CONTROL CIRCUIT AND CONTROL METHOD FOR TOUCH PANEL

• US 20110025642A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: HISA, Kazunori, ABE, Shinichi, SAITO, Koichi, TADA, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A first resistive film is arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to a first terminal, and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned edge is connected to a second terminal. A second resistive film is arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to a third terminal. A voltage generating unit applies a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to the first terminal and the second terminal, respectively. A voltage detection unit detects a panel voltage that occurs at the third terminal. A current detection unit detects a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal. A computation unit determines the coordinates touched by the user, based upon the values of the panel voltage and the panel current.

Claims

1. A control method, for a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal, the control method comprising:

applying a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to the first and second terminals, respectively;

detecting a panel voltage that occurs at the third terminal;

detecting a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal; and

determining coordinates touched by a user, based upon the panel voltage and the panel current.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, when the value of the panel current is greater than a predetermined value, judgment is made that the user touched multiple points.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the interval between the two coordinates based upon the value of the panel current when the user touches two points.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the interval between the two coordinates is determined to be a value which increases according to an increase in the panel current.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the difference between the panel current measured when the user does not touch the panel and the panel current measured when the user touches the panel.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the judgment processing comprises:

determining the midpoint between the two coordinates based upon the panel voltage; and

determining the coordinates of one of the two points by adding a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates to the midpoint coordinates, and determining the coordinates of the other of the two points by subtracting, from the midpoint coordinates, a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates.

7. A control circuit configured to control a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal, the control circuit comprising:

a voltage generating unit configured to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to the first and second terminals, respectively;

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a panel voltage that occurs at the third terminal;

a current detection unit configured to detect a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal; and

a coordinate determination unit configured to determine the coordinates touched by the user, based upon the panel voltage and the panel current thus detected.

8. A control circuit according to claim 7, wherein, when the value of the panel current is greater than a predetermined value, the coordinate determination unit judges that the user touched multiple points.

9. A control circuit according to claim 7, wherein, when the user touches two points, the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the value of the panel current.

10. A control circuit according to claim 9, wherein the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the difference between the panel current measured when the user does not touch the panel and the panel current measured when the user touches the panel.

11. A control circuit according to claim 9, wherein the coordinate determination unit determines the midpoint between the aforementioned two coordinates, based upon the panel voltage,

and wherein the coordinates of one of the aforementioned two points are determined by adding a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates to the midpoint coordinates,

and wherein the coordinates of the other of the two points are determined by subtracting, from the midpoint coordinates, a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates.

12. A control circuit according to claim 7, wherein the current detection unit comprises:

a detection resistor arranged as an extension to a path that includes the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal; and

a bypass switch arranged in parallel with the detection resistor,

wherein, when the panel voltage is to be detected by means of the voltage detection unit, the bypass switch is turned on,

and wherein, when the panel current is to be detected by means of the current detection unit, the bypass switch is turned off,

and wherein a value that corresponds to a voltage drop that occurs at the detection resistor is output as a value which represents the panel current.

13. A touch panel input apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal; and

a control circuit according to claim 7, configured to control the touch panel.

14. An electronic device comprising a touch panel input apparatus according to claim 13.

15. A control circuit configured to control a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal, the control circuit comprising:

a voltage generating unit configured to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to the first and second terminals, respectively;

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a panel voltage that occurs at the third terminal;

a current detection unit configured to detect a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal; and

a coordinate determination unit configured to determine the coordinates touched by the user, based upon the panel voltage and the panel current thus detected,

and wherein the voltage generating unit comprises a regulator which includes an output transistor provided as an extension to a path on the first terminal side that includes the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal, and which is configured to apply the first bias voltage to the first terminal,

and wherein the current detection unit comprises

a detection transistor connected to the output transistor in a current mirror manner, and

a detection resistor arranged on a path of the detection transistor,

and wherein the current detection unit is configured to output a value that corresponds to a voltage drop that occurs at the detection resistor as a value which represents the panel current.

20. A control circuit according to claim 15, wherein, when the value of the panel current is greater than a predetermined value, the coordinate determination unit judges that the user touched a plurality of points.

21. A control circuit according to claim 15, wherein, when the user touches two points, the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the value of the panel current.

22. A control circuit according to claim 21, wherein the interval between the coordinates is determined based upon the difference between the panel current measured when the user does not touch the panel and the panel current measured when the user touches the panel.

23. A control circuit according to claim 21, wherein the coordinate determination unit determines the midpoint between the two coordinates based upon the panel voltage,

and wherein the coordinates of one of the two points are determined by adding, to the midpoint coordinates, a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates,

and wherein the coordinates of the other of the two points are determined by subtracting, from the midpoint coordinates, a value that corresponds to the interval between the two coordinates.

24. A touch panel input apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal; and

a control circuit according to claim 15, configured to control the touch panel.

25. An electronic device comprising a touch panel input apparatus according to claim 24.

16. A control circuit configured to control a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the fourth terminal, the control circuit comprising:

a voltage generating unit configured to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to respectively the first and second terminals and set the third and fourth terminals to a high-impedance state in a first state, and to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to respectively the third and fourth terminals and set to the first and second terminals to a high-impedance state in a second state;

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a panel voltage that occurs at one of the third and fourth terminals in the first state, and to detect a panel voltage that occurs at one of the first and second terminals in the second state;

a current detection unit configured to detect, in the first state, a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal, and to detect, in the second state, a panel current that flows through a path including the third terminal, the second resistive film, and the fourth terminal; and

a coordinate determination unit configured to determine coordinates touched by the user, based upon the values of the panel voltage and the panel current thus detected,

and wherein the voltage generating unit comprises

a regulator which includes an output transistor, and which is configured to generate the first bias voltage, and

a selector which is arranged such that the first bias voltage is received via an input terminal thereof, a first output terminal thereof is connected to the first terminal, and a second output terminal thereof is connected to the third terminal, and which is configured such that the first output terminal side is on in the first state, and the second output terminal side is on in the second state,

and wherein the current detection unit comprises

a detection transistor connected to the output transistor in a current mirror manner, and

a detection resistor arranged on a path of the detection transistor,

and wherein the current detection unit is configured to output a value that corresponds to a voltage drop that occurs at the detection resistor as a value which represents the panel current.

18. A control circuit according to claim 16, wherein the current detection unit is configured to allow the mirror ratio between the output transistor and the detection transistor to be switched according to whether the state is the first state or the second state.

19. A control circuit according to claim 16, wherein the current detection unit is configured to allow the resistance value of the detection resistor to be switched according to whether the state is in the first state or the second state.

29. A control circuit according to claim 16, wherein, when the value of the panel current is greater than a predetermined value, the coordinate determination unit judges that the user touched a plurality of points.

31. A control circuit according to claim 16, wherein, when the user touches two points, the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the value of the panel current.

33. A touch panel input apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second, terminal a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal; and

a control circuit according to claim 16, configured to control the touch panel.

34. An electronic device comprising a touch panel input apparatus according to claim 33.

17. A control circuit configured to control a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the fourth terminal, the control circuit comprising:

a voltage generating unit configured to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to respectively the first and second terminals and to set the third and fourth terminals to a high-impedance state in a first state, and to apply a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to respectively the third and fourth terminals and to set the first and second terminals to a high-impedance state,

a voltage detection unit configured to detect each of the panel voltages that respectively occur at the third and fourth terminals in the first state, and to detect each of the panel voltages that respectively occur at the first and second terminals in the second state;

a current detection unit configured to detect, in the first state, a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal, and to detect, in the second state, a panel current that flows through a path including the third terminal, the second resistive film, and the fourth terminal; and

a coordinate determination unit configured to determine coordinates touched by the user, based upon the panel voltage and the panel current thus detected,

and wherein the voltage generating unit comprises

a regulator which includes an output transistor, and which is configured to generate the first bias voltage, and

a selector which is arranged such that the first bias voltage is received via an input terminal thereof, a first output terminal thereof is connected to the first terminal, and a second output terminal thereof is connected to the third terminal, and which is configured such that the first output terminal side is on in the first state, and the second output terminal side is on in the second state,

and wherein the current detection unit comprises

a detection transistor connected to the output transistor in a current mirror manner, and

a detection resistor arranged on a path of the detection transistor,

and wherein the current detection unit is configured to output a value that corresponds to a voltage drop that occurs at the detection resistor as a value which represents the panel current.

27. A control circuit according to claim 17, wherein the current detection unit is configured to allow the mirror ratio between the output transistor and the detection transistor to be switched according to whether the state is the first state or the second state.

28. A control circuit according to claim 17, wherein the current detection unit is configured to allow the resistance value of the detection resistor to be switched according to whether the state is in the first state or the second state.

30. A control circuit according to claim 17, wherein, when the value of the panel current is greater than a predetermined value, the coordinate determination unit judges that the user touched a plurality of points.

32. A control circuit according to claim 17, wherein, when the user touches two points, the interval between the two coordinates is determined based upon the value of the panel current.

35. A touch panel input apparatus comprising:

a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal; and

a control circuit according to claim 17, configured to control the touch panel.

36. An electronic device comprising a touch panel input apparatus according to claim 35.

26. A control method for a touch panel comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first resistive film arranged such that one edge thereof is connected to the first terminal and an edge that is opposite to the aforementioned one edge is connected to the second terminal, and a second resistive film arranged with a gap between it and the first resistive film such that one edge thereof is connected to the third terminal, the control method comprising:

applying a predetermined first bias voltage and a predetermined second bias voltage to the first and second terminals using a regulator which includes an output transistor provided as an extension to a path on the first terminal side including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal, and which is configured to apply the first bias voltage to the first terminal;

detecting a panel voltage that occurs at the third terminal;

detecting a value that corresponds to a voltage drop that occurs at the detection resistor as a panel current that flows through a path including the first terminal, the first resistive film, and the second terminal, using a detection transistor connected to the output transistor in a current mirror manner and a detection resistor arranged on a path of the detection transistor; and

determining coordinates touched by the user, based upon the panel voltage and the panel current.