Apparatus and method for driving touch panel device

• US 20040090430A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kong, Nam Young
• Granted Patent: US 7,439,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A driving apparatus of a touch panel includes a touch panel for generating a coordinate signal according to a position of a contact point, at least two interface integrated circuits connected to the touch panel, a computer system driving the touch panel and connected to any one of the at least two interface integrated circuits, a sensor for automatically detecting the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system, and a controller for converting the coordinate signal in accordance with the interface integrated circuit detected at the sensor and transmitting the converted coordinate signal to the computer system.

Claims

1. A driving apparatus of a touch panel, comprising:

a touch panel for generating a coordinate signal according to a position of a contact point;

at least two interface integrated circuits connected to the touch panel;

a computer system driving the touch panel and connected to any one of the at least two interface integrated circuits;

a sensor for automatically detecting the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system; and

a controller for converting the coordinate signal in accordance with the interface integrated circuit detected at the sensor and transmitting the converted coordinate signal to the computer system.

2. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the interface integrated circuit and the sensor is integrated with the controller.

3. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

an analog-to-digital converter for converting an coordinate signal of analog input from the touch panel into a coordinate signal of digital;

a microcomputer for converting the digital coordinate signal into a coordinate value in accordance with the interface integrated circuit sensed at the sensor; and

a selector for selecting the interface integrated circuit sensed at the sensor among the at least two interface integrated circuits.

4. The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is integrated with the microcomputer.

5. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least two transmitting connectors corresponding to the at least two interface integrated circuits; and

at least two receiving connectors corresponding to the at least two transmitting connectors.

6. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system includes serial communication.

7. The driving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sensor senses the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system when a transmitting connector corresponding to the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system is connected to a receiving connector.

8. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface integrated circuit connected to the computer system includes USB communication.

9. The driving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the computer system transmits a sense control signal to the sensor when the computer system is connected to the interface integrated circuit.

10. A method of driving a touch panel device, comprising:

sensing an interface integrated circuit connected to a computer system among at least two interface integrated circuits;

calculating a contact point as a coordinate value for a touch panel;

converting the coordinate value in accordance with the interface integrated circuit;

selecting the sensed interface integrated circuit; and

transmitting the converted coordinate value to the computer system through the selected interface integrated circuit.

11. A method for driving a touch panel device, comprising:

generating a coordinate signal according to a position of a contact point;

driving the touch panel to be connected to any one of at least two interface integrated circuits;

automatically detecting the interface integrated circuit connected to a computer system; and

converting the coordinate signal in accordance with the interface integrated circuit detected at a sensor and transmitting the converted coordinate signal to the computer system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of converting includes:

converting a coordinate signal of an analog input from the touch panel into a digital coordinate signal;

converting the digital coordinate signal into a coordinate value in accordance with the interface integrated circuit sensed at the sensor; and

selecting the interface integrated circuit sensed at the sensor among the at least two interface integrated circuits.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of driving the touch panel and converting the coordinate signal include serial communication.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of driving the touch panel and converting the coordinate signal include USB communication.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of driving the touch panel includes transmitting a sense control signal to the sensor when the computer system is connected to the interface integrated circuit.