Touch apparatus and touch detection integrated circuit thereof

• US 10,503,308 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Hung, Ching-Ho, Tsai, Jiun-Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US15/378,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• 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: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A touch apparatus and a touch detection integrated circuit (IC) thereof are provided. The touch detection IC includes a driving signal generation circuit and a receiving circuit. The driving signal generation circuit is configured to transmit at least one first driving signal to a touch panel and a second driving signal to a fingerprint sensor. The receiving circuit receives and processes a touch signal of the touch panel during a first period when the driving signal generation circuit transmits the first driving signal to the touch panel. The receiving circuit receives and processes a fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period when the driving signal generation circuit transmits the second driving signal to the fingerprint sensor.

Claims

1. A touch detection integrated circuit, configured to drive a touch panel to receive at least one touch signal of the touch panel and drive a fingerprint sensor to receive at least one fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor, the touch detection integrated circuit comprising:

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to transmit at least one first driving signal to the touch panel and transmit at least one second driving signal to the fingerprint sensor,

wherein the driving signal generation circuit comprises;

an analog driving circuit, having an input terminal and an output terminal;

a register, configured to store first driving waveform data and second driving waveform data;

a control circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the register to read the first driving waveform data or the second driving waveform data stored in the register and an output terminal coupled to the input terminal of the analog driving circuit, controlling the analog driving circuit according to the first driving waveform data to generate the first driving signal during a first period, and controlling the analog driving circuit according to the second driving waveform data to generate the second driving signal during a second period, wherein the first driving signal is different from the second driving signal; and

a demultiplexer, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the analog driving circuit, a first output terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second output terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the first driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the touch panel during the first period and selecting to transmit the second driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the fingerprint sensor during the second period; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process the touch signal of the touch panel during the first period, and receive and process the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during the second period.

2. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the driving signal generation circuit is configured to transmit the first driving signal to the touch panel during the first period, and transmit the second driving signal to the fingerprint sensor during the second period.

3. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the touch signal of the touch panel to an output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the first driving signal being output to the touch panel, and selecting to transmit the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor to the output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the second driving signal being output to the fingerprint sensor;

an analog front-end (AFE) circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data, and receiving the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data; and

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data.

4. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the data processing circuit processes the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel and processes the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

5. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 4, wherein the data processing circuit further captures a plurality of fingerprint features from the fingerprint frame.

6. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the data processing circuit provides the first digital data and the second digital data to a system processor outside the touch detection integrated circuit.

7. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a first AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the touch panel to receive the touch signal;

a second AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor to receive the fingerprint signal;

a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the first AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the first AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data;

a second ADC, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the second AFE circuit, receiving the fingerprint signal through the second AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data;

a first data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the first ADC to receive the first digital data and processing the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel; and

a second data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the second ADC to receive the second digital data and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

8. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the touch signal of the touch panel to an output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the first driving signal being output to the touch panel, and selecting to transmit the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor to the output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the second driving signal being output to the fingerprint sensor;

an AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data, and receiving the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data;

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data, processing the first digital data to obtain a first processed digital data, and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame; and

a microprocessor, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the data processing circuit to receive the first processed digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel, or to receive the fingerprint frame, and configured to recognize the fingerprint frame to generate a fingerprint recognition result.

9. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a finger detection circuit, coupled to the driving signal generation circuit and the receiving circuit and configured to monitor whether a finger touch event occurs to the touch panel, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output the first driving signal, and monitor whether the fingerprint sensor is touched, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output the second driving signal.

10. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit and the fingerprint sensor are disposed in the same package.

11. A touch apparatus, comprising:

a system processor;

a touch panel;

a fingerprint sensor;

a touch detection integrated circuit, coupled to the touch panel, coupled to the system processor through an interface, and configured to drive the touch panel to receive at least one touch signal of the touch panel and drive the fingerprint sensor to receive at least one fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit comprises;

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to transmit at least one first driving signal to the touch panel and transmit at least one second driving signal to the fingerprint sensor,

wherein the driving signal generation circuit comprises;

an analog driving circuit, having an input terminal and an output terminal;

a register, configured to store first driving waveform data and second driving waveform data;

a control circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the register to read the first driving waveform data or the second driving waveform data stored in the register and an output terminal coupled to the input terminal of the analog driving circuit, controlling the analog driving circuit according to the first driving waveform data to generate the first driving signal during a first period, and controlling the analog driving circuit according to the second driving waveform data to generate the second driving signal during a second period, wherein the first driving signal is different from the second driving signal; and

a demultiplexer, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the analog driving circuit, a first output terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second output terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the first driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the touch panel during the first period and selecting to transmit the second driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the fingerprint sensor during the second period; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process the touch signal of the touch panel during the first period, and receive and process the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during the second period.

12. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the driving signal generation circuit is configured to transmit the first driving signal to the touch panel during the first period, and transmit the second driving signal to the fingerprint sensor during the second period.

13. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the touch signal of the touch panel to an output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the first driving signal being output to the touch panel, and selecting to transmit the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor to the output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the second driving signal being output to the fingerprint sensor;

an AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data, and receiving the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data; and

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data.

14. The touch apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the data processing circuit processes the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel and processes the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

15. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the data processing circuit further captures a plurality of fingerprint features from the fingerprint frame.

16. The touch apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the data processing circuit provides the first digital data and the second digital data to the system processor.

17. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a first AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the touch panel to receive the touch signal;

a second AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor to receive the fingerprint signal;

a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the first AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the first AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data;

a second ADC, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the second AFE circuit, receiving the fingerprint signal through the second AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data;

a first data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the first ADC to receive the first digital data and processing the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel; and

a second data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the second ADC to receive the second digital data and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

18. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receiving circuit comprises:

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the touch signal of the touch panel to an output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the first driving signal being output to the touch panel, and selecting to transmit the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor to the output terminal of the multiplexer during the period of the second driving signal being output to the fingerprint sensor;

an AFE circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, receiving the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converting the touch signal into first digital data, and receiving the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converting the fingerprint signal into second digital data;

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data, processing the first digital data to obtain a first processed digital data, and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame; and

a microprocessor, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the data processing circuit to receive the first processed digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel, or to receive the fingerprint frame and configured to recognize the fingerprint frame to generate a fingerprint recognition result.

19. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit further comprises:

a finger detection circuit, coupled to the driving signal generation circuit and the receiving circuit and configured to monitor whether a finger touch event occurs to the touch panel, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output the first driving signal, and monitor whether the fingerprint sensor is touched, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output the second driving signal.

20. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit and the fingerprint sensor are disposed in the same package.

21. The touch apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit is disposed on a flexible circuit board and electrically connected to the touch panel through the flexible circuit board.