Integrated in-plane switching
First Claim
1. A method of operating a display for displaying data and providing touch sensing, the display having a plurality of cells, each cell having a driven electrode, a counter electrode and a storage capacitor configured in an IPS arrangement, some of the plurality of cells comprising first type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a first plurality of lines and others of the plurality of cells comprising second type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a second plurality of lines, the method comprising:
- coupling a plurality of data lines to the driven electrode of the plurality of cells during a display time period to thereby display data on the display, the data lines coupled through switching devices controlled by gate lines;
driving the plurality of data lines with data signals during the display time period in order to create voltage differentials between the driven and counter electrodes of one or more cells of the plurality of cells;
the storage capacitor coupling the driven and counter electrodes;
while not driving the plurality of data lines, driving at least one of(1) the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with a stimulation signal, such that the stimulation signal is applied to one plate of the storage capacitor and connecting the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with one or more sensor circuits or(2) driving the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with a stimulation signal such that the stimulation signal is applied to one plate of the storage capacitor and connecting the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with one or more sensor circuits; and
wherein the first plurality of lines and the second plurality of lines are distinct from the gate lines and the data lines.
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Abstract
This relates to adding multi-touch functionality to a display without the need of a separate multi-touch panel or layer overlaying the display. Instead, embodiments of the invention can advantageously utilize existing display circuitry to provide multi-touch functionality while adding relatively little circuitry that is specific to the multi-touch functionality. Thus, by sharing circuitry for the display and the multi-touch functionalities, embodiments of the invention can be implemented at a lower cost than the alternative of superimposing additional multi-touch related layers onto an existing display panel. Furthermore, since the display and multi-touch functionality can be implemented on the same circuit, they can be synchronized so that noise resulting from the display functionality does not detrimentally affect the multi-touch functionality and vice versa.
62 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of operating a display for displaying data and providing touch sensing, the display having a plurality of cells, each cell having a driven electrode, a counter electrode and a storage capacitor configured in an IPS arrangement, some of the plurality of cells comprising first type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a first plurality of lines and others of the plurality of cells comprising second type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a second plurality of lines, the method comprising:
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coupling a plurality of data lines to the driven electrode of the plurality of cells during a display time period to thereby display data on the display, the data lines coupled through switching devices controlled by gate lines; driving the plurality of data lines with data signals during the display time period in order to create voltage differentials between the driven and counter electrodes of one or more cells of the plurality of cells; the storage capacitor coupling the driven and counter electrodes; while not driving the plurality of data lines, driving at least one of (1) the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with a stimulation signal, such that the stimulation signal is applied to one plate of the storage capacitor and connecting the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with one or more sensor circuits or (2) driving the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with a stimulation signal such that the stimulation signal is applied to one plate of the storage capacitor and connecting the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with one or more sensor circuits; and wherein the first plurality of lines and the second plurality of lines are distinct from the gate lines and the data lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A multi-touch enabled display comprising:
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a plurality of data lines; a plurality of cells, each cell including a driven electrode and a counter electrode, the driven electrodes of the plurality of cells being connected to the plurality of data lines during a first time period; a plurality of first lines wherein a plurality of first type cells of the plurality of cells is such that the counter electrode of each first type cell is connected to one of the plurality of first lines; a plurality of second lines wherein a plurality of second type cells of the plurality of cells is such that the counter electrode of each second type cell is connected to a one of the plurality of second lines; and control circuitry configured to; drive the plurality of data lines with data signals during the first time period in order to create voltage differentials between the driven and counter electrodes of one or more cells of the plurality of cells; drive the plurality of first lines connected to the first type cells with a stimulation signal during a second time period, so that the stimulation signal does not significantly change the voltage differentials between the electrodes of the first type cells; connect the plurality of second lines connected to the second type cells with one or more sensor circuits during the second time period; drive the plurality of second lines connected to the second type cells with a stimulation signal during a third time period, so that the stimulation signal does not significantly change the voltage differentials between the electrodes of the second type cells; and connect the plurality of first lines connected to the first type cells with one or more sensor circuits during the third time period. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a display for displaying data and providing touch sensing, the display having a plurality of cells, each cell having a driven electrode and a counter electrode, some of the plurality of cells comprising first type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a first plurality of lines and others of the plurality of cells comprising second type cells having their counter electrodes connected to ones of a second plurality of lines, the method comprising:
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connecting a plurality of data lines to the driven electrode of the plurality of cells during a first time period to thereby display data on the display; driving the plurality of data lines with data signals during the first time period in order to create voltage differentials between the driven and counter electrodes of one or more cells of the plurality of cells; driving the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with a stimulation signal during a second time period, such that the stimulation signal does not significantly change the voltage differentials between the electrodes of the first type cells; connecting the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with one or more sensor circuits during the second time period; driving the second plurality of lines connected to the second type cells with a stimulation signal during a third time period, such that the stimulation signal does not significantly change the voltage differentials between the electrodes of the second type cells; and connecting the first plurality of lines connected to the first type cells with the one or more sensor circuits during the third time period. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A touch screen comprising an in-plane-switching (IPS) liquid crystal display with integral touch sensing, the touch screen comprising:
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a plurality of gate lines; a plurality of data lines; a pair of electrodes for each of a plurality of display pixels, the pair of electrodes disposed in an in-plane-switching arrangement; a driven electrode being one of the pair of electrodes; a counter electrode being the other of the pair of electrodes; the plurality of data lines transmitting display data to the driven electrodes of the plurality of display pixels; and a plurality of switches, operative in a display mode of operation and responsive to the plurality of gate lines, for connecting the data lines to the driven electrodes of the plurality of display pixels; a first plurality of display pixels having first groups of display pixels disposed along a first direction, each of the first groups having counter electrodes connected together by a common first line; a second plurality of display pixels having second groups of display pixels disposed along a second direction, each of the second groups having counter electrodes connected together by a common second line; the common first lines and the common second lines distinct from the gate lines and the data lines; and during a touch sensing mode of operation, a stimulation signal is applied to at least one of (1) a plurality of the common first lines while capacitance sensing circuitry is coupled to a plurality of the common second lines or (2) a stimulation signal is applied to the plurality of the common second lines while capacitance sensing circuitry is coupled to a plurality of the common first lines. - View Dependent Claims (25, 31, 32)
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26. A touch screen comprising an in-plane-switching liquid crystal display with integral touch sensing, the touch screen having a plurality of touch pixels responsive to a touch or near touch of the touch screen wherein the touch screen comprises:
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a plurality of display pixels each having first and second electrodes disposed adjacent one another in an in-plane switching arrangement;
a select terminal, a data terminal and a common terminal, the display pixels used during a display mode of operation;first type pixels, each having first and second electrodes disposed adjacent one another in an in-plane switching arrangement;
a select terminal, a data terminal and a common terminal with common terminals of adjacent first type pixels electrically connected together to form touch sensing columns, the first type pixels used at least during a touch sensing mode of operation;second type pixels each having first and second electrodes disposed adjacent one another in an in-plane switching arrangement;
a select terminal, a data terminal and a common terminal with common terminals of adjacent second type pixels electrically connected together to form touch sensing row, the second type pixels used at least during a touch sensing mode of operations;a first column group formed by first type pixels and display pixels disposed in one or more columns, wherein a ratio of display pixels to first type pixels is X;
1, where X is an integer greater than 1;a second column group formed by second type pixels and display pixels disposed in one or more columns, wherein a ratio of display pixels to second type pixels is X;
1, where X is an integer greater than 1 the second column group disposed adjacent the first column group;wherein during a touch sense mode of operation, a stimulation signal is alternately applied to the plurality of touch sensing rows and the plurality of touch sensing columns; and a capacitance sensing circuitry alternately coupled to the plurality of touch sensing columns and the plurality of touch sensing rows.
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27. A touch screen comprising a liquid crystal display with integral touch sensing, the touch screen having a plurality of touch pixels responsive to a touch or near touch of the touch screen wherein the touch screen comprises:
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first type pixels, each having first and second electrodes disposed adjacent one another in an in-plane switching arrangement;
a select terminal, a data terminal and a common terminal with common terminals of adjacent first type pixels electrically connected together to form touch sensing columns;second type pixels each having first and second electrodes disposed adjacent one another in an in-plane switching arrangement;
a select terminal, a data terminal and a common terminal with common terminals of adjacent second type pixels electrically connected together to form touch sensing rows;a plurality of switches operative in a display mode to connect the data terminals of the first type and second type pixels to data lines; a first group of first type pixels disposed in one or more columns; a first group of second type pixels disposed in one or more columns, adjacent the first group of first type pixels; a second group of first type pixels disposed in one or more columns adjacent the first group of second type pixels; a second group of second type pixels disposed in one or more columns adjacent the second group of first type pixels; and wherein the first group of first type pixels, the adjacent first group of second type pixels, the adjacent second group of first type pixels and the adjacent second group of second type pixels form alternating first type and second type pixels columns; and the plurality of switches operative in a touch sensing mode to disconnect the data terminals of the first type and second type pixels from the data lines. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification