MULTI-SENSOR TOUCH INTEGRATED DISPLAY DRIVER CONFIGURATION FOR CAPACITIVE SENSING DEVICES

• US 20150091849A1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: LUDDEN, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,299 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0275 Details of drivers for data electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays, not related to handling digital grey scale data or to communication of data to the pixels by means of a current
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/06 Handling electromagnetic interferences [EMI], covering emitted as well as received electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide an integrated control system having an integrated controller that is configured to provide both display updating signals to a display device and a capacitive sensing signal to a sensor electrode that is disposed within the integrated input device. The internal and/or external signal routing configurations described herein can be adapted to reduce signal routing complexity typically found in conventional devices and reduce the effect of electrical interference created by the capacitive coupling formed between the display routing, capacitive sensing routing and/or other components within the integrated control system. Embodiments can also be used to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the display and touch sensing signals received, transmitted and processed within the integrated control system.

Claims

1. An integrated control system for use in an integrated input device comprising a display device integrated with a sensing device, the control system comprising:

an integrated controller comprising;

display circuitry coupled to a plurality of source driver output pads, wherein the source driver output pads are configured to transfer a display updating signal to a display within the input device; and

capacitive sensing circuitry coupled to a plurality of capacitive sensing pads that are configured to transfer capacitive sensing signals during a capacitive sensing operation performed by the input device,

wherein each of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads and the driver output pads are arranged in an order in a first direction, and the order includes at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads that is disposed between two source driver output pads.

2. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry configured to drive the sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing.

3. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry configured to drive a first sensor electrode for transcapacitive sensing.

4. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry, wherein each of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are configured to receive a resulting signal from a sensor electrode.

5. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitive sensing pad comprises a first capacitive sensing pad that is coupled to a first portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry that is configured to drive a sensor electrode for transcapacitive sensing, and the integrated control system further comprises:

at least one second capacitive sensing pad that is coupled to a second portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry that is configured to receive a resulting signal during a transcapacitive sensing process, wherein the at least one second capacitive sensing pad is not disposed between the first or the second source driver output pad.

6. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein each of the capacitive sensing pads are selectively coupled to a sensor electrode, wherein at least a portion of the sensor electrodes are also used by the display circuitry to update the display.

7. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry is further configured to deliver a guarding signal through the at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads during the capacitive sensing operation performed by the input device.

8. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry is further configured to either:

deliver a shielding signal through the at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads during the capacitive sensing operation performed by the input device, or

electrically float the sensor electrode.

9. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are each selectively coupled to a receiver electrode trace that is coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry used to receive a capacitive sensing signal.

10. The integrated control system of claim 9, wherein the integrated controller further comprises a diffusion region on which a first receiver electrode trace of a plurality of receiver electrode traces is disposed, wherein the diffusion region is configured to be driven with a guarding signal.

11. The integrated control system of claim 10, wherein the guarding signal comprises driving the diffusion region with a guarding signal that has a similar phase as the capacitive sensing signal.

12. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are each selectively coupled to a first transmitter electrode trace that is coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry used to deliver a capacitive sensing signal to one or more of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads, and wherein the integrated controller further comprises a diffusion region on which a first transmitter electrode trace of a plurality of transmitter electrode traces is disposed, wherein the diffusion region is configured to be driven with a guarding signal.

13. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein each of the capacitive sensing pads are coupled to at least one sensor electrode and the source driver output pads are each coupled to at least one display electrode, and the integrated controller is configured to:

drive the capacitive sensing signal, which comprises a modulated signal, onto the at least one sensor electrode to acquire a change in capacitive coupling between an input object and the at least one sensor electrode during a first period, and

operate the at least one display electrode in a guard mode to mitigate an effect of a coupling capacitance between the at least one sensor electrode and the at least one display electrode during the first period.

14. The integrated control system of claim 13, wherein operating the at least one display electrode in a guard mode comprises driving the at least one display electrode with a guarding signal that has a similar phase as the modulated signal.

15. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry comprises a charge accumulator that is coupled to an electronic system.

16. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the integrated controller further comprises:

a conductive trace that is coupled to one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads; and

a guarding structure comprising a conductive layer, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed between the conductive trace and the conductive layer; and

a signal generator that is coupled to the conductive layer and is configured to drive the conductive layer with a guarding signal.

17. The integrated control system of claim 1, wherein the integrated controller further comprises:

a conductive trace that is coupled to one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads; and

a guarding structure comprising a diffusion region formed in a region of a substrate, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed between the diffusion region and the conductive trace; and

a signal generator that is coupled to the diffusion region and is configured to drive the conductive layer with a guarding signal.

18. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in an array on a surface of a first layer of an integrated input device; and

an integrated controller coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes via a plurality of conductive routing wires in a second layer of the integrated input device, the integrated controller further comprising;

a display circuitry coupled to a plurality of source driver output pads, wherein the source driver output pads are coupled to display updating components within the integrated input device via a plurality of conductive routing wires in the second layer; and

a capacitive sensing circuitry coupled to a plurality of capacitive sensing pads that are configured to transfer capacitive sensing signals to the plurality of sensor electrodes during a capacitive sensing operation performed by the input device,

wherein each of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads and the plurality of source driver output pads are arranged in an order in a first direction, and the order includes at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads that is disposed between two source driver output pads.

19. The input device of claim 18, wherein the capacitive sensing pads are:

selectively coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry configured to drive a sensor electrode for transcapacitive sensing, and/or

selectively coupled to a portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry configured to drive the sensor electrode for absolute capacitive sensing.

20. The input device of claim 18, wherein the capacitive sensing pads are each coupled to at least one sensor electrode and the source driver output pads are each coupled to at least one display pixel electrode, and the integrated controller is configured to:

drive a modulated signal onto the at least one sensor electrode to acquire a change in capacitive coupling between an input object and the at least one sensor electrode during a first period, and

operate the at least one display electrode in a guard mode to mitigate an effect of a coupling capacitance between the at least one sensor electrode and the at least one display electrode during the first period.

21. The input device of claim 18, wherein the at least one capacitive sensing pad comprises a first capacitive sensing pad that is coupled to a first portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry that is configured to drive a sensor electrode for transcapacitive sensing, and the integrated control system further comprises:

at least one second capacitive sensing pad that is coupled to a second portion of the capacitive sensing circuitry that is configured to receive a resulting signal during a transcapacitive sensing process, wherein the at least one second capacitive sensing pad is not disposed between the two source driver output pads.