In-cell touch scanning modes for simultaneous touch and display

• US 9,164,641 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Rowe, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/497,170
• Time in Patent Office: 390 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 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• 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 3/0445 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: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3655 Details of drivers for counter electrodes, e.g. common electrodes for pixel capacitors or supplementary storage capacitors

Abstract

Techniques for simultaneous touch scanning and display updates are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a display and one or more integrated circuit (IC) controllers. A sensor array is integrated within the display. The display comprises a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer and a top polarizing layer, and the sensor array comprises transmit (TX) electrodes that are disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer. The one or more IC controllers are configured to simultaneously update a row of pixels in the display and to drive one or more of the TX electrodes to scan the sensor array while the row of pixels is being updated, where the one or more of the TX electrodes are not associated with the row of pixels that is being updated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

updating a row of pixels in a display;

wherein the display comprises a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer, a top polarizing layer, and a sensor array that comprises transmit (TX) electrodes, wherein the TX electrodes are disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer;

while the row of pixels is being updated, driving one or more of the TX electrodes to sense at least a portion of the sensor array, wherein the one or more of the TX electrodes are not associated with the row of pixels that is being updated;

wherein the one or more of the TX electrodes are included in a first group or in a second group, wherein the first group includes those of the TX electrodes that are even-numbered and the second group includes those of the TX electrodes that are odd-numbered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein driving the one or more of the TX electrodes comprises driving the one or more of the TX electrodes in an area of the display that does not include the row of pixels that is being updated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein driving the one or more of the TX electrodes comprises driving the one or more of the TX electrodes according to a pattern that avoids the row of pixels, in the display, that is being updated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein driving the one or more of the TX electrodes comprises driving the one or more of the TX electrodes according to a code scheme.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when the row of pixels being updated corresponds to at least one of the TX electrodes in the first group, then the one or more of the TX electrodes are in the second group;

when the row of pixels being updated corresponds to at least one of the TX electrodes in the second group, then the one or more of the TX electrodes are in the first group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

7. A device comprising:

a display comprising a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer and a top polarizing layer;

a sensor array integrated within the display, the sensor array comprising transmit (TX) electrodes that are disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer;

one or more integrated circuit (IC) controllers configured at least to;

update a row of pixels in the display; and

while the row of pixels is being updated, drive one or more of the TX electrodes to sense at least a portion of the sensor array, wherein the one or more of the TX electrodes are not associated with the row of pixels that is being updated;

wherein the one or more of the TX electrodes are included in a first group or in a second group, wherein the first group includes those of the TX electrodes that are even-numbered and the second group includes those of the TX electrodes that are odd-numbered.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising an in-cell stackup in which the TX electrodes are disposed on the top side of the TFT layer or on the bottom side of a color filter layer, the color filter layer being disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor array comprises receive (RX) electrodes, the RX electrodes being disposed between the TFT layer and the color filter layer within the in-cell stackup.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising an on-cell stackup in which the TX electrodes are disposed between the top polarizing layer and a color filter layer, the color filter layer being disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor array comprises receive (RX) electrodes, the RX electrodes being disposed between the top polarizing layer and the color filter layer within the on-cell stackup.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD) and segments of V_COM electrodes in the LCD are shared as the TX electrodes of the sensor array.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more IC controllers include a display driver IC (DDI) that is configured to update the row of pixels in the LCD.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more IC controllers include a touch IC that is configured to drive the one or more of the TX electrodes while the row of pixels is being updated.

15. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the one or more IC controllers include a display driver IC (DDI) controller and a touch IC controller, the touch IC controller being coupled to receive a synchronization signal from the DDI controller;

the DDI controller is configured to update the row of pixels in the LCD; and

the touch IC controller is configured to drive the one or more of the TX electrodes based on the synchronization signal.

16. The device of claim 7, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

17. A device controller comprising:

one or more integrated circuits configured at least to;

update a row of pixels in a display; and

while the row of pixels is being updated, drive one or more transmit (TX) electrodes to sense at least a portion of a sensor array integrated within the display, wherein the one or more TX electrodes are not associated with the row of pixels that is being updated;

wherein the one or more TX electrodes are included in a first group or in a second group, wherein the first group includes those of the TX electrodes that are even-numbered and the second group includes those of the TX electrodes that are odd-numbered.

18. The device controller of claim 17, wherein the device controller is configured to couple to the display, the display comprises a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer and a top polarizing layer, and the sensor array comprises the TX electrodes that are disposed between the TFT layer and the top polarizing layer.

19. The device controller of claim 17, wherein the device controller is configured to couple to a touchscreen panel that includes the display and the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).