Apparatus and method for detecting adjacent object and method of driving electronic device

• US 9,182,867 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AnaPass, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AnaPass, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jong Hwa, Song, Ha Sun, Seo, Woo Hyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US14/259,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for detecting an adjacent object, and a method of driving an electronic device. The apparatus includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of the substrate, a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the first electrodes, a signal source configured to generate electrical signals, a detector configured to detect current signals output when the electrical signals are applied to the capacitors, and a controller configured to connect the signal source to the first electrodes and the detector to the second electrodes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting an adjacent object, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first electrodes including one or more 1a electrodes and one or more 1b electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of the substrate;

a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the first electrodes;

a signal source configured to generate electrical signals;

a detector configured to detect current signals output when the electrical signals are applied to the capacitors; and

a controller configured to connect the signal source to the first electrodes and the detector to the second electrodes,

wherein the signal source applies out of phase signals with each other to the 1a electrodes and the 1b electrodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second electrodes include one or more 2a electrodes and one or more 2b electrodes, and

the controller performs, at a predetermined frequency, one cycle including a first step of connecting the 1a electrodes and the 1b electrodes to the signal source to apply signals out of phase with each other to the 1a electrodes and the 1b electrodes, and connecting the second electrodes to the detector, and a second step of connecting the first electrodes to the detector, and connecting the 2a electrodes and the 2b electrodes to the signal source to apply signals out of phase with each other to the 2a electrodes and the 2b electrodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detector detects current signals applied from the second electrodes connected to the detector in the first step, and detects current signals applied from the first electrodes connected to the detector in the second step.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of one or more second electrodes is interposed between each of the 1a electrodes and each of the 1b electrodes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more 1a electrodes neighbor each other and constitute an A electrode group, and

the one or more 1b electrodes neighbor each other and constitute a B electrode group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one second electrode is interposed between the A electrode group and the B electrode group.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in parallel with each other are disposed on another surface of the substrate, and are connected to a low-impedance power source or a ground potential.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal source applies at least one electrical signal among a step wave, a square pulse, a sinusoidal pulse, a triangular pulse, and a linear superposition thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an object to be detected is detected by converting a current signal generated due to a change in an electric field flux caused when the electric field flux formed by an electrical signal at a first electrode connected to the signal source is shunted by the object, into a voltage signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector includes a charge amplifier which receives and converts the current signals into predetermined voltage signals.

11. An apparatus for detecting an adjacent object, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first electrodes including one or more 1a electrodes and one or more 1b electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of the substrate;

a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the first electrodes;

a signal source configured to generate electrical signals;

a detector configured to detect current signals output when the electrical signals are applied to the capacitors; and

a controller configured to connect the signal source to the first electrodes and the detector to the second electrodes, wherein the signal source applies signals in phase with each other to the 1a electrodes and the 1b electrodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller performs, at a predetermined frequency, a step of connecting the first electrodes to the signal source and the second electrodes to the detector.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of one or more second electrodes is interposed between each of the 1a electrodes and each of the 1b electrodes.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more 1a electrodes neighbor each other and constitute an A electrode group, and

the one or more 1b electrodes neighbor each other and constitute a B electrode group.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one second electrode is interposed between the A electrode group and the B electrode group.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in parallel with each other are disposed on another surface of the substrate, and are connected to a low-impedance power source or a ground potential.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal source applies at least one electrical signal among a step wave, a square pulse, a sinusoidal pulse, a triangular pulse, and a linear superposition thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein an object to be detected is detected by converting a current signal generated due to a change in an electric field flux caused when the electric field flux formed by an electrical signal at a first electrode connected to the signal source is shunted by the object, into a voltage signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detector includes a charge amplifier which receives the current signals and converts the current signals into predetermined voltage signals.

20. A method for detecting an adjacent object, comprising:

(a) applying electrical signals in phase with each other to at least one 1a electrode and at least one 1b electrode disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of a substrate;

(b) receiving current signals from a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the 1a electrode and the 1b electrode on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the 1a electrode and the 1b electrode; and

(c) converting the received current signals into voltage signals to detect an object adjacent to the substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one cycle including step (a) and step (b) is performed at a predetermined frequency.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the applying of the electrical signals is performed by applying at least one electrical signal among a step wave, a square pulse, a sinusoidal pulse, a triangular pulse, and a linear superposition thereof.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed by connecting a low-impedance power source or a ground potential to third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in parallel with each other on another surface of the substrate.

24. A method for detecting an adjacent object, comprising:

(a) applying electrical signals out of phase with each other to at least one 1a electrode and at least one 1b electrode disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of a substrate;

(b) receiving current signals from a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the 1a electrode and the 1b electrode on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the 1a electrode and the 1b electrode; and

(c) converting the received current signals into voltage signals to detect an object adjacent to the substrate.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second electrodes include at least one 2a electrode and at least one 2b electrode, and

further comprising, after step (c):

(d) applying electrical signals out of phase with each other to the 2a electrode and the 2b electrode; and

(e) receiving current signals from the 1a electrode and the 1b electrode.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein one cycle including a first step including step (b) and step (c) and a second step including step (d) and step (e) is performed at a predetermined frequency.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the applying of the electrical signals is performed by applying at least one electrical signal among a step wave, a square pulse, a sinusoidal pulse, a triangular pulse, and a linear superposition thereof.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the method is performed by connecting a low-impedance power source or a ground potential to third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in parallel with each other on another surface of the substrate.

29. A method of driving an electronic device, comprising:

(a) applying electrical signals in phase with each other to a plurality of first electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of a substrate and receiving current signals from a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to detect approach of an object;

(b) when approach of an object is detected, applying electrical signals out of phase with each other to the first electrodes and receiving current signals generated by electric field fluxes formed by the electrical signals out of phase with each other from the second electrodes to detect a touch of the object; and

(c) when a touch of the object is detected, driving the electronic device in an active mode.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein step (a) further includes, after applying the in-phase signals to the first electrodes and receiving the current signals from the second electrodes, applying in-phase signals to the second electrodes and receiving current signals from the first electrodes to detect approach of an object.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein step (b) further includes, after applying the out-of-phase signals to the first electrodes and receiving the current signals from the second electrodes, applying out-of-phase signals to the second electrodes and receiving current signals from the first electrodes to detect a touch of the object.

32. A method of driving an electronic device, comprising:

(a) applying electrical signals out of phase with each other to a plurality of first electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of a substrate and receiving current signals from a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to detect a touch of an object;

(b) when no touch of an object is detected for a predetermined time, applying electrical signals in phase with each other to the first electrodes and receiving current signals generated by electric field fluxes formed by the electrical signals in phase with each other from the second electrodes to detect approach of the object; and

(c) when no approach of the object is detected for a predetermined time, driving the electronic device in a stop mode.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein step (a) further includes, after applying the out-of-phase signals to the first electrodes and receiving the current signals from the second electrodes, applying out-of-phase signals to the second electrodes and receiving current signals from the first electrodes to detect a touch of an object.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein step (b) further includes, after applying the in-phase signals to the first electrodes and receiving the current signals from the second electrodes, applying in-phase signals to the second electrodes and receiving current signals from the first electrodes to detect approach of the object.