In-cell multi-touch display panel system

• US 9,690,424 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd
• Original Assignee: FocalTech Systems Co.,Ltd
• Inventors: Huang, Chien-Ying, Huang, Yen-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US15/292,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20170031507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

An in-cell multi-touch display panel system includes a multi-touch LCD panel and a touch display control subsystem. The multi-touch LCD panel has a TFT layer, a detection electrode layer, and a common-voltage and touch-driving layer. The detection electrode layer has M first conductor lines for performing touch detection by sampling touch detection from the M first conductor lines. The common-voltage and touch-driving layer has N second conductor lines for receiving common voltage in display and touch-driving signal in touch detection. In the detection electrode layer, there are pluralities of detection electrode areas in the intersections of first conductor lines and second conductor lines. Each detection electrode area is connected to a first conductor line by a touch-control transistor. The M×N touch-control transistors are divided in to N sets corresponding to N second conductor lines, respectively.

Claims

1. An in-cell multi-touch display panel system, comprising:

a touch liquid crystal display panel including;

a thin film transistor layer having K gate driving lines, L source driving lines, and a plurality of thin film transistors, where K and L are each a positive integer;

a touch-sensing structure comprising;

a detection electrode layer having a plurality of touch-control transistors, M first conductor lines and a plurality of auxiliary detection electrode areas, wherein the M first conductor lines and the auxiliary detection electrode areas are independently or dependently used for touch detection, where M is a positive integer; and

a common-voltage and touch-driving layer having N second conductor lines for receiving a common voltage signal in display operation and receiving a touch driving signal in touch detection, where N is a positive integer and K >

N, wherein the auxiliary detection electrode areas are respectively configured at intersections of the first conductor lines and the second conductor lines in the detection electrode layer, each first conductor line is connected to N auxiliary detection electrode areas via N touch-control transistors, and the M×

N touch-control transistors are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines, respectively, wherein the detection electrode layer and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer are on the same side of the thin film transistor layer, and the N second conduct lines are intersected with the M first conduct lines; and

a touch display control subsystem, connected to the thin film transistor layer, the detection electrode layer, and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer, for providing display driving signal sequentially to the K gate driving lines and turning on the corresponding thin film transistors, providing display pixel signal to the L source driving lines for performing display operation, and providing the touch driving signal to the N second conductor lines and sampling detection voltages from the M first conductor lines to detect whether there is an external object approached;

wherein the K gate driving lines are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines respectively, and when one set of gate driving lines has the display driving signal, the second conductor line corresponding to the set of gate driving lines is connected to the common voltage, and wherein the touch display control subsystem does not provide the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line when the display driving signal is provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line, where i is an positive integer and 2≦

i≦

N, provides the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line and M first conductor lines and turns on the i-th set of touch-control transistors corresponding to the i-th second conductor line in a display period when the display driving signal is not provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line, and provides the touch driving signal to the (i-1)-th second conductor line and the display driving signal to the i-th set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line at the same time for simultaneously performing display operation and touch detection.

2. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the touch display control subsystem provides the display driving signal to the first set of gate driving lines, the touch display control subsystem provides the common voltage to the N second conductor lines.

3. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 2, wherein after the touch display control subsystem provides the display driving signal to the N-th set of gate driving lines, the touch display control subsystem provides the touch driving signal to the N-th second conductor line and M first conductor lines for turning on the N-th set of touch-control transistors corresponding to the N-th second conductor line.

4. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the M first conductor lines and the L source driving lines are arranged in a first direction, and the K gate driving lines and the N second conductor lines are arranged in a second direction.

5. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first direction and the second direction are vertical mutually.

6. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the touch display control subsystem comprises:

a source driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for driving the touch liquid crystal display panel based on the display pixel signal;

a gate driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for generating the display driving signal to drive the touch liquid crystal display panel;

a detection device connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for detecting signals of the touch liquid crystal display panel;

a touch driving signal generator for generating the touch driving signal;

a common voltage generator for generating the common voltage;

a switch, connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel, the touch driving signal generator, and the common voltage generator;

a touch-control transistor gate driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for generating gate driving signals for the N sets of touch-control transistors so as to drive the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off; and

a control device connected to the source driver, the gate driver, the common voltage generator, the detection device, the touch driving signal generator, the switch, and the touch-control transistor gate driver for configuring the switch to provide the touch driving signal or the common voltage to the N second conductor lines and provide the touch driving signal to the M first conductor lines, configuring the gate driver to sequentially output the display driving signal to the K gate driving lines, configuring the source driver to output the display pixel signal to the L source driving lines, and configuring the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off.

7. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control device further comprises:

a display timing controller connected to the source driver, the gate driver, and the common voltage generator for providing a timing of the display pixel signal and the display driving signal by the source driver and the gate driver, and a timing of the common voltage by the common voltage generator; and

a touch timing controller connected to the display timing controller, the detection device, the touch driving signal generator, the switch, and the touch-control transistor gate driver for configuring the switch to provide the touch driving signal or the common voltage to the N second conductor lines and provide the touch driving signal to the M first conductor lines, and configuring the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off.

8. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the M first conductor lines and the N second conductor lines have parasitic capacitance and stray capacitance, and a mutual capacitance is formed in an overlap between the M first conductor lines and each of the N second conductor lines.

9. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detection device comprises M detection circuits for detecting the mutual capacitance to generate corresponding M detection signals.

10. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch display control subsystem further comprises:

a set of programmable gain amplifiers connected to the detection device for amplifying the M detection signals to generate M amplified detection signals;

a set of analog-to-digital converters connected to the set of programmable gain amplifiers for converting the M amplified detection signals into M digital detection signals; and

a coordinate determination device connected to the set of analog-to-digital converters for determining a coordinate of the external object based on the M digital detection signals.

11. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the M detection circuits consists of an amplifier and a capacitor respectively, the capacitor has one end connected to an inverting input end of the amplifier and the other end connected to an output end of the amplifier, the inverting input end of the amplifier is connected to one of the M first conductor lines.

12. An in-cell multi-touch display panel system, comprising:

a touch liquid crystal display panel including;

a thin film transistor layer having K gate driving lines, L source driving lines, and a plurality of thin film transistors, where K and L are each a positive integer;

a touch-sensing structure, comprising;

a detection electrode layer having a plurality of touch-control transistors, M first conductor lines and a plurality of auxiliary detection electrode areas, wherein the M first conductor lines and the auxiliary detection electrode areas are independently or dependently used for touch detection, where M is a positive integer; and

a common-voltage and touch-driving layer having N second conductor lines for receiving a common voltage signal in display operation and receiving a touch driving signal in touch detection, where N is a positive integer and K >

N, wherein the auxiliary detection electrode areas are respectively configured at intersections of the first conductor lines and the second conductor lines in the detection electrode layer, each first conductor line is connected to N auxiliary detection electrode areas via N touch-control transistors, and the M×

N touch-control transistors are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines, respectively, wherein the detection electrode layer and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer are on the same side of the thin film transistor layer, and the N second conduct lines are intersected with the M first conduct lines; and

a touch display control subsystem connected to the thin film transistor layer, the detection electrode layer, and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer for providing display driving signal sequentially to the K gate driving lines and turning on the corresponding thin film transistors, providing display pixel signal to the L source driving lines for performing display operation, and providing the touch driving signal to the N second conductor lines and sampling detection voltages from the M first conductor lines to detect whether there is an external object approached;

wherein touch display control subsystem comprises;

a touch driving signal generator for generating the touch driving signal;

a common-voltage generator for generating the common voltage signal;

a switch connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel, the touch driving signal generator, and the common voltage generator; and

a control device connected to the touch driving signal generator, the common voltage generator, and the switch for configuring the switch to provide the touch driving signal or the common voltage signal to the N second conductor lines;

wherein the K gate driving lines are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines respectively, and when one set of gate driving lines has the display driving signal, the second conductor line corresponding to the set of gate driving lines is connected to the common voltage, and wherein the touch display control subsystem does not provide the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line when the display driving signal is provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line, where i is an positive integer and 2≦

i≦

N provides the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line and M first conductor lines and turns on the i-th set of touch-control transistors corresponding to the i-th second conductor line in a display period when the display driving signal is not provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line, and provides the touch driving signal to the (i-1)-th second conductor line and the display driving signal to the i-th set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line at the same time for simultaneously performing display operation and touch detection.

13. An in-cell multi-touch display panel system, comprising:

a touch liquid crystal display panel including;

a thin film transistor layer having K gate driving lines, L source driving lines, and a plurality of thin film transistors, where K and L are each a positive integer;

a touch-sensing structure, comprising;

a detection electrode layer having a plurality of touch-control transistors, M first conductor lines and a plurality of auxiliary detection electrode areas, wherein the M first conductor lines and the auxiliary detection electrode areas are independently or dependently used for touch detection, where M is a positive integer; and

a common-voltage and touch-driving layer having N second conductor lines for receiving a common voltage signal in display operation and receiving a touch driving signal in touch detection, where N is a positive integer and K >

N, wherein the auxiliary detection electrode areas are respectively configured at intersections of the first conductor lines and the second conductor lines in the detection electrode layer, each first conductor line is connected to N auxiliary detection electrode areas via N touch-control transistors, and the M×

N touch-control transistors are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines, respectively, wherein the detection electrode layer and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer are on the same side of the thin film transistor layer, and the N second conduct lines are intersected with the M first conduct lines; and

a touch display control subsystem connected to the thin film transistor layer, the detection electrode layer, and the common-voltage and touch-driving layer for providing display driving signal sequentially to the K gate driving lines and turning on the corresponding thin film transistors, providing display pixel signal to the L source driving lines for performing display operation, and providing the touch driving signal to the N second conductor lines and sampling detection voltages from the M first conductor lines to detect whether there is an external object approached;

wherein the K gate driving lines are divided into N sets corresponding to the N second conductor lines respectively, and when one set of gate driving lines has the display driving signal, the second conductor line corresponding to the set of gate driving lines is connected to the common voltage, and wherein the touch display control subsystem does not provide the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line when the display driving signal is provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line, where i is an positive integer and 2≦

i≦

N provides the touch driving signal to the i-th second conductor line and M first conductor lines and turns on the i-th set of touch-control transistors corresponding to the i-th second conductor line in a display period so that the voltages detected by the auxiliary detection electrode areas corresponding to the i-th set of touch-control transistors are respectively reflected to the M first conductor lines when the display driving signal is not provided to one set of gate driving lines corresponding to the i-th second conductor line.

14. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the touch display control subsystem provides the display driving signal to the first set of gate driving lines, the touch display control subsystem provides the common voltage to the N second conductor lines.

15. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 14, wherein after the touch display control subsystem provides the display driving signal to the Nth set of gate driving lines, the touch display control subsystem provides the touch driving signal to the N-th second conductor line and M first conductor lines for turning on the N-th set of touch-control transistors corresponding to the N-th second conductor line.

16. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the M first conductor lines and the L source driving lines are arranged in a first direction, and the K gate driving lines and the N second conductor lines are arranged in a second direction.

17. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first direction and the second direction are vertical mutually.

18. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch display control subsystem comprises:

a source driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for driving the touch liquid crystal display panel based on the display pixel signal;

a gate driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for generating the display driving signal to drive the touch liquid crystal display panel;

a detection device connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for detecting signals of the touch liquid crystal display panel;

a touch driving signal generator for generating the touch driving signal;

a common voltage generator for generating the common voltage;

a switch connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel, the touch driving signal generator, and the common voltage generator;

a touch-control transistor gate driver connected to the touch liquid crystal display panel for generating gate driving signals for the N sets of touch-control transistors so as to drive the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off; and

a control device connected to the source driver, the gate driver, the common voltage generator, the detection device, the touch driving signal generator, the switch, and the touch-control transistor gate driver for configuring the switch to provide the touch driving signal or the common voltage to the N second conductor lines and provide the touch driving signal to the M first conductor lines, configuring the gate driver to sequentially output the display driving signal to the K gate driving lines, configuring the source driver to output the display pixel signal to the L source driving lines, and configuring the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off.

19. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the control device further comprises:

a display timing controller connected to the source driver, the gate driver, and the common voltage generator for providing a timing of the display pixel signal and the display driving signal by the source driver and the gate driver, and a timing of the common voltage by the common voltage generator; and

a touch timing controller connected to the display timing controller, the detection device, the touch driving signal generator, the switch, and the touch-control transistor gate driver for configuring the switch to provide the touch driving signal or the common voltage to the N second conductor lines and provide the touch driving signal to the M first conductor lines, and configuring the N sets of touch-control transistors to be turned on or off.

20. The in-cell multi-touch display panel system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the M first conductor lines and the N second conductor lines have parasitic capacitance and stray capacitance, and a mutual capacitance is formed in an overlap between the M first conductor lines and each of the N second conductor lines.