Touch structure not affected by changes in capacitance of touch electrode to ground, touch device using same, and method for driving touch structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10949044-B1
Application number	US-201916708756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A touch structure which is immune to variations in capacitance of a touch electrode to ground includes touch electrodestouch electrodes, auxiliary electrodes, and a driving circuit. The driving circuit drives the auxiliary electrodes with the same driving signal as the touch electrodes but does not read changes in capacitance of the auxiliary electrodes when determining touch events. A touch device using the touch structure and a method for driving the touch structure are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch structure, comprising:
a touch electrode layer, the touch electrode layer comprising a plurality of touch electrodes spaced and insulated from each other;
an auxiliary electrode layer, the auxiliary electrode layer comprising a plurality of auxiliary electrodes spaced apart and insulated from each other; and
a driving circuit electrically connected to the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of auxiliary electrodes, the driving circuit being configured to drive the plurality of touch electrodes, to detect changes of self-capacitances of the plurality of touch electrodes, and to determine touch positions according to the changes of self-capacitances;
wherein the driving circuit is further configured to drive the plurality of auxiliary electrodes with same signals as driving signals of the plurality of touch electrodes;
each of the plurality of touch electrodes and one corresponding auxiliary electrode are electrically insulated by air.

2. The touch structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of touch electrodes at least partially overlaps one corresponding auxiliary electrode, a shape of each of the plurality of touch electrodes is the same as a shape of one corresponding auxiliary electrode.

3. The touch structure according to claim 1 , wherein the touch electrode layer and the auxiliary electrode layer are made of indium tin oxide, metal mesh, nano silver wire, graphene, carbon nano Tube, copper, or aluminum.

4. A touch device, comprising a touch structure and a display panel for displaying images, the touch structure comprising:
a touch electrode layer, the touch electrode layer comprising a plurality of touch electrodes spaced and insulated from each other;
an auxiliary electrode layer, the auxiliary electrode layer comprising a plurality of auxiliary electrodes spaced apart and insulated from each other; and
a driving circuit electrically connected to the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of auxiliary electrodes, the driving circuit being configured to drive the plurality of touch electrodes, to detect changes of self-capacitances of the plurality of touch electrodes, and to determine touch positions according to the changes of self-capacitances;
wherein the driving circuit is further configured to drive the plurality of auxiliary electrodes with same signals as driving signals of the plurality of touch electrodes, and each of the plurality of touch electrodes and one corresponding auxiliary electrode are electrically insulated by air.

5. The touch device according to claim 4 , wherein the touch structure is embedded in the display panel.

6. The touch device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of touch electrodes at least partially overlaps one corresponding auxiliary electrode, a shape of each of the plurality of touch electrodes is the same as a shape of one corresponding auxiliary electrode.

7. The touch device according to claim 4 , wherein the touch electrode layer and the auxiliary electrode layer are made of indium tin oxide, metal mesh, nano silver wire, graphene, carbon nano Tube, copper, or aluminum.

8. A method for driving a touch structure, wherein the touch structure comprises:
a touch electrode layer, the touch electrode layer comprising a plurality of touch electrodes spaced and insulated from each other;
an auxiliary electrode layer, the auxiliary electrode layer comprising a plurality of auxiliary electrodes spaced apart and insulated from each other, and each of the plurality of touch electrodes and one corresponding auxiliary electrode are electrically insulated by air; and
a driving circuit electrically connected to the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of auxiliary electrodes;
wherein the method for driving the touch structure comprises:
applying driving signals to the plurality of touch electrodes, and simultaneously applying same signals as the driving signals to the plurality of auxiliary electrodes; and
detecting changes of self-capacitance of the plurality of touch electrodes to determine touch positions.

Assignees

• Interface Tech Chengdu Co Ltd
• Interface Optoelectronics Shenzhen Co Ltd
• General Interface Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hsuan-Yun

Classifications

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/0446 Primary

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0445 Primary

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F3/04166

  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 title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title