Touch Sensing Method, Module, and Display

• US 20130093724A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hung-Ta Liu
• Original Assignee: Hung-Ta Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Hung-Ta
• Granted Patent: US 9,529,479 B2
• 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 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A touch sensing method to be implemented by a sensing unit of a touch sensing device is disclosed. The sensing unit is coupled to a plurality of conductor lines of the touch sensing device that extend in a same direction. The method includes: using the sensing unit to provide a sensing signal to at least one of the conductor lines for radiation thereby; and using the sensing unit to receive the radiated sensing signal from at least another one of the conductor lines for sensing a feature parameter associated with the sensing signal received from the at least another one of the conductor lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensing method to be implemented by a sensing unit of a touch sensing device, the sensing unit being coupled to a plurality of conductor lines of the touch sensing device that extend in a same direction, said touch sensing method comprising:

a) using the sensing unit to provide a sensing signal to at least one of the conductor lines for radiation thereby; and

b) using the sensing unit to receive the sensing signal provided in step a) from at least another one of the conductor lines for sensing a feature parameter associated with the sensing signal received from the at least another one of the conductor lines.

2. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feature parameter is one of an electric charge, a capacitance, a magnetic flux, an electromagnetic induction, a voltage, a current, and a frequency.

3. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

in step a), the sensing signal is provided to a group of the conductor lines; and

in step b), the sensing signal provided in step a) is received from another group of the conductor lines.

4. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 1, the conductor lines including a plurality of conductor groups, each of the conductor groups including at least two of the conductor lines, wherein:

in step a), the sensing signal is provided to one of the conductor groups; and

in step b), the sensing signal provided in step a) is received from another one of the conductor groups;

said method further comprising;

c) using the sensing unit to compute a touch event according to the sensing signal received in step b).

5. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, the conductor groups including first, second, and third groups, wherein:

when the sensing unit is used to provide the sensing signal to the first group in step a), the sensing unit is used to receive the sensing signal from the second group in step b); and

when the sensing unit is used to provide the sensing signal to the second group in step a), the sensing unit is used to receive the sensing signal from the third group in step b).

6. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, the conductor groups including first, second, third, and fourth groups, wherein:

when the sensing unit is used to provide the sensing signal to the first group in step a), the sensing unit is used to receive the sensing signal from the second group in step b); and

when the sensing unit is used to provide the sensing signal to the third group in step a), the sensing unit is used to receive the sensing signal from the fourth group in step b).

7. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of the conductor lines in one of the conductor groups is shared with another one of the conductor groups.

8. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conductor group that is provided with the sensing signal by the sensing unit is included in the conductor group from which the sensing unit receives the sensing signal.

9. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conductor group from which the sensing unit receives the sensing signal is included in the conductor group that is provided with the sensing signal by the sensing unit.

10. The touch sensing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conductor lines in each of the conductor groups are not shared with other ones of the conductor groups.

11. A touch sensing module comprising:

a plurality of first conductor lines extending in a same direction; and

a sensing unit coupled to said first conductor lines, and operable to provide a sensing signal to at least one of said first conductor lines for radiation thereby, and to receive the sensing signal provided to said at least one of said first conductor lines from at least another one of said first conductor lines for sensing one of an electric charge, a capacitance, a magnetic flux, an electromagnetic induction, a voltage, a current, and a frequency that is associated with the sensing signal received from said at least another one of said first conductor lines.

12. The touch sensing module as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said first conductor lines has a pattern selected from a strip, a rhombus, a grid, a rectangle, and combinations thereof.

13. The touch sensing module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing signal is provided to a group of said first conductor lines and is received from another group of said first conductor lines that are at least partially interlaced with said first conductor lines in said group.

14. The touch sensing module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing signal is provided to a group of said first conductor lines and is received from another group of said first conductor lines that are adjacent to said first conductor lines in said group.

15. The touch sensing module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing signal is provided to a group of said first conductor lines and is received from another group of said first conductor lines that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from said first conductor lines in said group.

16. A touch sensing display comprising:

a display module;

a touch sensing module including a plurality of first conductor lines extending in a same direction, and a sensing unit coupled to said first conductor lines; and

a control module coupled to said touch sensing module and said display module;

said control module being operable to control said display module for image display during a display time interval;

said control module being further operable to control said touch sensing module, during a capacitive touch sensing time interval, for providing a sensing signal to at least one of said first conductor lines for radiation thereby, and for receiving the sensing signal provided to said at least one of said first conductor lines from at least another one of said first conductor lines for sensing one of an electric charge, a capacitance, a magnetic flux, an electromagnetic induction, a voltage, a current, and a frequency that is associated with the sensing signal received from said at least another one of said first conductor lines.

17. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 16, wherein said touch sensing module further includes:

a sensing conducting line; and

a plurality of switch circuits, each operable to make or break electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and a respective one of said first conductor lines;

said control module being further operable to control said switch circuits, during an electromagnetic touch sensing time interval, to make electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and at least two of said first conductor lines for forming an electromagnetic sensing loop.

18. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first conductor lines are grouped into a plurality of conductor groups, each including at least two of said first conductor lines,

said control module being operable to control said switch circuits to make electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and each of said conductor groups according to a predetermined sequence for forming a plurality of the electromagnetic sensing loops in sequence,

said sensing unit being further operable, during the electromagnetic touch sensing time interval, to provide the sensing signal to the electromagnetic sensing loops formed according to the predetermined sequence and to compute a touch event according to changes in the sensing signal on the electromagnetic sensing loops.

19. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 17, wherein said display module includes a dummy pixel region, said switch circuits and said sensing conducting line being disposed at said dummy pixel region.

20. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a plurality of parallel second conductor lines that are coupled to said sensing unit and that cross and are electrically isolated from said first conductor lines, said touch sensing module further including:

a sensing conducting line; and

a plurality of switch circuits, each operable to make or break electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and a respective one of said second conductor lines;

said control module being further operable to control said switch circuits, during an electromagnetic touch sensing time interval, to make electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and at least two of said second conductor lines for forming an electromagnetic sensing loop.

21. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second conductor lines are grouped into a plurality of conductor groups, each including at least two of said second conductor lines,

said control module being operable to control said switch circuits to make electrical connection between said sensing conducting line and each of said conductor groups according to a predetermined sequence for forming a plurality of the electromagnetic sensing loops in sequence,

said sensing unit being further operable, during the electromagnetic touch sensing time interval, to provide the sensing signal to the electromagnetic sensing loops formed according to the predetermined sequence and to compute a touch event according to changes in the sensing signal on the electromagnetic sensing loops.

22. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 20, wherein said display module includes a dummy pixel region, said switch circuits and said sensing conducting line being disposed at said dummy pixel region.

23. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 16, wherein said display module includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to said first substrate, said touch sensing module being disposed at one of an inner side of one of said first and second substrates, and an outer side of one of said first and second substrates.

24. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a housing, and a backlight source disposed in said housing and coupled to said control module, said control module being operable to dim or turn off output of said backlight source when operated in the capacitive touch sensing time interval, and to turn on output of said backlight source when operated in the display time interval.

25. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 24, wherein said housing further includes a protective panel, said first conductor lines being disposed on said protective panel.

26. The touch sensing display as claimed in claim 16, wherein said display module includes a common electrode layer, said touch sensing display further comprising a grounding switch coupled between said common electrode layer and to one of a ground, a conductor, and a capacitor;

wherein said control module controls said grounding switch such that said common electrode layer is electrically isolated from said one of the ground, the conductor, and the capacitor when said sensing unit receives the sensing signal; and

wherein said control module controls said grounding switch such that said common electrode layer is electrically coupled to said one of the ground, the conductor, and the capacitor when said display module displays images.