TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM

• US 20110018840A1
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Digital Technologies, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Digital Technologies, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Feng-Sheng, Liaw, Shen-Tai, Hwang, Nae-Jye, Fann, Sen-Shyong
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• 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: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14681 Bipolar transistor imagers

Abstract

A touch screen system includes an in-cell type optical touch device for displaying images and receiving a light signal, an out-cell type touch device for sensing a finger or a non-optical stylus, a first functional unit connected with the in-cell type optical touch device, a second functional unit connected with the out-cell type touch panel and a third functional unit connected with the first functional unit and the second functional unit. The out-cell type touch device is disposed on the in-cell type optical touch device. The first functional unit converts an analog sensing signal received by the in-cell type optical touch device into a first electrical signal. An object-sensing signal generated from the out-cell type touch panel is processed by the second functional unit to generate a second electrical signal. The third functional unit analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal and generates valid output signals.

Claims

1. A touch screen system, comprising:

an in-cell type optical touch device for displaying images and receiving a light signal;

an out-cell type touch device for sensing a finger or a non-optical stylus, the out-cell type touch device being disposed on an outer surface of the in-cell type optical touch device;

a first functional unit electrically connected with the in-cell type optical touch device, the first functional unit converting an analog sensing signal received by the in-cell type optical touch device into a first electrical signal;

a second functional unit electrically connected with the out-cell type touch panel, an object-sensing signal generated from the out-cell type touch panel being processed by the second functional unit to generate a second electrical signal; and

a third functional unit electrically connected with the first functional unit and the second functional unit to analyze the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal and generate valid output signals, wherein the valid output signals comprise both a light spot location and an object touch location detected by the touch screen system.

2. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the in-cell type optical touch device is a liquid crystal device having optical sensors embedded therein.

3. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the out-cell type touch device comprises a resistive type touch panel, a surface-wave type touch panel, a capacitive type touch panel or an electromagnetic type touch panel.

4. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the first function unit and the third function unit are configured in a first logic device and the second functional unit is configured in a second logic device.

5. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the first function unit, the second function unit, and the third function unit are configured in three different logic devices.

6. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the out-cell type touch device is a capacitive or resistive sensing film laminated on the in-cell type optical touch device.

7. The touch screen system according to claim 1, further comprising an light pen with a light source being configured to output a light signal to the touch screen system.

8. A touch screen system, comprising:

a display device having a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed in a display area;

a plurality of optical sensors disposed in a matrix of pixel electrodes, which are activated by an optical signal and driven by a signal line of the pixel electrode to convert the optical signal into a raw current signal;

a processor capable of determining a light spot location based on the activated optical sensor and generating a first electrical signal based on the raw current signal;

an object-sensing device capable of responsive to a touch implement on the display area and generating a second electrical signal with a set of position coordinates of the touch implement; and

a controller for comparing the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal to determine whether the first electrical signal or the second electrical signal as an output signal.

9. The touch screen system according to claim 8, wherein the controller generates a set of position coordinates associated with the first electrical signal prior to the second electrical signal when the first and the second electrical signal are received simultaneously.

10. The touch screen system according to claim 8, further comprising a light pen having two terminals, one of the terminals is used for radiating light to activate optical sensors, and the other one of the terminals is used for input sensed by the object-sensing detector.

11. The touch screen system according to claim 10, wherein the optical signal is generated from a light pen when exerting against the display device.

12. The touch screen system according to claim 8, wherein the first electrical signal is determined by comparing a current difference between the light spot location on the display area and the other location of the display area.

13. The touch screen system according to claim 8, wherein the optical sensors and the pixel electrodes are fabricated by the same fabrication process.

14. A touch screen system, comprising:

a light pen having optical source for providing a light;

a monitor for sensing at least one of the light and a stylus impinging on a display area, the monitor providing an output representative of one location of the light or the stylus on the display area; and

an operator configured to process a first electrical signal converted from light and a second electrical signal sensed from stylus, and the operator generates a set of position coordinates associated with the first electrical signal prior to the second electrical signal.

15. The touch screen system according to claim 14, wherein the monitor has an addressable pixel array in a first substrate, and a plurality of optical sensors arranged in the addressable pixel array.

16. The touch screen system according to claim 15, wherein the optical sensor is driven by a scan line which is associated with the pixel structures.

17. The touch screen system according to claim 14, wherein the monitor comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

18. The touch screen system according to claim 14, wherein the monitor comprises at least one detector selected from one of a resistive type touch panel, a surface-wave type touch panel, a capacitive type touch panel or an electromagnetic type touch panel.

19. The touch screen system according to claim 14, wherein the light is launched from the light pen when the pen is exerted against the display area.