Integrated pixel display and touch sensor

• US 9,244,559 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US13/715,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a display component comprising a plurality of pixels configured to display an image. The apparatus also includes a touch sensor component configured to detect a touch input. The apparatus additionally includes a touch-screen controller. The touch-screen controller is coupled to the touch sensor component and the display component. The touch-screen controller is configured to generate a drive signal for the touch sensor component using a portion of the display component.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more display layers within a liquid crystal display (LCD) display stack;

a plurality of sense electrodes within the LCD display stack, the plurality of sense electrodes configured to detect a touch input;

a reference voltage layer within the LCD display stack, the reference voltage layer comprising a plurality of electrically isolated drive lines and configured to provide a reference voltage for the one or more display layers and a drive signal detectable by the plurality of sense electrodes; and

the plurality of electrically isolated drive lines configured to be pulsed simultaneously to provide the reference voltage for the one or more display layers and each be pulsed one at a time to provide drive signals to the plurality of sense electrodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein two or more of the plurality of electrically isolated drive lines are configured to all be pulsed simultaneously to provide drive signals to the plurality of sense electrodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated drive lines of the reference voltage layer comprise fine lines of metal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are disposed on a first surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the reference voltage layer is disposed on a second surface within the display stack.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen controller coupled to the plurality of sense electrodes and to the reference voltage layer, the touch screen controller configured to control the reference voltage for the one or more display layers and the drive voltage for the plurality of drive electrodes.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a display component comprising a plurality of pixels configured to display an image;

a touch sensor component comprising a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of sense electrodes, the touch sensor component configured to detect a touch input;

a touch-screen controller coupled to the touch sensor component and the display component, the touch-screen controller configured to pulse the drive electrodes simultaneously to provide a reference voltage for the display component and pulse the drive electrodes one at a time to provide drive signals to the plurality of sense electrodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display component comprises an organic light emitting diode.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display component comprises one or more display layers of a liquid crystal display.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the touch-screen controller is coupled to a reference voltage layer, the reference voltage layer configured to provide a reference voltage for the display component and a sense signal to the touch-screen controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the touch-screen controller is configured to generate a drive signal for the touch sensor component using the drive electrodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the touch-screen controller is coupled to a pixel-drive layer, the pixel-drive layer configured to provide a pixel-drive signal for the display component and a drive signal for the touch sensor component.