Techniques for reducing cross talk for simultaneous touch sensing and display updating

• US 9,874,973 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): DICKE, CHAD M
• Application Number:
  US14/582,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20160188107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 2001
• 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 3/04184 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: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0202 Addressing of scan or signal lines
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

A processing system, input device, and method are provided for reducing interference in a capacitive sensing system. The processing system generally includes a sensor module configured to drive a first sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes with a first sensing signal during a first time period, wherein the first sensor electrode comprises a first display electrode of a display, the first display electrode configured for updating display pixels of the display and for capacitive sensing. The input device also includes a display driver configured to drive a first display line of display elements within the display with a display update signal during a second time period. The first time period at least partially overlaps with the second time period. Further, the first display line of display elements does not overlap the first sensor electrode.

Claims

1. A processing system for capacitive sensing, the processing system comprising:

a sensor module configured to;

drive a first sensor electrode of each of a plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with a first sensing signal during a first blanking period before a display frame, wherein the first sensor electrode comprises a first display electrode at a first edge of a display, the first display electrode configured for updating display pixels of the display and for capacitive sensing,

starting at a first time period after the first blanking period, drive the other sensor electrodes of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with sensing signals from the first edge of the display to a second edge of the display, wherein;

the sensor electrodes are driven by capacitive routing traces, and

the capacitive routing trace for driving a sensor electrode does not overlap any display line of a row of display elements nearer to the first edge of the display than the sensor electrode; and

a display driver configured to;

during a second time period that at least partially overlaps the first time period, drive a first display line of rows of display elements at the first edge of the display with a display update signal during the display frame, and

after the second time period, drive remaining display lines of rows of display elements with display update signals from the first edge of the display to the second edge of the display during the display frame,

wherein, during the display frame, while driving the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes from the first edge to the second edge of the display, the capacitive routing trace for each sensor electrode, of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes, while being driven with one of the sensing signals does not overlap the display line of the row of display elements being driven concurrently with one of the display update signals.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor module is further configured to drive a second sensor electrode of each of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with a second sensing signal in a vertical blanking period that occurs after the display frame.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor module is further configured to;

drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes at a sensing frame rate that is faster than the display frame rate and in a different order than an order with which the display lines are driven by the display driver.

4. The processing system of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes are arranged in a plurality of vertical subdivisions; and

the sensor module is further configured to drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes in an order in which the vertical subdivisions are driven in a staggered order to avoid overlapping active sensor electrodes with active display elements.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is further configured to:

drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes in an absolute capacitive sensing mode by sequentially driving different sets of one or more sensor electrodes with an absolute sensing signal, the sensor electrodes being disposed in a matrix array within a common layer.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor module is configured to drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes at a sensing frame rate that is equal to a display frame rate at which the display lines are driven by the display driver.

7. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive routing traces extend from the second edge of the device to connect to the sensor electrode driven by that capacitive routing trace.

8. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive routing traces extend from the second edge of the display to connect to the sensor electrode driven by that capacitive routing trace.

9. An input device for capacitive sensing, the input device comprising:

a plurality of columns of sensor electrodes;

a display including a plurality of display lines of rows of display elements, wherein the sensor electrodes comprise display electrodes of the display configured for updating display pixels of the display and for capacitive sensing; and

a processing system, comprising;

a sensor module configured to;

drive a first sensor electrode of each of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes at a first edge of the display with a first sensing signal during a first blanking period before a display frame, and

starting at a first time period after the first blanking period, drive the other sensor electrodes of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with sensing signals from the first edge of the display to a second edge of the display,

wherein the sensor electrodes are driven by capacitive routing traces, and

wherein the capacitive routing trace for driving a sensor electrode does not overlap any display line of a row of display elements nearer to the first edge of the display than the sensor electrode; and

a display driver configured to;

during a second time period that at least partially overlaps the first time period, drive a first display line at the first edge of the display with a display update signal during the display frame, and

after the second time period, drive remaining display lines of rows of display elements with display update signals from the first edge of the display to the second edge of the display during the display frame,

wherein, during the display frame, while driving the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes from the first edge to the second edge of the display, the capacitive routing trace for each sensor electrode, of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes, while being driven with one of the sensing signals does not overlap the display line of the row of display elements being driven concurrently with one of the display update signals.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor module is further configured to drive a second sensor electrode of each of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with a second sensing signal in a vertical blanking period that occurs after the display frame.

11. The input device of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor module is further configured to drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes at a sensing frame rate that is faster than the display frame rate and in a different order than an order with which the display lines are driven by the display driver.

12. The input device of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes are arranged in a plurality of vertical subdivisions; and

the sensor module is further configured to drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes in an order in which the vertical subdivisions are driven in a staggered order to avoid overlapping active sensor electrodes with active display elements.

13. The input device of claim 9, wherein the sensor module is further configured to:

drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes in an absolute capacitive sensing mode by sequentially driving different sets of one or more sensor electrodes with an absolute sensing signal, the sensor electrodes being disposed in a matrix array within a common layer.

14. The input device of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor module is configured to drive the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes at a sensing frame rate that is equal to a display frame rate at which the display lines are driven by the display driver.

15. The input device of claim 9, wherein the capacitive routing traces extend from the second edge of the display to connect to the sensor electrode driven by that capacitive routing trace.

16. A method for capacitive sensing, the method comprising:

driving a first sensor electrode of each of a plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with a first sensing signal during a first blanking period before a display frame, wherein the first sensor electrode comprises a first display electrode at of a first edge of a display, the first display electrode configured for updating display pixels of the display and for capacitive sensing;

starting at a first time period after the first blanking period, driving the other sensor electrodes of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with sensing signals from the first edge of the display to a second edge of the display, wherein;

the sensor electrodes are driven by capacitive routing traces, and

the capacitive routing trace for driving a sensor electrode does not overlap any display line of a row of display elements nearer to the first edge of the display than the sensor electrode;

during a second time period that at least partially overlaps the first time period, driving a first display line of a row of display elements at the first edge of the display with a display update signal during a display frame,

after the second time period, driving remaining display lines of rows of display elements with display update signals from the first edge of the display to the second edge of the display during the display frame,

wherein, during the display frame, while driving the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes from the first edge to the second edge of the display, the capacitive routing trace for each sensor electrode, of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes, while being driven with one of the sensing signals does not overlap the display line of the row of display elements being driven concurrently with one of the display update signals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

driving a second sensor electrode of each of the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes with a second sensing signal during a blanking period that is after the display frame.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of columns of sensor electrodes are driven at a sensing frame rate that is equal to a display frame rate at which the display lines are driven.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the capacitive routing traces extend from the second edge of the display to connect to the sensor electrode driven by that capacitive routing trace.