Touch Panel Apparatus

• US 20110216017A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited (Tatung Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited (Tatung Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: LI, Yu Hung, CHOU, Pin-Hung
• Application Number:
  US12/831,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216017A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

The present invention discloses a touch panel apparatus with shared output pin configuration and method thereof. The method to reduce output pin is to group the electrode lines on the substrate into at least one unit, and each unit includes plural lines. At least one of the second axial electrode line of the electrode line group and at least one of the second axial electrode line of the another electrode line group couple to plural the second axial pins. Then, the vertical electrodes deliver the signals to the control IC through the pin coupled with the control IC. The control IC sends the output signals to the micro controller unit and the micro controller unit utilizes logical operators to estimate the coordinate position of touch point.

Claims

1. A touch panel apparatus, including:

a first substrate with a first axis electrode layer formed thereon, wherein said first axis electrode layer includes N first axis electrode wires; and

a second substrate with a second axis electrode layer formed thereon, wherein said second axis electrode layer includes M second axis electrode wires, said second substrate is disposed on the said first substrate correspondingly, and said first electrode wires and said second electrode wires are interlaced mutually to form a matrix configuration;

wherein said N first axis electrode wires are coupled to N first axis pins to transmit pulsing signal, said M second axis electrode wires are coupled to a control IC via P second axis pins to output signal to said control IC, wherein P is less than M, and said M second axis electrode wires is grouped to share the said P second axis pins;

wherein M, N, P are integers and are more than or equal to 1.

2. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, wherein said first axis electrode wires and said second axis electrode wires are interlaced orthogonally.

3. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, further including a space layer disposed between said first axis electrode layer and said second axis electrode layer for separating said first axis electrode layer and said second axis electrode layer.

4. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, wherein at least two of said M second axis electrode wires are coupled jointly to the one of said P second axis pins.

5. A touch panel apparatus as claim 4, wherein the K of said M second axis electrode wires are taken as a unit and said M second axis electrode wires are divided into M/K electrode wire groups, at least one said second axis electrode wire of one of said electrode wire groups and at least one said second axis electrode wire of another said electrode wire groups are coupled jointly to one of said P second axis pins, wherein K is an integer and is more than or equal to 2.

6. A touch panel apparatus as claim 5, wherein K is equal to 3, and at least one said second axis electrode wire of one of said electrode wire groups and at least one said second axis electrode wire of another said electrode wire groups are coupled jointly to one of said second axis pins.

7. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, further including a micro controller unit for receiving a coordinate signal from said control IC.

8. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, wherein the materials of said first substrate and said second substrate comprise are transparent conductive glass or transparent plastic.

9. A touch panel apparatus as claim 1, wherein said control IC determine the output signals of said control IC by logic operation.

10. A method for sharing output pins configuration of touch panel, including:

grouping the K of M second axis electrode wires into M/K electrode wire groups; and

at least one said second axis electrode wire from one of said electrode wire groups and at least one said second axis electrode wire from another said electrode wire groups are coupled jointly to one of said P second axis pins;

wherein K is an integer and is more than or equal to 2 and less than M.

11. A method of sharing output pins configuration of touch panel as claim 10, wherein K is equal to 3, and one of said second axis electrode wire of one of said electrode wire groups and one of said second axis electrode wire of another said electrode wire groups are coupled jointly to the one of said P second axis pins.