In-cell touch for LED

• US 9,336,723 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Vasudha, Chang, Shih Chang, Park, Young-Bae, Chang, Ting-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ QUILES, IVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US13/766,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0861 with additional control of the display period without amending the charge stored in a pixel memory, e.g. by means of additional select electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0866 by means of changes in the pixel supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A touch screen having touch circuitry integrated into a display pixel stackup. The touch screen can include a transistor layer, an LED layer and a first layer. The first layer can operate as an LED cathode during a display phase and as touch circuitry during a touch sensing phase. The transistor layer can be at least partially utilized for transitioning between the display phase and the touch sensing phase. The touch screen can be fabricated to reduce or eliminate damage to the LED layer.

Claims

1. A touch screen comprising:

a transistor layer including a first transistor and a second transistor connected to the first transistor;

a first layer disposed over the transistor layer and configured to operate as a light-emitting diode (LED) cathode during a display phase and as touch circuitry during a touch sensing phase;

an LED layer disposed between the transistor layer and the first layer, wherein the first transistor is connected to the LED layer and a power supply line; and

a gate voltage line connected to a gate terminal of the second transistor, wherein during the display phase, the gate voltage line is set to a first voltage, which causes the second transistor to turn on, and during the touch sensing phase, the gate voltage line is set to a second voltage, which causes the second transistor to turn off.

2. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the LED layer comprises an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer.

3. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein during the display phase, the power supply line voltage is set to a first power supply voltage, and during the touch sensing phase, the power supply line voltage is set to a second power supply voltage, different than the first power supply voltage.

4. The touch screen of claim 3, wherein the first power supply voltage causes the LED layer to emit light, and the second power supply voltage causes the LED layer to not emit light.

5. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of drive lines and a plurality of sense lines.

6. The touch screen of claim 5, wherein a drive line comprises:

a first drive line segment; and

a second drive line segment electrically connected to the first drive line segment by a drive line connection.

7. The touch screen of claim 6, wherein the drive line connection is disposed over the first layer.

8. The touch screen of claim 6, wherein the drive line connection is disposed under the first layer.

9. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the second transistor is connected to the first transistor in series.

10. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the first voltage causes the LED layer to emit light, and the second voltage causes the LED layer to not emit light.

11. A method for operating a touch screen comprising:

operating, during a display phase, a first layer as a cathode of a light-emitting diode (LED) layer by setting a voltage of a gate voltage line to a first voltage, the gate voltage line connected to a gate terminal of a second transistor that is connected to a first transistor, the first transistor connected to the LED layer and a power supply line, and the first voltage causing the second transistor to turn on; and

operating, during a touch sensing phase, the first layer as touch circuitry by setting the voltage of the gate voltage line to a second voltage, the second voltage causing the second transistor to turn off.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

operating the first layer as the cathode of the LED layer comprises setting a voltage of the power supply line connected to a transistor to a first power supply voltage that causes the LED layer to emit light, and

operating the first layer as the touch circuitry comprises setting the voltage of the power supply line to a second power supply voltage, different from the first power supply voltage, that causes the LED layer to not emit light.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein operating the first layer as the touch circuitry comprises:

operating the first layer as a plurality of drive line segments and a plurality of sense lines; and

electrically connecting a first drive line segment to a second drive line segment using a drive line connection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the drive line connection is disposed over the first layer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the drive line connection is disposed under the first layer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second transistor is connected to the first transistor in series.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first voltage causes the LED layer to emit light, and the second voltage further the LED layer to not emit light.