Sensor-equipped display device, control device, and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10521067-B2
Application number	US-201615740784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A sensor-equipped display device includes a scanning driving unit ( 4 ) that repeats a scanning operation of selecting scanning lines (G) sequentially in a first direction, and a data driving unit ( 5 ) that applies a voltage to data lines (S). The display device further includes a detection control unit ( 30 ) that repeats a scanning operation of driving drive lines (DRL) sequentially in the first direction, and detects signals of detection lines (SNL). During a period that overlaps a period for the screen scanning operation with respect to the scanning lines, the detection control unit executes the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, and in the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, the detection control unit outputs the driving signal, avoiding the drive line in an area corresponding to the scanning line that is being selected by the scanning driving unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor-equipped display device comprising a screen that displays an image, and a sensor that detects contact or approach of an object with respect to the screen, the sensor-equipped display device comprising:
a plurality of scanning lines that are arrayed in a first direction;
a plurality of data lines that are arrayed in a second direction that is different from the first direction;
a plurality of switching elements that are provided in correspondence to points of intersection between the scanning lines and the data lines, respectively;
a plurality of pixel electrodes that are connected to the switching elements, respectively;
a scanning driving circuit that repeats a screen scanning operation with respect to the scanning lines, the screen scanning operation with respect to the scanning lines being an operation of selecting the scanning lines sequentially in the first direction throughout the screen;
a data driving circuit that outputs a signal to the data lines in synchronization with the scanning of the scanning lines by the scanning driving circuit, thereby applying, to the pixel electrodes, voltages corresponding to gray levels to be displayed, respectively;
a plurality of drive lines that are arrayed in the first direction;
a plurality of detection lines that are arrayed in the second direction; and
a detection controller that repeats a screen scanning operation of outputting a driving signal to the drive lines sequentially, and detects signals of the detection lines in correspondence to the driving signal,
wherein, during a period that overlaps a period for the screen scanning operation with respect to the scanning lines, the detection controller executes the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, and in the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, the detection controller outputs the driving signal, avoiding the drive line in an area corresponding to the scanning line that is being selected by the scanning driving circuit,
the detection controller controls the outputting of the driving signal according to a synchronization signal for controlling timings of the selection of the scanning lines by the scanning driving circuit, and
the detection controller stops the outputting of the driving signal in the screen scanning operation at a timing based on the synchronization signal, thereby outputting the driving signal, avoiding the drive line in the area corresponding to the scanning line that is being selected.

2. The sensor-equipped display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the scanning driving circuit, in the screen scanning operation, selects the scanning lines sequentially, from the scanning line at one side end in the first direction to the scanning line at the other side end in the same direction, and
the detection controller, in the screen scanning operation, outputs the driving signal to the drive lines sequentially, from the drive line at the other side end in the first direction to the drive line at the one side end, and stops the outputting of the driving signal at a timing at which a position of the scanning line that is to be selected overlaps a position of the drive line to which the driving signal is to be output.

3. The sensor-equipped display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection controller further includes:
a frequency changing unit that changes a driving frequency of the driving signal; and
a setting unit that determines, based on the driving frequency, the order of the drive lines to which the driving signal is to be output, or a period in which the outputting of the driving signal is stopped in the screen scanning operation.

4. The sensor-equipped display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the synchronization signal includes a perpendicular synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal that the scanning driving circuit refers to when operating, and
the detection controller controls the outputting of the driving signal, according to the number of pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal that are counted with reference to the perpendicular synchronization signal.

5. A control device that controls electronic equipment that includes a screen that has a matrix of pixels, a plurality of drive lines arrayed in a direction vertical to rows of the pixels in an area that overlaps with the screen, and detection lines arrayed in a direction vertical to columns of the pixels, the electronic equipment detecting contact or approach of an object with respect to the screen based on signals of the detection lines, the control device comprising:
a signal acquisition circuit that receives a synchronization signal for controlling a timing at which updating of display of pixels in each row of the screen is started;
a signal generation circuit that generates a control signal for controlling a driving signal to be output to the drive lines based on the synchronization signal; and
an output circuit that outputs the control signal generated by the signal generation circuit, or the driving signal based on the control signal,
wherein the signal generation circuit, in a period overlapping with a period for the updating of display of the screen, executes a screen scanning operation for outputting the driving signal to the drive lines, and in the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, generates the control signal so that the driving signal is output, avoiding the drive line in an area corresponding to a row of the pixels being subjected to the updating of display,
the signal generation circuit controls the outputting of the driving signal according to a synchronization signal for controlling timings of the updating of display, and
the signal generation circuit stops the outputting of the driving signal at a timing based on the synchronization signal, thereby outputting the driving signal, avoiding the drive line in the area corresponding to the row of the pixels being subjected to the updating of display.

6. A control method for controlling electronic equipment that includes a screen that has a matrix of pixels, a plurality of drive lines arrayed in a direction vertical to rows of the pixels in an area that overlaps with the screen, and detection lines arrayed in a direction vertical to columns of the pixels, the electronic equipment detecting contact or approach of an object with respect to the screen based on signals of the detection lines, the control method comprising:
an action of receiving a synchronization signal for controlling a timing at which updating of display of pixels in each row of the screen is started;
a signal generation action of generating a control signal for controlling a driving signal to be output to the drive lines based on the synchronization signal; and
an outputting action of outputting the control signal generated in the signal generation action, or the driving signal based on the control signal,
wherein, in the signal generation action, in a period overlapping with a period for the updating of display of the screen, a screen scanning operation for outputting the driving signal to the drive lines is executed, and in the screen scanning operation with respect to the drive lines, the control signal is generated so that the driving signal is output, with the drive line in an area corresponding to a row of the pixels being subjected to the updating of display being avoided,
in the signal generation action the outputting of the driving signal is controlled according to a synchronization signal for controlling timings of the updating of display, and
in the signal generation action, the outputting of the driving signal is stopped at a timing based on the synchronization signal, such that the driving signal is outputted, a

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Mayumi Masashi

Classifications

• H04N3/14

  by means of electrically scanned solid-state devices (for picture generation H04N25/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/05

  Digital input using the sampling of an analogue quantity at regular intervals of time {, input from a/d converter or output to d/a converter} · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/047 Primary

  using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires · CPC title