INPUT APPARATUS AND DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20110205181A1
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paneltouch Technologies LLC (Touch Display LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: NAGATA, Koji, Funahashi, Tsutomu, Mamba, Norio
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners

Abstract

An input apparatus includes: a transparent substrate with which an object is brought into contact; a rectangular single sheet electrode formed on the transparent substrate; first detection means which inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a first direction, and takes out the measurement signal from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect a contact point of the contacting object along the first direction; and second detection means which, after the contact point in the first direction is detected, inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a second direction, and takes out the measurement signal from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect the contact point along the second direction.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor including a transparent substrate with which an object is brought into contact, and a rectangular single sheet electrode formed on the transparent substrate from a transparent conductive film, to detect a contact point of the contacting object;

first detection means which inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a first direction, and takes out the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect the contact point along the first direction; and

second detection means which, after the contact point in the first direction is detected, inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and takes out the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect the contact point along the second direction.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement signal comprises an alternating current signal containing a frequency band in which contact between the rectangular single sheet electrode and the contacting object changes the alternating current signal.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rectangular single sheet electrode comprises electrodes in perimeter portions opposed to each other along the first direction and the second direction,

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means have switching means, which switches the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal and the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal via the electrodes, and

wherein the switching means sequentially switches the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal and the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal, to detect the contact point of the contacting object.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rectangular single sheet electrode comprises at least two detection points from which propagated measurement signals are taken out, and

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means each calculate the contact point of the contacting object based on the measurement signal input from the one of the two opposing perimeter portions, and a detection value measured at each of the at least two detection points.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising four electrodes which are each formed in one of four corners of the rectangular single sheet electrode,

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means each input the measurement signal from two of the four electrodes that are formed at both ends of the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal, and uses other two of the four electrodes to measure the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when one of the first detection means and the second detection means is measuring, another one of the first detection means and the second detection means puts the perimeter portion at which signal input and signal detection are not performed into a high impedance state.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an input point of the measurement signal and a detection point of the measurement signal are formed in a manner that makes a gradient of a electric potential distribution in the rectangular single sheet electrode uniform in a direction from the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal to the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising correction means which corrects influence of a resistance component of a line path running from the first detection means and the second detection means to the rectangular single sheet electrode over detection sensitivity, based on signal transmission characteristics of a system formed of the rectangular single sheet electrode and the contacting object.

9. A display system comprising:

a display panel including a display unit;

a transparent substrate which is disposed on a display side of the display panel and with which an object comes into contact;

a rectangular single sheet electrode which is formed on the transparent substrate from a transparent conductive film;

first detection means which inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a first direction, and takes out the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect a contact point of the contacting object along the first direction; and

second detection means which, after the contact point in the first direction is detected, inputs a measurement signal to the rectangular single sheet electrode from one of two opposing perimeter portions along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and takes out the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode from another one of the two opposing perimeter portions, to detect the contact point along the second direction.

10. The display system according to claim 9, wherein the measurement signal comprises an alternating current signal containing a frequency band in which contact between the rectangular single sheet electrode and the contacting object changes the alternating current signal.

11. The display system according to claim 9,

wherein the rectangular single sheet electrode comprises electrodes in perimeter portions opposed to each other along the first direction and the second direction,

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means have switching means, which switches the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal and the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal via the electrodes, and

wherein the switching means sequentially switches the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal and the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal, to detect the contact point of the contacting object.

12. The display system according to claim 9,

wherein the rectangular single sheet electrode comprises at least two detection points from which propagated measurement signals are taken out, and

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means each calculate the contact point of the contacting object based on the measurement signal input from the one of the two opposing perimeter portions, and a detection value measured at each of the at least two detection points.

13. The display system according to claim 12, further comprising four electrodes which are each formed in one of four corners of the rectangular single sheet electrode,

wherein the first detection means and the second detection means each input the measurement signal from two of the four electrodes that are formed at both ends of the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal, and uses other two of the four electrodes to measure the measurement signal propagated through the rectangular single sheet electrode.

14. The display system according to claim 9, wherein, when one of the first detection means and the second detection means is measuring, another one of the first detection means and the second detection means puts the perimeter portion at which signal input and signal detection are not performed into a high impedance state.

15. The display system according to claim 9, wherein an input point of the measurement signal and a detection point of the measurement signal are formed in a manner that makes a gradient of the electric potential distribution in the rectangular single sheet electrode uniform in a direction from the perimeter portion for inputting the measurement signal to the perimeter portion for detecting the measurement signal.

16. The display system according to claim 9, further comprising correction means which corrects influence of a resistance component of a line path running from the first detection means and the second detection means to the rectangular single sheet electrode over detection sensitivity, based on signal transmission characteristics of a system formed of the rectangular single sheet electrode and the contacting object.