Readout circuit for touch sensor

• US 8,692,180 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Seung-Seok, Sohn, Min-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyo, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US13/226,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.R, 250/214.A, 250/214.LA, 250/214.LS, 250/214.AG, 250/214.C, 250/214.DC, 330/73, 330/254, 330/278, 330/295, 327100-103
• US Class Current: 250/214.R
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a readout circuit for a touch sensor which can increase touch sensing sensitivity regardless of a process variation and a driving voltage of the touch sensor.

The readout circuit includes a comparative circuit for setting an input range of a readout signal from the readout line as well as scaling the readout signal to be a required driving range and forwarding the readout signal scaled thus as a touch sensing signal, and an analog to digital converter for converting the touch sensing signal from the comparative circuit as a digital sensing signal and forwarding the digital sensing signal.

Claims

1. A readout circuit connected to each of readout lines from a touch sensor, comprising:

a comparative circuit for setting an input range of a readout signal from the readout line as well as scaling the readout signal to be a required driving range and forwarding the readout signal scaled thus as a touch sensing signal; and

an analog to digital converter for converting the touch sensing signal from the comparative circuit as a digital sensing signal and forwarding the digital sensing signal,

wherein the comparative circuit includes;

a plurality of amplifiers connected to the readout line as one channel in series and inputting respectively a plurality of reference voltages for limiting the input range of the readout signal, wherein the plurality of reference voltages are different each other; and

a plurality of gain capacitors connected respectively to the plurality of amplifiers and connected each other in series for scaling the readout signal.

2. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein the comparative circuit includes:

first and second amplifiers connected to the readout line in series for limiting an input range of the readout signal to be between a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage; and

the touch sensor having a first gain capacitor connected between input/output terminals of a first amplifier and a second gain capacitor connected between input/output terminals of a second amplifier, for scaling the readout signal to be a driving range of the analog to digital converter.

3. The readout circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first and second reference voltages are adjusted according to a voltage range of the readout signal, and

capacitance of the first gain capacitor and capacitance of the second gain capacitor is adjusted according to the driving range of the analog to digital converter.

4. A readout circuit connected to each of readout lines from a touch sensor, comprising:

a plurality of comparative circuits for setting input ranges of a readout signal from the readout line different from one another as well as scaling the readout signal to be required driving ranges different from one another and forwarding the readout signals scaled thus as a plurality of touch sensing signals, respectively; and

a plurality of analog to digital converters for converting the touch sensing signals from the plurality of comparative circuits as digital sensing signals and forwarding the digital sensing signals, respectively,

wherein each of the plurality of comparative circuits includes;

a plurality of amplifiers connected to the readout line as one channel in series and inputting respectively a plurality of reference voltages for limiting the input range of the readout signal, wherein the plurality of reference voltages are different each other; and

a plurality of gain capacitors connected respectively to the plurality of amplifiers and connected each other in series for scaling the readout signal.

5. The readout circuit according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of comparative circuits include first and second comparative circuits connected to the readout signal in common, and

the plurality of analog to digital converters include first and second analog to digital converters connected to the first and second comparative circuits, respectively.

6. The readout circuit according to claim 5, wherein the first comparative circuit includes:

first and second amplifiers connected to the readout line in series for limiting an input range of the readout signal to be between a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage, and

a first gain capacitor connected to input/output terminals of the first amplifier and a second gain capacitor connected between input/output terminals of the second amplifier to scale the readout signal to be a driving range of the first analog to digital converter.

7. The readout circuit according to claim 6, wherein the second comparative circuit includes:

third and fourth amplifiers connected to the readout line in series for limiting the input range of the readout signal to be between the second reference voltage and a third reference voltage, and

a third gain capacitor connected to input/output terminals of the third amplifier and a fourth gain capacitor connected between input/output terminals of the fourth amplifier to scale the readout signal to be the driving range of the second analog to digital converter.

8. The readout circuit according to claim 5, wherein the first to third reference voltages are adjusted according to a voltage range of the readout signal individually, capacitance of the first gain capacitor and capacitance of the second gain capacitor is adjusted according to the driving range of the first analog to digital converter, and

capacitance of the third gain capacitor and capacitance of the fourth gain capacitor is adjusted according to the driving range of the second analog to digital converter.

9. The readout circuit according to claim 4, wherein the readout circuit superimposes a plurality of touch sensing data forwarded through the plurality of analog to digital converters individually to forward one touch sensing data.