Touch Control Method for Touch Panel, Touch Panel, Active Stylus for Touch Panel, and Touch Display Apparatus Including Touch Panel

• US 20180348938A1
• Filed: 04/01/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ding, Xiaoliang, Dong, Xue, Wang, Haisheng, Liu, Yingming, Liu, Wei, Wang, Pengpeng, Han, Yanling, Xu, Rui, Li, Changfeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,481,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• 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 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A touch control method, including receiving a touch input, driving a first common electrode to output a voltage for generating a display, detecting a first signal, determining a position of the touch input based on the detected first signal and a position of a second common electrode detecting the first signal, and detecting a pressure signal to determine an amount of pressure applied by the touch input. The technical solution also relates to an active stylus for a touch panel, a touch panel, and a touch display apparatus.

Claims

1. A touch control method for a touch display apparatus comprising a touch panel and an active stylus, wherein the touch panel comprises a common electrode array and is configured to generate a display, determine a touch input position of a touch input by the active stylus, and determine a touch input pressure of the touch input, the touch control method comprising:

the touch panel detecting the touch input;

the touch panel generating the display, the generating of the display comprising driving at least a first common electrode of the common electrode array to output a display voltage;

the touch panel determining the touch input position, the determining of the touch input position comprising detecting a first signal transmitted at a first frequency from the active stylus through at least a second common electrode of the common electrode array, and determining the touch input position based on the detected first signal and a position of the at least the second common electrode; and

the touch panel determining the touch input pressure, the determining of the touch input pressure comprising detecting a pressure signal transmitted at a second frequency from the active stylus and determining the touch input pressure based on the detected pressure signal.

2. The touch control method according to claim 1, wherein:

for a duration of a first time period, the touch panel alternates between the generating of the display and the determining of the touch input position at least once;

after the first time period, the touch panel transmits a trigger signal at a third frequency to the active stylus, the trigger signal triggering the transmission of the pressure signal from the active stylus to the touch panel; and

the third frequency is different from the first frequency and the second frequency.

3. The touch control method according to claim 2, wherein:

after the first time period, the touch panel switches to the detecting of the pressure signal; and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

4. The touch control method according to claim 1, wherein:

the touch panel determines the touch input position simultaneously as the touch input pressure,

during a time period of one frame of images, the touch panel alternates between the generating of the display and the simultaneous determining of the touch input position and touch input pressure at least once;

the first signal is detectable for a duration of a first time period in the time period of one frame of images, and the pressure signal is detectable after the first time period, and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

5. The touch control method according to claim 4, wherein:

the pressure signal is detectable for a duration of a second time period in the time period of one frame of images, and

the second time period being longer than or equal to t₁+2t₂, t₁ being a time for the generating of the display, and t₂ being a transmission cycle of the pressure signal in the second time period.

6. The touch control method according to claim 5, wherein:

the transmission cycle of the pressure signal in the second time period is shorter than half of a time for the determining of the touch input pressure.

7. The touch control method according to claim 1, comprising:

during a time period of one frame of images, the touch panel alternating between the generating of the display and detecting a touch input mode at least once,

wherein the detecting of the touch input mode comprises determining whether the touch input is from a finger touch or the active stylus.

8. A driving method for an active stylus, comprising:

transmitting a first signal at a first frequency to a touch panel configured to interact with the active stylus, the first signal signaling the touch panel to determine a position of a touch input on the touch panel; and

transmitting a pressure signal at a second frequency to the touch panel, the pressure signal signaling the touch panel to determine a pressure of the touch input on the touch panel.

9. The driving method according to claim 8, wherein:

the first signal is transmitted for a duration of a first time period;

after the first time period, the pressure signal is transmitted; and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

10. The driving method according to claim 8, wherein the active stylus transmits the pressure signal for a second time period.

11. The driving method according to claim 10, wherein:

the second time period is longer than or equal to t₁+2t₂, t₁ being a time that a display is generated on the touch panel, and t₂ being a transmission cycle of the pressure signal in the second time period.

12. The driving method according to claim 11, wherein:

the transmission cycle of the pressure signal in the second time period is shorter than half of a time for the determining of the touch input pressure.

13. The driving method according to claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a trigger signal transmitted at a third frequency from the touch panel, the trigger signal signaling the active stylus to transmit the pressure signal, and

transmitting the pressure signal after a delay between the detecting of the trigger signal and the transmitting of the pressure signal,

wherein the third frequency is different from the first frequency and the second frequency.

14. An active stylus for a touch panel, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

transmit a first signal at a first frequency to a touch panel configured to interact with the active stylus, the first signal signaling the touch panel to determine a position of a touch input on the touch panel; and

transmit a pressure signal at a second frequency to the touch panel, the pressure signal signaling the touch panel to determine a pressure of the touch input on the touch panel.

15. The active stylus according to claim 14, further comprising a signal receiver configured to receive a trigger signal transmitted from the touch panel.

16. The active stylus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the pressure signal after a delay between the detecting of the trigger signal and the transmitting of the pressure signal.

17. The active stylus according to claim 14, wherein:

the processor is configured to transmit the first signal for a duration of a first time period, and after the first time period, transmit the pressure signal; and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

18. The active stylus according to claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the pressure signal for a second time period.

19. The active stylus according to claim 18, wherein the second time period is longer than or equal to t₁+2t₂, t₁ being a time that a display is generated on the touch panel, and t₂ being a transmission cycle of the pressure signal in the second time period.

20. (canceled)