Flexible display and touch driver IC architecture

• US 9,715,297 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Berget, Damien, Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Morein, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US14/788,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• 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 3/04166 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

A display and touch driver architecture is described that includes a plurality of source drivers and a processing system. The processing system operates receivers within the source drivers to selectively receive sensing data from the receivers and determines positional information based on the sensing data. The processing system may selectively operate different source drivers in low power modes and/or for capacitive sensing based on the determined positional information.

Claims

1. An integrated display device and capacitive sensing device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one display electrode configured for display updating and capacitive sensing;

a processing system comprising;

a first source driver coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive first sensing data from the first sensor electrode, and

a second source driver coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive second sensing data from the second sensor electrode;

wherein the processing system is configured to determine positional information for an input object based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data, and operate the first source driver to drive the first sensor electrode for capacitive sensing and the second source driver in a low power mode based on the positional information.

2. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the input object is selected from the group consisting of a finger and an active pen.

3. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are coupled to each of the first and second source drivers and are simultaneously driven to obtain a coarse position of the input object.

4. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

responsive to determining that the input object moved from the first sensor electrode to the second sensor electrode, operate the first source driver in a low power mode while operating the second source driver to drive for capacitive sensing.

5. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second source drivers are configured to acquire one or more active pen images and capacitive images,

wherein the first source driver is configured to, responsive to determining that a passive input object is proximate to the first sensor electrode, acquire more capacitive images than active pen images, and

wherein the second source driver is configured to, responsive to determining that an active pen is proximate to the second sensor electrode, acquire more active pen images than capacitive images.

6. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes include at least one grid electrode disposed between the plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein the processing system is configured to drive the grid electrode to determine a proximate location of the input object and determine which source driver to not operate in a low power mode.

7. The integrated display device and capacitive sensing device of claim 1, wherein the operating the source driver in the low power mode comprises:

lowering a capacitive sensing frame rate of the second sensor electrode relative to the first sensor electrode.

8. A processing system for an integrated display device and capacitive sensing device, the processing system comprising:

a first source driver coupled to a first sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive first sensing data from the first sensor electrode;

a second source driver coupled to a second sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to receive second sensing data from the second sensor electrode; and

a determination module configured to determine positional information for an input object based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data, and operate the first source driver to drive the first sensor electrode for capacitive sensing and the second source driver in a low power mode based on the positional information.

9. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the input object is selected from the group consisting of a finger and an active pen.

10. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are coupled to each of the first and second source drivers and are simultaneously driven to obtain a coarse position of the input object.

11. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the determination module is further configured to:

responsive to determining that the input object moved from the first sensor electrode to the second sensor electrode, operating the first source driver in a low power mode while operating the second source driver to drive for capacitive sensing.

12. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the first and second source drivers are configured to acquire one or more active pen images and capacitive images,

wherein the first source driver is configured to, responsive to determining that a passive input object is proximate to the first sensor electrode, acquire more capacitive images than active pen images, and

wherein the second source driver is configured to, responsive to determining that an active pen is proximate to the second sensor electrode, acquire more active pen images than capacitive images.

13. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes include at least one grid electrode disposed between the plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein the determination module is configured to drive the grid electrode to determine a proximate location of the input object and determine which source driver to not operate in a low power mode.

14. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the determination module configured to operate the second source driver in the low power mode is further configured to lower a capacitive sensing frame rate of the second sensor electrode relative to the first sensor electrode.

15. A method for operating an input device, the method comprising:

receiving first sensing data from a first sensor electrode using a first source driver coupled to the first sensor electrode;

receiving second sensing data from a second sensor electrode using a second source driver coupled to the second sensor electrode, wherein the first and second sensor electrodes each comprise at least one display electrode configured for display updating and capacitive sensing;

determining positional information for an input object based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data; and

operating the first source driver to drive the first sensor electrode for capacitive sensing and the second source driver in a low power mode based on the positional information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are coupled to each of the first and second source drivers and are simultaneously driven to obtain a coarse position of the input object.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the input object moved from the first sensor electrode to the second sensor electrode, operating the first source driver in a low power mode while operating the second source driver to drive for capacitive sensing.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes include at least one grid electrode disposed between the plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein the method further comprises:

driving the grid electrode to determine a proximate location of the input object and determine which source driver to not operate in a low power mode.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the operating the source driver in the low power mode comprises:

lowering a capacitive sensing frame rate of the second sensor electrode relative to the first sensor electrode.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving additional sensing data from the second sensor electrode coupled to the second source driver operating in the low power mode periodically to determine whether the input object is proximate to the second sensor electrode; and

responsive to determining that the input object is proximate to the second sensor electrode, operating the second source driver at full power.