CAPACITIVE TOUCH APPARATUS

• US 20120139867A1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: CHANG, Sean, CHANG, Chii-How, KUO, Chin-Wei
• Application Number:
  US13/293,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139867A1
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive touch apparatus includes a first touch unit, a first voltage difference retrieving unit, a first feedback signal generating unit, and a control unit. The first touch unit has a touch substrate and a first conductive layer. The first voltage difference retrieving unit is electrically connected with the first conductive layer and outputs a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal. The first feedback signal generating unit outputs a first feedback signal according to the variation of the voltage difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. The control unit receives the first feedback signal for computing the touch position and outputs a power signal to the first voltage difference retrieving unit. Hence, the capacitive touch apparatus improves the sensing speed and reduces the manufacturing cost by the simple circuit design.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch apparatus comprising:

a first touch unit comprising a first conductive layer;

a first voltage difference retrieving unit electrically connected with one end of the first conductive layer and outputting a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal; and

a first feedback signal generating unit electrically connected with the first voltage difference retrieving unit, and outputting a first feedback signal according to the variation of the voltage difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal for computing a touch position.

2. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit electrically connected with the first voltage difference retrieving unit and the first feedback signal generating unit, wherein the control unit receives the first feedback signal for computing the touch position and outputs a power signal to the first voltage difference retrieving unit.

3. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first touch unit comprises a second conductive layer disposed above or below the first conductive layer.

4. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first and second conductive layers respectively comprise a plurality of sensing conductive bars.

5. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the sensing conductive bars comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes connected in series, and the sensing electrode of each of the sensing conductive bars is rhombic, square, circular or irregular.

6. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sensing conductive bars of the first and second conductive layers are extended in perpendicular and not electrically connected with each other, and one end of the sensing conductive bars of the first and second conductive layers are electrically connected with the first voltage difference retrieving unit.

7. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage difference retrieving unit comprises a first voltage-drop device, a first retrieving device and a second retrieving device, the first voltage-drop device is connected with the first touch unit, a power signal is provided through the first voltage-drop device to the first touch unit, and the first retrieving device connects to one end of the first voltage-drop device and outputs the first voltage signal, and the second retrieving device connects to the other end of the first voltage-drop device and outputs the second voltage signal.

8. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the first retrieving device and the second retrieving device is a voltage follower.

9. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first feedback signal generating unit comprises an operation device and receives the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal, and the operation device is a differential amplifier.

10. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power signal is a sine-wave power signal.

11. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit comprises a microcontroller and a waveform modulator, the microprocessor outputs a square-wave voltage signal to the waveform modulator, and the waveform modulator outputs the sine-wave power signal.

12. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a first selection unit electrically connected with the first touch unit and the first voltage difference retrieving unit.

13. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first selection unit comprises at least one multiplexer and a plurality of resistors, one end of the multiplexer and one end of each of the resistors are electrically connected with the first touch unit, and the other end of the multiplexer is electrically connected with the first voltage difference retrieving unit.

14. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the resistance value of the resistor of the first selection unit is much greater than that of the first voltage-drop device.

15. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a second voltage difference retrieving unit electrically connected with the other end of the first conductive layer and comprising a second voltage-drop device, a third retrieving device and a fourth retrieving device, wherein the third retrieving device connects to one end of the second voltage-drop device and outputs a third voltage signal, and the fourth retrieving device connects to the other end of the second voltage-drop device and outputs a fourth voltage signal; and

a second feedback signal generating unit comprising an operation device and receiving the third voltage signal and the fourth voltage signal, and outputting a second feedback signal to the control unit according to the voltage difference between the third voltage signal and the fourth voltage signal.

16. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a second touch unit electrically connected with the first touch unit.

17. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 16, wherein one end of the second touch unit, which is not connected with the first touch unit, is electrically connected with the first voltage difference retrieving unit.

18. The capacitive touch apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a third touch unit electrically connected with the first touch unit, and one end of the third touch unit is electrically connected with the second voltage difference retrieving unit.