Dual-mode touch sensing apparatus and method thereof

• US 8,933,897 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hung-Ta Liu
• Original Assignee: Hung-Ta Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Hung-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/328,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/174, 178/18.06, 178/18.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

The present invention provides a dual-mode touch sensing apparatus. The apparatus includes a sensor, a first selective unit, a second selective unit, a first control unit, a second control unit, first conductive lines and second conductive lines. The first conductive lines are arranged in a first direction. Each first conductive line has a first end and a second end. The first end couples with the first control unit and the second end couples with the first selective unit. Second conductive lines are arranged in a second direction. Each second conductive line has a first end and a second end, the first end couples with the second control unit and the second end couples with the second selective unit.

Claims

1. A dual-mode touch sensing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor;

a first selective unit coupling with the sensor;

a second selective unit coupling with the sensor;

a first control unit coupling with the sensor;

a second control unit coupling with the sensor;

a plurality of first conductive lines arranged in parallel to each other and in a first direction, each of the first conductive lines has a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the first conductive lines couples with the first control unit, the second end of each of the first conductive lines couples with the first selective unit; and

a plurality of second conductive lines arranged in parallel to each other and in a second direction, each of the second conductive lines has a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the second conductive lines couples with the second control unit, the second end of each of the second conductive lines couples with the second selective unit,

wherein when the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus performs an electromagnetic touch sensing technology, further comprising;

the first control unit connects the first end of each of the first conductive lines to a first transmission line and the first selective unit sequentially connects the second ends of the first conductive lines based on an order to form sensing loops in the first direction, and the second control unit connects the first end of each of the second conductive lines to a second transmission line, the second selective unit sequentially connects the second end of the second conductive lines based on an order to form sensing loops in the second direction, further comprising;

grouping the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines, wherein each group includes at least two first conductive lines, or at least two second conductive lines;

the first selective unit sequentially connects the second ends of the first conductive lines in each group based on the order to form sensing loops in the first direction;

the second selective unit sequentially connects the second end of the second conductive lines in each group based on the order to form sensing loops in the second direction;

transferring a sensing signal to the sensing loops; and

performing a first sensing method to sense at least one of magnetic flux, electromagnetic induction, current, voltage or frequency of sensing loops to determine at least one of distance, height, strength, the touch position, or the touch strength,

wherein when the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus performs a capacitive touch sensing technology, the first control unit disconnects the connection between the first end of each of the first conductive lines and a first transmission line, and the second control unit disconnects the connection between the first end of each of the second conductive lines and a second transmission line, and a second sensing method is performed to sense at least one of capacitance, current, or voltage to determine at least one of distance, height, strength, a touch position or a touch strength.

2. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sensing method is to transfer a sensing signal with a special frequency to the sensing loops to sense at least one of magnetic flux, electromagnetic induction, current, voltage, or frequency of the sensing loops, wherein the sensor determines whether at least one of magnetic flux, electromagnetic induction, current, or frequency of the sensing loops is changed.

3. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines, wherein each group includes at least two first conductive lines, or at least two second conductive lines;

transferring a sensing signal to each group; and

performing the second sensing method to sense at least one of capacitance, current, or voltage to determine at least one of a touch position, or a touch strength of each group to determine at least one of distance, height, strength, the touch position, or the touch strength.

4. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second sensing method comprises the sensor transferring a sensing signal through the first selective unit to the first conductive lines, and transferring a sensing signal through the second selective unit to the second conductive lines to sense a change of at least one of the capacitance, current, or voltage of the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines to determine at least one of distance, height, strength, the touch position, or the touch strength.

5. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second sensing method comprises the sensor transferring a sensing signal through the first selective unit to the first conductive lines, and then through the second selective unit to sequentially sense at least one of the capacitance, current, or voltage of the second conductive lines to determine at least one of distance, height, strength, the touch position, or the touch strength.

6. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first control unit includes a control line and a plurality of switches or a plurality of switches in series coupling with the first conductive lines, wherein the sensor controls the control line to turn on the switches to make the first end of each of the first conductive lines connect to a first transmission line, and the sensor controls the control line to turn off the switches to disconnect the connection between the first end of each of the first conductive lines and the first transmission line.

7. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second control unit includes a control line and a plurality of switches or a plurality of switches in series coupling with the second conductive lines, wherein the sensor controls the control line to turn on the switches to make the first end of each of the second conductive lines connect to a second transmission line, and the sensor controls the control line to turn off the switches to disconnect the connection between the first end of each of the second conductive lines and the second transmission line.

8. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first selective unit includes a plurality of switches coupling with the first conductive lines respectively, and the second selective unit includes a plurality of switches coupling with the second conductive lines respectively, wherein the sensor transfers the sensing signal to loops through the first selective unit and the second selective unit to perform an electromagnetic touch sensing technology.

9. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first selective unit and the second selective unit can be integrated into a gate driver, a source driver, a timing control IC, a sensor circuit in a display, or any combination thereof.

10. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor has a first sensing circuit and a second sensing circuit, the first sensing circuit performing an electromagnetic touch sensing technology and the second sensing circuit performing an capacitive touch sensing technology.

11. A display with a dual-mode touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first substrate with a pixel array;

a second substrate;

a display unit located between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a common electrode layer.

12. The display of claim 11, further comprising a cover lens located over the second substrate, wherein the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus is disposed inside or outside of the cover lens, or the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus is disposed between the cover lens and the second substrate.

13. The display of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines or the second conductive lines includes data lines, scan lines, power lines, Bias lines, common electrode lines, reading lines and control lines of the display.

14. The display of claim 11, wherein the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines includes at least one line that is designated or modified from data lines, scan lines, power lines, Bias lines, common electrode lines, reading lines and control lines of the display.

15. The display of claim 11, wherein the display is one of an Organic Light Emitting Display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an Electrode Wetting display or an electrophoretic display.

16. The display of claim 11, wherein the pixel array is one of a transmissive-mode pixel array, a reflective-mode pixel array, a dual-mode transflective or partially reflective pixel array.

17. The display of claim 11, wherein the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus is at least one of disposed inside or outside of the second substrate;

disposed between the common electrode and the second substrate;

or disposed on the first substrate.

18. The display of claim 11, wherein the common electrode is disposed on the first substrate and the pixel array is an IPS (In Plane Switching) pixel structure or a FFS (Fringe Field Switching) pixel structure.

19. The display of claim 11, wherein the common electrode is disposed on the second substrate and the pixel array is a Slit ITO pixel structure.

20. The display of claim 11, wherein the display further comprises a backlight module, the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus is operated when the backlight module is turned off or turned dark.

21. The display of claim 11, wherein the display further comprises a backlight module, the display is divided into a plurality of regions to display an image, when one of the regions whose backlight module is turned off or turned dark, the dual-mode touch sensing apparatus is operated in this region.