DISPLAY PANEL WITH TOUCH DETECTION FUNCTION, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, DRIVING CIRCUIT, AND ELECTRONIC UNIT

• US 20120262387A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizuhashi, Hiroshi, Kida, Yoshitoshi, Nogushi, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

There are provided a display panel with a touch detection function, in which display operation is less affected by touch detection operation, a method of driving the display panel with a touch detection function, a driving circuit, and an electronic unit having the display panel with a touch detection function. The display panel with a touch detection function includes: one or more display elements; one or more drive electrodes; one or more touch detection electrodes; and a drive section selectively applying a DC drive signal or an AC drive signal to the drive electrodes.

Claims

1. A display panel with a touch detection function comprising:

one or more display elements;

one or more drive electrodes;

one or more touch detection electrodes; and

a drive section selectively applying a DC drive signal or an AC drive signal to the drive electrodes.

2. The display panel according to claim 1,

wherein the display elements perform write operation for display during a write period,

the AC drive signal has a pulse waveform that transits from a first voltage to a second voltage corresponding to a DC voltage level of the DC drive signal at a transition timing in a period other than the write period,

the drive section applies the AC drive signal to the drive electrodes in an enable period including the transition timing, and applies the DC drive signal to the drive electrodes in a period other than the enable period to perform touch detection drive.

3. The display panel according to claim 2,

wherein the AC drive signal has a pulse waveform that includes the first voltage in a pulse period different from the write period, and includes the second voltage in a period other than the pulse period, and

the transition timing corresponds to end timing of the pulse period.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein the enable period is in a period other than the write period.

5. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein the enable period includes the pulse period.

6. The display panel according to claim 3,

wherein the plurality of display elements are arranged in a matrix and line-sequentially scanned for display operation, and

the enable period corresponds to one horizontal period or consecutive, multiple horizontal periods.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, further comprising,

a drive signal generation section generating the DC drive signal and the AC drive signal,

wherein the drive signal generation section includes

a first-voltage generation sub-section generating the first voltage,

a second-voltage generation sub-section generating a voltage corresponding to a DC voltage level of the DC drive signal,

a buffer circuit generating the second voltage based on the voltage output from the second voltage generation sub-section, and

a switching circuit generating the AC drive signal through switching the first voltage and the second voltage from each other.

8. The display panel according to claim 2, further comprising,

a touch detection section,

wherein the drive electrodes are formed to extend in a predetermined direction,

the touch detection electrodes are formed to extend in a direction crossing the extending direction of the drive electrodes in a layer different from a layer of the drive electrodes, and

the drive section sequentially selects one or more drive electrodes among the drive electrodes as a drive object electrode, and drives the drive object electrode for touch detection while applying the DC drive signal to drive electrodes other than the drive object electrode, and

the touch detection section detects a touch event based on signals output from the touch detection electrodes.

9. The display panel according to claim 1,

wherein the display element includes

a liquid crystal layer, and

a pixel electrode provided between the liquid crystal layer and the drive electrodes, or disposed facing the liquid crystal layer with the drive electrodes therebetween.

10. The display panel according to claim 1,

wherein the display element includes

a liquid crystal layer, and

a pixel electrode disposed facing the drive electrodes with the liquid crystal layer therebetween.

11. A method of driving a display panel with a touch detection function, comprising:

driving one or more display elements for display; and

selectively applying a DC drive signal or an AC drive signal to one or more drive electrodes.

12. A drive circuit comprising:

a display drive section driving one or more display elements; and

a touch detection drive section selectively applying a DC drive signal or an AC drive signal to one or more drive electrodes.

13. An electronic unit comprising:

a display panel with a touch detection function; and

a control section controlling operation using the display panel with a touch detection function,

wherein the display panel with a touch detection function includes

one or more display elements,

one or more drive electrodes,

one or more touch detection electrodes, and

a drive section selectively applying a DC drive signal or an AC drive signal to the drive electrodes.