Capacitive sensing apparatus and method applied to touch screen using the capacitive sensing apparatus

• US 9,235,297 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ili Technology Corp. (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chi Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mummalaneni, Nalini
• Application Number:
  US12/874,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: G09G 3/3655 Details of drivers for counter electrodes, e.g. common electrodes for pixel capacitors or supplementary storage capacitors

Abstract

A capacitive touch screen sensing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a protecting layer; a sensing layer under the protecting layer for sensing a touch to generate a position signal; and a DC common voltage signal layer electrically connected with a DC voltage for shielding against signal interferences.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensing apparatus, comprising:

a protecting layer;

a sensing layer comprising a single layer, disposed under the protecting layer, for sensing a touch to generate a position signal;

a direct-current (DC) common voltage signal layer electrically connected with a DC voltage for shielding against signal interference;

a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel; and

a display controller coupled to the DC common voltage signal layer for generating an alternating current source driving signal as part of a panel control signal while driving the LCD panel, wherein a source displacement of the source driving signal is symmetrical to the DC voltage,

wherein the DC voltage of the panel control signal is applied by the display controller to the LCD panel during sensing of the touch to prevent the panel control signal from coupling to the position signal,

wherein the DC voltage is a DC signal of 0 volts,

wherein the capacitive touch sensing apparatus does not include a shielding layer disposed between the DC common voltage signal layer and the sensing layer and the DC common voltage signal layer is directly attached below the sensing layer, and

wherein the LCD panel displays image data by dot inversion while driving the LCD panel.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing layer comprises a plurality of capacitors.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing layer comprises an indium-tin oxide (ITO) layer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protecting layer is made of glass.

5. A capacitive touch sensing method, comprising:

applying, from a display controller, a DC common voltage signal to a DC common voltage signal layer on a small-sized liquid crystal display (LCD) panel of a portable device;

generating an alternating current source driving signal symmetric to the DC common voltage signal to drive a source driver as part of a panel control signal while driving the LCD panel; and

sensing with a single sensing layer directly attached above the DC common voltage signal layer, while simultaneously applying the DC common voltage to the DC common voltage signal layer, a touch to output a position signal,

wherein the DC common voltage is a DC signal of 0 volts,

wherein a protective layer is directly above the sensing layer, and

wherein the small-sized panel displays image data by dot inversion while driving the LCD panel.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising generating the source driving signal by a plurality of deep N-wells.

7. A touch screen, comprising:

a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel;

a touch panel comprising a single sensing layer, for generating a sensing signal in response to a touch wherein the sensing layer is directly above the LCD panel and directly below a protection layer;

a display controller, for processing an image signal to generate an alternating current source driving signal as part of a panel control signal while driving the LCD panel, the panel control signal comprising a constant common voltage, and for generating a source driving signal with a displacement that is symmetrical to the constant common voltage; and

a sensing circuit, coupled to the sensing layer of the touch panel, for receiving the sensing signal to generate a position signal,

wherein the constant common voltage is applied by the display controller to the LCD panel via a DC common voltage signal layer, during sensing circuit operation to generate the position signal in response to the touch, to prevent the panel control signal from coupling to the sensing signal,

wherein the constant common voltage is a DC voltage of 0 volts,

wherein the DC common voltage signal layer is directly attached below the sensing layer, and

wherein the LCD panel displays image data by dot inversion while driving the LCD panel.