Sensing apparatus and driving method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9256306-B2
Application number	US-201213439871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2012
Priority date	Dec 27, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A sensing apparatus including a first scan line, a second scan line, a readout line, a first sensing device and a second sensing device is provided. The first sensing device is coupled to the first scan line and the readout line, and senses a first energy, and outputs a first readout signal corresponding to the first energy to the readout line in response to a first scan signal on the first scan line. The first sensing device is reset in response to the first scan signal and a reference signal on the readout line. The first sensing device includes a first reset unit configured for resetting the first sensing device, where a first terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the first scan line, and a control terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the readout line. A driving method thereof is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensing apparatus, comprising:
a first scan line;
a second scan line;
a readout line;
a first sensing device, coupled to the first scan line and the readout line, and configured for sensing a first energy, wherein the first sensing device outputs a first readout signal corresponding to the first energy to the readout line in response to a first scan signal on the first scan line, and the first sensing device is reset in response to the first scan signal and a reference signal provided by an external interpretation unit on the readout line, wherein the first sensing device comprises:
a first reset unit, configured for resetting the first sensing device, wherein a first terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the first scan line, and a control terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the readout line;
a first sensing unit, configured for sensing the first energy, and converting the sensed first energy to a first data signal;
a first storage unit, coupled to the first scan line and the first sensing unit, and configured for storing the first data signal, wherein one terminal of the first storage unit is coupled to the first scan line, and another terminal of the first storage unit is coupled to a second terminal of the first reset unit,
wherein the sensing apparatus further comprising:
a second sensing device, coupled to a second scan line and the readout line, and configured for sensing a second energy, wherein the second sensing device outputs a second readout signal corresponding to the second energy to the readout line in response to a second scan signal on the second scan line, and the first scan signal and the second scan signal enable the first sensing device and the second sensing device in sequence,
wherein when the reference signal provided by the external interpretation unit on the readout line is in a high voltage level, the first scan signal on the first scan line enables the first terminal of the first reset unit to be conducted with the second terminal, and the first scan signal is at a low voltage such that the terminal and the other terminal of the first storage unit are both in a low voltage level, so as to reset the first storage unit.

2. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing device comprises:
a first amplification unit, having a control terminal coupled to the reset unit, the first scan line and the readout line, the first amplification unit is configured to output the first readout signal corresponding to the first data signal to the readout line in response to the first scan signal from the first scan line.

3. The sensing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first storage unit is a capacitor, and a capacitance value of the capacitor is greater than 10 times or more of a parasitic capacitance value between a current input terminal and the control terminal of the first amplification unit.

4. The sensing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first sensing unit is an electromagnetic sensing unit, a pressure sensing unit, a temperature sensing unit or a touch sensing unit.

5. The sensing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic sensing unit is a photodiode, a photoresistor, a photoconductor or a phototransistor.

6. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first reset unit is configured for resetting the first storage unit in response to the first scan signal on the first scan line and the reference signal on the readout line.

7. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sensing device comprises:
a second reset unit, configured for resetting the second sensing device, wherein a first terminal of the second reset unit is coupled to the second scan line, and a control terminal of the second reset unit is coupled to the readout line; and
a second amplification unit, having a control terminal coupled to the second reset unit, the second scan line and the readout line, wherein the second amplification unit is configured to output the second readout signal corresponding to the second data signal to the readout line in response to the second scan signal from the second scan line.

8. The sensing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second sensing device further comprises:
a second sensing unit, configured for sensing the second energy, and converting the sensed second energy to a second data signal;
a second storage unit, coupled to the second scan line and the second sensing unit, and configured for storing the second data signal, wherein one terminal of the second storage unit is coupled to the second scan line, and the other terminal of the second storage unit is coupled to the second terminal of the second reset unit.

9. The sensing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second reset unit is configured for resetting the second storage unit in response to the second scan signal on the second scan line and the reference signal on the readout line.

10. The sensing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second storage unit is a capacitor, and a capacitance value of the capacitor is greater than 10 times or more of a parasitic capacitance value between the current input terminal and the control terminal of the second amplification unit.

11. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first energy and the second energy are light energy, electromagnetic energy, mechanical energy, heat energy or electric energy.

12. A driving method, applicable to a sensing apparatus, comprising:
in the sensing apparatus, providing a first sensing device and a second sensing device to respectively sense a first energy and a second energy;
making the first sensing device output a first readout signal corresponding to the first energy in response to a first scan signal;
making the second sensing device output a second readout signal corresponding to the second energy in response to a second scan signal; and
resetting the first sensing device and the second sensing device at the same time or in sequence in response to a reset voltage respectively applied to them having at least one pulse signal,
wherein the step of resetting the first sensing device and the second sensing device at the same time or in sequence in response to the reset voltage having the at least one pulse signal comprises:
when a reference voltage on the readout line connected to the first sensing device and the second sensing device is at a high voltage, repeating a read frame procedure for at least two times, to obtain a plurality of readout signals of a plurality of frames, wherein each read frame procedure comprises applying a first positive voltage pulse scan signal through the first scan line connected to the first sensing device to enable the first sensing device, and after the first sensing device is enabled, applying a second positive voltage pulse scan signal through the second scan line connected to the second sensing device to enable the second sensing device; and
in a plurality of reset time intervals of a reset frame after repeating the read frame procedure for at least two times, applying a first negative voltage pulse scan signal through the first scan line connected to the first sensing device to reset the first sensing device, and after the first sensing device is reset, applying a second negative voltage pulse scan signal through the second scan line connected to the second sensing device to reset the second sensing device.

13. The driving method of claim 12 , wherein the first scan signal and the second scan signal respectively enable the first sensing device and the second sensing device in sequence.

14. The driving method of claim 12 , wherein the step of making the first se

Assignees

• Chan Isaac Wing-Tak
• Lin Chen-Wei
• Hsu Chih-Chieh
• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Chan Isaac Wing-Tak
• Lin Chen-Wei
• Hsu Chih-Chieh

Classifications

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · 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

• G06F3/04164 Primary

  Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title