LARGE SIZE CAPACITIVE TOUCH SCREEN PANEL

• US 20100156795A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOI, Yoon Kyung, KIM, Hyoung Rae
• Granted Patent: US 8,633,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 screen panel (TSP) includes multiple TSP sections assembled in a planar arrangement to provide a unitary user interface area. Each one of the TSP sections is configured for independent activation/deactivation with respect to other TSP sections.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch screen panel (TSP), comprising:

a plurality of TSP sections assembled in a planar arrangement to provide a unitary user interface area, wherein each one of the plurality of TSP sections is configured for independent activation/deactivation with respect to other ones of the plurality of TSP sections.

2. The capacitive TSP of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of TSP sections comprises:

an active vertical edge configured to transfer touch sensing signals on row lines extending across the TSP section to an external signal processing circuit; and

a terminal vertical edge configured for assembly with a terminal vertical edge of another one of the plurality of TSP sections.

3. The capacitive TSP of claim 2, wherein each one of the plurality of TSP sections comprises:

an active horizontal edge configured to transfer touch sensing signals on column lines extending across the TSP section to the external signal processing circuit; and

a terminal horizontal edge configured for assembly with a terminal horizontal edge of another one of the plurality of TSP sections.

4. The capacitive TSP of claim 3, wherein the plurality of TSP sections comprises first, second, third and fourth TSP sections assembled in a quadrature planar arrangement,

the first and second TSP sections being connected via respective terminal vertical edges and the third and fourth TSP sections being connected via respective terminal vertical edges, and

the first and third TSP sections being connected via respective terminal horizontal edges and the second and fourth TSP sections being connected via respective terminal horizontal edges.

5. The capacitive TSP of claim 4, wherein each one of the respective terminal vertical edges and terminal horizontal edges has a linear shape.

6. The capacitive TSP of claim 4, wherein each one of the respective terminal vertical edges and terminal horizontal edges has a zigzag shape.

7. The capacitive TSP of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit configured to receive graphical user interface (GUI) display location data and generate a control signal to activate/deactivate at least one of the plurality of TSP sections in response to the GUI display location data.

8. The capacitive TSP of claim 7, further comprising:

a power supply unit configured to independently apply power to each one of the plurality of TSP sections in response to the control signal.

9. The capacitive TSP of claim 8, wherein the control signal comprises a first control signal selecting the at least one of the plurality of TSP sections, and a second control signal enabling the power supply unit to apply power to the at least one of the plurality of TSP sections.

10. The capacitive TSP of claim 4, further comprising:

a first control unit configured to receive graphical user interface (GUI) display location data and generate a first control signal to activate/deactivate the first TSP section in response to the GUI display location data;

a second control unit configured to receive the GUI display location data and generate a second control signal to activate/deactivate the second TSP section in response to the GUI display location data;

a third control unit configured to receive the GUI display location data and generate a third control signal to activate/deactivate the third TSP section in response to the GUI display location data; and

a fourth control unit configured to receive the GUI display location data and generate a fourth control signal to activate/deactivate the fourth TSP section in response to the GUI display location data.

11. The capacitive TSP of claim 10, further comprising:

a power supply unit configured to independently apply power to each one of the first, second, third and fourth TSP sections in response to the first, second, third and fourth control signals, respectively.

12. A capacitive touch screen panel (TSP) comprising a unitary user interface area having a first width, the capacitive TSP comprising:

a plurality of TSP sections assembled in a planar arrangement to provide the unitary user interface area, wherein each one of the plurality of TSP sections has a second width less than the first width, the second width being substantially equal to or less than a maximum touch sensing signal driving distance for a row line extending across the respective TSP section.

13. The capacitive TSP of claim 12, wherein the ratio of the first width to the second width is about 2:

1.

14. A method of receiving user-defined touch data in a system comprising a capacitive touch screen panel (TSP) incorporating a plurality of TSP sections assembled in a planar arrangement to provide a unitary user interface area, the method comprising:

receiving input data defining a first region of permissible user touch input within the unitary user interface area; and

activating a first TSP section within the plurality of TSP sections in response to the definition of the first region of permissible user touch input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the first TSP section comprises applying power to the first TSP section.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first region of permissible user touch input corresponds to a Graphical User Interface (GUI), as displayed wholly within the first TSP section, and all TSP sections in the plurality of TSP sections other than the first TSP section are deactivated.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving user touch data via the activated first TSP section and thereafter defining a second region of permissible user touch input within the unitary user interface area; and

activating a second TSP section within the plurality of TSP sections in response to the defined second region of permissible user touch input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second region of permissible user touch input corresponds to the GUI, as displayed within the first and second TSP sections, and all TSP sections in the plurality of TSP sections other than the first and second TSP sections are deactivated.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving additional user touch data via the activated first or second TSP sections and thereafter defining a third region of permissible user touch input within the unitary user interface area; and

deactivating the first TSP section within the plurality of TSP sections in response to the defined third region of permissible user touch input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the third region of permissible user touch input corresponds to the GUI, as displayed wholly within the second TSP section, and all TSP sections in the plurality of TSP sections other than the second TSP section are deactivated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the GUI is a virtual keyboard, a command menu, a file list, or a number-pad.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the unitary user interface area has a first width and each one of the plurality of TSP sections has a second width less than the first width, the second width being substantially equal to or less than a maximum touch sensing signal driving distance for a row line extending across the respective TSP section.

23. A large size capacitive touch screen panel (TSP), comprising:

a plurality of TSP sections assembled in a planar arrangement to provide a unitary user interface area, wherein each one of the plurality of TSP sections is configured for independent activation/deactivation with respect to other ones of the plurality of TSP sections;

a plurality of sensing units each respectively associated with one of the plurality of TSP sections and configured to provide sense information responsive to user touch data entered via the associated one of the plurality of TSP sections;

a power supply unit applying power to each one of the plurality of TSP sections in response to control signals received from a TSP control unit;

an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive sense information from the plurality of sensing units and generate corresponding digital sense data;

a signal processing unit configured to receive the sense data and after processing pass the sense data to the TSP control unit.