SENSING CIRCUIT DISCHARGE CONTROL METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TOUCH PANEL

• US 20100073324A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: TPO Displays Corporation (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: YANG, Kai-chieh, WU, I-lin, HSUEH, Fu-yuan
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A sensing circuit discharge control method and device for a touch panel are disclosed. A discharging duration of a current source in the sensing circuit of the touch panel is fine tuned in a digital control manner, so as to control the discharging amount of the sensing circuit without frequently adjusting the discharging current of the current source. By using the present invention, discharging time difference between a condition in which a touch event occurs and a condition in which no touch event occurs for each sensing circuit can approach the same.

Claims

1. A sensing circuit discharge control method, the sensing circuit comprising a sensing electrode and a discharging unit, the sensing electrode having a capacitance when no touch event occurs, while the capacitance increasing when a touch event occurs, the discharging unit having a first current source and a second current source, said method comprising:

providing a clock having a clock period;

setting a current level for the first current source;

setting a value P, a discharging duration of the first current source being defined as P times the clock period;

charging the sensing electrode;

discharging the sensing electrode by the first current source with the set current level and discharging duration;

discharging the sensing electrode by the second current source until discharge of the sensing electrode is completed;

determining whether the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within a predetermined duration; and

adjusting the value P to adjust the discharging duration of the first current source if it is determined that the discharge of the sensing electrode is failed to be completed within the predetermined duration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the set current level and the value P if it is determined that the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within the predetermined duration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an upper limit for the discharging duration of the first current source;

determining if the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit; and

adjusting the current level if it is determined that the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the value P is adjusted in an incremental manner in the adjusting step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises detecting a falling edge in a voltage waveform of the sensing electrode and determining whether the falling edge falls within the predetermined duration.

6. A sensing circuit discharge control device, the sensing circuit comprising a sensing electrode and a discharging unit, the sensing electrode having a capacitance when no touch event occurs, while the capacitance increasing when a touch event occurs, the discharging unit further having a first current source and a second current source for discharging the sensing electrode in turn after the sensing electrode has been charged, and a discharging current level of the first current source is much greater than that of the second current source, said device comprising:

an edge detector for detecting when discharge of the sensing electrode is completed;

a main controller for setting a value P to set a discharging duration of the first current source, which is P times a clock period, instructing the sensing electrode to be charged, instructing the first current source to discharge the sensing electrode with a set current level and the set discharging duration, instructing the second current source to discharge the sensing electrode until a discharge of the sensing electrode is completed and determining if the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within a predetermine duration according to an output of the edge detector; and

a duration controller for adjusting the discharging duration of the first current source by adjusting the value P if the main controller determines that the discharge of the sensing electrode has failed to be completed within the predetermined duration.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a storage for storing the set current level and the value P if the main controller determines that the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within the predetermined duration.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a voltage controller for controlling a voltage of the first current source to control the current level thereof, wherein the main controller sets an upper limit for the discharging duration of the first current source, determines whether the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit and instructs the voltage controller to adjust the current level of the first current source if it is determined that the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the duration controller adjusts the value P in an incremental manner.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the edge detector detects a falling edge in a voltage waveform of the sensing electrode and outputs a detection result to the main controller, and the main controller determines if the falling edge falls within the predetermined duration.

11. A touch panel comprising:

a plurality of sensing circuits, each sensing circuit comprising;

a sensing electrode having a capacitance when no touch event occurs, the capacitance increasing when a touch event occurs; and

a discharging unit having a first current source and a second current source for discharging the sensing electrode in turn after the sensing electrode is charged, a current level of the first current source being much greater than that of the second current source; and

a sensing circuit discharge control device comprising;

an edge detector for detecting when discharge of the sensing electrode is completed;

a main controller for setting a value P to set a discharging duration of the first current source, which is P times a clock period, instructing the sensing electrode to be charged, instructing the first current source to discharge the sensing electrode with a set current level and the set discharging duration, instructing the second current source to discharge the sensing electrode until discharge of the sensing electrode is completed and determining if the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within a predetermine duration according to an output of the edge detector; and

a duration controller for adjusting the discharging duration of the first current source by adjusting the value P if the main controller determines that the discharge of the sensing electrode is failed to be completed within the predetermined duration.

12. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the sensing circuit discharge control device further comprises a storage for storing the set current level and the value P if the main controller determines that the discharge of the sensing electrode is completed within the predetermined duration.

13. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the sensing circuit discharge control device further comprises a voltage controller for controlling a voltage of the first current source to control the current thereof, wherein the main controller sets an upper limit for the discharging duration of the first current source, determines whether the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit and instructs the voltage controller to adjust the current level of the first current source if it is determined that the discharging duration of the first current source exceeds the upper limit.

14. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the duration controller of the sensing circuit discharge control device adjusts the value P in an incremental manner.

15. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the edge detector of the sensing circuit discharge control device detects a falling edge in a voltage waveform of the sensing electrode and outputs a detection result to the main controller to determine if the falling edge falls within the predetermined duration.

16. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a touch panel as claimed in claims 11; and

a power supply coupled with the touch panel to power the touch panel.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic apparatus is a cell phone, a digital camera, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a notebook, a desktop computer, a television set, a satellite navigator, a vehicle display, an aircraft display, and a portable DVD player.