Fingerprint recognition touch sensor and electronic device including the fingerprint recognition touch sensor

Abstract

A touch sensor is disclosed, comprising: a plurality of parallel transmission lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of parallel reception lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a transmission driver configured to apply a first driving signal of a first voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a first mode and a second driving signal of a second voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a second mode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage. The touch sensor further includes a signal output unit configured to receive a touch signal from the plurality of reception lines.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2019 - 0010664, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on January 28, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical field

[0003] An apparatus according to an embodiment relates to a touch sensor and an electronic device including the touch sensor, and more particularly, to a fingerprint recognition touch sensor capable of performing fingerprint recognition and touch sensing, and an electronic device including the fingerprint recognition touch sensor. Background art

[0004] A touch screen is a simple and easy - to - use input device configured to identify a touch position or related information generated on the screen when a user touches or presses using a finger or the like, and to send the touch position or related information of the screen to a system. A capacitive touch screen has a high transmittance, excellent durability, high touch resolution, and multi - touch capability. Touch screen panels are applied not only to mobile devices (e.g., smart phones, tablet personal computers (PCs), etc.), but also to various electronic devices (e.g., automated teller machines (ATMs), ticket vending machines, navigation devices, etc.).

[0005] Recently, the demand for personal authentication of various mobile devices and electronic devices has been gradually increasing. Personal authentication functions using personal characteristics (e.g., fingerprint, voice, face, and iris) can be used for mobile devices, access control devices, and financial devices. The fingerprint recognition technology of smart phones and tablet PCs according to existing methods is configured to include a fingerprint recognition module in addition to a touch screen module. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to an embodiment, there is provided a touch sensor including: a plurality of parallel transmission lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of parallel reception lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a transmission driver configured to apply a first driving signal of a first voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a first mode, and to apply a second driving signal of a second voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a second mode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage. The touch sensor further includes: a signal output unit configured to receive touch signals from the plurality of reception lines.

[0007] The transmission driver may also be configured to sequentially apply one of the first driving signals of the first voltage to each of the plurality of transmission lines in the first mode.

[0008] The transmission driver may include a plurality of transmission groups arranged in a second direction. Each of the plurality of transmission groups may include adjacent transmission lines among the plurality of transmission lines.

[0009] The transmission driver may also be configured to sequentially apply one of the second driving signals of the second voltage to each of the plurality of transmission groups in a second mode.

[0010] The plurality of transmission groups may include a first transmission group and a second transmission group adjacent to the first transmission group. The transmission driver may also be configured to: in the second mode, simultaneously apply the second driving signal of the second voltage to a first transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines, the first transmission line being arranged in the first transmission group, and then simultaneously apply the second driving signal of the second voltage to a second transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines, the second transmission line being arranged in the second transmission group.

[0011] The transmission driver may include a plurality of transmission circuits respectively connected to the plurality of transmission lines, a first voltage line configured to supply a first voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits, and a second voltage line configured to supply a second voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits.

[0012] The transmission driver may also be configured to connect the first voltage line to the plurality of transmission circuits in a first mode and connect the second voltage line to the plurality of transmission circuits in a second mode.

[0013] The transmission driver may also be configured to sequentially and individually activate the plurality of transmission circuits in a first mode and simultaneously activate the transmission circuits arranged in one of the plurality of transmission groups among the plurality of transmission circuits in a second mode.

[0014] The signal output unit may include a plurality of receiving groups arranged in a first direction. Each of the plurality of receiving groups may include adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines.

[0015] The signal output unit may include: a plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to respectively correspond to the plurality of receiving lines; and a plurality of second receiving circuits. Each of the plurality of second receiving circuits may be arranged to correspond to a respective one of the plurality of receiving groups.

[0016] The signal output unit may also be configured to: in a first mode, connect the plurality of receiving lines to the plurality of receiving circuits respectively and simultaneously receive touch signals through all the plurality of first receiving circuits respectively connected to the plurality of receiving lines.

[0017] The signal output unit may also be configured to: in a second mode, connect the receiving lines in one receiving group among the multiple receiving groups among the multiple receiving lines to the second receiving circuit corresponding to the one receiving group among the multiple receiving groups in the multiple second receiving circuits, and receive a touch signal through the second receiving circuit among the multiple second receiving circuits connected to the receiving line among the multiple receiving lines.

[0018] Each of the multiple first receiving circuits may include a first feedback capacitor having a first capacitance, and each of the multiple second receiving circuits may include a second feedback capacitor having a second capacitance greater than the first capacitance.

[0019] The transmit driver may also be configured to: in a third mode, apply a third drive signal of a third voltage lower than the first voltage and higher than the second voltage to a first transmit line among the multiple transmit lines, the first transmit line being sequentially arranged in one transmit group among the multiple transmit groups, and then apply the third drive signal of the third voltage to a second transmit line among the multiple transmit lines, the second transmit line being sequentially arranged in the one transmit group among the multiple transmit groups.

[0020] The transmit driver may include: multiple transmit circuits respectively connected to the multiple transmit lines; a first voltage line configured to supply a first voltage to the multiple transmit circuits; a second voltage line configured to supply a second voltage to the multiple transmit circuits; and a third voltage line configured to supply a third voltage to the multiple transmit circuits.

[0021] The transmit driver may also be configured to: in a first mode, connect the first voltage line to the multiple transmit circuits; in a second mode, connect the second voltage line to the multiple transmit circuits; and in a third mode, connect the third voltage line to the multiple transmit circuits.

[0022] The transmit driver may also be configured to: in a first mode, sequentially and individually activate the multiple transmit circuits; in a second mode, simultaneously activate a first transmit circuit among the multiple transmit circuits, the first transmit circuit being arranged in one transmit group among the multiple transmit groups; and in a third mode, simultaneously activate a second transmit circuit among the multiple transmit circuits, the second transmit circuit being connected to the first transmit line among the multiple transmit lines in the one transmit group among the multiple transmit groups, and then simultaneously activate a third transmit circuit among the multiple transmit circuits, the third transmit circuit being connected to the second transmit line among the multiple transmit lines.

[0023] The signal output unit may include: a plurality of receiving groups arranged in a first direction, each of the plurality of receiving groups may include adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines, and the signal output unit may further include: a plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively; and a plurality of second receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving groups respectively.

[0024] The signal output unit may further be configured to: in a third mode, receive a touch signal by connecting a first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to a second receiving circuit corresponding to one of the plurality of receiving groups among the plurality of receiving groups, the first receiving line being sequentially arranged in the one of the plurality of receiving groups; and then receive a touch signal by connecting a second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to the second receiving circuit corresponding to the one of the plurality of receiving groups among the plurality of receiving groups, the second receiving line being sequentially arranged in the one of the plurality of receiving groups.

[0025] The signal output unit may include a plurality of receiving groups arranged in a first direction, and each of the plurality of receiving groups may include adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines. The signal output unit may further include: a plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively; a second receiving circuit arranged to correspond to a first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines, the first receiving line being sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups; and a third receiving circuit arranged to correspond to a second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines, the second receiving line being sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups.

[0026] The signal output unit may further be configured to: in a third mode, receive a touch signal by connecting the first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to the second receiving circuit, the first receiving line being sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups; and simultaneously receive a touch signal by connecting the second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to the third receiving circuit, the second receiving line being sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups.

[0027] The signal output unit may include: a plurality of receiving groups arranged in a first direction, each of the plurality of receiving groups may include adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines, and the signal output unit may further include: a plurality of receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively.

[0028] The signal output unit may also be configured to: in a first mode, connect a plurality of receiving lines to a plurality of receiving circuits respectively, and simultaneously receive touch signals through all the plurality of first receiving circuits respectively connected to the plurality of receiving lines; in a second mode, receive touch signals by connecting a first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to any first receiving circuit in one receiving group among a plurality of receiving groups, the first receiving line being provided in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups. The signal output unit may also be configured to: in a third mode, receive touch signals by connecting a second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to any second receiving circuit in one receiving group among a plurality of receiving groups and connecting a third receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to another receiving circuit in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups, wherein the second receiving line is sequentially provided in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups, and the third receiving line is sequentially provided in the plurality of receiving groups.

[0029] The first mode may be a fingerprint recognition mode, the second mode may be a low-resolution touch sensing mode, and the third mode may be a high-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0030] According to an embodiment, an electronic device is provided, including a display panel and a touch sensor. The touch sensor includes: a plurality of parallel transmission lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of parallel receiving lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a transmission driver configured to apply a first driving signal of a first voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a first mode and apply a second driving signal of a second voltage to the plurality of transmission lines in a second mode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage. The touch sensor further includes: a signal output unit configured to receive touch signals from the plurality of receiving lines.

[0031] According to an embodiment, a touch sensor is provided, including: a plurality of parallel transmission lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of parallel receiving lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a transmission driver configured to: in a fingerprint recognition mode, apply a first driving signal of a first voltage to the plurality of transmission lines; in a low-resolution touch sensing mode, apply a second driving signal of a second voltage to the plurality of transmission lines, the second voltage being different from the first voltage; and in a high-resolution touch sensing mode, apply a third driving signal of a third voltage to the plurality of transmission lines, the third voltage being lower than the first voltage and higher than the second voltage. The touch sensor further includes: a signal output unit configured to receive touch signals from the plurality of receiving lines.

[0032] The transmit driver may also be configured to: in the fingerprint recognition mode, sequentially apply one of the first drive signals of the first voltage to each of the plurality of transmit lines; in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, sequentially apply a second drive signal of a second voltage to each of a plurality of transmit groups arranged in a second direction, each of the plurality of transmit groups including adjacent transmit lines among the plurality of transmit lines; and in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, sequentially apply a third drive signal of a third voltage to each subgroup among the plurality of transmit lines, each subgroup being included in each of the plurality of transmit groups.

[0033] The signal output unit may also be configured to: in the fingerprint recognition mode, simultaneously receive touch signals from all of the plurality of receive lines; in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, receive touch signals from one of a plurality of receive groups arranged in a first direction, each of the plurality of receive groups including adjacent receive lines among the plurality of receive lines; and in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, sequentially receive touch signals from each subgroup among the plurality of receive lines, the subgroup being included in the one of the plurality of receive groups. Description of the Drawings

[0034] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of a touch sensor according to an embodiment.

[0035] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the touch sensor in the fingerprint recognition mode according to an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the transmit circuit provided in the transmit driver in the fingerprint recognition mode according to an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the receive circuit provided in the signal output unit in the fingerprint recognition mode according to an embodiment.

[0038] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the touch sensor in the touch sensing mode according to an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 6 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the transmit circuit provided in the transmit driver in the touch sensing mode according to an embodiment.

[0040] Figure 7is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of operation of a receiving circuit provided in a signal output unit in a touch sensing mode according to an embodiment.

[0041] Figure 8 is a circuit diagram showing a structure of a receiving circuit according to the embodiment.

[0042] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an order of sensing a touch operation for each area on a touch panel in a high-resolution touch sensing mode according to an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12A , Figure 12B , Figure 13 and Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of operation of a touch sensor in a high-resolution touch sensing mode according to an embodiment.

[0044] Figure 15 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a structure of a receiving circuit provided in a signal output unit according to an embodiment.

[0045] Figure 16 , Figure 17 and Figure 18 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of a receiving circuit provided in a signal output unit according to an embodiment.

[0046] Figure 19 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a structure of a receiving circuit provided in a signal output unit according to an embodiment.

[0047] Figure 20 and Figure 21 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of a receiving circuit provided in a signal output unit according to an embodiment.

[0048] Figure 22 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of an electronic device including a touch sensor according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In the following, a fingerprint recognition touch sensor and an electronic device including the fingerprint recognition touch sensor will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements, and for clarity and convenience of description, the size of each component in the drawings may be enlarged. In addition, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and various modifications may be made based on the embodiments. Further, in the hierarchical structures described below, expressions such as "on...", "above...", etc. may not only mean that one element is directly above / below / left / right of the other element by contacting the other element, but also above / below / left / right of the other element without contacting the other element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at least one of..." modify the entire list of elements when preceding the list of elements, rather than modifying individual elements in the list.

[0050] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a touch sensor 100 according to an embodiment. Refer to Figure 1 , the touch sensor 100 may include: a touch panel 110 in which a plurality of transmission lines 121 parallel to each other and a plurality of reception lines 131 parallel to each other are arranged to cross each other; a transmission driver 120 configured to apply a driving signal to the plurality of transmission lines 121; and a signal output unit 130 configured to receive a touch signal from the plurality of reception lines 131. In addition, the touch sensor 100 may further include: a control circuit 140 configured to control the operations of the transmission driver 120 and the signal output unit 130. In the drawings, for convenience of description, the transmission driver 120, the signal output unit 130, and the control circuit 140 are shown separately. However, the transmission driver 120, the signal output unit 130, and the control circuit 140 may be implemented as one electronic circuit. In addition, the control circuit 140 may be provided in an electronic device including the touch sensor 100. The touch panel 110 may be provided on a display panel of the electronic device, or may be manufactured integrally with the display panel of the electronic device.

[0051] A plurality of transmitting lines 121 parallel to each other may extend in a first direction. In addition, a plurality of receiving lines 131 parallel to each other may extend for a long distance in a second direction intersecting the plurality of transmitting lines 121. One end of each of the plurality of receiving lines 131 may be connected to the signal output unit 130. The plurality of transmitting lines 121 and the plurality of receiving lines 131 may be disposed in different layers of the touch panel 110 in a height direction so as not to contact each other. In addition, a dielectric may be disposed between the layer on which the plurality of transmitting lines 121 are disposed and the layer on which the plurality of receiving lines 131 are disposed. Therefore, a node where each of the plurality of transmitting lines 121 and each of the plurality of receiving lines 131 intersect with each other may be used as a capacitor.

[0052] The touch sensor 100 may sense a touch operation based on, for example, a capacitance method. In this case, the self-capacitance or mutual capacitance may be changed in the nodes where the plurality of transmitting lines 121 and the plurality of receiving lines 131 intersect via a touch input or a fingerprint input, and the coordinates of the touch input or the image of the touched fingerprint may be calculated based on the changed capacitance in the nodes of the plurality of touches. Therefore, the nodes where the transmitting lines 121 and the receiving lines 131 intersect with each other may be used as pixels for sensing a touch input or a fingerprint input. In the drawings, the plurality of transmitting lines 121 and the plurality of receiving lines 131 are indicated by using thin solid lines. However, in practice, a plurality of transparent electrode patterns may be provided along each of the plurality of transmitting lines 121 and the plurality of receiving lines 131.

[0053] In addition, the touch sensor 100 may be configured to perform both fingerprint recognition and touch sensing. In order to obtain a resolution sufficient to accurately identify a fingerprint pattern, the transmitting lines 121 and the receiving lines 131 may be disposed at a very narrow interval compared to a general touch sensor configured to sense only a touch operation. For example, the transmitting lines 121 and the receiving lines 131 may be disposed at an interval of about 50 μm to about 70 μm.

[0054] Compared with the fingerprint recognition operation, the touch sensing operation for sensing a touch operation does not require a high resolution. When the touch sensing operation is performed by using the same method as the fingerprint recognition operation, the power consumption of the touch sensor 100 may be increased, and the time taken to scan the entire area of the touch panel 110 may be increased. Therefore, the touch sensor 100 may be divided into an operation in a fingerprint recognition mode and an operation in a touch sensing mode, and the touch sensor 100 may operate differently in the fingerprint recognition mode and the touch sensing mode.

[0055] Accordingly, according to these embodiments, the plurality of transmission lines 121 may be divided into a plurality of groups, and the plurality of reception lines 131 may be divided into a plurality of groups. For example, the transmission driver 120 of the touch sensor 100 may include a plurality of transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e arranged in a second direction. Each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e may include a plurality of transmission lines 121 sequentially arranged adjacent to each other. Similarly, the signal output unit 130 of the touch sensor 100 may include a plurality of reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e arranged in a first direction. Each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e may include a plurality of reception lines 131 sequentially arranged adjacent to each other.

[0056] For example, for convenience, Figure 1 FIG. shows that the transmission driver 120 includes five transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e, one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e includes eight transmission lines 121, the signal output unit 130 includes five reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e, and one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e includes eight reception lines 131. However, this is only an example, and the actual number of transmission groups, the actual number of reception groups, the actual number of transmission lines 121, and the actual number of reception lines 131 may be much larger than the example. In addition, the number of transmission lines 121 assigned to one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e and the number of reception lines 131 assigned to one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e may be 4, 10, 12, or more, rather than 8. In addition, the number of transmission lines 121 assigned to one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e and the number of reception lines 131 assigned to one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e may be different from each other.

[0057] In the fingerprint recognition mode, the touch sensor 100 may sequentially apply a driving signal to each transmission line 121 regardless of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e.

[0058] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the touch sensor 100 according to an embodiment in the fingerprint recognition mode. Refer to Figure 2A, under the control of the control circuit 140, the transmit driver 120 can apply a drive signal to the first transmission line 121 indicated by the thick solid line, and can refrain from applying the drive signal to the remaining transmission lines 121. Next, referring to Figure 2B , the transmit driver 120 can apply a drive signal to the second transmission line 121 indicated by the thick solid line, and can refrain from applying the drive signal to the remaining transmission lines 121. Based on this method, the transmit driver 120 can sequentially apply drive signals to the transmission lines 121 in order from the first transmission line 121 to the last transmission line 121 under the control of the control circuit 140. In this case, as shown by "A" in Figure 2A , the area where one transmission line 121 and one reception line 131 cross each other can be a sensing unit.

[0059] Figure 3A And Figure 3B are circuit diagrams showing examples of the operation of the transmission circuit 122 provided in the transmit driver 120 in the fingerprint recognition mode. Referring to Figure 3A And Figure 3B , the transmit driver 120 can include a plurality of transmission circuits 122, a first voltage line VDDH_H that supplies a first voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits 122, and a second voltage line VDDH_L that supplies a second voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits 122. Each transmission circuit in the transmission circuits 122 can be connected to a corresponding one of the transmission lines 121, and can apply a drive signal to the corresponding transmission line 121. Therefore, the number of transmission circuits 122 in the transmit driver 120 can be the same as the number of transmission lines 121. The first voltage line VDDH_H can supply a relatively high voltage to the transmission circuits 122, and the second voltage line VDDH_L can supply a relatively low voltage to the transmission circuits 122.

[0060] Referring to Figure 3A , the first transmission circuit 122 can be activated in response to a transmit control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. At the same time, the control circuit 140 can connect the first voltage line VDDH_H that supplies a relatively high voltage to the transmission circuit 122. Then, the activated first transmission circuit 122 can apply the high voltage received from the first voltage line VDDH_H to the first transmission line 121 connected thereto as a drive signal. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3A , a drive signal of high voltage can be applied to the first transmission line 121.

[0061] Next, referring to Figure 3B, the second transmission circuit 122 can be activated in response to the transmission control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. Then, the activated second transmission circuit 122 can apply the high voltage received from the first voltage line VDDH_H to the second transmission line 121 connected thereto as a driving signal. Therefore, as Figure 3B shown, a driving signal of high voltage can be applied to the second transmission line 121.

[0062] In the fingerprint recognition mode, the area of the sensing unit shown in "A" is smaller, so the mutual capacitance can be smaller. Therefore, in order to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the fingerprint recognition mode, a driving signal of high voltage can be applied to the transmission line 121 by connecting the first voltage line VDDH_H to the transmission circuit 122. By doing so, the sensing sensitivity can be increased to increase the accuracy of fingerprint recognition.

[0063] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the receiving circuit provided in the signal output unit 130 in the fingerprint recognition mode according to an embodiment. Figure 4 shows the receiving circuit provided in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e of the signal output unit 130. Referring to Figure 4 , the signal output unit 130 may include a plurality of fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 and a plurality of touch sensing receiving circuits 133. Each of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 may be connected to a corresponding one of the receiving lines 131 and may receive a touch signal generated due to a change ΔC in the mutual capacitance from the receiving line 131 connected thereto M thereby. Therefore, the total number of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 may be the same as the total number of the receiving lines 131 in the signal output unit 130.

[0064] The touch sensing receiving circuit 133 may be arranged such that one touch sensing receiving circuit 133 corresponds to each of the plurality of receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d and 130e. In other words, one touch sensing receiving circuit 133 may be provided in each of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d and 130e. Therefore, the total number of the touch sensing receiving circuits 133 in the signal output unit 130 may be the same as the total number of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d and 130e. One touch sensing receiving circuit 133 may be connected to all of the receiving lines 131 provided in the corresponding receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e.

[0065] In the fingerprint recognition mode, the signal output unit 130 may receive touch signals separately and simultaneously from all the receiving lines 131. To this end, the control circuit 140 may connect all the fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 in the signal output unit 130 to the corresponding receiving lines 131 respectively through the first reception control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 may disconnect the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 from the corresponding receiving line 131 through the second reception control signal RX_EN2. By doing so, the touch signals generated at the nodes between one transmission line 121 to which a driving signal is applied and the multiple receiving lines 131 intersecting with the transmission line 121 can be sensed separately.

[0066] In the fingerprint recognition mode, the driving signal is sequentially applied to each of the multiple transmission lines 121 according to this method, so that touch signals can be received separately from the multiple receiving lines 131. As described above, since the area of the node A where one transmission line 121 and one receiving line 131 intersect with each other is small, the touch panel 110 can be scanned with high resolution, and thus fingerprints can be accurately recognized. In addition, since the voltage of the driving signal applied to the transmission line 121 is high, the accuracy of fingerprint recognition can be improved.

[0067] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the touch sensor 100 according to an embodiment in the touch sensing mode. Referring to Figure 5A , under the control of the control circuit 140, the transmission driver 120 may simultaneously apply a driving signal to all the transmission lines 121 indicated by thick solid lines in the first transmission group 120a, and may not apply the driving signal to the transmission lines 121 in the remaining transmission groups 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e. Next, referring to Figure 5B , the transmission driver 120 may simultaneously apply a driving signal to all the transmission lines 121 indicated by thick solid lines in the second transmission group 120b, and may not apply the driving signal to the transmission lines 121 in the remaining transmission groups 120a, 120c, 120d, and 120e. Based on this method, the transmission driver 120 may sequentially apply the driving signal to each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e from the first transmission group 120a to the last transmission group 120e under the control of the control circuit 140. In this case, as shown by "B" in Figure 5A , the area where one transmission group 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e intersects with one receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e may be the sensing unit.

[0068] Figure 6It is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the transmission circuit 122 provided in the transmission driver 120 in the touch sensing mode according to an embodiment. Figure 6 The transmission circuit 122 provided in one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e of the transmission driver 120 is shown. Refer to Figure 6 , in Figure 5A the operation shown, all the transmission circuits 122 in the first transmission group 120a can be simultaneously activated in response to the transmission control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. Then, the drive signal can be simultaneously applied to all the transmission lines 121 in the first transmission group 120a. Then, in Figure 5B the operation shown, all the transmission circuits 122 in the second transmission group 120b can be simultaneously activated in response to the transmission control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. Then, the drive signal can be simultaneously applied to all the transmission lines 121 in the second transmission group 120b.

[0069] In addition, in the touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can connect the second voltage line VDDH_L providing a relatively low voltage to the transmission circuit 122. Then, the activated transmission circuit 122 can apply the low voltage received from the second voltage line VDDH_L to the transmission line 121 connected thereto as a drive signal. Accordingly, a low voltage drive signal can be applied to the transmission line 121.

[0070] In the touch sensing mode, the area of the sensing unit shown as “B” is larger, so the mutual capacitance increases. For example, when one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e includes 8 transmission lines 121 and one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e includes 8 reception lines 131, the mutual capacitance in the touch sensing mode can be about 64 times the mutual capacitance in the fingerprint recognition mode. Due to this aspect, the intensity of the touch signal can be greatly increased in the touch sensing mode, imposing a large load on the signal output unit 130 that processes the touch signal. Therefore, in order to reduce the intensity of the touch signal in the touch sensing mode, a low voltage drive signal can be provided to the transmission line 121 by connecting the second voltage line VDDH_L to the transmission circuit 122. For example, the first voltage provided by the first voltage line VDDH_H and the second voltage provided by the second voltage line VDDH_L can be determined such that the change in mutual capacitance caused by a touch operation in the fingerprint recognition mode is equal to the change in mutual capacitance caused by a touch operation in the touch sensing mode (ΔCM = ΔV·CM).

[0071] In the touch sensing mode, each of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e of the signal output unit 130 can receive a touch signal simultaneously. In other words, one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can receive one touch signal.

[0072] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 provided in the signal output unit 130 in the touch sensing mode according to an embodiment. Figure 7 Shows the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e provided in the signal output unit 130.

[0073] Reference Figure 7 , the signal output unit 130 can receive a touch signal in the touch sensing mode by connecting a plurality of receiving lines 131 provided in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e to one touch sensing receiving circuit 133. To this end, the control circuit 140 can disconnect all the fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 in the signal output unit 130 from the corresponding receiving lines 131 through the first reception control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 can connect the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 to the corresponding receiving line 131 through the second reception control signal RX_EN2. By doing so, one touch sensing receiving circuit 133 provided in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can receive a touch signal from all the receiving lines 131 provided in the corresponding one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e. Based on this method, a touch signal generated at a node between one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e to which a driving signal is applied and a plurality of receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e intersecting with the transmission group 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e can be sensed separately.

[0074] As described above, a touch signal can be received through the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 in the fingerprint recognition mode, and a touch signal can be received through the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 in the touch sensing mode. The fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 can have the same structure, but can include capacitors having different capacitances from each other.

[0075] Figure 8This is a circuit diagram showing the structures of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 according to an embodiment. Refer to Figure 8 , each of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 may include a feedback capacitor C connected to the input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier F· In Figure 8 , C M is a mutual capacitance capacitor formed at the node where the transmission line 121 and the reception line 131 cross each other. As described above, since the mutual capacitance in the touch sensing mode and the mutual capacitance in the fingerprint recognition mode are different from each other, the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 can be determined in consideration of this aspect. F of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133.

[0076] When the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 include feedback capacitors C F having the same capacitance, the ratio between the first voltage supplied through the first voltage line VDDH_H and the second voltage supplied through the second voltage line VDDH_L may be the same as the ratio of the mutual capacitance in the touch sensing mode and the mutual capacitance in the fingerprint recognition mode. For example, when one transmission group 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d or 120e includes 8 transmission lines 121 and one reception group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e includes 8 reception lines 131, the first voltage may be approximately 64 times the second voltage. In this case, the first voltage may be too high.

[0077] The intensity of the touch signal is proportional to the change in the mutual capacitance and inversely proportional to the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F (i.e., Vout ∝ ΔV · C M / C F ), therefore, the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage can be reduced by selecting the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 to be larger than the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132. For example, when the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 is selected to be the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C FWhen the capacitance of the capacitor is 8 times that of another, the first voltage can be 8 times the second voltage. However, the above values are given to help understand the present disclosure. The number of transmission lines 121 in one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e, the number of reception lines 131 in one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e, the ratio of the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the fingerprint recognition reception circuit 132 to the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the touch sensing reception circuit 133, and the ratio of the first voltage to the second voltage can be selected differently according to the design of the touch sensor 100. F between the capacitance of and the feedback capacitor C of the touch sensing reception circuit 133 F and the ratio between the first voltage and the second voltage.

[0078] As described in detail, the touch sensor 100 according to these embodiments can perform both touch sensing and fingerprint recognition. In the fingerprint recognition mode, the driving voltage can be increased to increase the sensitivity, and in the touch sensing mode, the driving voltage can be decreased, and all the transmission lines 121 and reception lines 131 can be used to improve the accuracy, precision, and linearity of the touch sensing operation.

[0079] When performing an operation of scrolling the screen or selecting a screen area in the touch sensing mode, a low resolution may not cause inconvenience. However, when performing an operation of writing and inputting letters or numbers via a touch operation, it may be better to have a high resolution. Therefore, touch sensing can be performed by dividing each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e and each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e into at least two to increase the resolution of the touch sensing operation. Hereinafter, the touch sensing mode based on this group division will be referred to as the high-resolution touch sensing mode, and the touch sensing mode described with reference to Figures 5A to 7 will be referred to as the low-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0080] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the order of sensing a touch operation for each area of the touch panel 110 in the high-resolution touch sensing mode according to an embodiment. Referring to Figure 9 , the touch sensing operation can be performed by dividing each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e into two parts and dividing each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e into two parts. By doing so, the sensing unit shown as "B" in Figure 5A is divided into four parts. Therefore, the resolution of the high-resolution touch sensing mode can be 4 times that of the low-resolution touch sensing mode. In the high-resolution touch sensing mode, for example, based on Figure 9Scan the four divided regions in the order of the numbers shown in

[0081] Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12A , Figure 12B , Figure 13 and Figure 14 are diagrams showing examples of the operation of the touch sensor 100 according to an embodiment in a high-resolution touch sensing mode. First, referring to Figure 10 , under the control of the control circuit 140, the transmission driver 120 can simultaneously apply a drive signal to the first part of the transmission lines 121 in the first transmission group 120a, and can refrain from applying the drive signal to the remaining transmission lines 121. For example, as shown by the thick solid lines in Figure 10 , the drive signal can be simultaneously applied only to the first part of the transmission lines 121 sequentially arranged in the first transmission group 120a.

[0082] Referring to Figure 11 , the first part of the transmission circuits 122 sequentially arranged in the first transmission group 120a can be simultaneously activated in response to the transmission control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. Then, the drive signal can be simultaneously applied to the first part of the transmission lines 121 that are connected to the activated first part of the transmission circuits 122 in the first transmission group 120a. In this case, as shown by "C" in Figure 10 , the region where a part of each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e and a part of each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e cross each other can be a sensing unit.

[0083] The transmission driver 120 may further include: a third voltage line VDDH_M that supplies a third voltage between the first voltage and the second voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits 122. In the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can connect the third voltage line VDDH_M to the transmission circuit 122. Then, the activated transmission circuit 122 can apply the third voltage received through the third voltage line VDDH_M to the transmission line 121 connected thereto as a drive signal. Accordingly, the drive signal of the third voltage can be applied to the transmission line 121.

[0084] The area of the sensing unit shown as "C" in the high-resolution touch sensing mode is smaller than the area of the sensing unit shown as "B" in the low-resolution touch sensing mode. Therefore, as described above, the mutual capacitance of the sensing unit shown as "C" in the high-resolution touch sensing mode can be correspondingly smaller than the mutual capacitance of the sensing unit shown as "B" in the low-resolution touch sensing mode. For example, when each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e in the high-resolution touch sensing mode is divided into two parts and each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e is divided into two parts, the mutual capacitance in the high-resolution touch sensing mode can be 1 / 4 times the mutual capacitance in the low-resolution touch sensing mode. Therefore, the third voltage can be higher than the second voltage to obtain a high SNR by keeping the change in the mutual capacitance in the high-resolution touch sensing mode the same as the change in the mutual capacitance in the low-resolution touch sensing mode. In addition, the third voltage can be lower than the first voltage provided in the fingerprint recognition mode. For example, when each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, and 120e is divided into two parts and each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e is divided into two parts, the third voltage can be 4 times the second voltage. However, the above values are only examples for helping to understand the present disclosure. The third voltage can be selected differently based on the number of parts into which each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e is divided and the number of parts into which each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e is divided.

[0085] In addition, according to the feedback capacitor C of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 F of the capacitance and the feedback capacitor C of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 F of the capacitance ratio, and the ratio of the mutual capacitance in the high-resolution touch sensing mode to the mutual capacitance in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, the first voltage and the third voltage can be the same. For example, when one of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e includes 8 transmission lines 121, one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e includes 8 reception lines 131, and the feedback capacitor C of the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 F of the capacitance is selected to be the feedback capacitor C of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 FWhen the capacitance is 16 times that of the capacitance, the first voltage can be 4 times the second voltage. In addition, when each of the transmission groups 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, or 120e is divided into two parts and each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e is divided into two parts in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the third voltage can be 4 times the second voltage in the same manner as the first voltage. In this case, the transmission driver 120 may not include the third voltage line VDDH_M, and the control circuit 140 may connect the first voltage line VDDH_H to the transmission circuit 122 in the high-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0086] In the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the signal output unit 130 may receive a touch signal from the first part of the receiving lines 131 in each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e sequentially arranged, and then may receive a touch signal from the remaining receiving lines 131 in each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, and 130e sequentially arranged. For example, the signal output unit 130 may simultaneously receive a touch signal from the receiving lines 131 corresponding to the area shown as "1" in Figure 9 and then may simultaneously receive a touch signal from the receiving lines 131 corresponding to the area shown as "2" in Figure 9 .

[0087] Reference Figure 12A , in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the signal output unit 130 may receive a touch signal by connecting the first part of the receiving lines 131 sequentially arranged in each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e to a touch sensing receiving circuit 133. To this end, the control circuit 140 may disconnect all the fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 in the signal output unit 130 and the corresponding receiving lines 131 therefrom through a first reception control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 may connect the receiving lines 131 corresponding to the area shown as "1" in Figure 9 in each of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e to the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 through a second reception control signal RX_EN2. Then, a touch sensing receiving circuit 133 provided in one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e may receive a touch signal from the first part of the receiving lines 131 sequentially arranged in the corresponding one of the reception groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e.

[0088] Thereafter, reference Figure 12B, the signal output unit 130 can receive a touch signal by connecting the second part of the receiving lines 131 sequentially arranged in each receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e to a touch sensing receiving circuit 133. To this end, the control circuit 140 can disconnect the receiving lines 131 corresponding to the areas shown as "1" in Figure 9 from the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 in each of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e, and can connect the receiving lines 131 corresponding to the areas shown as "2" in Figure 9 to the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 through the second receiving control signal RX_EN2. Then, one touch sensing receiving circuit 133 provided in each of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can receive the touch signal from the second part of the receiving lines 131 sequentially arranged in the corresponding receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e.

[0089] Next, referring to Figure 13 , under the control of the control circuit 140, the transmit driver 120 can simultaneously apply a drive signal to the second part of the transmit lines 121 in the first transmit group 120a, and can not apply the drive signal to the remaining transmit lines 121. For example, as shown by the thick solid lines in Figure 13 , the drive signal can be simultaneously applied only to the second part of the transmit lines 121 sequentially arranged in the first transmit group 120a. To this end, referring to Figure 14 , the second part of the transmit circuits 122 sequentially arranged in the first transmit group 120a can be activated in response to the transmit control signal TX_EN of the control circuit 140. Then, the drive signal can be simultaneously applied to the second part of the transmit lines connected to the activated second part of the transmit circuits 122 in the first transmit group 120a in the transmit lines 121.

[0090] When the drive signal is simultaneously applied to the second part of the transmit lines 121 sequentially arranged in the first transmit group 120a, the signal output unit 130 can receive the touch signal based on the methods described in Figure 12A and Figure 12B . Based on this method, a high-resolution touch sensing mode can be performed by individually applying the drive signal to a part of the transmit lines 121 until the last transmit group 120e.

[0091] By using the method described in detail, the resolution of the touch sensing operation can be adjusted as needed by differently selecting the groups of the transmission lines 121 and the reception lines 131 in the touch sensing mode. In addition, by appropriately changing the driving voltage according to the resolution of the touch sensing operation, the touch sensitivity and SNR can be constantly maintained regardless of the change in the touch sensing resolution.

[0092] So far, it has been described that the touch signal is received by the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 in the fingerprint recognition mode and the touch signal is received by the touch sensing receiving circuit 133 in the touch sensing mode. However, in both the fingerprint recognition mode and the touch sensing mode, one type of receiving circuit can be used to receive the touch signal.

[0093] Figure 15 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of the plurality of receiving circuits 132a to 132h provided in the signal output unit 130 according to an embodiment. Figure 15 Shows the receiving circuits provided in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e of the signal output unit 130.

[0094] Reference Figure 15 , the signal output unit 130 may include a plurality of first receiving circuits 132a to eighth receiving circuits 132h respectively corresponding to the plurality of first receiving lines 131a to eighth receiving lines 131h. The first receiving circuits 132a to 132h can be connected to the first receiving lines 131a to eighth receiving lines 131h respectively corresponding to them in response to the first reception control signal RX_EN1 of the control circuit 140. In addition, in response to the second reception control signal RX_EN2 of the control circuit 140, the second receiving lines 131b to eighth receiving lines 131h can be selectively connected to the first receiving line 131a, and the sixth receiving lines 131f to eighth receiving lines 131h can be selectively connected to the fifth receiving line 131e. The control circuit 140 can control the connection between the first receiving lines 131a to eighth receiving lines 131h and the first receiving circuits 132a to eighth receiving circuits 132h by using the first reception control signal RX_EN1 and the second reception control signal RX_EN2, and the connection between the first receiving lines 131a to eighth receiving lines 131h according to the fingerprint recognition mode, the low-resolution touch sensing mode, and the high-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0095] Figure 16 , Figure 17 and Figure 18 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the operation of the first receiving circuits 132a to 132h provided in the signal output unit 130 according to an embodiment. First, reference Figure 16, in the fingerprint recognition mode, the control circuit 140 can connect the first receiving circuit 132a to the eighth receiving circuit 132h to the corresponding first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h respectively by using the first receiving control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 can disconnect the connections between all the first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h by using the second receiving control signal RX_EN2. Then, the first receiving circuit 132a to the eighth receiving circuit 132h can receive touch signals simultaneously through the corresponding first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h.

[0096] In addition, referring to Figure 17 , in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can connect only the first receiving circuit 132a to the first receiving line 131a by using the first receiving control signal RX_EN1, and can disconnect the second receiving circuit 132b to the eighth receiving circuit 132h from the second receiving lines 131b to the eighth receiving lines 131h respectively. In addition, the control circuit 140 can connect all the second receiving lines 131b to the eighth receiving lines 131h to the first receiving line 131a by using the second receiving control signal RX_EN2. Then, the first receiving circuit 132a connected to the first receiving line 131a can receive touch signals from the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h simultaneously. Therefore, in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, the touch signals generated in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e can be received through the first receiving circuit 132a.

[0097] Referring to Figure 18 , in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can connect the first receiving circuit 132a to the first receiving line 131a and connect the fifth receiving circuit 132e to the fifth receiving line 131e by using the first receiving control signal RX_EN1. Then, the control circuit 140 can disconnect the second receiving lines 131b to the fourth receiving lines 131d and the sixth receiving lines 131f to the eighth receiving lines 131h from the second receiving circuit 132b to the fourth receiving circuit 132d and the sixth receiving circuit 132e to the eighth receiving circuit 132h respectively. In addition, the control circuit 140 can disconnect the connections between the sixth receiving lines 131f to the eighth receiving lines 131h and the first receiving line 131a by using the second receiving control signal RX_EN2, connect the second receiving lines 131b to the fourth receiving lines 131d to the first receiving line 131a, and connect the sixth receiving lines 131f to the eighth receiving lines 131e to the fifth receiving line 131e.

[0098] Then, the first receiving circuit 132a connected to the first receiving line 131a can receive touch signals from the first receiving line 131a to the fourth receiving line 131d sequentially arranged at the same time, and the fifth receiving circuit 132e connected to the fifth receiving line 131e can receive touch signals from the fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving line 131h sequentially arranged at the same time. Therefore, in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the touch signals generated in the first part of one receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e can be received by the first receiving circuit 132a, and the touch signals generated in the second part of the corresponding receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e can be received by the fifth receiving circuit 132e.

[0099] According to these embodiments, the first receiving circuit 132a and the fifth receiving circuit 132e can receive touch signals generated in different regions in one receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e at the same time. Therefore, the operation speed of the high-resolution touch sensing mode can be improved. In the embodiments Figures 9 to 14 described, the time taken for the high-resolution touch sensing mode with a resolution four times that of the low-resolution touch sensing mode can be four times the time taken for the low-resolution touch sensing mode. However, in the embodiments Figures 15 to 18 described, the time taken for the high-resolution touch sensing mode with a resolution four times that of the low-resolution touch sensing mode can be only twice the time taken for the low-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0100] In the embodiments Figures 15 to 18 described, the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F in the fingerprint recognition mode can be the same as the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C F in the touch sensing mode. Therefore, the ratio of the first voltage provided by the first voltage line VDDH_H to the second voltage provided by the second voltage line VDDH_L can be the same as the ratio of the mutual capacitance in the touch sensing mode to the mutual capacitance in the fingerprint recognition mode.

[0101] Figure 19 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of the plurality of receiving circuits 132, 133a to 133b provided in the signal output unit 130 according to an embodiment. Figure 19 Shows a plurality of receiving circuits 132, 133a and 133b provided in one receiving group 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d or 130e of the signal output unit 130. Refer to Figure 19, the signal output unit 130 may include a plurality of fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 respectively corresponding to a plurality of receiving lines (i.e., the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h), and a first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a and a second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b. Therefore, compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 4 , the signal output unit 130 shown in Figure 19 may further include one or more touch sensing receiving circuits.

[0102] In response to the first reception control signal RX_EN1 of the control circuit 140, the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 may be connected to the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h respectively corresponding thereto. In response to the second reception control signal RX_EN2 of the control circuit 140, the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a may be selectively connected to the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h or the fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving line 131h. In response to the second reception control signal RX_EN2 of the control circuit 140, the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b may be selectively connected to the first receiving line 131a to the fourth receiving line 131d. The control circuit 140 may connect the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h to the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132, the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a or the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b according to the fingerprint recognition mode, the low-resolution touch sensing mode or the high-resolution touch sensing mode by using the first reception control signal RX_EN1 and the second reception control signal RX_EN2.

[0103] For example, in the fingerprint recognition mode, the control circuit 140 may connect the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 to the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h respectively corresponding thereto by using the first reception control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 may disconnect all the first receiving line 131a to the eighth receiving line 131h from the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a and disconnect all the fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving line 131h from the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b by using the second reception control signal RX_EN2.

[0104] Figure 20 and Figure 21 are circuit diagrams showing examples of the operations of the plurality of receiving circuits 132, 133a and 133b provided in the signal output unit 130 according to an embodiment.

[0105] Refer to Figure 20, in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can disconnect all the first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h from their corresponding fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 by using the first receiving control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 can connect all the first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h to the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a by using the second receiving control signal RX_EN2, and disconnect the fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving lines 131h from the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b. Then, the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a can receive touch signals from the first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h simultaneously. Therefore, in the low-resolution touch sensing mode, the touch signals generated in one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can be received by the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a.

[0106] Reference Figure 21 , in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the control circuit 140 can disconnect all the first receiving lines 131a to the eighth receiving lines 131h from their corresponding fingerprint recognition receiving circuits 132 by using the first receiving control signal RX_EN1. In addition, the control circuit 140 can connect only the sequentially arranged fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving lines 131h to the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a by using the second receiving control signal RX_EN2, and disconnect the first receiving line 131a to the fourth receiving lines 131d from the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a. In addition, the control circuit 140 can connect the sequentially arranged first receiving line 131a to the fourth receiving lines 131d to the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b. Then, the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a can receive touch signals from the fifth receiving line 131e to the eighth receiving lines 131h simultaneously, and the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b can receive touch signals from the first receiving line 131a to the fourth receiving lines 131d simultaneously.

[0107] In Figures 19 to 21 In the illustrated embodiment, in the high-resolution touch sensing mode, the touch signals generated in the first part of one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can be received by the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a. At the same time, the touch signals generated in the second part of one of the receiving groups 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, or 130e can be received by the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b. Therefore, according to these embodiments, the time taken for the high-resolution touch sensing mode with a resolution four times that of the low-resolution touch sensing mode can be only twice the time taken for the low-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0108] In addition, in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 19 to 21 the feedback capacitor C in the fingerprint recognition mode and the feedback capacitor C in the touch sensing mode F can be different from each other. Therefore, by considering the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the fingerprint recognition receiving circuit 132 and the capacitance of the feedback capacitor C of the first touch sensing receiving circuit 133a and the second touch sensing receiving circuit 133b F the ratio between the first voltage provided by the first voltage line VDDH_H and the second voltage provided by the second voltage line VDDH_L can be determined. F F

[0109] The touch sensor 100 described in detail can be applied to various electronic devices, such as smart phones, smart watches, tablet PCs, laptop computers, televisions (TVs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), etc.

[0110] Figure 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of an electronic device 1000 including a touch sensor 100 according to an embodiment. Referring to Figure 22 , the electronic device 1000 may include, for example, a central processing unit 1110, a mobile communicator 1111, a short-range wireless communicator 1112, a broadcast receiver 1113, a camera unit 1114, a sensor unit 1115, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 1116, an input and output unit 1120, a power supply 1130, a memory 1140, etc. Here, a "unit" may be a hardware component and / or a software component executed by a hardware component.

[0111] The mobile communicator 1111 may transmit and receive wireless signals with any one or any combination of a base station, an external terminal, and a server in a mobile communication network. Here, according to the transmission and reception of text / multimedia messages, the wireless signals may include voice call signals, video phone call signals, or various forms of data. The short-range wireless communicator 1112 may perform functions for short-range wireless communication. The short-range wireless communicator 1112 may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communicator, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communicator, a near-field communicator, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communicator, a Zigbee communicator, a communicator of the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communicator, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communicator, an Ant+ communicator, etc.

[0112] ​​The broadcast receiver 1113 may receive DMB broadcast signals. The camera unit 1114 may include a lens and optical devices configured to capture pictures or videos. The sensor unit 1115 may include, for example, a gravity sensor configured to sense the movement of the electronic device 1000, an illuminance sensor configured to sense the brightness of light, a proximity sensor configured to sense the proximity of a person, a motion sensor configured to sense the movement of a human, etc. The GPS receiver 1116 may receive GPS signals from artificial satellites. By using these GPS signals, various services may be provided to the user.

[0113] In addition, the input and output unit 1120 may provide an interface to an external device or a user, and may include buttons 1121, a microphone 1122, a speaker 1123, a vibration motor 1124, a connector 1125, a display panel 1126, etc. The power supply 1130 may be connected to a battery or an external power source to supply power to the electronic device 1000.

[0114] The memory 1140 may store various programs executed by the central processing unit 1110. The central processing unit 1110 may control the programs stored in the memory 1140 or the operations of the other components described in detail. The programs stored in the memory 1140 may be divided into multiple modules according to their functions. For example, the modules may include a mobile communication module 1141, a Wi-Fi module 1142, a Bluetooth module 1143, a DMB module 1144, a camera module 1145, a sensor module 1146, a GPS module 1147, a video reproduction module 1148, an audio reproduction module 1149, a power module 1150, a user interface (UI) module 1151, a fingerprint recognition module 1152, etc.

[0115] The electronic device 1000 may further include a touch sensor 100 and a touch screen controller 1161. The touch sensor 100 may be disposed above the display panel 1126, or may be integrally manufactured with the display panel 1126. The touch screen controller 1161 may control the operations of the transmission driver 120 and the signal output unit 130 interconnected with the control circuit 140 of the touch sensor 100 in the touch sensor 100. The touch screen controller 1161 may be integrally formed with the control circuit 140 of the touch sensor 100 in the electronic device 1000, or may be software installed in the electronic device 1000.

[0116] In a state where it is pre-set that the user is to perform user authentication via fingerprint recognition, when the electronic device 1000 requires user authentication, the touch screen controller 1161 may convert the operation of the touch sensor 100 into a fingerprint recognition mode. For example, when user authentication is required to cancel the lock screen state of the electronic device 1000, the fingerprint recognition mode may be started. Alternatively, the fingerprint recognition mode may also be started when user authentication is required to use the electronic device 1000 for online banking, online payment, etc. When the fingerprint recognition mode is started, the central processing unit 1110 may execute, for example, the fingerprint recognition module 1152, and the fingerprint recognition module 1152 may control the transmission driver 120 and the signal output unit 130 via the touch screen controller 1161. Accordingly, the electronic device 1000 may perform fingerprint recognition for user authentication only through the fingerprint contact of the user on the display panel 1126. Therefore, since no additional fingerprint sensor needs to be installed, the space for the fingerprint sensor may be saved.

[0117] When a touch operation is performed (e.g., selecting a screen area or scrolling the screen on the display panel 1126), the touch screen controller 1161 may convert the operation of the touch sensor 100 into a low-resolution touch sensing mode. In addition, when the user performs a writing and input program through which the user can write and input letters or numbers by a touch operation, the touch screen controller 1161 may convert the operation of the touch sensor 100 into a high-resolution touch sensing mode.

[0118] The fingerprint recognition touch sensor and the electronic device including the fingerprint recognition touch sensor described in detail are described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments are merely examples, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments may be implemented based on the embodiments. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments must be understood in a descriptive sense rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present disclosure is described in the claims rather than the above description, and all differences within the corresponding scope should be construed as being included in the claims.

Claims

1. A touch sensor, comprising: A plurality of parallel transmission lines extending in a first direction; A plurality of parallel receiving lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; A transmission driver configured to: In a first mode, sequentially apply a first drive signal of a first voltage to each of the plurality of transmission lines; In a second mode, sequentially apply a second drive signal of a second voltage to each of a plurality of transmission groups arranged in the second direction, each of the plurality of transmission groups including adjacent transmission lines among the plurality of transmission lines, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage; And In a third mode, sequentially apply a third drive signal of a third voltage that is lower than or equal to the first voltage and higher than the second voltage to each of the subgroups among the plurality of transmission lines, each of the subgroups including in each of the plurality of transmission groups, and A signal output unit configured to receive a touch signal from the plurality of receiving lines.

2. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of transmission groups include a first transmission group and a second transmission group adjacent to the first transmission group, and Wherein, the transmission driver is further configured to: in the second mode, simultaneously apply the second drive signal of the second voltage to a first transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines, the first transmission line being arranged in the first transmission group; then simultaneously apply the second drive signal of the second voltage to a second transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines, the second transmission line being arranged in the second transmission group.

3. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission driver includes: A plurality of transmission circuits respectively connected to the plurality of transmission lines; A first voltage line configured to supply the first voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits; and A second voltage line configured to supply the second voltage to the plurality of transmission circuits.

4. The touch sensor according to claim 3, wherein, The transmission driver is further configured to: In the first mode, connect the first voltage line to the plurality of transmission circuits; and In the second mode, connect the second voltage line to the plurality of transmission circuits.

5. The touch sensor according to claim 4, wherein, The transmission driver is further configured to: In the first mode, sequentially and individually activate the plurality of transmission circuits; and In the second mode, simultaneously activate the transmission circuits arranged in one of the plurality of transmission groups among the plurality of transmission circuits.

6. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The signal output unit includes a plurality of receiving groups arranged in the first direction, and Wherein, each of the plurality of receiving groups includes adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines.

7. The touch sensor according to claim 6, wherein, The signal output unit includes: A plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively; and A plurality of second receiving circuits, Wherein, each of the plurality of second receiving circuits is arranged to correspond to a corresponding one of the plurality of receiving groups.

8. The touch sensor according to claim 7, wherein, The signal output unit is further configured to perform the following operations in the first mode: Connect the plurality of receiving lines to the plurality of first receiving circuits respectively; and Simultaneously receive the touch signal through all the plurality of first receiving circuits respectively connected to the plurality of receiving lines.

9. The touch sensor according to claim 7, wherein, The signal output unit is further configured to perform the following operations in the second mode: Connect the receiving lines in one of the plurality of receiving groups among the plurality of receiving lines to one of the plurality of second receiving circuits corresponding to the one receiving group; And Receive the touch signal through the one second receiving circuit among the plurality of second receiving circuits connected to the receiving lines in one of the plurality of receiving groups among the plurality of receiving lines.

10. The touch sensor according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the plurality of first receiving circuits includes a first feedback capacitor having a first capacitance, and Wherein, each of the plurality of second receiving circuits includes a second feedback capacitor having a second capacitance greater than the first capacitance.

11. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The transmit driver includes: A plurality of transmit circuits respectively connected to the plurality of transmit lines; A first voltage line configured to supply the first voltage to the plurality of transmit circuits; A second voltage line configured to supply the second voltage to the plurality of transmit circuits; and A third voltage line configured to supply the third voltage to the plurality of transmit circuits.

12. The touch sensor according to claim 11, wherein, The transmit driver is further configured to: In the first mode, connect the first voltage line to the plurality of transmit circuits; In the second mode, connect the second voltage line to the plurality of transmit circuits; And In the third mode, connect the third voltage line to the plurality of transmit circuits.

13. The touch sensor according to claim 12, wherein, The transmit driver is further configured to: In the first mode, sequentially and individually activate the plurality of transmit circuits; In the second mode, simultaneously activate a first transmit circuit among the plurality of transmit circuits, the first transmit circuit being provided in one of the plurality of transmit groups; And In the third mode, simultaneously activate a second transmit circuit among the plurality of transmit circuits, the second transmit circuit being connected to the first transmit line in the subgroup, and then simultaneously activate a third transmit circuit among the plurality of transmit circuits, the third transmit circuit being connected to the second transmit line in the subgroup.

14. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The signal output unit includes a plurality of receiving groups arranged in the first direction, Wherein, each of the plurality of receiving groups includes adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines, and Wherein, the signal output unit further includes: A plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively; and A plurality of second receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving groups respectively.

15. The touch sensor according to claim 14, wherein, The signal output unit is further configured to: in the third mode, receive the touch signal by connecting a first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to a second receiving circuit corresponding to one of the plurality of receiving groups among the plurality of receiving groups, the first receiving line being sequentially arranged in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups; Then, the touch signal is received by connecting a second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to a second receiving circuit corresponding to one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups, and the second receiving line is sequentially arranged in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups.

16. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The signal output unit includes a plurality of receiving groups arranged in the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of receiving groups includes adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines, and wherein the signal output unit further includes: a plurality of first receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively; a second receiving circuit arranged to correspond to a first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines, and the first receiving line is sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups; and a third receiving circuit arranged to correspond to a second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines, and the second receiving line is sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups.

17. The touch sensor according to claim 16, wherein, The signal output unit is further configured to: in the third mode, receive the touch signal by connecting the first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to the second receiving circuit, and the first receiving line is sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups; and simultaneously receive the touch signal by connecting the second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to the third receiving circuit, and the second receiving line is sequentially arranged in each of the plurality of receiving groups.

18. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The signal output unit includes a plurality of receiving groups arranged in the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of receiving groups includes adjacent receiving lines among the plurality of receiving lines, and wherein the signal output unit includes: a plurality of receiving circuits arranged to correspond to the plurality of receiving lines respectively.

19. The touch sensor according to claim 18, wherein, The signal output unit is further configured to: in the first mode, connect the plurality of receiving lines to the plurality of receiving circuits respectively, and simultaneously receive the touch signal through all the plurality of first receiving circuits respectively connected to the plurality of receiving lines; in the second mode, receive the touch signal by connecting the first receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to any first receiving circuit in one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups, and the first receiving line is arranged in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups; and in the third mode, receive the touch signal by connecting the second receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to any second receiving circuit in one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups of the plurality of receiving circuits, and connecting the third receiving line among the plurality of receiving lines to another receiving circuit in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups of the plurality of receiving circuits, wherein the second receiving line is sequentially arranged in the one receiving group among the plurality of receiving groups, and the third receiving line is sequentially arranged among the plurality of receiving groups.

20. The touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The first mode is a fingerprint recognition mode, wherein the second mode is a low-resolution touch sensing mode, and Wherein, the third mode is a high-resolution touch sensing mode.

21. An electronic device, comprising: Display panel; And Touch sensor, comprising: A plurality of parallel transmitting lines extending in a first direction; A plurality of parallel receiving lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; Transmitting driver, configured to: In a first mode, sequentially apply a first driving signal of a first voltage to each of the plurality of transmitting lines; In a second mode, sequentially apply a second driving signal of a second voltage to each of a plurality of transmitting groups arranged in the second direction, each of the plurality of transmitting groups including adjacent transmitting lines among the plurality of transmitting lines, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage; and In a third mode, sequentially apply a third driving signal of a third voltage that is lower than or equal to the first voltage and higher than the second voltage to each subgroup among the plurality of transmitting lines, each subgroup being included in each of the plurality of transmitting groups, and Signal output unit, configured to receive touch signals from the plurality of receiving lines.

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