Display-integrated type tablet device

• US 5,581,274 A
• Filed: 11/04/1994
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tagawa, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOLL, KARA FARNANDEZ
• Application Number:
  US08/334,811
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 345/103, 345/104, 345/100, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/177, 345/179, 178/18, 178/19, 341/5, 341/33
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A display-integrated type tablet device provided with a liquid crystal display panel has a mode detection circuit. During the display period, the circuit receives electrostatically induced voltages developed on a detection pen and compares the received electrostatically induced voltage with a previously set reference voltage. If the electrostatically induced voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the mode detection circuit decides that a coordinate detection mode exists, while if the electrostatically induced voltage is smaller than the reference voltage a non-detection mode is determined.

Claims

1. A display-integrated type tablet device provided with:

a display panel which has a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, said first electrodes and said second electrodes being arranged in different directions, and which has pixels corresponding to places at which the first electrodes and the second electrodes intersect each other;

a control drive circuit, which can set a display period and a coordinate detection period by time sharing, and which, during the display period, successively applies voltage for image display to both the first and second electrodes and also periodically inverts the polarity of the voltage for image display, and which, during the coordinate detection period, successively applies voltage for coordinate detection to both the first and second electrodes;

a detection pen which can be capacity-coupled with both the first and second electrodes on the display panel to cause an electrostatically induced voltage to be developed; and

a coordinate detection circuit for receiving the electrostatically induced voltage developed to the detection pen by the voltage for coordinate detection during the coordinate detection period and detecting and outputting the coordinate specified by the detection pen based on the received electrostatically induced voltage,

the display-integrated type tablet device further comprising;

a mode detection circuit for, during the display period, receiving the electrostatically induced voltage developed to the detection pen depending on polarity inversion of the voltage for image display and comparing the received electrostatically induced voltage with a previously set reference voltage, whereby

if the electrostatically induced voltage is greater than the reference voltage it decides as a detection mode in which the coordinate detection is to be effected, while

if the electrostatically induced voltage is smaller than the reference voltage it decides as a non-detection mode in which the coordinate detection is not to be effected,

thus outputting a mode signal representing decision result; and

a coordinate output selection circuit for receiving a coordinate outputted by the coordinate detection circuit and a mode signal outputted by the mode detection circuit and then outputting the coordinate as it is if the mode signal represents the detection mode while halting the output of the coordinate if the mode signal represents the non-detection mode.

2. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mode detection circuit has a peak detector which, receiving the electrostatically induced voltage, generates a d.c. voltage proportional to the peak value of the received electrostatically induced voltage.

3. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the peak detector has a filter circuit for removing the d. c. component included in the received electrostatically induced voltage.

4. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the filter circuit is a band-pass filter whose pass hand is basic frequencies of the a.c. conversion signal.

5. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the filter circuit includes a capacitor formed by using a dielectric to cover the tip of the detection pen.

6. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the peak detector generates the d.c. voltage by integrating the electrostatically induced voltage within a period during which the electrostatically induced voltage is up, in synchronization with the timing at which the polarity of the a.c. conversion signal is inverted.

7. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the mode detection circuit outputs a mode signal representing a decision result accompanied by a change to the non-detection mode only when an output voltage of the peak detector is once lower than the reference voltage and, after a specified time elapse, holds still lower.

8. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the reference voltage is given in a plural number, and set so that one for moving from the detection mode to the non-detection mode is higher than another for moving from the non-detection mode to the detection mode.

9. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

an amplification circuit for amplifying the electrostatically induced voltage developed to the detection pen, wherein

both the coordinate detection circuit and the mode detection circuit receive the electrostatically induced voltage amplified by the amplification circuit.

10. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the control drive circuit has a means for receiving a mode signal outputted by the mode detection circuit and setting both the display period and the coordinate detection period when the mode signal represents the detection mode by time sharing while setting only the display period when the mode signal represents the non-detection mode.

11. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the control drive circuit has a means for controlling image data transfer speed to an equal one between the display period set for the detection mode and the display period set for the non-detection mode.

12. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the control drive circuit has a means for transferring image data at a higher speed in the display period for the detection mode than in the display period for the non-detection mode, so that the number of frame frequency in the detection mode and that in the non-detection mode become the same one.

13. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, a signal for setting an inversion timing at which the polarity of the display voltage of liquid crystals of the liquid crystal panel is inverted periodically, is inverted a plurality of times during one-frame display period, and a period of the inversion is an integer multiple of a row-scanning period for image display.

14. A display-integrated type tablet device having:

a display panel which has a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, said first electrodes and said second electrodes being arranged in different directions, and which has pixels corresponding to places at which the first electrodes and the second electrodes intersect each other;

a detection pen having at its tip an electrode to be electrostatically coupled with the first electrodes and the second electrodes of the display panel;

a first drive circuit for driving the first electrodes;

a second drive circuit for driving the second electrodes;

a display control circuit for controlling the first drive circuit and the second drive circuit during a display period to display an image onto the display panel;

a detection control circuit for, during a coordinate detection period, controlling the first drive circuit to successively scan the first electrodes of the display panel while controlling the second drive circuit to successively scan the second electrodes;

an x-coordinate detection circuit for detecting the x-coordinate on the display panel specified by the tip of the detection pen from both the timing at which an output signal from the detection pen is generated and the timing at which the first electrodes are scanned; and

a y-coordinate detection circuit for detecting the y-coordinate on the display panel specified by the tip of the detection pen from both the timing at which an output signal from the detection pen is generated and timing at which the second electrodes are scanned,

the display-integrated type tablet device further comprising;

inversion signal generation means for generating an inversion signal for setting in the display period a time point at which the direction of voltage applied to display members of the display panel is inverted;

a first sampling means for selectively sampling an induced voltage developed to the electrode of the detection pen during a first specified interval in the display period including the time point at which the direction of voltage applied is inverted, the time point having been set depending on the inversion signal;

a second sampling means for selectively sampling an induced voltage developed to the electrode of the detection pen during a second specified interval other than the first specified interval in the display period;

a first processing means for converting the induced voltage sampled by the first sampling means into d.c. voltage and then comparing the value of the converted voltage with a reference voltage;

a second processing means for converting the induced voltage sampled by the second sampling means into d.c. voltage and then comparing the value of the converted voltage with a reference voltage; and

decision means for deciding whether or not the tip of the detection pen exists in proximity to the surface of the display panel, depending on comparison result by the first processing means and comparison result by the second processing means, and outputting a signal representing decision result.

15. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the second processing means sample-holds the peak value resulting from converting the induced voltage sampled by the second sampling means into d.c. voltage and compares the sample-held peak value with a reference peak value.

16. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising

a third processing means for sample-holding the peak value resulting from converting the induced voltage sampled by the second sampling means into d.c. voltage and comparing the sample-held peak value with a reference peak value, wherein

the second processing means converts the induced voltage sampled by the second sampling means into d.c. voltage and thereafter integrates the result, and further compares the resulting integrated voltage value with a reference voltage value;

and

the decision means decides that the tip of the detection pen does not exist in proximity to the surface of the liquid crystal panel, when comparison-objected value of at least one of the second processing means and the third processing means is greater than its reference value.

17. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the first specified interval during which the first sampling means operates is an interval which includes a time point at which the level of the inversion signal generated by the inversion signal generation means is changed, and which is shorter than one half of the cycle of the inversion signal;

and

the second specified interval during which the second sampling means operates is an interval which starts after the first specified interval has been terminated and terminates before the next change in level of voltage of the inversion signal.

18. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the inversion signal generation means generates the inversion signal whose half cycle is a plurality of times the cycle of a clock signal, depending on the clock signal for successively driving the second electrodes with the second drive circuit;

the first specified interval during which the first sampling means operates is one cycle of the clock signal; and

the second specified interval during which the second sampling means operates starts at a time point when it has elapsed a period which is at least three times time constant of the induced voltage to be sampled by the first sampling means and which is longer than the first specified interval, from a time point when the first specified interval has started.

19. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 17, wherein

the first sampling means and the second sampling means each operate a plurality of times during a one-frame period.

20. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 19, wherein

the first processing means and the second processing means convert the induced voltage sampled by the first sampling means or the second sampling means during a one-frame period into d.c. voltage and thereafter further integrate the result.

21. A display-integrated tablet device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, the display members are liquid crystals, the inversion signal for setting a time point at which the direction of voltage applied to the liquid crystal is inverted, is inverted a plurality of times during a one-frame display period, and a period of the inversion is an integer multiple of a row-scanning period for image display.

22. A display-integrated tablet device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, the display members are liquid crystals, the inversion signal for setting a time point at which the direction of voltage applied to the liquid crystal is inverted, is inverted a plurality of times during a one-frame display period, and a period of the inversion is an integer multiple of a row-scanning period for image display.

23. A display-integrated type tablet device having:

a liquid crystal panel, in which liquid crystals are sandwiched between segment electrodes and common electrodes, orthogonally crossing each other, and which is driven by a duty-type drive method;

a detection pen having at its tip an electrode to be electrostatically coupled with the segment electrodes and the common electrodes of the liquid crystal panel;

a segment drive circuit for driving the segment electrodes;

a common drive circuit for driving the common electrodes;

a display control circuit for controlling the segment drive circuit and the common drive circuit during a display period to display an image onto the liquid crystal panel;

a detection control circuit for, during a coordinate detection period, controlling the segment drive circuit to successively scan the segment electrodes of the liquid crystal panel while controlling the common drive circuit to successively scan the common electrodes;

an x-coordinate detection circuit for detecting an x-coordinate on the liquid crystal panel specified by the tip of the detection pen from both the timing at which an output signal from the detection pen is generated and the timing at which the segment electrodes are scanned; and

a y-coordinate detection circuit for detecting a y-coordinate on the liquid crystal panel specified by the tip of the detection pen from both the timing at which an output signal from the detection pen is generated and the timing at which the common electrodes are scanned, the display-integrated type tablet device further comprising;

inversion signal generation means for generating an inversion signal for setting in the display period a time point at which the direction of voltage applied to liquid crystals of the liquid crystal panel is inverted;

a first sampling means for selectively sampling an induced voltage developed on the electrode of the detection pen during a first specified interval in the display period including the time point at which the direction of voltage, applied is inverted, the time point having been set depending on the inversion signal;

a second sampling means for selectively sampling an induced voltage developed on the electrode of the detection pen during a second specified interval other than the first specified interval in the display period;

a first processing means for amplifying the induced voltage sampled at a first amplification factor and then converting the result into d.c. voltage;

a second processing means for amplifying the induced voltage sampled by the second sampling means at a second amplification factor greater than the first amplification factor and then converting the result into d.c. voltage; and

decision means for comparing an output voltage from the first processing means and an output voltage from the second processing means together, deciding whether or not the tip of the detection pen exists in proximity to the surface of the liquid crystal panel, depending on the comparison result, and outputting a signal representing decision result.

24. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 23, wherein

the first specified interval during which the first sampling means operates is an interval which includes a time point at which the level of the inversion signal generated by the inversion signal generation means is changed and which is shorter than one half of the cycle of the inversion signal;

and

the second specified interval during which the second sampling means operate is an interval which starts after the first specified interval has terminated and which terminates before the next change of the level of the inversion signal.

25. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 24, wherein

the inversion signal generation means, depending on a clock signal for successively driving the common electrodes by the common drive circuit, generates the inversion signal whose half cycle is a plurality of times the cycle of the clock signal;

the first specified interval during which the first sampling means operates is one cycle of the clock signal; and

the second specified interval during which the second sampling means operates is an interval which starts at a time point when it has elapsed a period at least three times time constant of an induced voltage to be sampled by the first sampling means and also longer than the length of the first specified interval, from when the first specified interval starts.

26. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 23, wherein

the first sampling means and the second sampling means each operate a plurality of times during a one-frame period.

27. A display-integrated type tablet device as claimed in claim 26, wherein

the first processing means and the second processing means convert the induced voltage sampled by the first sampling means or the second sampling means during a one-frame period into d.c. voltage and thereafter further integrate the conversion result.