CAPACITIVE TYPE TOUCH DETECTION MEANS AND DETECTION METHOD

• US 20160054846A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G2touch Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Sung Ho Lee
• Inventors: LEE, Sung Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,927,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a capacitive type touch detection means and a detection method using a new scheme, which detects a touch signal using a difference between voltage magnitudes detected by a touch detector according to whether a touch is generated, when an alternating voltage is applied to a line equivalent capacitor formed between a sensing pad which is detecting a touch signal and a non-sensing pad adjacent to the sensing pad. The touch detection means includes: a sensing pad configured to generate the touch capacitance Ct between a sensing pad and the touch input means; an alternating voltage configured to be applied to a line equivalent capacitor Ceq formed between the sensing pad and a non-sensing pad adjacent to the sensing pad; and a touch detector connected to the sensing pad to detect a difference in voltage generated according to whether the touch is generated by the touch input means.

Claims

1. A touch detection means, comprising:

a plurality of touch detection sensors;

a plurality of sensor signal lines configured to apply a signal to the touch detection sensor or receive a signal acquired from the touch detection sensor; and

a touch detector configured to detect whether a touch is generated by a touch input means based on the acquired signal,

wherein the touch detection sensor is classified into at least one sensing pad and at least one non-sensing pad and the generation of the touch is detected based on a change in voltage in a plurality of equivalent capacitors Ceq which are formed between at least one sensing pad sensor signal line connected to the sensing pad and at least one non-sensing pad sensor signal line connected to the non-sensing pad.

2. The touch detection means of claim 1, wherein the generation of the touch is detected in a state in which an alternating voltage is applied to the equivalent capacitor and the alternating voltage is applied through the non-sensing pad sensor signal line.

3. The touch detection means of claim 1, further comprising:

a three-terminal switching device configured to be a charging means for charging the touch detection sensor prior to detecting whether the touch is generated,

wherein the three-terminal switching device supplies a charging signal input to an input terminal by a control signal supplied to a control terminal to the touch detection sensor connected to an output terminal to charge the touch detection sensor, and

wherein a charging time is determined by adjusting a turn on time of the control signal of the three-terminal switching device, wherein an alternating voltage is applied to the equivalent capacitor after the touch detection sensor is charged.

6. The touch detection means of claim 1, wherein the equivalent capacitor is classified into at least one of a first capacitance between lines and a second capacitance between lines according to a magnitude of a capacitance of the equivalent capacitor, and

further comprising:

a compensation capacitor configured to compensate for a difference between the first capacitance between lines and the second capacitance between lines.

7. The touch detection means of claim 6, further comprising:

prior to detecting whether the touch is generated, a charging means configured to charge the first capacitance between lines and the second capacitance between lines with a precharge signal having the same voltage, and

wherein the second capacitance between lines and the first capacitance between lines vary by adjusting a distance between the sensing pad sensor signal line and the non-sensing pad sensor signal line.

10. The touch detection means of claim 6, wherein the touch is detected by using only any one of the first capacitance between lines and the second capacitance between lines at the time of detecting whether the touch is generated,

wherein when the generation of the touch is detected using the first capacitance between lines, and

the non-sensing pad sensor signal line participating in the formation of the second capacitance between lines keeps a floating state or a high impedance state.

12. The touch detection means of claim 1, wherein the touch detection sensor, the sensing pad sensor signal line, and the non-sensing pad sensor signal line are formed using the same mask, and

wherein a width of the sensor signal line is differently formed depending on a position of the touch detection sensor.

15. The touch detection means of claim 2, further comprising:

a means configured to change a magnitude in the alternating voltage, and

further comprising;

a means configured to change a gradient of a rising edge or a falling edge of the alternating voltage.

17. The touch detection means of claim 2, further comprising:

a touch capacitor Ct configured to be formed by the touch detection sensor and the touch of the touch input means; and

a common electrode capacitor Cvcom configured to be formed between the touch detection sensor and a common electrode applying a common voltage to a display device including the touch detection sensor.

18. The touch detection means of claim 17, wherein when the touch is not sensed by the touch detection sensor, the voltage sensed by the touch detector is calculated by the following Equation 1:

the following Equation 1 is

20. The touch detection means of claim 17, wherein the determination on whether the touch is generated by the touch detector is based on a difference between the voltage acquired by the above Equation 1 and a voltage acquired by the above Equation 2:

the above Equation 1 is

23. The touch detection means of claim 6, wherein one side of the compensation capacitor is connected to the touch detector and receives the same alternating voltage as an alternating voltage through the other side of the compensation capacitor, and

wherein one side of the compensation capacitor is connected to the touch detector and receives an alternating voltage different from an alternating voltage through the other side of the compensation capacitor.

25. The touch detection means of claim 23, wherein when the touch is not sensed by the touch detection sensor, a voltage sensed by the touch detector is calculated by the following Equation 5:

the following Equation 5 is

27. The touch detection means of claim 23, wherein

the determination on whether the touch is generated by the touch detector is based on a difference between a voltage acquired by the above Equation 5 and a voltage acquired by the above Equation 6:

the above Equation 5 is

28. The touch detection means of claim 23, wherein the touch detector detects whether the touch is generated in synchronization with a rising edge of the alternating voltage or a falling edge of the alternating voltage, and

wherein the touch detector detects whether the touch is generated at a predetermined time interval from a rising edge of the alternating voltage or a falling edge of the alternating voltage.

31. The touch detection means of claim 1, wherein

bonded parts between the touch detection sensors face each other, having a geometrical shape having at least one inflection point or flexural part, and

wherein the touch detection sensor is partitioned into a plurality of areas, only a part of the partitioned areas is provided with predetermined patterns, and the formed patterns are connected to each other.

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34. A touch detection method, comprising:

charging a plurality of touch detection sensors with a predetermined charging voltage using a three-terminal switching device;

classifying the plurality of touch detection sensors into at least one sensor pad and at least one non-sensing pad;

forming a plurality of equivalent capacitors Ceq between at least one sensing pad sensor signal line connected to the sensing pad and at least one non-sensing pad sensor signal line connected to the non-sensing pad; and

applying an alternating voltage to the equivalent capacitor through the non-sensing pad sensor signal line by a touch detector and detecting a touch based on a change in voltage generated in the equivalent capacitor according to whether the touch is generated by a touch input means.

35. The touch detection method of claim 34, wherein the classification of the sensing pad and the non-sensing pad is sequentially determined based on a defined order.

51. The touch detection method of claim 34, wherein when the touch is not sensed by the touch detection sensor, the voltage sensed by the touch detector is calculated by the following Equation 1:

the following Equation 1 is

53. The touch detection method of claim 34, wherein

the determination on whether the touch is generated by the touch detector is based on a difference between a voltage acquired by the above Equation 1 and a voltage acquired by the above Equation 2:

the above Equation 1 is

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