TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE

• US 20110304570A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MAEDA, Takami, HIRAKAWA, Masami
• Application Number:
  US13/156,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0445 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

A touch screen device is provided that includes a receiving signal processor, an odd number line FIFO, an even number line FIFO, and a first selector. The receiving signal processor processes output signals from receiving electrodes and outputs detection data. The odd number line FIFO and the even number line FIFO respectively store the detection data output from the receiving signal processor on a line basis. The first selector alternately selects outputs of the odd number line FIFO and the even number line FIFO. While one of the odd number line FIFO and the even number line FIFO performs writing of the detection data, the other performs reading.

Claims

1. A touch screen device, comprising:

a panel body, on which a plurality of transmission electrodes extending parallel to each other and a plurality of receiving electrodes extending parallel to each other are arranged in a grid pattern, to provide a plurality of electrode intersections between the plurality of transmission electrodes and the plurality of receiving electrodes;

a transmitter that applies a drive signal to each of the plurality of transmission electrodes;

a receiver that receives an output signal from each of the plurality of receiving electrodes in response to the drive signal applied to each of the plurality of transmission electrodes, and outputs detection data of each of the plurality of electrode intersections; and

a system controller that detects a touch position based on the detection data output from the receiver,

the receiver comprising;

a receiving signal processor that processes the output signal from each of the plurality of receiving electrodes, and outputs the detection data;

two data storages that respectively store the detection data output from the receiving signal processor on a transmission electrode basis; and

a first selector that alternately selects outputs of the two data storages such that one of the two data storages performs writing of the detection data while the other of the two storages performs reading of the detection data.

2. The touch screen device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of receiving signal processors.

3. The touch screen device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiving electrodes are divided into a plurality of groups, each group including a predetermined number of receiving electrodes, and the receiver comprises a plurality of receiving units that respectively and concurrently process output signals from the plurality of groups.

4. The touch screen device according to claim 3, wherein each of the receiving units has two receiving signal processors.

5. The touch screen device according to claim 4, wherein each of the two data storage comprises:

a first memory that temporarily stores detection data output from the first receiving signal processor;

a second memory that temporarily stores detection data output from the second receiving signal processor; and

a second selector that is serially connected between the first memory and the second memory, wherein the second selector selects an output of the first receiving signal processor during writing, and selects an output of the second memory during reading.

6. The touch screen device according to claim 5, wherein the first memory is a FIFO memory.

7. The touch screen device according to claim 5, wherein the second memory is a FIFO memory.

8. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the two data storages store the detection data for the even number transmission electrodes and odd number transmission electrodes, respectively.

9. The touch screen device according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of receiving units comprises a first data transmission path provided such that the plurality of receiving units are connectable in series to each other.

10. The touch screen device according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of receiving units further comprises:

a second data transmission path that guides the detection data output from the receiving signal processor to the first data transmission path; and

a first switch that is provided on the second data transmission path, and turns ON and OFF to control the delivery of the detection data to the first data transmission path.

11. The touch screen device according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of receiving units further comprises a second switch that is provided on the first data transmission path and upstream of a junction of the first data transmission path and the second data transmission path,

wherein the second switch turns ON and OFF to control transmission of the detection data output from an upstream receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units to a downstream side of the junction.

12. The touch screen device according to claim 11, wherein one of the first switch and the second switch is ON when the other of the first switch and the second switch is OFF.

13. The touch screen device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of receiving units perform reading of detection data by time-sharing.

14. The touch screen device according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of receiving units receives unit identification information of the receiving unit, compares the unit identification information with a unit selection signal output from the system controller, and delivers detection data of the receiving unit when the unit identification information matches the unit selection signal.

15. The touch screen device according to claim 11, wherein each of the first switch and the second switch comprises a tri-star buffer.

16. The touch screen device according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of receiving units stores unit identification information and comprises a unit controller that receives a unit selection signal from the system controller, the unit controller compares the unit identification information with the unit selection signal and when the unit identification information of one of the plurality of receiving units agrees with a unit selection signal, the unit controller outputs a signal enabling delivery of the detection data from the one of the plurality of receiving units to the system controller and prevents delivery of detection data from any other of the plurality of receiving units.

17. The touch screen device according to claim 16, wherein the system controller generating a synchronization signal, the unit selection signal being generated based upon the synchronization signal.

18. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the two data storages comprise an odd number line FIFO and an even number line FIFO, and the first selector is configured to alternately select outputs of the two data storages based upon a synchronization signal output from the system controller.

19. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein each of the two data storages comprises a first FIFO memory, a second FIFO memory and an additional selector.

20. The touch screen device according to claim 19, wherein at a reading time, the first FIFO memory and the second FIFO memory of each of the two data storages integrally operate as a single FIFO having a double capacity.