METHOD OF DETECTING TOUCH POSITIONS AND TOUCH POSITION DETECTION APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD

• US 20100265205A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Sung-Kyu, PARK, Se-Ki, YEO, Dong-Min, LEE, Yong-Woo, YANG, Byung-Duk
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,189 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A method of detecting touch positions includes; providing an external power voltage which drives a touch panel, sequentially turning on a plurality of lower driving elements connected to the touch panel, Turning on a plurality of upper driving elements connected to the touch panel to readout at least one multi-touched position corresponding to an x-coordinate, while each of lower driving elements is turned on, receiving readout position information corresponding to an x-coordinate, turning on at least one of the upper driving elements connected to the touch panel, turning on the plurality of lower driving elements connected to the touch panel to readout the at least one multi-touched position corresponding to a y-coordinate, while each of upper driving elements is turned on, receiving readout position information corresponding to the y-coordinate, turning on a sensing element, and turning off the sensing element.

Claims

1. A method of detecting touch positions, the method comprising:

providing an external power voltage which drives a touch panel;

sequentially turning on a plurality of lower driving elements connected to the touch panel;

turning on a plurality of upper driving elements connected to the touch panel to readout at least one multi-touched position corresponding to an x-coordinate, while each of the lower driving elements is turned on;

receiving readout position information corresponding to the x-coordinate;

sequentially turning on at least one of the upper driving elements connected to the touch panel;

turning on the plurality of lower driving elements connected to the touch panel to readout the at least one multi-touched position corresponding to a y-coordinate, while each of the upper driving elements is turned on;

receiving readout position information corresponding to the y-coordinate;

turning on a sensing element; and

turning off the sensing element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein turning on the sensing element comprises:

converting the readout position information corresponding to the x-coordinate and the readout position information corresponding to the y-coordinate into at least one digital position value;

processing the at least one digital position value to obtain the at least one multi-touched position; and

transmitting the at least one multi-touched position to a system which controls the driving of a display panel disposed below the touch panel.

3. A touch position detection apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a lower substrate including a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a first direction;

an upper substrate including a plurality of second electrodes arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

a plurality of spacers disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate; and

a touch panel driving device comprising;

a driving element part which drives the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and

a sensing element part which senses at least one touch performed on the touch panel in response to the driving element part, wherein the sensing element part sequentially reads out voltages of the plurality of second electrodes while each of the plurality of first electrodes is driven, and the sensing element part sequentially reads out voltages of the plurality of first electrodes while each of the plurality of second electrodes is driven.

4. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the driving element part comprises:

a plurality of lower driving elements respectively connected to the plurality of first electrodes arranged in the first direction; and

a plurality of upper driving elements respectively connected to the plurality of second electrodes arranged in the second direction.

5. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensing element part comprises:

a sensing resistor; and

a sensing element which maintains a low voltage while the at least one touch is sensed by the driving element part and which maintains a high voltage after the at least one touch is sensed by the driving element part.

6. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a touch panel control section which controls the touch panel driving device to sequentially drive the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes,

wherein the touch panel control section comprises;

an analog-to-digital converter which converts an analog position value received from the touch panel driving device into a digital position value; and

a microcontroller which processes the digital position value received from the ADC to detect at least one touch position.

7. A method of detecting touch positions, the method comprising:

providing a driving pulse which drives a touch panel to a lower time delay wiring portion connected to the touch panel;

providing a first reading pulse to an upper time delay wiring portion connected to the touch panel during a time interval in which the driving pulse is provided to the lower time delay wiring portion;

receiving readout position information corresponding to an x-coordinate according to the first reading pulse;

providing the driving pulse to the upper time delay wiring portion connected to the touch panel in response to the readout position information corresponding to the x-coordinate;

providing a second reading pulse to the lower time delay wiring portion connected to the touch panel during a time interval in which the driving pulse is provided to the upper time delay wiring portion;

receiving readout position information corresponding to a y-coordinate according to the second reading pulse; and

calculating position information corresponding to the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate to detect at least one touch position.

8. A touch position detection apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a lower substrate including a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a first direction;

an upper substrate including a plurality of second electrodes arranged in a second direction; and

a plurality of spacers disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate;

a touch panel driving device comprising;

a plurality of delay wiring parts which delay a driving pulse applied to each of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes to sequentially drive the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and

a touch panel control part which applies the driving pulse to the touch panel driving device.

9. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of delay wiring parts comprise:

a plurality of lower time delay wiring portions connected to the plurality of first electrodes; and

a plurality of upper time delay wiring portions connected to the plurality of second electrodes.

10. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of lower time delay wiring portions and the plurality of upper time delay wiring portions comprise a plurality of twisted pattern wirings, and

the plurality of twisted pattern wirings are sequentially connected to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes to sequentially delay the driving pulse applied to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes.

11. The touch position detection apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of lower time delay wiring portions and the plurality of upper time delay wiring portions comprise a plurality of twisted pattern wirings, and

the plurality of twisted pattern wirings are randomly connected to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes to randomly delay the driving pulse applied to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes.