CAPACITIVE TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20120162132A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inferpoint Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Inferpoint Systems Limited
• Inventors: CHEN, Qiliang
• Application Number:
  US13/415,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• 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 capacitive touch screen is provided. Return-loop electrodes of touch signals are established on the capacitive touch screen or a product where the capacitive touch screen is applied, and touch detection electrodes for detecting changes of the touch signals and the touch return-loop electrodes are respectively connected to different output ends of a touch excitation source, so that a closed touch loop is formed by the touch excitation source, the touch detection electrodes, the touch return-loop electrodes, and coupling capacitances between the touch detection electrodes and the touch return-loop electrodes, and the touch signals flowing into the touch detection electrodes from the touch excitation source again flows back to the touch excitation source from the touch return-loop electrodes. Then, the touch system is isolated from other systems. Touch information is acquired by detecting the change of the current in the touch signals having specific frequencies or other specific characteristics.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch screen, comprising a touch substrate and a touch system circuit, wherein the touch system circuit has a touch excitation source and a touch signal detection unit, and sensing line groups are disposed on the touch substrate;

when at least two groups of sensing lines are disposed on the touch substrate, each group of sensing lines are disposed on different touch substrates or disposed on the same touch substrate while being isolated with an insulating layer;

the touch substrate is disposed on a product where the capacitive touch screen is applied, and the application product has a display system (comprising a display screen and a driving circuit thereof, and a backlight source and a driving circuit thereof);

a first output end of the touch excitation source is used for applying touch signals to the connected electrode lines for at least some moments in a detection period;

the touch signal detection unit is used for selecting at least a part of the electrode lines as touch detection electrodes for at least some moments in the detection period, so as to detect whether the part of the electrode lines are touched or not; and

the touch detection electrodes are electrodes capable of detecting changes of the touch signals flowing there-through when applied with the touch signals, wherein

the touch system circuit also selects a part of the electrode lines on the touch substrate as touch return-loop electrodes when selecting the part of the electrodes as the detecting lines; and

the touch return-loop electrodes are sensing lines, when the touch signals are applied to the touch detection electrodes and the changes of the touch signals flowing there-through are detected, in communication with a second output end of the touch excitation source or another touch excitation source for providing return-loop paths for the touch signals on the detecting lines.

2. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the touch return-loop electrodes are a part or all of the electrode lines not intersecting the touch detection electrodes, or a part or all of the electrode lines intersecting the touch detection electrodes, or a part or all of the electrode lines intersecting and not intersecting the touch detection electrodes.

3. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 2, wherein

the touch return-loop electrodes not intersecting the touch detection electrodes are electrode lines adjacent to the touch detection electrodes on one or both sides thereof.

5. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the touch substrate is a flexible or rigid transparent substrate.

7. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing lines are display screen electrodes.

9. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the touch system circuit performs touch detection on multiple touch detection electrodes on the touch substrate simultaneously.

11. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the touch signals at different output ends of the same touch excitation source or at output ends of different touch excitation sources in communication with the touch detection electrodes and the touch return-loop electrodes are different.

14. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

a signal isolator is disposed between a host circuit and a display system of the touch system circuit and the application product, or between a host circuit power supply and a display system power supply of a touch system circuit power supply and the application product, or between a host circuit power supply and a display system power supply of the touch excitation source of the touch system circuit and the application product;

and the signal isolator is a high resistor of the touch signals.

16. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing lines on the touch substrate are a group of non-intersecting electrode lines, the touch system circuit determines a touched electrode by comparing magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the different electrode lines, and a position of a touch point on the touched electrode is determined according to the magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals flowing through the touched electrode.

18. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing lines on the touch substrate are a group of non-intersecting electrode lines, the different electrode lines have leading-out ends in different directions, and the electrode lines having the leading-out ends in different directions are taken as the detecting lines;

the touch system circuit determines a touched electrode by comparing magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the different sensing lines, and a position of a touch point on the touched electrode is determined according to the magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the detecting lines having the leading-out ends in different directions.

20. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 11, wherein

the non-intersecting electrode lines are fold lines.

4. A capacitive touch screen, comprising a touch substrate and a touch system circuit, wherein the touch system circuit has a touch excitation source and a touch signal detection unit, and sensing line groups are disposed on the touch substrate;

when at least two groups of sensing lines are disposed on the touch substrate, each group of sensing lines are disposed on different touch substrates or disposed on the same touch substrate while being isolated with an insulating layer;

the touch substrate is disposed on a product where the capacitive touch screen is applied, and the application product has a display system (comprising a display screen and a driving circuit thereof, and a backlight source and a driving circuit thereof);

a first output end of the touch excitation source is used for applying touch signals to the connected electrode lines for at least some moments in a detection period;

the touch signal detection unit is used for selecting at least a part of the electrode lines as touch detection electrodes for at least some moments in the detection period, so as to detect whether the part of the electrode lines are touched or not; and

the touch detection electrodes are electrodes capable of detecting changes of the touch signals flowing there-through when applied with the touch signals, wherein

electrodes are disposed on a housing of the application product;

the touch system circuit selects the electrodes disposed on the housing of the application product as touch return-loop electrodes; and

the touch return-loop electrodes are sensing lines, when the touch signals are applied to the touch detection electrodes and the changes of the touch signals flowing there-through are detected, in communication with a second output end of the touch excitation source or another touch excitation source for providing return-loop paths for the touch signals on the detecting lines.

6. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the touch substrate is a flexible or rigid transparent substrate.

8. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the sensing lines are display screen electrodes.

10. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the touch system circuit performs touch detection on multiple touch detection electrodes on the touch substrate simultaneously.

12. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the touch signals at different output ends of the same touch excitation source or at output ends of different touch excitation sources in communication with the touch detection electrodes and the touch return-loop electrodes are different.

13. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 8, wherein

the difference between the touch signals lies in at least one of amplitude, phase, and frequency of the touch signals.

15. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

a signal isolator is disposed between a host circuit and a display system of the touch system circuit and the application product, or between a host circuit power supply and a display system power supply of a touch system circuit power supply and the application product, or between a host circuit power supply and a display system power supply of the touch excitation source of the touch system circuit and the application product;

and the signal isolator is a high resistor of the touch signals.

17. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the sensing lines on the touch substrate are a group of non-intersecting electrode lines, the touch system circuit determines a touched electrode by comparing magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the different electrode lines, and a position of a touch point on the touched electrode is determined according to the magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals flowing through the touched electrode.

19. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 4, wherein

the sensing lines on the touch substrate are a group of non-intersecting electrode lines, the different electrode lines have leading-out ends in different directions, and the electrode lines having the leading-out ends in different directions are taken as the detecting lines;

the touch system circuit determines a touched electrode by comparing magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the different sensing lines, and a position of a touch point on the touched electrode is determined according to the magnitudes of the changes of the touch signals on the detecting lines having the leading-out ends in different directions.

21. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 12, wherein

the non-intersecting electrode lines are fold lines.