Touch sensing system, electronic touch apparatus, and touch sensing method

• US 8,913,017 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Chang, Tsen-Wei, Tang, Wing-Kai, Lin, Ching-Chun, Hung, Ching-Ho, Tsai, Jiun-Jie, Chen, Hsien-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): XAVIER, ANTONIO J
• Application Number:
  US13/069,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• 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

A touch sensing system including a touch interface, at least one sensing unit, and a switching unit is provided. The sensing unit is coupled to the touch interface. The touch sensing system is switched to a first sensing mode or a second sensing mode by the switching unit according to a control signal. When the touch sensing system is in the first sensing mode, the sensing unit senses a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal of the touch interface. On the other hand, when the touch sensing system is in the second sensing mode, the sensing unit senses the first sensing signal according to a driving signal. An electronic touch apparatus and a touch sensing method are also provided.

Claims

1. A touch sensing system, comprising:

a touch interface;

at least one sensing unit, coupled to the touch interface;

a switching unit, switching the touch sensing system to a first sensing mode or a second sensing mode according to a control signal,

wherein when the touch sensing system is in the first sensing mode, the sensing unit senses a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal of the touch interface, and when the touch sensing system is in the second sensing mode, the sensing unit senses the first sensing signal according to a driving signal; and

a driving unit, directly connected to the switching unit, and outputting the driving signal to the touch interface according to the control signal during the second sensing mode, wherein the at least one sensing unit and the driving unit are directly connected to different pins of the switching unit.

2. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing unit is directly connected to the switching unit, and senses the second sensing signal during the first sensing mode.

3. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises:

a first sensing unit, coupled to the touch interface, and sensing the first sensing signal; and

a second sensing unit, directly connected to the switching unit, and sensing the second sensing signal during the first sensing mode.

4. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated according to touch information of the touch interface.

5. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch information is at least one of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

6. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated according to an external instruction.

7. The touch sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching unit comprises at least one of a microprocessor, a switching device and a logic operation unit.

8. An electronic touch apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensing system, comprising;

a touch interface;

at least one sensing unit, coupled to the touch interface;

a switching unit, switching the touch sensing system to a first sensing mode or a second sensing mode according to a control signal,

wherein when the touch sensing system is in the first sensing mode, the sensing unit senses a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal of the touch interface, and when the touch sensing system is in the second sensing mode, the sensing unit senses the first sensing signal according to a driving signal; and

a driving unit, directly connected to the switching unit and coupled a processing unit, and outputting the driving signal to the touch interface according to the control signal during the second sensing mode, wherein the at least one sensing unit and the driving unit are directly connected to different pins of the switching unit; and

the processing unit, coupled to the sensing unit and the switching unit, generating the control signal, and determining at least one touch position on the touch interface according to at least one of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

9. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit generates the control signal according to touch information of the touch interface.

10. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the touch information is at least one of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

11. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit generates the control signal according to an external instruction.

12. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing unit is directly connected to the switching unit, and senses the second sensing signal during the first sensing mode.

13. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises:

a first sensing unit, directly connected to the touch interface, and sensing the first sensing signal; and

a second sensing unit, directly connected to the switching unit, and sensing the second sensing signal during the first sensing mode.

14. The electronic touch apparatus as claimed in claim 8, the switching unit comprises at least one of a microprocessor, a switching device and a logic operation unit.

15. A touch sensing device, comprising:

a driving unit;

a first sensing unit, coupled to a touch interface;

a second sensing unit; and

a switching unit, coupled between the touch interface, the driving unit and the second sensing unit, wherein the switching unit controls the connection of the touch interface to the driving unit or the second sensing unit, and in response to a control signal, is switched to connect the touch interface to the second sensing unit in a first sensing mode and to connect the touch interface to the driving unit in a second sensing mode.

16. The touch sensing device as claimed in claim 15, wherein in the first sensing mode, the first sensing unit senses a first sensing signal from the touch interface, and the second sensing unit senses a second sensing signal from the touch interface.

17. The touch sensing device as claimed in claim 15, wherein in the second sensing mode, the first sensing unit senses a first sensing signal from the touch interface according to a driving signal.

18. The touch sensing device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the switching unit comprises a plurality of first terminals coupled to the first sensing unit, a plurality of second terminals coupled to the second sensing unit and a plurality of third terminals coupled to the driving unit.