Resistive touch control device and driving method and driving controller thereof

• US 8,421,772 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Jian-Feng, Wang, Wen-Chun, Lai, Chih-Chang, Su, Kuo-Chang, Lin, Gwo-Sen, Wang, Chih-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kirkpatrick, John
• Application Number:
  US12/691,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 345/174, 345/173, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/04166 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A resistive touch control device and driving methods and a driving controller thereof are provided to switch operation modes of a touch panel. Depending on the user'"'"'s requirement, the touch panel can be operated in multi-touch mode or only in an analog mode with high resolution. In other words, the touch control device can be operated in a digital mode, the analog mode, or a hybrid mode including both of the digital and the analog modes.

Claims

1. A resistive touch control device, comprising:

a touch panel, comprising;

a first transparent substrate;

a plurality of first conductive patterns, disposed on the first transparent substrate, each of the first conductive patterns extending along a first direction, and the first conductive patterns being mutually parallel;

a plurality of first electrodes, disposed on each of the first conductive patterns at two ends along the first direction;

a second transparent substrate, disposed at a side opposite to the first transparent substrate;

a plurality of second conductive patterns, disposed on the second transparent substrate, the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns located between the first transparent substrate and the second substrate, each of the second conductive patterns extending along a second direction, and the second conductive patterns being mutually parallel, wherein the first direction is intersected to the second direction;

a plurality of second electrodes, disposed on each of the second conductive patterns at two ends along the second direction;

a plurality of spacers, disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate to form a space between the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns, wherein overlapped areas of the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns are defined as a plurality of sensing blocks; and

a driving controller, for setting the touch control device to a digital mode or an analog mode, wherein the driving controller comprises;

a digital control circuit, for scanning and detecting touched sensing blocks in the touch panel to correspondingly output a matrix data when the driving controller is operated in the digital mode;

an analog control circuit, for detecting and calculating a touched position of the touch panel to correspondingly output touch coordinates when the driving controller is operated in the analog mode; and

a switch circuit, for switching the driving controller to the digital mode or the analog mode according to a control signal, wherein the switch circuit comprises at least four switch groups, and each of the switch groups has a plurality of first multiplexers, the first multiplexers of each of the switch groups are respectively coupled to the first or the second electrodes located at a same side of the touch panel, and the first multiplexers couple the electrodes to the digital control circuit or the analog control circuit according to the control signal, wherein when the driving controller is operated in the digital mode, the first multiplexers are respectively coupled to the digital control circuit, and when the driving controller is operated in the analog mode, the first multiplexers in each of the switch groups are mutually shorted and coupled to the analog control circuit.

2. The resistive touch control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of the first electrodes is connected to one end of each of the first conductive patterns for receiving a first voltage, and the other first electrodes are respectively connected to another end of each of the first conductive patterns for receiving a second voltage, one of the second electrodes is connected to one end of each of the second conductive patterns for receiving a third voltage, and the other second electrodes are respectively connected to another end of each of the second conductive patterns for receiving a fourth voltage.

3. A driving method for a resistive touch control device, comprising:

providing a touch panel, the touch panel comprising;

a first transparent substrate;

a plurality of first conductive patterns, disposed on the first transparent substrate, each of the first conductive patterns extending along a first direction, and the first conductive patterns being mutually parallel;

a plurality of first electrodes, disposed on each of the first conductive patterns at two ends along the first direction;

a second transparent substrate, disposed at a side opposite to the first transparent substrate;

a plurality of second conductive patterns, disposed on the second transparent substrate, the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns located between the first transparent substrate and the second substrate, each of the second conductive patterns extending along a second direction, and the second conductive patterns being mutually parallel, wherein the first direction is intersected to the second direction;

a plurality of second electrodes, disposed on each of the second conductive patterns at two ends along the second direction;

a plurality of spacers, disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate to form a space between the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns, wherein overlapped areas of the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns are defined as a plurality of sensing blocks;

providing a driving controller, for setting the touch control device to a digital mode or an analog mode, wherein the driving controller comprises;

a digital control circuit;

an analog control circuit; and

a switch circuit, wherein the switch circuit comprises at least four switch groups, and each of the switch groups has a plurality of first multiplexers, the first multiplexers of each of the switch groups are respectively coupled to the first or the second electrodes located at a same side of the touch panel;

switching the resistive touch control device to the digital mode or the analog mode according to a control signal by the driving controller, wherein the first multiplexers couple the electrodes to the digital control circuit or the analog control circuit according to the control signal;

scanning and detecting touched sensing blocks in the touch panel to correspondingly output a matrix data by the digital control circuit when the driving controller is operated in the digital mode and the first multiplexers are respectively coupled to the digital control circuit; and

detecting and calculating a touched position of the touch panel to correspondingly output touch coordinates by the analog control circuit when the driving controller is operated in the analog mode and the first multiplexers in each of the switch groups are mutually shorted and coupled to the analog control circuit.

4. A driving method, for driving the resistive touch control device as claimed in claim 3, the resistive touch control device further comprising at least a driving chip, and the driving method comprising:

generating a plurality of digital signals by the driving chip;

inputting the digital signals to the first conductive patterns through the first electrode to perform scanning;

detecting one of the digital signals by at least one of the second conductive patterns, and transmitting the digital signal back to the driving chip to define at least one sensing block touched by a user; and

outputting a matrix data corresponding to the sensing block.

5. The driving method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

detecting a plurality of the digital signals by the second conductive patterns, and transmitting the digital signals back to the driving chip to define a plurality of sensing blocks touched by a user; and

outputting a plurality of matrix data corresponding to the sensing blocks.

6. A driving method, for driving the resistive touch control device as claimed in claim 3, the resistive touch control device further comprising at least a driving chip, and the driving method comprising:

sequentially inputting different voltages to two ends of the first conductive patterns through the second electrodes by the driving chip;

detecting at least one sensing voltage signal (Vs) by the second electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define at least one coordinates of the first direction;

sequentially inputting different voltages to two ends of the second conductive patterns through the second electrodes by the driving chip;

detecting at least another one sensing voltage signal (Vf) by the first electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define at least one coordinates of the second direction;

obtaining an accurate coordinates position by combining the coordinates of the first direction and the coordinates of the second direction; and

outputting the accurate coordinates position as touch coordinates.

7. The driving method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

respectively inputting different voltages to the first electrodes located at two ends of each of the first conductive patterns to form a first voltage difference;

detecting at least one voltage-dividing signal obtained based on calculation of the first voltage difference by the second electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the first direction;

respectively inputting different voltages to the second electrodes located at two ends of each of the second conductive patterns to form a second voltage difference; and

detecting at least one voltage-dividing signal obtained based on calculation of the second voltage difference by the first electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the second direction.

8. The driving method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

detecting at least two sensing voltage signals by the second electrodes, and transmitting them back to the driving chip to define a plurality of coordinates of the first direction;

detecting at least two sensing voltage signals by the first electrodes, and transmitting them back to the driving chip to define a plurality of coordinates of the second direction;

obtaining a plurality of coordinates positions by combining the coordinates of the first direction and the coordinates of the second direction; and

outputting the coordinates positions as a plurality of touch coordinates.

9. The driving method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

comparing the sensing voltage signal (Vs) to a predetermined first value range;

outputting the coordinates of the first direction if the sensing voltage signal is within the first value range;

comparing the other sensing voltage signal (Vf) to a predetermined second value range; and

outputting the coordinates of the second direction if the other sensing voltage signal is within the second value range.

10. The driving method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a number of the first conductive patterns extended along the first direction is n_t, wherein n_t=1, 2, 3, . . . , n−

1, n, n+1, . . . , and n is a positive integer, and a number of the second conductive patterns extended along the second direction is m_t, wherein m_t=1, 2, 3, . . . , m−

1, m, m+1, . . . , and m is a positive integer, and the driving method comprises;

providing a first voltage V1 to the first electrode located at one end of a n-th first conductive pattern, and providing a second voltage V2 to the first electrode located at another end of the n-th first conductive pattern;

detecting the sensing voltage signal Vs by at least one of the second electrodes located at two ends of a m-th second conductive pattern;

determining whether the sensing voltage signal Vs is within the first value range [(V1−

V2)/mt]*(m−

1)<

Vs<

[(V1−

V2)/mt]*m; and

outputting the coordinates of the first direction if the sensing voltage signal Vs is within the first value range, and regarding the sensing voltage signal Vs as a miss-detected value and obviating it if the sensing voltage signal Vs is not within the first value range.

11. The driving method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:

providing a third voltage V3 to the second electrode located at one end of a m-th second conductive pattern, and providing a fourth voltage V4 to the second electrode located at another end of the m-th second conductive pattern;

detecting the other sensing voltage signal Vf by at least one of the first electrodes located at two ends of the n-th first conductive pattern;

determining whether the other sensing voltage signal Vf is within the second value range [(V3−

V4)/nt]*(n−

1)<

Vf<

[(V3−

V4)/nt]*n; and

outputting the coordinates of the second direction if the other sensing voltage signal Vf is within the second value range, and regarding the other sensing voltage signal Vf as a miss-detected value and obviating it if the other sensing voltage signal Vf is not within the second value range.

12. The driving method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

mutually shorting the first electrodes located at a same side of the first conductive patterns by the driving chip for simultaneously receiving a first voltage;

mutually shorting the other first electrodes located at another same side of the first conductive patterns by the driving chip for simultaneously receiving a second voltage, so as to form a first voltage difference between two ends of the first conductive patterns;

mutually shorting the second electrodes located at a same side of the second conductive patterns by the driving chip, and mutually shorting the other second electrodes located at another same side of the second conductive patterns by the driving chip;

detecting at least one voltage-dividing signal obtained based on calculation of the first voltage difference by the second electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the first direction;

mutually shorting the second electrodes located at a same side of the second conductive patterns by the driving chip for simultaneously receiving a third voltage;

mutually shorting the other second electrodes located at another same side of the second conductive patterns by the driving chip for simultaneously receiving a fourth voltage, so as to form a second voltage difference between two ends of the second conductive patterns;

mutually shorting the first electrodes located at a same side of the first conductive patterns by the driving chip, and mutually shorting the other first electrodes located at another same side of the first conductive patterns by the driving chip; and

detecting at least one voltage-dividing signal obtained based on calculation of the second voltage difference by the first electrodes, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the second direction.

13. A driving method, for driving the resistive touch control device as claimed in claim 3, the resistive touch control device further comprising at least a driving chip, and the driving method comprising:

respectively inputting a digital signal to the first conductive patterns through the first electrodes by the driving chip, so as to perform a scanning;

detecting the digital signal by at least one of the second conductive patterns, and transmitting the digital signal back to the driving chip to define at least one touched sensing block;

respectively inputting different voltages to two ends of the first conductive pattern corresponding to the sensing block;

detecting a sensing voltage signal by two ends of the second conductive pattern corresponding to the sensing block, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the first direction;

respectively inputting different voltages to two ends of the second conductive pattern corresponding to the sensing block;

detecting another sensing voltage signal by two ends of the first conductive pattern corresponding to the sensing block, and transmitting it back to the driving chip to define the coordinates of the second direction; and

combining the coordinates of the first direction and the coordinates of the second direction to obtain an accurate coordinates position.

14. The driving method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:

detecting a plurality of the sensing voltage signals by the second electrodes, and transmitting them back to the driving chip to define a plurality of coordinates of the first direction;

detecting a plurality of the sensing voltage signals by the first electrodes, and transmitting them back to the driving chip to define a plurality of coordinates of the second direction; and

combining the coordinates of the first direction and the coordinates of the second direction to obtain a plurality of coordinates positions.