TOUCH SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130100069A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kwon, Yong Il, Lee, Hyun Suk, Park, Tah Joon
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 touch sensing device and a method thereof. The touch sensing device, including: a plurality of sensing circuit units measuring capacitance variations from a plurality of sensing electrodes; at least one TDC circuit connected with the plurality of sensing circuit units to convert the capacitance variations into digital signals; a calculating unit judging a touch from the digital signals; and a delay circuit sequentially receiving the capacitance variations from the plurality of sensing circuit units.

Claims

1. A touch sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of sensing circuit units measuring capacitance variations from a plurality of sensing electrodes;

at least one TDC circuit connected with the plurality of sensing circuit units to convert the capacitance variations into digital signals;

a calculating unit judging a touch from the digital signals; and

a delay circuit sequentially receiving the capacitance variations from the plurality of sensing circuit units.

2. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the delay circuit sets predetermined delay times for the plurality of individual sensing circuit units, based on a time required for the TDC circuit to generate the digital signals and characteristics of the capacitance variations.

3. The touch sensing device of claim 2, wherein the delay circuit sets different delay times for the plurality of individual sensing circuit units.

4. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing circuit units measure mutual-capacitance variations generated among the plurality of sensing electrodes.

5. A touch sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of sensing circuit units measuring capacitance variations;

at least one signal converting unit connected with the plurality of sensing circuit units to generate digital signals from the capacitance variations;

a calculating unit judging a touch from the digital signals; and

a delay circuit setting different delay times for the plurality of individual sensing circuit units connected with the signal converting unit, in order to sequentially receive the capacitance variations,

wherein the delay times are set based on a time required for the signal converting unit to generate the digital signals and characteristics of the capacitance variations.

6. The touch sensing device of claim 5, further comprising a panel section in which a plurality of sensing electrodes, electrically connected with the plurality of sensing circuit units, are provided.

7. The touch sensing device of claim 6, wherein the sensing circuit units measure mutual-capacitance variations generated among the plurality of sensing electrodes.

8. The touch sensing device of claim 5, wherein the signal converting unit includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) circuit measuring a time required for a voltage signal corresponding to the capacitance variation to be varied to have a predetermined reference voltage.

9. The touch sensing device of claim 8, wherein the delay circuit sets the delay times by considering a time difference between a minimum time and a maximum time required for the voltage signal to be varied to have the predetermined reference voltage, in accordance with characteristics of capacitance variations.

10. The touch sensing device of claim 5, further comprising a switching circuit controlling connections between the plurality of sensing circuit units and the signal converting unit, in accordance with the delay times set for the plurality of individual sensing circuit units.

11. The touch sensing device of claim 5, wherein the calculating unit judges the touch by using a weighted average of the digital signals.

12. A touch sensing method, comprising:

measuring a plurality of capacitance variations from a plurality of sensing electrodes;

generating digital signals by sequentially receiving the plurality of capacitance variations; and

judging a touch based on the digital signals,

wherein, in the generating of the digital signals, the plurality of capacitance variations are sequentially received based on times required to generate the digital signals and characteristics of the plurality of capacitance variations.

13. The touch sensing method of claim 12, wherein the generating of the digital signals includes:

converting the plurality of capacitance variations into a plurality of voltage signals;

measuring a first time required for each of the plurality of voltage signals to be varied to have a predetermined reference voltage; and

converting the first time into the digital signals.

14. The touch sensing method of claim 13, wherein the generating of the digital signals further includes setting delay times for sequentially receiving the plurality of capacitance variations, based on a time difference between a minimum value and a maximum value of the first time.

15. The touch sensing method of claim 14, wherein the delay times are differentially applied to the plurality of sensing electrodes.