one by one from a first end toward a second end of an arrangement direction of the subdivided electrode, wherein

each of the first shift signal output circuits generates the signal for sequentially driving the drive electrodes in the first mode and not in the second mode, and

each of the second shift signal output circuits generates the signal for sequentially driving the subdivided electrodes in the second mode and not in the first mode.