Capacitive touch system and control method for a capacitive touch system

• US 20090251437A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hung, Tse-Lun, Huang, Jung-Shou, Tsai, Hsin-Shieh
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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

Abstract

A capacitive touch system uses two or more integrated circuits to simultaneously scan a touch panel in such a manner that each of the integrated circuits scans only a portion of the touch panel to retrieve a respective detected data by itself. All the detected data are used for computation by one of the integrated circuits or one other than the integrated circuits to determine a touch information. This approach enables axis intersect projected capacitance touch integrated circuits applicable to a large scale touch panel, without degrading the frame rate of a capacitive touch system.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch system, comprising;

a touch panel;

at least a first integrated circuit connected to the touch panel, each of the at least a first integrated circuit scanning a respective first portion of the touch panel to retrieve a respective first detected data by itself; and

a second integrated circuit connected to the touch panel and the at least a first integrated circuit, scanning a second portion of the touch panel to retrieve a second detected data, receiving all the first detected data from the at least a first integrated circuit, and calculating with all the first detected data and the second detected data to determine a touch information;

wherein the second integrated circuit and the at least a first integrated circuit simultaneously scan the touch panel to increase the frame rate of the capacitive touch system.

2. The capacitive touch system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least a first integrated circuit comprises an axis intersect projected capacitance touch integrated circuit.

3. The capacitive touch system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least a first integrated circuit produces its first detected data by calculating with its detected values.

4. The capacitive touch system of claim 1, wherein the second integrated circuit comprises an axis intersect projected capacitance touch integrated circuit.

5. The capacitive touch system of claim 1, wherein the second integrated circuit coordinates the overall operation of the capacitive touch system.

6. The capacitive touch system of claim 1, wherein the second integrated circuit is responsible for external communications.

7. A control method for a capacitive touch system including a touch panel, comprising:

scanning the touch panel by at least a first integrated circuit and a second integrated circuit in such a manner that each of the at least a first integrated circuit scans a respective first portion of the touch panel to retrieve a respective first detected data by itself, and the second integrated circuit scans a second portion of the touch panel to retrieve a second detected data;

transmitting all the first detected data to the second integrated circuit; and

calculating with all the first detected data and the second detected data by the second integrated circuit to determine a touch information.

8. The control method of claim 7, wherein each of the at least a first integrated circuit produces its first detected data by calculating with its detected values.

9. The control method of claim 7, further comprising performing external communications by the second integrated circuit.

10. The control method of claim 7, further comprising coordinating the overall operation of the capacitive touch system by the second integrated circuit.

11. A capacitive touch system, comprising;

a touch panel;

a plurality of first integrated circuits connected to the touch panel, each of the plurality of first integrated circuits scanning a respective portion of the touch panel to retrieve a respective detected data by itself; and

a second integrated circuit connected to the plurality of first integrated circuits, receiving all the detected data therefrom, and calculating with all the detected data to determine a touch information;

wherein the plurality of first integrated circuits simultaneously scan the touch panel to increase the frame rate of the capacitive touch system.

12. The capacitive touch system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of first integrated circuits comprises an axis intersect projected capacitance touch integrated circuit.

13. The capacitive touch system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of first integrated circuits produces its first detected data by calculating with its detected values.

14. The capacitive touch system of claim 11, wherein the second integrated circuit comprises an axis intersect projected capacitance touch integrated circuit.

15. The capacitive touch system of claim 11, wherein the second integrated circuit coordinates the overall operation of the capacitive touch system.

16. The capacitive touch system of claim 11, wherein the second integrated circuit is responsible for external communications.

17. A control method for a capacitive touch system including a touch panel, comprising:

scanning the touch panel by a plurality of first integrated circuits in such a manner that each of the plurality of first integrated circuits scans a respective portion of the touch panel to retrieve a respective detected data by itself;

transmitting all the detected data to a second integrated circuit; and

calculating with all the detected data by the second integrated circuit to determine a touch information.

18. The control method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of first integrated circuits produces its first detected data by calculating with its detected values.

19. The control method of claim 17, further comprising performing external communications by the second integrated circuit.

20. The control method of claim 17, further comprising coordinating the overall operation of the capacitive touch system by the second integrated circuit.