System and method for communication through touch screens

• US 9,213,454 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Chin-Fu, Yeh, Shang-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Lin
• Application Number:
  US13/650,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 710/5, 257/503, 340/10.1, 324/76.11, 348/231.4, 361/679.09, 361/777, 400/472, 455/41.1, 455/68, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/0445 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

The invention discloses a system and method for communication through touch screens that uses a first touch screen and a second touch screen for communication to form a communication system. The first and the second touch screens have a detecting mode for detecting an approach or touch of an external conductive object. In addition, the first and the second touch screens have a communication mode in which capacitively coupled communications between the first and the second touch screens are performed in order to exchange or communicate a message.

Claims

1. A method for communication through touch screens comprising:

providing a first touch screen and a second touch screen, wherein the first touch screen and the second touch screen both have a plurality of first conductive strips and a plurality of second conductive strips;

individually determining whether there is an approach or a touch of an external conductive object during a detecting mode of the first and the second touch screens; and

performing capacitively coupled communications between the first and the second touch screens during a communication mode of the first and the second touch screens in order to exchange or communicate a message,

wherein during communication, at least a portion of the first touch screen and at least a portion of the second touch screen are provided with different ground potentials, respectively, and the portions of the first and the second touch screens being provided with the ground potentials are capacitively coupled with each other face-to-face, such that the ground potentials of the first and the second touch screens are made to be closer to each other,

wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with a driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, wherein during the communication mode, at least one of the first conductive strips and at least one of the second conductive strips are simultaneously provided with the driving signal, and another of the first conductive strips is provided with the ground signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch screen has a transparent insulating layer and a conductive layer, and the message is transmitted by capacitive coupling from the conductive layer to the second touch screen with the transparent insulating layer disposed therebetween.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch screen has a transparent insulating layer and a conductive layer, and the message is transmitted by capacitive coupling from the conductive layer to the first touch screen with the transparent insulating layer disposed therebetween.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive coupling between the first touch screen and the second touch screen is a capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens through a capacitive coupling between the first touch screen and at least an external conductive object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens is a direct capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens facing each other, wherein areas of the first and the second touch screens facing each other include a first area and a second area, and the first and the second touch screens perform half-duplex or full-duplex communications through capacitive coupling between the first and the second areas.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, the first conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the second conductive strips are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, the second conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the first conductive strips are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, and the areas of the first and second touch screens facing each other further includes a third area, the first conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the first conductive strips in the third area are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, and the areas of the first and second touch screens facing each other further includes a third area, the second conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the second conductive strips in the third area are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

10. A system for communication through touch screens comprising:

a first touch screen and a second touch screen, wherein the first touch screen and the second touch screen both have a plurality of first conductive strips and a plurality of second conductive strips;

wherein capacitively coupled communications between the first and the second touch screens are performed during a communication mode of the first and the second touch screens in order to exchange or communicate a message,

wherein during communication, at least a portion of the first touch screen and at least a portion of the second touch screen are provided with different ground potentials, respectively, and the portions of the first and the second touch screens being provided with the ground potentials are capacitively coupled with each other face-to-face, such that the ground potentials of the first and the second touch screens are made to be closer to each other,

wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with a driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, wherein during the communication mode, at least one of the first conductive strips and at least one of the second conductive strips are simultaneously provided with the driving signal, and another of the first conductive strips is provided with the ground signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first touch screen has a transparent insulating layer and a conductive layer, and the message is transmitted by capacitive coupling from the conductive layer to the second touch screen with the transparent insulating layer disposed therebetween.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second touch screen has a transparent insulating layer and a conductive layer, and the message is transmitted by capacitive coupling from the conductive layer to the first touch screen with the transparent insulating layer disposed therebetween.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the capacitive coupling between the first touch screen and the second touch screen is a capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens through a capacitive coupling between the first touch screen and at least an external conductive object.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens is a direct capacitive coupling between the first and the second touch screens facing each other, wherein areas of the first and the second touch screens facing each other include a first area and a second area, and the first and the second touch screens perform half-duplex or full-duplex communications through capacitive coupling between the first and the second areas.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, the first conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the second conductive strips are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, the second conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the first conductive strips are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, and the areas of the first and second touch screens facing each other further includes a third area, the first conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the first conductive strips in the third area are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first conductive strips that will be provided with the driving signal and the plurality of second conductive strips that will provide capacitive signals as a result of the driving signal during the detecting mode, and the areas of the first and second touch screens facing each other further includes a third area, the second conductive strips are those performing communications in the first and the second areas, and the second conductive strips in the third area are provided with the ground potentials during the detecting mode.