TOUCH SENSING INTEGRATED WITH DISPLAY DATA UPDATES

• US 20130038565A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mignard, Mark M., Cummings, William J., Elloway, Donald J., Martin, Russel A.
• Application Number:
  US13/207,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for touch sensing on a display device. In one aspect, a method is provided for reducing electrical interference on a display including bi-stable display elements and touch sensing elements without a grounded shielding layer between display elements and touch sensing elements. The method may include placing at least a portion of an array of bi-stable display elements in a selected state with display driver circuitry, maintaining the display elements in the selected state, and obtaining a signal from a touch-sensing element using touch sensing driver circuitry different from the display driver circuitry when the display elements remain in the selected state.

Claims

1. A method for reducing electrical interference on a display, the method comprising:

placing at least a portion of an array of display elements in a selected state with display driver circuitry;

maintaining the display elements in the selected state; and

obtaining a signal from a touch-sensing element using touch sensing driver circuitry different from said display driver circuitry substantially only while the display elements remain in the selected state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected state is maintained by applying a constant hold voltage to the portion of the array of display elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensing element is located in close proximity to the portion of the array of display elements.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

placing at least a second portion of the array in a second selected state with the display driver circuitry while obtaining the signal from the touch-sensing element.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

placing a different portion of the array in the selected state with the display driver circuitry in parallel with obtaining a signal from the touch sensing element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display elements form a row and column array of interferometric modulators, wherein each interferometric modulator includes:

a movable reflective layer; and

a fixed partially reflective layer positioned at a variable and controlled distance from the movable reflective layer wherein the position of the movable reflective layer determines a pixel viewing state.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising placing the interferometric modulators in a selected state by applying an address voltage to a common line of the array.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the common line includes an electrode positioned along a row or column of the array.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a hold voltage is applied along the common line.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensing elements are arranged in an array.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising obtaining a signal from a touch-sensing element by sensing capacitance of a touch sensing element.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a touch sensing element includes a transparent conductor.

13. A display apparatus with touch-sensing capability comprising:

an array of display elements;

an array of touch-sensing elements, wherein the touch-sensing elements are formed over the display elements without being separated by a grounded shield layer;

a touch-sensing driver circuit configured to detect input from at least a portion of the touch-sensing elements;

a display driving circuit configured to place at least a portion of the display elements in a selected state, wherein the display driving circuit is configured thereafter to maintain the portion of the display elements in the selected state; and

a processor configured to

write image data to the display driver circuit; and

obtain touch-sensing input from the at least a portion of touch sensing elements when the portion of the display elements are maintained in the selected state.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the portion of touch-sensing elements is located in close proximity to the portion of display elements.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display driving circuit is configured to place at least a second portion of the array of display elements in a second selected state while the processor is obtaining touch-sensing input from the portion of touch sensing elements.

16. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the display driving circuit is configured to place a different portion of the array of display elements in the selected state, wherein the placing of the different portion of the array is performed in parallel with obtaining touch-sensing input from the touch-sensing driver circuit.

17. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the array of display elements form a row and column array of interferometric modulators, wherein each interferometric modulator includes

a movable reflective layer;

and

a fixed partially reflective layer positioned at a variable and controlled distance from the movable reflective layer, wherein the position of the movable reflective layer determines a pixel viewing state.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17, wherein the display driving circuit is configured to place interferometric modulators in the selected state by applying an address voltage to a common line of the array.

19. The display apparatus of claim 18, wherein the common line includes an electrode positioned along a row or column of the array.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19, wherein a hold voltage is applied along the common line.

21. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the touch-sensing driver circuit is further configured to obtain a signal from a touch-sensing element by sensing capacitance of the touch sensing element.

22. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein a touch sensing element includes a transparent conductor.

23. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to process image data and wherein the bi-stable display apparatus further includes:

a memory device that is configured to communicate with the processor

24. The display apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the display driving circuit.

25. The display apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.

26. The display apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

27. The display apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

28. The display apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the display elements include bistable display elements.

29. The display apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein there is no grounded shielding layer between the array of display elements and the array of touch sensing elements.

30. A display apparatus with touch-sensing capability comprising:

means for placing at least a portion of an array of display elements in a selected state;

means for maintaining the display elements in the selected state; and

means for obtaining a signal from a touch-sensing element substantially only when the display elements are maintained in the selected state.