Driving an OLED display structure integrated with a touch sensor configuration

• US 8,576,161 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Shih Chang, Hotelling, Steven Porter, Lynch, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLTON, STEVEN E
• Application Number:
  US12/487,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 345/104, 345173-178, 345/207, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided of driving an OLED display structure integrated with a touch sensor configuration.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch-sensitive screen display of a device comprising:

modulating a value of one or more display operating parameters of the device based at least in part on detecting touch events on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the modulation comprises increasing or decreasing the value; and

modulating the value of the one or more display operating parameters of the device opposite the touch-event detected modulation based at least in part on detecting an absence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen;

wherein the modulation of the display operating parameters occurs while the touch-sensitive screen display is displaying one or more images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulating one or more display operating parameters comprises modulating any of the following display operating parameters in any combination of two or more:

a display frame rate;

a display duty cycle;

a set of pixels of the display held steady for two or more display frame cycles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, the modulating one or more display operating parameters comprises as the display frame rate increases, also increasing the display duty cycle.

4. The method of claim 3, and further comprising:

retaining a sub array of pixels of the display for a particular frame image over two or more display frame cycles.

5. The method of claim 3, and further comprising:

retaining a column and row of an array of pixels of the display for a particular frame image over two or more display frame cycles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulating one or more display operating parameters comprises at least decreasing the display rate based at least in part on the presence of detected touch events.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the modulating one or more display operating parameters comprises increasing the display frame rate based at least in part on an absence of detected touch events.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the detection of touch event comprises detecting capacitive touch sensing touch events.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the modulating any combination of at least the following:

a display frame rate;

a display duty cycle;

a set of pixels of the display held steady for two or more display frame cycles is to at least in part reduce potential electrical interference within the device.

10. A apparatus comprising:

a device including a touch-sensitive screen display;

said device being operative to modulate a value of one or more display operating parameters of the device to at least in part reduce potential electrical interference within the device based at least in part on touch events detected on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the modulation comprises increasing or decreasing the value; and

modulating the value of the one or more display operating parameters of the device opposite the touch-event detected modulation based at least in part on an absence of touch events detected on the touch-sensitive screen,

wherein the modulation of the display operating parameters occurs while the touch-sensitive screen display is displaying one or more images.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the device being further operative to modulate any of the following display operating parameters in any combination of two or more:

a display frame rate;

a display duty cycle;

a set of pixels of the display held steady for two or more display frame cycles.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device being further operative to decrease the display frame rate based at least in part on detecting the presence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device being further operative to increase the display frame rate based at least in part on detecting the absence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device being further operative to also modulate a display duty cycle based at least in part on touch events detected on the touch-sensitive screen.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the device being further operative to maintain pixel voltage signal value levels of a set of pixels for a particular frame image over two or more display frame cycles based at least in part on touch events detected on the touch-sensitive screen.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a device including a display, the display comprising means for detecting touch events on a touch-sensitive screen of the display;

the device further comprising means for modulating a value of one or more display operating parameters of the device based at least in part on detecting touch events on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the modulation comprises increasing or decreasing the value; and

modulating the value of the one or more display operating parameters of the device opposite the touch-event detected modulation based at least in part on detecting an absence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen;

wherein the modulation of the display operating parameters occurs while the touch-sensitive screen display is displaying one or more images.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for modulating one or more display operating parameters of the device based at least in part on detecting touch events on the touch-sensitive screen comprises means modulating any of the following display operating parameters in any combination of two or more:

a display frame rate;

a display duty cycle;

a set of pixels of the display held steady for two or more display frame cycles.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the means for modulating one or more display operating parameters of the device based at least in part on detecting touch events on the touch-sensitive screen comprises means for decreasing the display frame rate based at least in part on detecting the presence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the means for modulating one or more display operating parameters of the device based at least in part on detecting touch events on the touch-sensitive screen comprises means for increasing the display frame rate based at least in part on detecting the absence of touch events on the touch-sensitive screen.