Electronic apparatus with sensor-integrated display device and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740395-B2
Application number	US-201414211818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a sensor-integrated display device integrally including a display surface and a sensor surface, a data transfer device, an image data generation module, and a processing module. The data transfer device is configured to generate and output three-dimensional information. The image data generation module is configured to generate three-dimensional image data at a plurality of sensing points on the sensor surface based on the three-dimensional information. The processing module is configured to analyze an operation content of a conductor above the sensor surface based on the image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a sensor-integrated display device integrally comprising a display surface configured to output display information and a sensor surface configured to input operation information, wherein the sensor surface senses three-dimensional data which is an analog signal containing coordinates and a capacitance value;
a data transfer device configured to generate and output three-dimensional information which is a digital signal by digitizing the three-dimensional data sensed at the sensor surface; and
an application operation device comprising an image data generation module configured to generate three-dimensional image data at a plurality of sensing points on the sensor surface based on the three-dimensional information output by the data transfer device and a processing module configured to analyze an operation content of a conductor above the sensor surface based on the image data generated by the image data generation module,
wherein
the sensor-integrated display device comprises an array substrate including a common electrode, and a countersubstrate opposed to the array substrate and including a sensor detection electrode on the sensor surface,
the data transfer device is configured to supply a common voltage to the common electrode in a display period for outputting the display information, and to supply a sensor drive signal to the common electrode and detect a sensor signal output from the sensor detection electrode in a blanking period,
the data transfer device includes a sensor signal detector configured to slice the analog signal, perform noise reduction for the sliced signal, and generate the noise-reduced raw read image data as the three-dimensional information, the sensor signal detector including a timing controller, an integration circuit, a sample-and-hold and analog-to-digital converter, and a digital filter,
the data transfer device is configured to transfer the three-dimensional information to the image data generation module in synchronization with display drive timing for displaying the display information on the display surface,
the data transfer device further includes a timing circuit and a digital-to-analog converter configured to output display data to the sensor-integrated display device and to output a blanking detection signal to the timing controller according to the display data supplied from the application operation device, and
the timing controller is configured to execute varying frequencies of access pulses output to the sensor detection electrode and to set output timing on the access pulses with a signal from the application operation device, is configured to supply a reset timing signal to the integration circuit, and is configured to supply a clock to the sample-and-hold and analog-to-digital converter and the digital filter.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional information is operation information indicating proximity of the conductor to the sensor surface.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a coordinate processing module,
wherein each of the image data generation module and the coordinate processing module is configured to enable processing of multiple types of applications and is provided in an application operation device formed of a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a baseband engine.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image data generation module generates the image data based on the three-dimensional information on all of the sensing points on the sensor surface in synchronization with display drive timing for displaying the display information on the display surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module comprises application processing module configured to activate application processing associated with the analyzed operation content.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module comprises an operation input recognition processing module configured to recognize an image of a specific portion of a human body of an operator who operates above the sensor surface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module comprises a biometric authentication processing module configured to execute biometric authentication based on at least one of physical characteristics and behavioral characteristics of an operator who operates above the sensor surface.

8. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus comprising a sensor-integrated display device integrally comprising a display surface configured to output display information and a sensor surface configured to input operation information, a data transfer device, and an application operation device, the sensor-integrated display device comprising an array substrate including a common electrode, and a countersubstrate opposed to the array substrate and including a sensor detection electrode on the sensor surface, the data transfer device comprising a sensor signal detector including a timing controller, an integration circuit, a sample-and-hold and analog-to-digital converter, and a digital filter, the method comprising:
sensing three-dimensional data which is an analog signal containing coordinates and a capacitance value at the sensor surface;
generating and acquiring three-dimensional information which is a digital signal by digitizing the three-dimensional data sensed at the sensor surface;
generating three-dimensional image data at a plurality of sensing points on the sensor surface based on the acquired three-dimensional information;
recognizing an operation content of a conductor above the sensor surface based on the generated three-dimensional image data;
controlling an application operation in accordance with the recognized operation content;
supplying a common voltage to the common electrode in a display period for outputting the display information, and supplying a sensor drive signal to the common electrode and detecting a sensor signal output from the sensor detection electrode in a blanking period;
outputting display data to the sensor-integrated display device and outputting a blanking detection signal to the timing controller according to the display data supplied from the application operation device; and
executing varying frequencies of access pulses output to the sensor detection electrode and setting output timing on the access pulses with a signal from the application operation device, supplying a reset timing signal to the integration circuit, and supplying a clock to the sample-and-hold and analog-to-digital converter and the digital filter,
wherein
generating the three-dimensional information comprises slicing the analog signal and performing noise reduction for the sliced signal to produce noise-reduced raw read image data as the three-dimensional information,
the three-dimensional information is operation information indicating proximity of the conductor to the sensor surface, and
the three-dimensional information is acquired by block transfer synchronized with display drive timing for displaying the display information on the display surface.

Assignees

• Japan Display Inc

Inventors

• Yamada Jouji
• Nakagawa Hirofumi
• Yamamoto Michio
• Azumi kohei
• Hayashi Makoto
• Mizuhashi Hiroshi
• Ikeno Kozo
• Kida Yoshitoshi

Classifications

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06K9/00335

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F2203/04101

  2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06K2009/00395

  Physics · mapped topic