Virtual geometries for integrated display and sensing devices

• US 9,075,488 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): Sim, Yong H
• Application Number:
  US13/662,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a processing system for a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device. The processing system includes a driver module including driving circuitry. The driver module is coupled to a plurality of common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing. A first transmitter electrode includes a first set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes. A second transmitter electrode includes a second set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes. A first common electrode of the second transmitter electrode is interleaved between a first pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode. The processing system further includes a receiver module coupled to a plurality of receiver electrodes and configured for receiving resulting signals with the receiver electrodes and a determination module configured for determining positional information based on the resulting signals.

Claims

1. A processing system for a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device comprising:

a driver module comprising driving circuitry, the driver module coupled to a plurality of common electrodes, each common electrode included in the plurality of common electrodes configured to be driven for both display updating and capacitive sensing, wherein a first transmitter electrode comprises a first set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes and a second transmitter electrode comprises a second set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, and wherein a first common electrode of the second transmitter electrode is interleaved between a first pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode;

a receiver module coupled to a plurality of receiver electrodes and configured for;

receiving first resulting signals with the receiver electrodes when the first transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module; and

receiving second resulting signals with the receiver electrodes when the second transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module; and

a determination module configured for determining positional information based on the first and second resulting signals.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second transmitter electrode further comprises a second common electrode interleaved between a second pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode.

3. The processing system of claim 1, further comprising a third transmitter electrode comprising a third set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, wherein the third transmitter electrode comprises a third common electrode interleaved between a third pair of common electrodes of the second transmitter electrodes.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during a first time period, and the second transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a second time period, wherein the first and second time periods are non-overlapping, the second transmitter electrode is not driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during the first time period, and the first transmitter electrode is not driven for capacitive sensing during the second time period.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter electrode and the second transmitter electrode are substantially simultaneously driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during a first time period, and the second transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a second time period, wherein the first time period corresponds to a first non-display period, and the second time period corresponds to a second non-display period.

19. The processing system of claim 1, wherein each common electrode included in the first set of common electrodes and the second set of common electrodes is substantially the same size.

20. The processing system of claim 19, wherein a first portion of a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device corresponds to non-interleaved electrodes included in the first set of common electrodes a second portion of the sensing region corresponds to interleaved electrodes included in the first set of common electrodes and the second set of common electrodes, a third portion of the sensing region corresponds to non-interleaved electrodes included in the second set of common electrodes, and the first portion of the sensing region, the second portion of the sensing region, and the third portion of the sensing region are substantially the same size.

7. A display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device comprising:

a plurality of common electrodes;

a first transmitter electrode comprising a first set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes;

a second transmitter electrode comprising a second set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, wherein a first common electrode of the second transmitter electrode is interleaved between a first pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode;

a plurality of receiver electrodes; and

a processing system coupled to the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes, the processing system configured to;

drive each common electrode included in the plurality of common electrodes for both display updating and capacitive sensing;

receive first resulting signals with the receiver electrodes when the first transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing;

receive second resulting signals with the receiver electrodes when the second transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing; and

determine positional information based on the first and second resulting signals.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the second transmitter electrode further comprises a second common electrode interleaved between a second pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode.

9. The display device of claim 7, further comprising a third transmitter electrode comprising a third set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, wherein the third transmitter electrode comprises a third common electrode interleaved between a third pair of common electrodes of the second transmitter electrode.

10. The display device of claim 7, wherein the first transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing by the processing system during a first time period, and the second transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a second time period, wherein the first and second time periods are non-overlapping.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the first transmitter electrode is configured to be driven far capacitive sensing by the processing system during a first time period, the second transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a second time period, and the third transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a third time period, wherein the first, second, and third time periods are non-overlapping, the second transmitter electrode is riot driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during the first time period, and the first transmitter electrode is not driven for capacitive sensing during the second time period.

12. The display device of claim 7, wherein the first transmitter electrode is configured to he driven for capacitive sensing by the processing system during a first time period, and the second transmitter electrode is configured to be driven for capacitive sensing during a second time period, wherein the first time period corresponds to a first non-display period, and the second time period corresponds to a second non-display period.

13. A method of capacitive sensing with a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device having a plurality of common electrodes, a first transmitter electrode comprising a first set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, a second transmitter electrode comprising a second set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, a first common electrode of the second transmitter electrode interleaved between a first pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode, a plurality of receiver electrodes, a driver module coupled to the plurality of common electrodes, a receiver module coupled to the plurality of receiver electrodes, and a determination module, the method comprising:

driving both the first transmitter electrode and the second transmitter electrode for both display updating and capacitive sensing with the driver module;

receiving first resulting signals from the receiver electrodes with the receiver module when the first transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing;

receiving second resulting signals from the receiver electrodes with the receiver module when the second transmitter electrode is driven for capacitive sensing; and

determining positional information with the determination module based on the first and second resulting signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second transmitter electrode further comprises a second common electrode interleaved between a second pair of common electrodes of the first transmitter electrode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the capacitive sensing device further comprises a third transmitter electrode comprising a third set of common electrodes of the plurality of common electrodes, and wherein the third transmitter electrode comprises a third common electrode interleaved between a third pair of common electrodes of the second transmitter electrode.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

driving the first transmitter electrode with the driver module during a first time period; and

driving the second transmitter electrode with the driver module during a second time period,

wherein the first and second time periods are non-overlapping, the second transmitter electrode is not driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during the first time period, and the first transmitter electrode is not driven for capacitive sensing during the second time period.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

driving the first transmitter electrode with the driver module during a first time period;

driving the second transmitter electrode with the driver module during a second time period; and

driving the third transmitter electrode with the driver module during a third time period,

wherein the first, second, and third time periods are non-overlapping, the second transmitter electrode and third transmitter electrode are not driven for capacitive sensing by the driver module during the first time period, the first transmitter electrode and third transmitter electrode are not driven for capacitive sensing during the second time period, and the first transmitter electrode and second transmitter electrode are not driven for capacitive sensing during the third time period.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising

driving the first transmitter electrode with the driver module during a first time period;

and

driving the second transmitter electrode with the driver module during a second time period,

wherein the first time period corresponds to a first non-display period, and the second time period corresponds to a second non-display period.