Integrated display and touch screen

• US 8,552,989 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve Porter, Chen, Wei, Krah, Christoph Horst, Elias, John Greer, Yao, Wei Hsin, Zhong, John Z., Hodge, Andrew Bert, Land, Brian Richards, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US11/760,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/104, 178 1801- 2004, 349/162
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation waveform is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation waveform to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a display element for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation, the display element operative to provide a voltage waveform different from the touch stimulation waveform during the display mode of operation.

2. The touch screen of claim 1 wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes are disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate and the display element comprises a counter electrode such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the integrated display touch screen during the display mode of operation, and the voltage waveform provided by the counter electrode is a common voltage waveform that is different from the touch stimulation waveform.

3. The touch screen of claim 2 wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes comprise ITO patterned on top of the color filter.

4. The touch screen of claim 2 wherein the plurality of touch sense electrodes are disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate and not between the first and second substrates.

5. The touch screen of claim 2 wherein the color filter is disposed on the second substrate and the plurality of touch drive electrodes comprise ITO patterned on the color filter.

6. The touch screen of claim 5 wherein the plurality of touch sense electrodes comprised patterned ITO disposed on the second substrate between the second substrate and the second polarizer.

7. The touch screen of claim 2,

wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry is operatively coupled to the plurality of touch sense electrodes at least during the touch sensing mode of operation for measuring a change in current and/or voltage resulting from a change in capacitance at the capacitive coupling nodes, the change in capacitance resulting from a perturbation of an electric field at the capacitive coupling nodes as an object is brought in proximity to the touch screen.

8. The touch screen of claim 7,

wherein each of the plurality of touch drive electrodes overlaps plural rows of display pixels to form a single touch drive segment for each overlapped plural rows.

9. The touch screen of claim 8, wherein each display pixel includes a storage capacitor, and in the display mode of operation, the common voltage waveform is applied to each storage capacitor of the plural rows of display pixels overlapped by each of the touch drive segments.

10. The touch screen as recited in claim 9, wherein in the display mode of operation, the common voltage is also applied to the touch drive segments.

11. The touch screen of claim 10, wherein in the touch sensing mode of operation, the touch stimulation waveform is applied to the touch drive segments.

12. The touch screen of claim 11, wherein in the touch sensing mode of operation, the touch stimulation waveform is also applied to storage capacitors of the display pixels overlapped by a given touch drive segment which receives the touch stimulation signal.

13. The touch screen as recited in claim 8, the plurality of display pixels having a plurality of storage capacitors with counter-electrodes, wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter-electrodes for the plurality of storage capacitors during a display mode of operation.

14. The touch screen as recited in claim 8, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry includes one or more charge amplifiers, each having an inverting input coupled to receive on output from the plurality of touch sense electrodes, a non-inverting input coupled to a reference potential and an output coupled to the inverting input.

15. The touch screen of claim 1 wherein the plurality of touch sense electrodes are formed on the second substrate.

16. The touch screen of claim 1 wherein the display pixels each comprise a storage capacitor having a counter electrode and the display element comprises the counter electrode of the storage capacitors such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the storage capacitors of the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

17. The touch screen of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are disposed on the first polarizer, and wherein a user faces the first substrate such that the first substrate is nearer the user than the second substrate.

18. The touch screen of claim 17 wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are formed from ITO and the first polarizer is laminated to the first substrate.

19. An integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as black matrix for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

20. The touch screen of claim 19 wherein the plurality of touch sense electrodes are disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate between the second substrate and the second polarizer.

21. The touch screen of claim 20 wherein the black matrix comprises one of a conductive black matrix or metal drive lines hidden behind a polymer black matrix.

22. The touch screen of claim 21 wherein the black matrix is a conductive black matrix, and the conductive black matrix is partitioned into separate rectangularly shaped touch drive segments having drive lines with each drive segment comprising a rectangularly shaped two dimensional array of the drive lines interconnected to form plural rows of a mesh pattern and each drive segment is electrically isolated from other drive segments.

23. The touch screen of claim 21 wherein the black matrix comprises metal drive lines hidden behind a polymer black matrix, and the metal drive lines are partitioned into separate rectangularly shaped touch drive segments with each drive segment comprising a rectangularly shaped two dimensional array of the drive lines interconnected to form plural rows of a mesh pattern and each drive segment is electrically isolated from other drive segments.

24. The touch screen of claim 21 wherein touch screen comprises a common voltage layer disposed between the first and second substrates and serving as a counter electrode for the display pixels, the common voltage layer being segmented and being separate and distinct from the plurality of touch drive electrodes.

25. An integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a pixel electrode for each of the display pixels for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

26. The touch screen of claim 25 wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are disposed on the first polarizer, and wherein a user faces the first substrate such that the first substrate is nearer the user than the second substrate.

27. The touch screen of claim 26 wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are formed from ITO and the first polarizer is laminated to the first substrate.

28. The touch screen of claim 25, wherein during the display mode of operation, individual rows of the display pixels are selected individually to update the display, and during the touch sensing mode of operation multiple rows of display pixels are selected simultaneously.

29. The touch screen of claim 28, wherein a plurality of switches are disposed on the first substrate to control the display pixels, and the plurality of switches are maintained in an off state during the touch sensing mode of operation.

30. The touch screen of claim 29, wherein the plurality of switches comprise TFT transistors connected to a data line, a gate line and connected to the pixel electrodes of the display pixels, and wherein a high voltage is applied to the data line during the touch sensing mode of operation to maintain the TFT transistors in an off state.

31. The touch screen as recited in claim 30, wherein, during the touch sensing mode of operation, multiple rows of display pixels are selected simultaneously by applying a stimulating voltage to the gate lines of the TFT transistors and wherein the stimulating voltage is at least partially transferred to the pixel electrodes of the display pixels.

32. An electronic device incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels, the touch screen comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation waveform is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation waveform to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a display element for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation, the display element operative to provide a voltage waveform different from the touch stimulation waveform during the display mode of operation.

33. The electronic device of claim 32 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

34. The electronic device of claim 32 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

35. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes are disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate and the display element comprises a counter electrode such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation, and the voltage waveform provided by the counter electrode is a common voltage waveform that is different from the touch stimulation waveform.

36. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

37. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

38. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the color filter is disposed on the second substrate and the plurality of touch drive electrodes comprise ITO patterned on the color filter.

39. The electronic device of claim 38 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

40. The electronic device of claim 38 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

41. The electronic device of claim 32 wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes comprises a plurality of metal touch drive electrodes disposed behind a black matrix.

42. The electronic device of claim 41 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

43. The electronic device of claim 41 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

44. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the display pixels each comprise a storage capacitor having a counter electrode and the display element comprises the counter electrode of the storage capacitors such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the storage capacitors of the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

45. The electronic device of claim 44 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

46. The electronic device of claim 44 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

47. The electronic device as recited in claim 32,

wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry is operatively coupled to the plurality of touch sense electrodes at least during the touch sensing mode of operation for measuring a change in current and/or voltage resulting from a change in capacitance at the capacitive coupling nodes, the change in capacitance resulting from a perturbation of an electric field at the capacitive coupling nodes as an object is brought in proximity to the touch screen;

and

wherein each of the plurality of touch drive electrodes overlaps plural rows of display pixels to form a single touch drive segment for each overlapped plural rows.

48. The electronic device as recited in claim 47, wherein the electronic device selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant and a media player.

49. The electronic device as recited in claim 47, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry includes one or more charge amplifiers, each having an inverting input coupled to receive on output from the plurality of touch sense electrodes, a non-inverting input coupled to a reference potential and an output coupled to the inverting input.

50. An electronic device incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as black matrix for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

51. The electronic device of claim 50, wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

52. The electronic device of claim 50, wherein the black matrix is one of a conductive black matrix or metal drive lines hidden behind a polymer black matrix, and the conductive black matrix is partitioned into separate rectangularly shaped touch drive segments having drive lines with each drive segment comprising a rectangularly shaped two dimensional array of the drive lines interconnected to form plural rows of a mesh pattern and each drive segment is electrically isolated from other drive segments.

53. The electronic device incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a pixel electrode for each of the display pixels for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

54. The electronic device of claim 53 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

55. The electronic device of claim 53 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

56. The electronic device of claim 53, wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are formed from ITO and the first polarizer is laminated to the first substrate.

57. The electronic device of claim 56 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a tablet computer, and a notebook computer.

58. The electronic device of claim 56 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a media player, and a mobile telephone.

59. A mobile telephone incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of rows of display pixels, the touch screen comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation waveform is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation waveform to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a display element for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation, the display element operative to provide a voltage waveform different from the touch stimulation waveform during the display mode of operation.

60. The mobile telephone of claim 59, wherein the plurality of touch drive electrodes are disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate and the display element comprises a counter electrode such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation, and the voltage waveform provided by the counter electrode is a common voltage waveform that is different from the touch stimulation waveform.

61. The mobile telephone of claim 60, wherein the color filter is disposed on the second substrate and the plurality of touch drive electrodes comprise ITO patterned on the color filter.

62. The mobile telephone of claim 59, wherein the black matrix is one of a conductive black matrix or metal drive lines hidden behind a polymer black matrix, and the conductive black matrix is partitioned into separate rectangularly shaped touch drive segments having drive lines with each drive segment comprising a rectangularly shaped two dimensional array of the drive lines interconnected to form plural rows of a mesh pattern and each drive segment is electrically isolated from other drive segments.

63. The mobile telephone of claim 59, wherein the display pixels each comprise a storage capacitor having a counter electrode and the display element comprises the counter electrode of the storage capacitors such that the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serve as the counter electrode for the storage capacitors of the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

64. The mobile telephone as recited in claim 59,

wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry is operatively coupled to the plurality of touch sense electrodes at least during the touch sensing mode of operation for measuring a change in current and/or voltage resulting from a change in capacitance at the capacitive coupling nodes, the change in capacitance resulting from a perturbation of an electric field at the capacitive coupling nodes as an object is brought in proximity to the touch screen;

and

wherein each of the plurality of touch drive electrodes overlaps plural rows of display pixels to form a single touch drive segment for each overlapped plural rows.

65. The mobile telephone as recited in claim 64, wherein the capacitive sensing circuitry includes one or more charge amplifiers, each having an inverting input coupled to receive on output from the plurality of touch sense electrodes, a non-inverting input coupled to a reference potential and an output coupled to the inverting input.

66. The mobile telephone incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as black matrix for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

67. The mobile telephone incorporating an integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation; and

the plurality of touch drive electrodes also serving as a pixel electrode for each of the display pixels for the integrated display touch screen during a display mode of operation.

68. The mobile telephone of claim 67, wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are formed from ITO and the first polarizer is laminated to the first substrate.

69. An integrated display touch screen having a plurality of display pixels comprising:

a first polarizer;

a second polarizer;

a first substrate having display control circuitry formed thereon, the first substrate being disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first polarizer;

a second substrate disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer and adjacent the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;

a color filter disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second substrate, the first plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate; and

a second plurality of touch sensing elements disposed between the first and second polarizers but not between the first and second substrates;

a counter electrode disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate, the counter electrode serving as a common voltage electrode during the display mode of operation;

one of the first or second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch drive electrodes disposed along a first direction and the other of the first or second plurality of touch sensing elements comprising a plurality of touch sense electrodes disposed along a second direction transverse to the first direction such that capacitive coupling nodes are formed at the crossing of the plurality of touch drive and touch sense electrodes;

wherein;

a touch stimulation signal is provided exclusively to the plurality of touch drive electrodes such that the touch drive electrodes are used exclusively for applying the touch stimulation signal to the capacitive coupling nodes during a touch sensing mode of operation and, during the touch sensing mode of operation, the plurality of touch sense electrodes exclusively connect the capacitive coupling nodes to capacitive sensing circuitry such that the touch sense electrodes are used exclusively for touch sensing during the touch sensing mode of operation.

70. The touch screen as recited in claim 69, wherein the first plurality of touch sensing elements comprise the plurality of touch drive electrodes and the second plurality of touch sensing elements comprise the plurality of touch sense electrodes.

71. The touch screen as recited in claim 69 wherein:

the first plurality of touch sensing elements is disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

the counter electrode is disposed directly or indirectly on the second substrate;

a dielectric layer disposed between the counter electrode and the first plurality of touch sensing elements; and

the first plurality of touch sensing elements is disposed more closely adjacent the second substrate than the counter electrode.