Control method, display device and electronic system utilizing the same

• US 9,367,159 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Yu-Jen, Lin, Chen-Wei, Kung, Chen-Pang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US12/898,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1811, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

A display device including a display circuit, a touch panel, a detection circuit, and a sensing circuit is disclosed. The display circuit generates a plurality of driving signals. The touch panel displays an image according to the driving signals. The detection circuit detects the display circuit. When the display circuit stops generating the driving signals, the detection circuit asserts a control signal. The sensing circuit detects the touch panel to obtain whether an area of the touch panel is touched when the control signal is asserted.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display circuit generating a plurality of driving signals;

a touch panel displaying an image according to the driving signals;

a detection circuit detecting the display circuit, wherein when the display circuit stops generating the driving signals, the detection circuit asserts a control signal;

a sensing circuit detecting the touch panel to obtain whether an area of the touch panel is touched when the control signal is asserted;

a timing controller providing a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal;

a gate driver generating a plurality of scan signals according to the vertical synchronization signal, wherein the detection circuit does not control the scan signals; and

a data driver generating a plurality of data signals according to the horizontal synchronization signal, wherein the driving signals comprise the scan signals and the data signals, wherein the detection circuit utilizes the horizontal synchronization signal and the vertical synchronization signal to determine that the display circuit has stopped generating the driving signals.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises:

a first gate line transmitting a first scan signal among the scan signals; and

a second gate line transmitting a second scan signal among the scan signals, wherein when the gate driver asserts the first scan signal, the gate driver un-asserts the second scan signal, and when the gate driver asserts the second scan signal, the gate driver un-asserts the first scan signal.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the asserted first scan signal is transmitted by the first gate line and the asserted second scan signal is not transmitted by the second gate line, the sensing circuit asserts the control signal.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

after the asserted first scan signal is transmitted by the first gate line, the second gate line transmits the asserted second scan signal; and

after the asserted second scan signal is transmitted by the second gate line, the asserted first gate line transmits the first scan signal.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the asserted second scan signal is transmitted by the second gate line and the asserted first scan signal is not transmitted by the first gate line, the sensing circuit asserts the control signal.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of sensor, which, when the area is touched, the electric property of a portion of sensors is changed, the portion of sensors correspond to the area, the sensing circuit obtains that the area is touched according to the changed in the electric property.

7. The display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensors are a plurality of capacitors, when the area is touched, capacitance of a portion of the capacitors is changed, and wherein the portion of the capacitors corresponds to the area.

8. The display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensors are a plurality of resistors, when the area is touched, the voltage difference of a portion of the resistors is changed, and wherein the portion of the resistors corresponds to the area.

9. The display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of sensing areas, and each of the sensing areas corresponds to at least one pixel unit and comprises one of the sensors.

10. The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensing circuit detects the changed levels of the electric properties of sensors each time.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensing circuit detects at least one of the changed levels of the electric properties of sensors each time.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of pixel units, and each of the pixel units comprises a luminous element.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the luminous element is a light-emitting diode (LED).

14. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the luminous element is an organic LED.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of pixel units, and each of the pixel units comprises a liquid crystal component.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the liquid crystal component is a cholesteric liquid crystal.

17. An electronic system, comprising:

a host unit providing an image signal; and

a display device comprising;

a display circuit generating a plurality of driving signals according to the image signal;

a touch panel displaying an image according to the driving signals;

a detection circuit detecting the display circuit, wherein when the display circuit stops generating the driving signals, the detection circuit asserts a control signal;

a sensing circuit detecting the touch panel and transmitting the detection result to the host unit when the control signal is asserted, wherein the host unit executes a corresponding function according to the detection result;

a timing controller providing a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal;

a gate driver generating a plurality of scan signals according to the vertical synchronization signal, wherein the detection circuit does not control the scan signals; and

a data driver generating a plurality of data signals according to the horizontal synchronization signal, wherein the driving signals comprise the scan signals and the data signals, wherein the detection circuit utilizes the horizontal synchronization signal and the vertical synchronization signal to obtain that the display circuit stops generating the driving signals.

18. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch panel comprises:

a first gate line transmitting a first scan signal among the scan signals; and

a second gate line transmitting a second scan signal among the scan signals, wherein when the gate driver asserts the first scan signal, the gate driver un-asserts the second scan signal, and when the gate driver asserts the second scan signal, the gate driver un-asserts the first scan signal.

19. The electronic system as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the asserted first scan signal is transmitted by the first gate line and the asserted second scan signal is not transmitted by the second gate line, the sensing circuit asserts the control signal.

20. The electronic system as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

after the asserted first scan signal is transmitted by the first gate line, the second gate line transmits the asserted second scan signal; and

after the asserted second scan signal is transmitted by the second gate line, the asserted first gate line transmits the first scan signal.

21. The electronic system as claimed in claim 20, wherein when the asserted second scan signal is transmitted by the second gate line and the asserted first scan signal is not transmitted by the first gate line, the sensing circuit asserts the control signal.

22. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of sensor, when an area is touched, an electric property of a portion of sensors is changed, the portion of sensors corresponds to the touched area, the sensing circuit obtains that the area is touched according to the changed level of the electric property.

23. The electronic system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the sensors are a plurality of capacitors, when the area is touched, capacitance of a portion of the capacitors is changed, and wherein the portion of the capacitors corresponds to the area.

24. The electronic system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the sensors are a plurality of resistors, when the area is touched, the voltage difference of a portion of the resistors is changed, and wherein the portion of the resistors corresponds to the area.

25. The electronic system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of sensing areas, and each of the sensing areas corresponds to at least one pixel unit and comprises one of the sensors.

26. The electronic system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the sensing circuit detects the changed levels of the electric properties of sensors each time.

27. The electronic system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the sensing circuit detects at least one of the changed levels of the electric properties of sensors each time.

28. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of pixel units, and each of the pixel units comprises a luminous element.

29. The electronic system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the luminous element is a light-emitting diode (LED).

30. The electronic system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the luminous element is an organic LED.

31. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch panel comprises a plurality of pixel units, and each of the pixel units comprises a liquid crystal component.

32. The electronic system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the liquid crystal component is a cholesteric liquid crystal.

33. A control method for a touch panel, comprising:

generating and providing a plurality of driving signals to the touch panel, wherein the touch panel displays a corresponding image according to the driving signals, and the driving signals are generated by a display circuit;

utilizing a detection circuit to determine whether the display circuit stops generating the driving signals;

detecting whether an area of the touch panel is touched when the display circuit stops generating the driving signals;

providing a gate driver to generate the scan signals;

providing a data driver to generate the data signals;

providing a vertical synchronization signal to activate the gate driver, wherein the detection circuit does not control the scan signals;

providing a horizontal synchronization signal to activate the data driver; and

utilizing the vertical synchronization signal and the horizontal synchronization signal to obtain whether the display circuit stops generating the driving signals.

34. The control method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the driving signals comprise a plurality of scan signals and a plurality of data signals.

35. The control method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

providing a timing controller to generate the vertical synchronization signal and the horizontal synchronization signal.

36. The control method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

dividing the touch panel into a plurality of sensing areas; and

sequentially detecting the sensing areas to obtain whether the area is touched.

37. The control method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

stopping the detection function when the display circuit generates the driving signals.