TOUCH SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20100072916A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: Shin, Du-Su, Lee, Bang-Won, Shin, Young-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,169,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads

Abstract

Provided is a touch sensor device including: at least one terminal connected to at least one contact pad; at least one common terminal; at least one light emitter connected between the common terminal and the terminal; and a touch sensor and light-emission controller unit connected to the common terminal and the terminal, and when a touch is sensed by the contact pad, controlling a corresponding light emitter to emit light.

Claims

1. A touch sensor device, comprising:

at least one terminal connected to at least one contact pad;

at least one common terminal;

at least one light emitter connected between the common terminal and the terminal; and

a touch sensor and light-emission controller unit connected to the common terminal and the terminal, and when a touch is sensed by the contact pad, controlling a corresponding light emitter to emit light.

2. The touch sensor device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor and light-emission controller unit comprises:

a touch sensor for recognizing a signal applied to the terminal and outputting touch detection signals in response to a first control signal during a first time period;

a light-emitting device controller for controlling a current to flow from the common terminal through a selected terminal in response to a second control signal during a second time period; and

a controller for outputting the first control signal to the touch sensor and generating the second control signal in response to the touch detection signals.

3. The touch sensor device of claim 2, wherein the touch sensor outputs the touch detection signals to the controller in response to the first control signal during the first time period, and outputs a high impedance value to the terminal in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

4. The touch sensor device of claim 3, wherein the touch sensor controls the contact pad not to output a signal in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

5. The touch sensor device of claim 2, wherein the light-emitting device controller comprises:

at least one light-emission flicker connected between a supply voltage and the common terminal, and connected with the light emitter; and

a light-emitting device driving unit for making the current flow to the terminal and applying a light-emission control voltage to the light-emission flicker in response to the second control signals.

6. The touch sensor device of claim 2, wherein the light-emitting device controller comprises:

at least one light-emission flicker arranged outside and close to the touch sensor device, connected to a supply voltage and the common terminal, and connected with the light emitter; and

a light-emitting device driving unit for making the current flow from the common terminal to the terminal and applying the light-emission control voltage to the light-emission flicker in response to the second control signal.

7. The touch sensor device of claim 5, wherein the light-emission flicker comprises a p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor turned on in response to the light-emission control voltage.

8. The touch sensor device of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit outputs a high impedance value to the terminal in response to the first control signal during the first time period.

9. The touch sensor device of claim 8, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit comprises:

a constant current source;

a first p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor connected between the supply voltage and the constant current source;

a plurality of second PMOS transistors each constituting a current mirror circuit together with the first PMOS transistor and connected with the supply voltage; and

a first n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor connected to the respective second PMOS transistors and turned on in response to the second control signal.

10. The touch sensor device of claim 9, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit further comprises a light-emitting device driver comprising:

a second NMOS transistor connected between the first NMOS transistor and a ground voltage; and

a third NMOS transistor connected between the input/output (I/O) terminal and the ground voltage, and constituting a current mirror circuit together with the second NMOS transistor.

11. The touch sensor device of claim 10, wherein the light-emitting device driver applies a level of current with which the light emitter can emit light in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

12. The touch sensor device of claim 2, wherein the controller controls a duration in which the second control signal is maintained at a uniform value during the second time period in response to the touch detection signals or an external control signal.

13. The touch sensor device of claim 12, wherein the first time period is shorter than the second time period.

14. The touch sensor device of claim 13, wherein frequencies of the first control signal and the second control signal having a time interval consisting of the first and second time periods are higher than a frequency at which an ordinary person recognizes the time interval with his/her naked eye, in order to be seen as continuous light emission.

15. The touch sensor device of claim 14, wherein the controller is programmed to turn off the corresponding light emitter in response to the touch detection signals or the external control signal.

16. The touch sensor device of claim 2, wherein the touch sensor outputs the touch detection signals generated according to whether or not the contact pad senses pressure to the controller.

17. The touch sensor device of claim 1, wherein the light emitter comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

18. The touch sensor device of claim 1, wherein the light emitter comprises a light-emitting device, and a diode.

19. A touch sensor device, comprising:

at least one terminal connected to at least one contact pad;

at least one common terminal;

at least one light emitter connected between the common terminal and the terminal;

a touch sensor and light-emitting device controller unit recognizing a signal applied to the terminal and generating a touch detection signal in response to a first control signal, and controlling a current to flow through a selected terminal in response to a second control signal; and

a controller generating the first and second control signals.

20. The touch sensor device of claim 19, wherein the controller outputs the first control signal to the touch sensor and light-emitting device controller unit at time intervals consisting of a first time period and a second time period and generates the second control signal in response to the touch detection signal.

21. The touch sensor device of claim 20, wherein the touch sensor and light-emitting device controller unit comprises:

a touch sensor for recognizing the signal applied to the terminal and outputting the touch detection signal in response to the first control signal during the first time period; and

a light-emitting device controller for controlling the current to flow from the common terminal through the selected terminal in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

22. The touch sensor device of claim 21, wherein the touch sensor outputs the touch detection signal to the controller in response to the first control signal during the first time period, and outputs a high impedance value to the terminal in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

23. The touch sensor device of claim 22, wherein the touch sensor controls the contact pad not to output a signal in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

24. The touch sensor device of claim 21, wherein the light-emitting device controller comprises:

at least one light-emission flicker connected between a supply voltage and the common terminal, and connected with the light emitter; and

a light-emitting device driving unit making the current flow from the common terminal to the terminal and applying a light-emission control voltage to the light-emission flicker in response to the second control signal.

25. The touch sensor device of claim 21, wherein the light-emitting device controller comprises:

at least one light-emission flicker arranged outside and close to the touch sensor device, connected to a supply voltage and the common terminal, and connected with the light emitter; and

a light-emitting device driving unit making the current flow from the common terminal to the terminal and applying the light-emission control voltage to the light-emission flicker in response to the second control signal.

26. The touch sensor device of claim 24, wherein the light-emission flicker has a p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor turned on in response to the light-emission control voltage.

27. The touch sensor device of claim 24, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit outputs a high impedance value to the terminal in response to the first control signal during the first time period.

28. The touch sensor device of claim 27, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit comprises:

a constant current source;

a first p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor connected between the supply voltage and the constant current source;

a plurality of second PMOS transistors each constituting a current mirror circuit together with the first PMOS transistor and connected with the supply voltage; and

a first n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor connected to the respective second PMOS transistors and turned on in response to the second control signal.

29. The touch sensor device of claim 28, wherein the light-emitting device driving unit further comprises a light-emitting device driver comprising:

a second NMOS transistor connected between the first NMOS transistor and a ground voltage; and

a third NMOS transistor connected between the input/output (I/O) terminal and the ground voltage, and constituting a current mirror circuit together with the second NMOS transistor.

30. The touch sensor device of claim 29, wherein the light-emitting device driver applies a level of current with which the light emitter can emit light in response to the second control signal during the second time period.

31. The touch sensor device of claim 21, wherein the controller controls a duration in which the second control signal is maintained at a uniform value during the second time period in response to the touch detection signal or an external control signal.

32. The touch sensor device of claim 31, wherein the first time period is shorter than the second time period.

33. The touch sensor device of claim 32, wherein frequencies of the first control signal and the second control signal having a time interval consisting of the first and second time periods are higher than a frequency at which an ordinary person can recognize the time interval with his/her naked eye, in order to be seen as continuous light emission.

34. The touch sensor device of claim 33, wherein the controller is programmed to turn off the corresponding light emitter in response to the touch detection signal or the external control signal.

35. The touch sensor device of claim 22, wherein the touch sensor outputs the touch detection signal generated according to whether or not the contact pad senses pressure to the controller.

36. The touch sensor device of claim 19, wherein the light emitter comprises:

a light emitting diode (LED).

37. The touch sensor device of claim 19, wherein the light emitter comprises:

a light-emitting device; and

a diode.