Touch sensing apparatus, touch sensing method, touch sensing system, and display system using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017228084-A1
Application number	US-201715412220-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch sensing apparatus includes a plurality of touch sensors provided in a touch panel and a switching unit for transmitting sensing signals per column or row of the touch sensors through a single line to a touch controller.

First claim

1 . A touch sensing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of touch sensors provided in a touch panel; and a switching unit for transmitting sensing signals per column or row of the touch sensors through a single line to a touch controller.

2 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the switching unit comprises transistors individually connected to the touch sensors, first terminals of the transistors are individually connected to the touch sensors, second terminals of the transistors are connected to one pad per column or row of the touch sensors, the pad is provided in an integrated circuit comprising the touch controller, and gate terminals of the transistors receive selection signals.

3 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the selection signals comprise column-selection address signals or row-selection address signals.

4 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transistors comprise thin film transistors.

5 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensors are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the switching unit comprises a plurality of multiplexers, and each of the multiplexers inputs sensing signals of touch sensors arranged in the same column and transmits a sensing signal of a touch sensor corresponding to a row selected according to selection signals, through a single line to the touch controller.

6 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
each of the multiplexers comprises transistors individually connected to touch sensors arranged in the same column, first terminals of the transistors are individually connected to the touch sensors arranged in the same column, second terminals of the transistors are connected through one output terminal to the touch controller, and gate terminals of the transistors receive the selection signals.

7 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensors are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the switching unit comprises a plurality of multiplexers, and each of the multiplexers inputs sensing signals of touch sensors arranged in the same row, and transmits a sensing signal of a touch sensor corresponding to a column selected according to selection signals, through a single line to the touch controller.

8 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the multiplexers comprises transistors individually connected to touch sensors arranged in the same row, first terminals of the transistors are individually connected to the touch sensors arranged in the same row, second terminals of the transistors are connected through one output terminal to the touch controller, and gate terminals of the transistors receive the selection signals.

9 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensors are in-cell type touch sensors provided in a display panel.

10 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensors are on-cell type touch sensors provided on a display panel.

11 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensors have an electrode array structure for sensing a position of a touch input based on at least one of a self-capacitance sensing scheme and a mutual-capacitance sensing scheme.

12 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensors comprise:
a first electrode array comprising a plurality of first electrodes; and
a second electrode spaced apart from and stacked over the first electrode array, and
an insulating material is provided between the first electrode array and the second electrode.

13 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensors are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the switching unit comprises multiplexers for selecting the touch sensors in the columns or rows, each of the multiplexers is connected through path patterns to touch sensors arranged in the same column or row, and dummy path patterns are added to the path patterns to achieve equal lengths of the path patterns.

14 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensors are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the switching unit comprises multiplexers for selecting the touch sensors in the columns or rows, each of the multiplexers is connected through path patterns to touch sensors arranged in the same column or row, and the path patterns for connecting the multiplexers to the touch sensors are configured to be symmetrical to each other in left and right regions of the columns or rows.

15 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein dummy path patterns are added to the path patterns for connecting the multiplexers to the touch sensors to achieve equal lengths of the path patterns.

16 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . A touch sensing method comprising:
generating a driving signal to be supplied to a plurality of touch sensors provided in a touch panel, by a touch controller; selecting a touch sensor per column or row of the touch sensors and supplying the driving signal through a first signal line to the selected touch sensor; and selecting another touch sensor per column or row of the touch sensors and transmitting a sensing signal of the selected touch sensor according to the driving signal through a second signal line to the touch controller, wherein a position of a touch input is determined based on an output according to the driving signal.

29 . The touch sensing method of claim 28 , wherein the first signal line and the second signal line connect a first terminal and a second terminal of a multiplexer to a first pad and a second pad of an integrated circuit comprising the touch controller, respectively.

30 . A touch sensing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of touch sensors arranged in rows and columns of a touch panel; and multiplexers, wherein: each of the multiplexers receives an electrical sensing signal from each touch sensor arranged within one of the rows or columns, and each of the multiplexers transmits only one electrical sensing signal from the row or column of touch sensors at any time through a single communication line to a switch controller.

31 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 30 , wherein, for each multiplexer, the one electrical sensing signal from the row or column of touch sensors is selected by the multiplexer according to an address received by the multiplexer.

32 . The touch sensing apparatus of claim 30 , wherein:
if each of the multiplexers receives the electrical sensing signal from each touch sensor arranged within one of the rows, then each of the multiplexers simultaneously transmits, to the switch controller through the single communication line, an electrical sensing signal received from a different column of the same row in accordance with a received address that identifies the one row, and if each of the multiplexers receives the electrical sensing signal from each touch sensor arranged within one of the columns, then each of the multiplexers simultaneously transmits, to the switch controller through the single communication line, an electrical sensing signal received from a different row of the same column in accordance with a received address that identifies the one column.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jin-Bong
• Choi Yoon-Kyung
• Kim Min-Sung
• Kim Eung-Man
• Chung Hwi-Taek
• Kim Do-Kyung
• Lee Young-Joo

Classifications

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F2203/04111

  Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04107

  Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title