TOUCH CONTROLLER HAVING INCREASED SENSING SENSITIVITY, AND DISPLAY DRIVING CIRCUIT AND DISPLAY DEVICE AND SYSTEM HAVING THE TOUCH CONTROLLER

• US 20120229421A1
• Filed: 05/22/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyoung-rae, Choi, Yoon-kyung, Cho, Hwa-hyun, Kim, Sang-woo, Kwon, Hyung-dal, Yu, Jae-suk, Ahn, Hae-yong, Park, Jong-kang, Byun, San-ho
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2007 Display of intermediate tones
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A touch controller includes a touch data generator that is connected to a plurality of sensing lines, the touch data generator sensing a change in capacitance of a sensing unit connected to each of the sensing lines and generating touch data by processing the sensing signal corresponding to the result of sensing; and a signal processor that controls a timing of generating the touch data by receiving at least one piece of timing information for driving a display panel from a timing controller, and then providing either the timing information or a signal generated from the timing information as a control signal to the touch data generator.

Claims

1. A semiconductor chip comprising:

a display driving unit driving a display panel to display an image; and

a touch controller unit sensing capacitances of one or more sensing units, receiving at least one information from the display driving unit and generating touch data based on the at least one information and a result of sensing.

2. The semiconductor chip of claim 1, wherein the display driving unit comprises a timing controller configured to control a timing of displaying the image, and

wherein the at least one information includes a timing information output from the timing controller.

3. The semiconductor chip of claim 2, wherein the touch controller unit comprises:

a touch data generator connected to the sensing units, sensing the change in the capacitances of the sensing units and generating the touch data corresponding to the result of sensing; and

a signal processor receiving the timing information, generating a control signal based on the received timing information and providing the control signal to the touch data generator to control a timing of generating the touch data.

4. The semiconductor chip of claim 3, wherein the touch data generator comprises:

a sensing signal generator connected to the sensing units through one or more sensing lines and generating sensing signals, voltages of which vary according to the change in the capacitances of the sensing units; and

a signal output unit for receiving the sensing signals from the sensing signal generator and outputting the sensing signals in response to the control signal.

5. The semiconductor chip of claim 4, wherein the touch data generator further comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for generating the touch data by converting an analog output of the signal output unit into a digital signal.

6. The semiconductor chip of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor chip is connected to a host controller, and

wherein at least one of the display driving unit and the touch controller unit communicates with the host controller.

7. The semiconductor chip of claim 6, wherein the touch controller unit further receives a timing information from the host controller.

8. The semiconductor chip of claim 1, wherein the touch controller unit generates a status information and provides the status information to the display driving unit.

9. The semiconductor chip of claim 8, wherein the display driving unit prevents the at least one information from being provided to the touch controller unit when the display driving unit receives a sleep status information.

10. The semiconductor chip of claim 8 further comprising a power generator generating a power voltage, and

wherein the power generator provide the power voltage to both the display driving unit and the touch controller unit.

11. The semiconductor chip of claim 10, wherein the power generator is included in the display driving unit, and

wherein the display driving unit prevents the power voltage from being provided to the touch controller unit when the display driving unit receives a sleep status information.

12. A display driving integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a display driving unit receiving at least one first timing information from an external host and generating image data to display an image on a panel unit; and

a touch controller unit connected to a plurality of sensing units of a touch screen panel to sense capacitances of the plurality of sensing units and generating touch data based on at least one timing information among the first timing information and a second timing information generated by the display driving unit,

wherein the display driving unit and the touch controller unit are integrated in one semiconductor chip.

13. The display driving IC of claim 12, wherein the display driving unit comprises a power generator providing a power voltage to the touch controller unit, and

wherein the display driving unit controls the power voltage to be provided to the touch controller unit responsive to a status information from the touch controller unit.

14. The display driving IC of claim 12, wherein the touch controller unit comprises:

a touch data generator connected to the sensing units, sensing the change in the capacitances of the sensing units and generating the touch data corresponding to the result of sensing; and

a signal processor receiving the at least one timing information, generating a control signal based on the received timing information and providing the control signal to the touch data generator to control a timing of generating the touch data.

15. A display device comprising:

a display panel comprising a first plate and a second plate;

a plurality of sensing units arranged on at least one of the first and second plates of the display panel; and

a semiconductor chip comprising a display driving unit for driving the display panel and a touch controller unit for sensing capacitance of the plurality of sensing units and generating touch data corresponding to a result of the sense.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor chip further comprising one or more first pads being electrically connected to the plurality of sensing units and one or more second pads supplying gray-scale data to the display panel.

17. The display device of claim 15, wherein the display panel further comprising a display plate arranged between the first and second plates,

wherein the plurality of sensing units are fabricated by forming electrodes directly on the first plate of the display panel.

18. The display device of claim 15, wherein the touch controller unit comprises:

a touch data generator connected to the sensing units, sensing a change in the capacitances of the sensing units and generating the touch data corresponding to the result of sensing; and

a signal processor receiving a timing information from the display driving unit, generating a control signal based on the received timing information and providing the control signal to the touch data generator to control a timing of generating the touch data.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the touch data generator comprises:

a sensing signal generator connected to the sensing units through one or more sensing lines and generating sensing signals, voltages of which vary according to the change in the capacitances of the sensing units; and

a signal output unit for receiving the sensing signals from the sensing signal generator and outputting the sensing signals in response to the control signal.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the sensing signal generator comprises:

at least one amplifier comprising a first capacitor; and

a second capacitor connected to the at least one amplifier,

wherein the amplifier has a first input terminal connected to one of the plurality of sensing lines and a second input terminal that is supplied a first input signal having a first frequency, and the first capacitor is connected between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier, and

the second capacitor has a first electrode connected to the first input terminal of the amplifier and a second electrode that is supplied a second input signal synchronized with the first input signal.

21. A semiconductor chip comprising:

a display driving unit driving a display panel to display an image;

a touch controller unit sensing capacitances of one or more sensing units and generating touch data based on a result of sensing; and

a power generator generating one or more power voltages and providing the generated power voltages to both the display driving unit and the touch controller unit

22. The semiconductor chip of claim 21, wherein the power generator generates at least one first power voltage for the display driving unit and at least one second power voltage for the touch controller unit.

23. The semiconductor chip of claim 21, wherein the touch controller unit receives at least one timing information from the display driving unit and generates the touch data based on the timing information and the result of sensing.

24. The semiconductor chip of claim 21, wherein the power generator is disposed within the display driving unit.

25. The semiconductor chip of claim 24, wherein the display driving unit receives a status information from the touch controller unit and prevents a power voltage from being provided to the touch controller unit responsive to the status information.

26. The semiconductor chip of claim 25, wherein the touch controller unit comprises an interface unit for interfacing with an external and AFE unit for generating the touch data, and

wherein the display driving unit prevents the power voltage from being provided to the AFE unit when the display driving unit receives a sleep status information.

27. The semiconductor chip of claim 26, wherein the touch controller unit further comprises a voltage generator generating a voltage signal by using an external voltage, and

wherein the interface unit receives the voltage signal from the voltage generator during a sleep status.