Sensing device and method for amplifying output thereof

• US 20100097345A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Suhyuk, Lee, Hwanjoo
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A sensing device and a method for amplifying an output of the sensing device are disclosed. The sensing device includes a sensor array including a plurality of sensors and an amplifier circuit that gives different weighted values to at least some of sensor outputs obtained from the sensor array and amplifies each of the at least some sensor outputs.

Claims

1. A sensing device comprising:

a sensor array including a plurality of sensors; and

an amplifier circuit that gives different weighted values to at least some of sensor outputs obtained from the sensor array and amplifies each of the at least some sensor outputs.

2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensors are formed inside a pixel array of a display panel.

3. The sensing device of claim 2, wherein the display panel is a flat panel display panel of one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an electroluminescence device (EL).

4. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit gives a maximum weighted value to a sensor output to be amplified and gives a weighted value less than the maximum weighted value to a sensor output adjacent to the sensor output to be amplified.

5. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit sets a mask that gives the different weighted values to sensor outputs obtained from the sensors, whose a total number is an odd number, positioned on the same line,

wherein when the amplifier circuit shifts the mask, the amplifier circuit amplifies each of the sensor outputs.

6. The sensing device of claim 5, wherein the amplifier circuit gives a maximum weighted value to the sensor output positioned in the middle of the mask and gives a minimum weighted value to the sensor outputs positioned at both edges of the mask.

7. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the amplifier circuit gives the decreasing weighed values to the sensor outputs as the sensor outputs go from the middle to both edges of the mask.

8. The sensing device of claim 7, further comprising a touch signal processing circuit that outputs differential voltages between the sensor outputs from the sensors and a predetermined reference voltage and converts the differential voltages into digital data to supply the digital data to the amplifier circuit,

wherein the amplifier circuit multiplies the digital data by the different weighted values to amplify the sensor outputs.

9. The sensing device of claim 8, further comprising a touch recognition circuit that compares touch data amplified by the amplifier circuit with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not a touch operation is performed.

10. The sensing device of claim 9, wherein the touch recognition circuit recognizes a finger-touch operation and a pen-touch operation using the same threshold value.

11. A method for amplifying an output of a sensing device comprising:

obtaining sensor outputs from a sensor array including a plurality of sensors; and

giving different weighted values to at least some of the sensor outputs to amplify each of the at least some sensor outputs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the giving of the different weighted values includes:

giving a maximum weighted value to a sensor output to be amplified; and

giving a weighted value less than the maximum weighted value to a sensor output adjacent to the sensor output to be amplified.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the amplifying of each of the at least some sensor outputs includes:

setting a mask that gives the different weighted values to sensor outputs obtained from the sensors, whose a total number is an odd number, positioned on the same line; and

shifting the mask to amplify each of the sensor outputs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the setting of the mask includes:

giving a maximum weighted value to the sensor output positioned in the middle of the mask; and

giving a minimum weighted value to the sensor outputs positioned at both edges of the mask.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the setting of the mask includes giving the decreasing weighed values to the sensor outputs as the sensor outputs go from the middle to both edges of the mask.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

outputting differential voltages between the sensor outputs from the sensors and a predetermined reference voltage; and

converting the differential voltages into digital data,

wherein the amplifying of each of the at least some sensor outputs includes multiplying the digital data by the different weighted values to amplify the sensor outputs.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing the amplified sensor outputs with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not a touch operation is performed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining whether or not the touch operation is performed includes recognizing a finger-touch operation and a pen-touch operation using the same threshold value.