Touch controller and operating method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12019828-B2
Application number	US-202318350578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Aug 31, 2022
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A touch controller, a touch screen device, and an operating method of the touch controller are provided. A touch controller, performing a touch sensing operation of sensing a touch of a touch panel in a touch sensing period, includes a first clock generator configured to generate a low frequency clock signal for calculating the touch sensing period, a second clock generator configured to generate a high frequency clock signal for performing the touch sensing operation, and a first calibration circuit configured to calibrate a frequency of the low frequency clock signal by using the high frequency clock signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch controller comprising:
a first clock generator that is configured to generate a low frequency clock signal to calculate a touch sensing period;
a second clock generator that is configured to generate a high frequency clock signal to perform a touch sensing operation; and
a first calibration circuit that is configured to calibrate a frequency of the low frequency clock signal by using the high frequency clock signal,
wherein the touch controller is configured to perform the touch sensing operation to sense a touch of a touch panel in the touch sensing period.

2. The touch controller of claim 1 , wherein the first calibration circuit is configured to count a period of the low frequency clock signal using the high frequency clock signal and provide trim data to the first clock generator, based on a counting value of the period of the low frequency clock signal.

3. The touch controller of claim 2 , wherein the first calibration circuit is configured to provide the trim data based on a trim table, and
wherein the trim table is configured to store information about the trim data corresponding to a degree of adjustment of the frequency of the low frequency clock signal.

4. The touch controller of claim 1 , wherein the first calibration circuit is configured to provide initial setting trim data to the first clock generator when power is supplied to the touch controller, and
wherein the first clock generator is configured to generate the low frequency clock signal having a frequency corresponding to the initial setting trim data.

5. The touch controller of claim 1 , further comprising a second calibration circuit that is configured to calibrate a frequency of the high frequency clock signal using a reference clock signal.

6. The touch controller of claim 5 , wherein the reference clock signal is supplied from a circuit that is external to the touch controller.

7. The touch controller of claim 1 , further comprising a transfer circuit that is configured to provide a driving signal to driving electrodes of the touch panel, wherein the second clock generator is configured to supply the high frequency clock signal to the transfer circuit.

8. The touch controller of claim 1 , wherein the first clock generator comprises: a ring oscillator that includes a plurality of inverters and an output inverter;
a reference current generator that is configured to generate a reference current;
a plurality of transistors that are configured to generate a current based on the reference current; and
a plurality of switches configured to supply the current to the plurality of inverters, based on trim data.

9. An operating method of a touch controller, the operating method comprising:
supplying power to the touch controller;
generating a low frequency clock signal;
calculating a touch sensing period using the low frequency clock signal;
generating a high frequency clock signal;
sensing a touch of a touch panel using the high frequency clock signal in a touch sensing interval having the touch sensing period; and
calibrating a frequency of the low frequency clock signal by using the high frequency clock signal.

10. The operating method of claim 9 , further comprising:
sensing the touch of the touch panel in an idle mode; and
changing a mode from the idle mode to a normal mode when the touch of the touch panel is sensed.

11. The operating method of claim 10 , wherein the sensing of the touch of the touch panel comprises:
determining a finger press when the touch of the touch panel is sensed in a plurality of continuous touch sensing intervals;
determining a double tap when the touch of the touch panel comprises a first touch, a non-touch, and a second touch, and the first touch, the non-touch, and the second touch are sequentially sensed in the plurality of continuous touch sensing intervals; and
changing a mode from the idle mode to the normal mode when the double tap is sensed.

12. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the calibrating of the frequency of the low frequency clock signal comprises:
counting a period of the low frequency clock signal using the high frequency clock signal; and
maintaining the frequency of the low frequency clock signal when a counting value of the period of the low frequency clock signal matches a target value.

13. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the calibrating of the frequency of the low frequency clock signal comprises:
counting a period of the low frequency clock signal using the high frequency clock signal; and
adjusting the frequency of the low frequency clock signal when a counting value of the period of the low frequency clock signal differs from a target value.

14. The operating method of claim 13 , wherein the adjusting of the frequency of the low frequency clock signal comprises:
obtaining new trim data corresponding to the counting value in a trim table; and
generating the low frequency clock signal having an adjusted frequency based on the new trim data.

15. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the generating of the low frequency clock signal comprises generating the low frequency clock signal having an initial frequency based on initial setting trim data.

16. The operating method of claim 9 , further comprising calibrating a frequency of the high frequency clock signal using a reference clock signal supplied from a circuit that is external to the touch controller.

17. A touch screen device comprising:
a touch panel that includes a touch sensor array; and
a touch controller that is configured to supply a driving signal to the touch sensor array, wherein the touch controller is configured to generate the driving signal in a touch sensing interval using a high frequency clock signal, calculate a touch sensing period in the touch sensing interval using a low frequency clock signal, and calibrate a frequency of the low frequency clock signal using the high frequency clock signal.

18. The touch screen device of claim 17 , wherein the touch controller is configured to calibrate the frequency of the low frequency clock signal based on a trim table, and
wherein the trim table is configured to store information about trim data corresponding to a degree of adjustment of the frequency of the low frequency clock signal.

19. The touch screen device of claim 17 , wherein the touch controller is configured to generate the low frequency clock signal having an initial frequency based on initial setting trim data when power is supplied to the touch controller.

20. The touch screen device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of pixels; and
a display driving circuit that is configured to drive the display panel, wherein
the touch controller is configured to calibrate a frequency of the high frequency clock signal by using a reference clock signal that is supplied from the display driving circuit.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Choonghoon
• Kim Minsung
• Min Kyungjik
• Baek Seunghoon
• Lee Kyeonggon

Classifications

• 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

• G06F3/0446

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

• G06F3/046

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title