Display device and sensing signal processing apparatus

• US 7,936,340 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Joo-Hyung, Uh, Kee-Han, Kim, Hyung-Guel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US11/561,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/178, 178 1801- 1806
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A display device includes a plurality of first and second sensing data lines; a plurality of first and second sensors connected to the first and second sensing data lines, respectively; a plurality of first signal converters which compare a first sensing data signal with a first reference voltage and output a first sensing output signal; a plurality of second signal converters which compare a second sensing data signal with the first reference voltage and output a second sensing output signal; a first position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a first position signal; a second position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a second position signal; a signal output unit which outputs a digital sensing signal in series; and a contact determiner which determines a contact position of the first and second sensors.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a first panel;

a second panel;

a gate line extending in a first direction;

a data line extending in a second direction, substantially different from the first direction, on the second panel;

a first sensing data line extending in the first direction on the second panel;

a second sensing data line extending in the second direction on the second panel;

a first sensor connected to the first sensing data line;

a second sensor connected to the second sensing data line;

a first signal converter which compares a first sensing data signal from the first sensing data line with a first reference voltage and outputs a first sensing output signal;

a second signal converter which compares a second sensing data signal from the second sensing data line with the first reference voltage and outputs a second sensing output signal;

a first position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a first position signal depending on the first sensing output signal;

a second position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a second position signal depending on the second sensing output signal;

a signal output unit which outputs a digital sensing signal in series based on the first position signal and the second position signal from the first position signal output unit and the second position signal output unit, respectively; and

a contact determiner which determines a contact position of the first sensor and the second sensor based on the digital sensing signal from the signal output unit,

wherein each of the first and second sensors includes a switch which has a common electrode disposed on the first panel as a first terminal and the first sensing data line or the second sensing data line as a second terminal.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal converters each comprise:

a voltage divider which divides a voltage of a sensing data signal, wherein the sensing data signal is one of the first sensing data signals and the second sensing data signals;

a comparator which compares a divided voltage from the voltage divider with the first reference voltage; and

a D flip-flop which outputs a flip-flop output signal from the comparator, wherein the voltage level of the flip-flop output signal depends on a clock signal.

3. The display device of claim 2, further comprising a diode connected in a forward direction between a sensing data line and the voltage divider, wherein the sensing data lines is one of the first sensing data line and the second sensing data line.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors connected between the diode and a ground, and

the comparator is an operational amplifier in which a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to a common terminal of the first and second resistors and an inversion terminal thereof is connected to the first reference voltage.

5. The display device of claim 2, further comprising a diode connected in a backward direction between a sensing data line and the voltage divider, wherein the sensing data line is one of the first sensing data line and the second sensing data line.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors which are connected between the diode and a second reference voltage, and

the comparator is an operational amplifier in which a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to a common terminal of the first and second resistors and a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to a third reference voltage.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second position signal output units are encoders.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the first and second signal converters output a high voltage level signal when the first and second sensors which are connected thereto, respectively, are operated by closing the switch.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the first and second position signal output units convert a number for outputting a high voltage level signal, which is output by the first and second signal converters, to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals.

10. The display device of claim 8, wherein when there are multiple first signal converters and multiple second signal converters outputting a high voltage level signal the first and second position signal output units convert a number output by the first and second signal converters which are positioned in the middle of the multiple first and second signal converters to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the first and second position signal output units convert the number output by the first and second signal converters positioned in a (q/2) or [(q/2)+1]th position to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals wherein there are an even number of first and second signal converters for outputting a high voltage level signal and (q) is the total number of the multiple first and second signal converters.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the first and second position signal output units exclude the first and second sensing output signals from the first and second signal converters which exceed a predetermined number when the first and second signal converters for outputting a high voltage level signal exceed the predetermined number.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the contact determiner reads a digital sensing signal from the signal output unit when at least one of the first and second sensors is operated by closing the switch.

14. The display device of claim 13, wherein the signal output unit comprises an interrupt signal generator for outputting an interrupt signal to the contact determiner.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the contact determiner reads a digital sensing signal from the signal output unit when the interrupt signal is at a high voltage level.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the interrupt signal generator comprises:

a first OR circuit in which an input terminal thereof is connected to an output terminal of the first position signal output unit;

a second OR circuit in which an input terminal thereof is connected to an output terminal of the second position signal output unit; and

an AND circuit connected to output terminals of the first and second OR circuits.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are pressure sensors.

18. A sensing signal processing apparatus comprising:

a first signal converter which compares a first sensing data signal from a first sensor with a first reference voltage and outputs a first sensing output signal;

a second signal converter which compares a second sensing data signal from a second sensor with the first reference voltage and outputs a second sensing output signal;

a first position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a first position signal depending on the first sensing output signal;

a second position signal output unit which outputs a predetermined bit of a second position signal depending on the second sensing output signal; and

a signal output unit which outputs a digital sensing signal in series based on the first position signal and the second position signal from the first position signal output unit and the second position signal output unit, respectively,

wherein the first signal converter and the second signal converter each comprise;

a voltage divider which divides a voltage of a sensing data signal, wherein the sensing data signal is one of the first sensing data signal and the second sensing data signal;

a comparator which compares a divided voltage from the voltage divider with the first reference voltage; and

a D flip-flop which outputs a flip-flop output signal from the comparator to a corresponding level of signal depending on a clock signal, wherein the voltage level of the flip-flop output signal depends on a clock signal.

19. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a diode connected in a forward direction between a sensing data line and the voltage divider, wherein the sensing data line is one of the first sensing data line and the second sensing data line.

20. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors connected between the diode and a ground, and

the comparator is an operational amplifier in which a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to a common terminal of the first and second resistors and an inversion terminal thereof is connected to the first reference voltage.

21. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a diode connected in a backward direction between a sensing data line and the voltage divider, wherein the sensing data line is one of the first sensing data line and the second sensing data line.

22. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors connected between the diode and a second reference voltage, and

the comparator is an operational amplifier in which a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to a common terminal of the first and second resistors and a non-inversion terminal thereof is connected to the first reference voltage.

23. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first and second position signal output units are encoders.

24. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first and second position signal output units convert a number for outputting a high voltage level signal, which is output by the first and second signal converters, to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals.

25. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein when there are multiple first signal converters and multiple second signal converters outputting a high voltage level signal the first and second position signal output units convert a number output by the first and second signal converters which are positioned in the middle of the multiple first and second signal converters to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals.

26. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first and second position signal output units convert the number output by the first and second signal converters positioned in a (q/2) or [(q/2)+1]th position to a binary and output the binary as the first and second position signals wherein there are an even number of the first and second signal converters for outputting a high voltage level signal and (q) is the total number of the multiple first and second signal converters.

27. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first and second position signal output units exclude the first and second sensing output signals from the first and second signal converters which exceed a predetermined number when the first and second signal converters for outputting a high voltage level signal exceed the predetermined number.

28. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the signal output unit comprises an interrupt signal generator for outputting an interrupt signal.

29. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the interrupt signal generator comprises:

a first OR circuit in which an input terminal thereof is connected to an output terminal of the first position signal output unit;

a second OR circuit in which an input terminal thereof is connected to an output terminal of the second position signal output unit; and

an AND circuit connected to output terminals of the first and second OR circuits.

30. The sensing signal processing apparatus of claim 29, wherein the signal output unit outputs digital sensing signals in series in synchronization with the interrupt signal.