CONTROLLING SYSTEM AND ACONTROLLING METHOD OF A TOUCH PANEL, AND A STYLUS PEN FOR APPLYING TO THE TOUCH PANEL

• US 20130057491A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chu, Chun-Hsueh, Chiu, Jui-Jung
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• 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 controlling system of a touch panel comprises of a drive signal generating circuit, a sensing module for sensing a waveform signal from the touch panel, and a signal processing module for enabling and disabling the drive signal generating circuit based on the signal outputted by the sensing module. Therefore, the mentioned controlling system can support the active and the passive touch modes. In addition, the present invention further provides a controlling method of the touch panel and a stylus pen applied to the mentioned controlling system.

Claims

1. A controlling system of a touch panel, comprising:

a drive signal generating circuit;

a sensing module sensing a waveform signal from the touch panel; and

a signal processing module enabling and disabling the drive signal generating circuit based on the signal outputted by the sensing module.

2. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the sensing module further comprises:

a first sensing unit electrically connected to a plurality of first axial conductive lines on the touch panel; and

a second sensing unit electrically connected to the first axial conductive lines and a plurality of second axial conductive lines on the touch panel, wherein the first axial conductive lines and the second axial conductive lines are mutually insulated and intersected.

3. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the signal processing module further comprises:

a switching unit electrically connected to the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit; and

an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to the switching unit, wherein the switching unit selectively outputs signals generated by the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit based on a switching signal, and wherein the analog-to-digital converter converts signal generated by the switching, unit from an analog signal to a digital signal.

4. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the signal processing module further comprises:

a determining module determining characteristic of signals outputted by the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit; and

a controlling unit generating the switching signal and controlling the enabling and disabling operation of the drive signal generating circuit based on a determining result of the determining module, and determining location of touch points on the touch panel based on the signal generated by either the first sensing unit or the second sensing unit.

5. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the first sensing unit comprises:

a first multiplexer electrically connected to the touch panel;

an integrator electrically connected to the first multiplexer; and

a sampling and holding circuit electrically connected to the integrator, wherein the first multiplexer selects any one of the first axial conductive lines, and wherein the integrator converts the waveform signal to a first direct current voltage signal, and wherein the sampling and holding circuit samples and holds voltage level of the first direct current voltage signal.

6. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the second sensing unit comprises:

a second multiplexer electrically connected to the touch panel;

an amplifier electrically connected to the second multiplexer; and

a frequency mixer electrically connected to the amplifier, wherein the second multiplexer selects any one of the first axial conductive lines and the second axial conductive lines, and wherein the amplifier amplifies the waveform signal, and wherein the frequency mixer converts the amplified waveform signal to a second direct current voltage signal.

7. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 6, wherein the determining module comprises:

a level detector electrically connected to the first sensing unit; and

a frequency detector electrically connected to the second sensing unit, wherein the level detector detects voltage value of the first direct current voltage signal, and wherein the frequency detector detects frequency of the second direct current voltage signal.

8. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 7, wherein the controlling unit enables the drive signal generating circuit and controls the switching unit for selectively outputting the first direct current voltage signal when the level detector detects that the voltage value of the first direct current voltage signal is higher than a defined level within a first period of time, and wherein the controlling unit disables the drive signal generating circuit and controls the switching unit for selectively outputting the second direct current voltage signal when the frequency detector detects that frequency of the second direct current voltage signal is higher than a frequency count within a second period of time.

9. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the second sensing unit comprises:

a second multiplexer electrically connected to the touch panel;

an amplifier electrically connected to the second multiplexer; and

a peak detector electrically connected to the amplifier, wherein the second multiplexer selects any one of the first axial conductive lines and the second axial conductive lines, and wherein the amplifier amplifies the waveform signal, and wherein the peak detector detects a peak value of the amplified waveform signal for forming a second direct current voltage signal.

10. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the determining module further comprises:

a first level detector electrically connected to the first sensing unit; and

a second level detector electrically connected to the second sensing unit, wherein the first level detector detects voltage value of the first direct current voltage signal, and wherein the second level detector detects the voltage value of the second direct current voltage signal.

11. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the controlling unit enables the drive signal generating circuit and controls the switching unit for selectively outputting the first direct current voltage signal when the first level detector detects the voltage value of the first direct current voltage signal is higher than a first level within a first period of time, and wherein the controlling unit disables the drive signal generating circuit and controls the switching unit for selectively outputting the second direct current voltage signal when the second level detector detects voltage value of the second direct current voltage signal is higher than a second level within a second period of time, and wherein the second level is higher than the first level.

12. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the controlling unit is preset to enable the drive signal generating circuit and control the switching unit for selectively outputting the signal generated by the first sensing unit.

13. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the determining module is designed by adopting time-division multiplexing operation.

14. The controlling system of the touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the controlling unit further generates the switching signal based on an external signal, and wherein priority weight of the external signal is higher than the determining result of the determining module.

15. A controlling method of a touch panel, comprising of:

sensing a waveform signal from the touch panel through a sensing path; and

enabling and disabling generation of a drive signal transmitted to the touch panel based on the signal outputted by the sensing path.

16. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 15, wherein the step of sensing the waveform signal further comprises:

sensing a waveform signal of a plurality of first axial conductive lines on the touch panel in sequence through a first sensing path; and

sensing a waveform signal of the first axial conductive lines and a plurality of second axial conductive lines on the touch panel in sequence through a second sensing path, wherein the first axial conductive lines and the second axial conductive lines are mutually insulated and intersected.

17. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 16, further comprising:

presetting, to enable generation of the drive signal; and

enabling and disabling the generation of the drive signal based on the signal outputted by the first sensing path and the second sensing path.

18. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 17, further comprising:

presetting, for selectively outputting the signal outputted by the first sensing path; and

selectively outputting the signal outputted by the first sensing path or the second sensing path according, to the signal outputted by the first sensing path and the second sensing path.

19. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 18, further comprising:

converting the signal outputted by the first sensing path or the second sensing path from analog signal to digital signal; and

determining location of touch points on the touch panel based on the digital signal.

20. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 18, further comprising:

enabling generation of the drive signal and selectively outputting the signal outputted by the first sensing path when voltage value of the signal outputted by the first sensing path is higher than a defined level within a. first period time; and

disabling generation of the drive signal and selectively outputting the signal outputted by the second sensing path when frequency of the signal outputted by the second sensing path is higher than a frequency count within a second period of time.

21. The controlling method of the touch panel according to claim 18_—

further comprising;

enabling generation of the drive signal and selectively outputting the signal outputted by the first sensing path when voltage value of the signal outputted by the first sensing path is higher than a first level within a first period of time; and

disabling generation of the drive signal and selectively outputting the signal outputted by the second sensing path when voltage value of the signal outputted by the second sensing path is higher than a second level within a second period of time, wherein the second level is higher than the first level.

22. A stylus pen, comprising:

a main body, wherein the main body comprises a sine wave signal generator; and

a pen nib part disposed on one end of the main body, wherein the pen nib part is designed with conductive materials, and wherein the sine wave signal generator generates a sine wave signal based on a voltage and transmits the sine wave signal to a touch panel through the pen nib part.