Input-output integrated type display device

• US 7,075,521 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• 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: Tanaka, Keiichi, Ichioka, Hideki, Yamamoto, Tomohiko, Fujiwara, Koji, Inoue, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro, Leonid
• Application Number:
  US10/238,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 345/38, 345/104, 345173-174, 345/176, 345/158, 178/18, 178/19
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

Input position is accurately detected. In an x-detection period of a non-display period, a source drive circuit simultaneously applies to all signal wiring lines a pulse of a peak value proportional to a distance from a gate drive circuit. A coordinate detection circuit obtains an x-coordinate on the basis of a voltage induced at a pen corresponding to the peak value (x-coordinate) of the applied pulse. In a y-detection period, a pulse generation circuit applies one pulse to a common line. The pen detects a potential variation in amplitude proportional to a distance (y-coordinate) from the source drive circuit, generated approximately simultaneously on all the signal wiring lines via a capacitance. The coordinate detection circuit obtains the y-coordinate similarly to the case of x-coordinate detection.

Claims

1. An input-output integrated type display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel having pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix form, switching elements that are arranged in a matrix form and connected to the pixel electrodes, a plurality of scanning lines commonly connected to a control terminal of each of the switching elements arranged in the direction of row, a first insulating substrate on which a plurality of reference wiring lines commonly connected to the pixel electrodes arranged in the direction of row via the switching elements are formed, a second insulating substrate on which a plurality of stripe-shaped signal wiring lines commonly opposite to the pixel electrodes arranged in the direction of column are formed, and a liquid crystal layer held between the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate;

a display control means for turning on the switching elements in rows with a scanning signal inputted to the plurality of scanning lines in a display period so as to connect the pixel electrodes to the reference wiring lines and inputting a voltage to the plurality of signal wiring lines according to display data so as to apply a display voltage corresponding to the display data across the pixel electrodes connected to the reference wiring lines and the signal wiring lines;

a position information control means for simultaneously inputting the position information signal that represents a position on the liquid crystal display panel to the plurality of signal wiring lines in a non-display period;

a position information signal detection means for detecting the position information signal inputted to the signal wiring line located in the vicinity of its tip portion; and

a position detection means for detecting a tip position of the position information signal detection means on the liquid crystal display panel on the basis of the position information signal detected by the position information signal detection means.

2. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the position information signal is comprised of a first position information signal that represents a position in the direction of row and a second position information signal that represents a position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel, and

the first position information signal is a signal that has an amplitude corresponding to the position in the direction of row.

3. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the amplitude of the first position information signal is set so as to gradually increase or decrease from an input side of the scanning signal.

4. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a common line, which is formed while being extended in the direction of row on the first insulating substrate and is capacitively coupled with one end portion of each of the plurality of signal wiring lines formed on the second insulating substrate, wherein

the position information signal is comprised of a first position information signal that represents a position in the direction of row and a second position information signal that represents a position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel, and

the second position information signal is a voltage signal, which is generated in each signal wiring line due to a pulse applied to the common line and has an amplitude that attenuates gradually from the common line side.

5. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the common line is electrically connected to the reference wiring lines.

6. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the position information control means applies a halftone display voltage to the other end of the plurality of signal wiring lines when applying a pulse to the common line.

7. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the position information control means generates the pulse to be applied to the common line by intermittently connecting and disconnecting the switching means provided between a power source and the common line.

8. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein inputting of the first position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of row on the liquid crystal display panel, as well as inputting of the second position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel are time-sequentially performed.

9. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a common line, which is formed while being extended in the direction of row on the first insulating substrate and is connected to one end portion of each of the plurality of signal wiring lines formed on the second insulating substrate via the switching means, wherein

the position information signal is comprised of a first position information signal that represents a position in the direction of row and a second position information signal that represents a position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel, and

the second position information signal is a pulse signal, which is generated in each signal wiring line due to a pulse applied to the common line after the switching means is turned on by the position information control means and has an amplitude that attenuates gradually from the common line side.

10. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein inputting of the first position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of row on the liquid crystal display panel, as well as inputting of the second position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel are time-sequentially performed.

11. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a common line, which is formed while being extended in the direction of row on the first insulating substrate and is connected to one end portion of each of the plurality of signal wiring lines formed on the second insulating substrate via the switching means, wherein

the position information signal is comprised of a first position information signal that represents a position in the direction of row and a second position information signal that represents a position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel, and

the second position information signal is a pulse signal, which is applied to the other end of the plurality of signal wiring lines after the switching means is turned on by the position information control means and has an amplitude that attenuates gradually from the other end side.

12. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position information signal detection means is provided with a conductor to be capacitively coupled with the signal wiring line located in the vicinity of its tip portion.

13. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position information signal detection means is provided with a conductor to be inductively coupled with the signal wiring line located in the vicinity of its tip portion.

14. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein inputting of the first position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of row on the liquid crystal display panel, as well as inputting of the second position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel are time-sequentially performed.

15. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein supply of power to the position detection means is stopped except for the period during which the tip position of the position information signal detection means is detected.

16. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position detection by the position detection means is performed by detecting values of a plurality of portions of the detected one position information signal and using the detection values.

17. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the detected position information signal has a varying period during which the value largely varies and a stationary period which is located on both sides of the varying period and during which the value is stable, and

the detection of the value by the position detection means is performed once in the stationary period and once in the varying period.

18. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the detected position information signal has a varying period during which the value largely varies and a stationary period which is located on both sides of the varying period and during which the value is stable, and

the detection of the value by the position detection means is performed a plurality of times in the varying period.

19. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the detection of the value by the position detection means is additionally performed once in the stationary period.

20. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the detection of the value by the position detection means is additionally performed a plurality of times in the stationary period.

21. An input-output integrated type display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel having pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix form, switching elements that are arranged in a matrix form and connected to the pixel electrodes, a plurality of scanning lines commonly connected to a control terminal of each of the switching elements arranged in the direction of row, a first insulating substrate on which a plurality of reference wiring lines commonly connected to the pixel electrodes arranged in the direction of row via the switching elements are formed, a second insulating substrate on which a plurality of stripe-shaped signal wiring lines commonly opposite to the pixel electrodes arranged in the direction of column are formed, and a liquid crystal layer held between the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate;

a display control means for turning on the switching elements in rows with a scanning signal inputted to the plurality of scanning lines in a display period so as to connect the pixel electrodes to the reference wiring lines and inputting a voltage to the plurality of signal wiring lines according to display data so as to apply a display voltage corresponding to the display data across the pixel electrodes connected to the reference wiring lines and the signal wiring lines;

a position information control means for simultaneously inputting the position information signal that represents a position on the liquid crystal display panel to the plurality of signal wiring lines in a non-display period;

a position information signal detection means for detecting the position information signal inputted to the signal wiring line located in the vicinity of its tip portion;

a position detection means for detecting a tip position of the position information signal detection means on the liquid crystal display panel on the basis of the position information signal detected by the position information signal detection means;

wherein the position information signal is comprised of a first position information signal that represents a position in the direction of row and a second position information signal that represents a position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel, and

wherein the first position information signal is a digital signal that represents the position in the direction of row by a combination of a voltage level that exceeds a reference voltage level and a voltage level that does not exceed the reference voltage level.

22. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the digital signal is expressed by a Gray code.

23. The input-output integrated type display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein inputting of the first position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of row on the liquid crystal display panel, as well as inputting of the second position information signal and detection of the position in the direction of column on the liquid crystal display panel are time-sequentially performed.

24. An input-output integrated type liquid crystal display device comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate including an array of TFTs, wherein the TFTs are electrically connected to scanning lines, reference lines, and pixel electrodes of the liquid crystal display;

an opposite substrate including a plurality of signal lines that are perpendicular to the scanning lines,

a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the opposite substrate, and wherein pixels are provided where the pixel electrodes of the TFT substrate cross the signal lines of the opposite substrate;

a source drive circuit for applying source signals to the signal lines during a display period, and wherein the signal lines overlap a common line on the opposite substrate so as to form respective capacitances therebetween;

a pulse generation circuit for applying pulses to the common line during a position detection period; and

wherein potential variations on the common line during the detection period are transferred partially to the signal lines across said respective capacitances so as to cause spike-like potentials on the signal lines that are used in detecting a position of a stylus on the liquid crystal display device.