TOUCH APPARATUS AND TOUCH DETECTION INTEGRATED CIRCUIT THEREOF

• US 20200134285A1
• Filed: 11/07/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Hung, Ching-Ho, Tsai, Jiun-Jie, Hung, Ting-Hsuan, Shih, Wei-Lun
• Granted Patent: US 11,036,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/05 Digital input using the sampling of an analogue quantity at regular intervals of time , input from a/d converter or output to d/a converter
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A touch apparatus and a touch detection integrated circuit (IC) thereof are provided. The touch detection IC includes a driving signal generation circuit and a receiving circuit. The driving signal generation circuit is configured to control a touch panel to perform touch sensing operation and control a fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation. The receiving circuit receives and processes a touch signal of the touch panel during a first period when the driving signal generation circuit transmits the first driving signal for controlling the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation. The receiving circuit receives and processes a fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period when the driving signal generation circuit transmits the second driving signal for controlling the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation.

Claims

1. A touch detection integrated circuit, configured to drive a touch panel to receive at least one touch signal of the touch panel and drive a fingerprint sensor to receive at least one fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor, the touch detection integrated circuit comprising:

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to control the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation and control the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process the touch signal of the touch panel during a first period, and receive and process the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period, wherein the receiving circuit comprises;

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, configured to select to transmit one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal to an output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog front-end (AFE) circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer; and

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, wherein the ADC receives the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converts the touch signal into digital data if the multiplexer selects to transmit the touch signal to the output terminal of the multiplexer, and the ADC receives the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converts the fingerprint signal into digital data if the multiplexer selects to transmit the fingerprint signal to the output terminal of the multiplexer.

2. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the driving signal generation circuit is configured to transmit at least one first driving signal for controlling the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation during the first period, and transmit at least one second driving signal for controlling the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation during the second period.

3. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein the driving signal generation circuit comprises:

an analog driving circuit, having an input terminal and an output terminal; and

a demultiplexer, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the analog driving circuit, a first output terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second output terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the first driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the touch panel during a first period and selecting to transmit the second driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the fingerprint sensor during a second period.

4. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the driving signal generation circuit further comprises:

a register, configured to store first driving waveform data and second driving waveform data; and

a control circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the register to read the first driving waveform data or the second driving waveform data and an output terminal coupled to the input terminal of the analog driving circuit, controlling the analog driving circuit according to the first driving waveform data to generate the first driving signal, and controlling the analog driving circuit according to the second driving waveform data to generate the second driving signal.

5. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data.

6. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the data processing circuit processes the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel and processes the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

7. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 6, wherein the data processing circuit further captures a plurality of fingerprint features from the fingerprint frame.

8. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the data processing circuit provides the first digital data and the second digital data to a system processor.

9. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data, processing the first digital data to obtain a first processed digital data, and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

10. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a microprocessor, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the data processing circuit to receive the first processed digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel, or to receive the fingerprint frame, and configured to recognize the fingerprint frame to generate a fingerprint recognition result.

11. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a finger detection circuit, coupled to the driving signal generation circuit and the receiving circuit and configured to monitor whether a finger touch event occurs to the touch panel, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output at least one first driving signal for controlling the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation during the first period, and monitor whether the fingerprint sensor is touched, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output at least one second driving signal for controlling the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation during the second period.

12. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit and the fingerprint sensor are disposed in the same package.

13. The touch detection integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is a touch display panel, and the fingerprint sensor is embedded in the touch display panel.

14. A touch apparatus, comprising:

a system processor;

a touch panel;

a fingerprint sensor;

a touch detection integrated circuit, coupled to the touch panel, coupled to the system processor through an interface, and configured to drive the touch panel to receive at least one touch signal of the touch panel and drive the fingerprint sensor to receive at least one fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit comprises;

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to control the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation and control the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process the touch signal of the touch panel during a first period, and receive and process the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period, wherein the receiving circuit comprises;

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, configured to select to transmit one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal to an output terminal of the multiplexer;

an analog front-end (AFE) circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the multiplexer; and

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, wherein the ADC receives the touch signal through the AFE circuit and converts the touch signal into digital data if the multiplexer selects to transmit the touch signal to the output terminal of the multiplexer, and the ADC receives the fingerprint signal through the AFE circuit and converts the fingerprint signal into digital data if the multiplexer selects to transmit the fingerprint signal to the output terminal of the multiplexer.

15. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the driving signal generation circuit is configured to transmit at least one first driving signal for controlling the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation during the first period, and transmit at least one second driving signal for controlling the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation during the second period.

16. The touch apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the driving signal generation circuit comprises:

an analog driving circuit, having an input terminal and an output terminal; and

a demultiplexer, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the analog driving circuit, a first output terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second output terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, selecting to transmit the first driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the touch panel during a first period and selecting to transmit the second driving signal generated by the analog driving circuit to the fingerprint sensor during a second period.

17. The touch apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the driving signal generation circuit further comprises:

a register, configured to store first driving waveform data and second driving waveform data; and

a control circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the register to read the first driving waveform data or the second driving waveform data and an output terminal coupled to the input terminal of the analog driving circuit, controlling the analog driving circuit according to the first driving waveform data to generate the first driving signal, and controlling the analog driving circuit according to the second driving waveform data to generate the second driving signal.

18. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data.

19. The touch apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the data processing circuit processes the first digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel and processes the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

20. The touch apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the data processing circuit further captures a plurality of fingerprint features from the fingerprint frame.

21. The touch apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the data processing circuit provides the first digital data and the second digital data to the system processor.

22. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a data processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the ADC to receive the first digital data and the second digital data, processing the first digital data to obtain a first processed digital data, and processing the second digital data to obtain a fingerprint frame.

23. The touch apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the receiving circuit further comprises:

a microprocessor, having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the data processing circuit to receive the first processed digital data to acquire a position of a touch event on the touch panel, or to receive the fingerprint frame and configured to recognize the fingerprint frame to generate a fingerprint recognition result.

24. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit further comprises:

a finger detection circuit, coupled to the driving signal generation circuit and the receiving circuit and configured to monitor whether a finger touch event occurs to the touch panel, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output at least one first driving signal for controlling the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation during the first period, and monitor whether the fingerprint sensor is touched, so as to determine whether to enable the driving signal generation circuit to output at least one second driving signal for controlling the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation during the second period.

25. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit and the fingerprint sensor are disposed in the same package.

26. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the touch detection integrated circuit is disposed on a flexible circuit board and electrically connected to the touch panel through the flexible circuit board.

27. The touch apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the touch panel is a touch display panel, and the fingerprint sensor is embedded in the touch display panel.

28. An integrated circuit, configured to drive a touch panel to receive at least one touch signal of the touch panel and drive a fingerprint sensor to receive at least one fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor, the integrated circuit comprising:

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to control the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation and control the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process the touch signal of the touch panel during a first period, and receive and process the fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period, wherein the receiving circuit comprises;

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, configured to select to transmit one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal to a same output terminal of the multiplexer; and

an analog signal processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer to receive the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer, configured to generate a processed signal according to the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer.

29. The integrated circuit according to claim 28, wherein the analog signal processing circuit comprises:

a same (AFE) circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer, and configured to receive one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer and generate the processed signal according to the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer, and having an output terminal to provide the processed signal.

30. The integrated circuit according to claim 29, wherein the analog signal processing circuit comprises:

a same analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having one input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the AFE circuit, configured to generate digital data according to the processed signal transmitted from the AFE, and having an output terminal to provide the digital data.

31. The integrated circuit according to claim 29, wherein the analog signal processing circuit comprises:

a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the AFE circuit, configured to generate first digital data according to the processed signal transmitted from the AFE circuit when the processed signal is generated according to the touch signal; and

a second ADC, having a second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the AFE circuit, configured to generate second digital data according to the processed signal transmitted from the AFE circuit when the processed signal is generated according to the fingerprint signal.

32. The integrated circuit according to claim 28, wherein the analog signal processing circuit comprises:

a same analog-to-digital converter (ADC), having a same input terminal indirectly coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer, configured to generate digital data to be served as the processed signal according to the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer, and having an output terminal to provide the processed signal.

33. The integrated circuit according to claim 32, wherein the analog signal processing circuit further comprises:

a same (AFE) circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer, and configured to receive one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer and generate an analog signal according to the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer, and having a same output terminal is coupled to the same input terminal of the same ADC.

34. The integrated circuit according to claim 32, wherein the analog signal processing circuit further comprises:

a first AFE, having a first input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer, configured to generate first analog signal according to the touch signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer; and

a second AFE, having a second input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer, configured to generate second analog signal according to the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer.

35. The integrated circuit according to claim 28, further comprising:

at least one data processing circuit, having at least tone input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the analog signal processing circuit.

36. The integrated circuit according to claim 28, wherein the multiplexer comprises:

a first multiplexer, having a plurality of first input terminals coupled to a plurality of touch sensing lines of the touch panel, configured to select to transmit the touch signal from one of the touch sensing lines to the same output terminal of the multiplexer according to a touch enable signal; and

a second multiplexer, having a plurality of second input terminals coupled to a plurality of fingerprint sensing lines of the fingerprint sensor, configured to select to transmit the fingerprint signal from one of the fingerprint sensing lines to the same output terminal of the multiplexer according to a fingerprint enable signal.

37. A touch apparatus, comprising:

a touch panel;

a fingerprint sensor;

a driving signal generation circuit, configured to control the touch panel to perform touch sensing operation and control the fingerprint sensor to perform fingerprint sensing operation; and

at least one receiving circuit, configured to receive and process a touch signal of the touch panel during a first period, and receive and process a fingerprint signal of the fingerprint sensor during a second period, wherein the receiving circuit comprises;

a multiplexer, having a first input terminal coupled to the touch panel and a second input terminal coupled to the fingerprint sensor, configured to select to transmit one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal to a same output terminal of the multiplexer; and

an analog signal processing circuit, having an input terminal coupled to the same output terminal of the multiplexer to receive the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer, configured to generate a processed signal according to the one of the touch signal and the fingerprint signal transmitted from the same output terminal of the multiplexer.

38. The touch apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the touch panel is a touch display pane.

39. The touch apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the fingerprint sensor is arranged as one of an on-display configuration, an-under-display configuration, a local in-display configuration and a global in-display configuration.