Electronic Devices

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device, comprising a substrate, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of data switches, a plurality of sensing electrodes and a plurality of touch switches. The substrate has a peripheral area. The plurality of data lines and the plurality of sensing electrodes are arranged on the substrate. The plurality of data switches and the plurality of touch switches are arranged in the peripheral area of ​​the substrate, the plurality of data switches respectively have a first connection end and a second connection end, and the plurality of touch switches respectively have a third connection end and a fourth connection end. The first connection end of the plurality of data switches is respectively coupled to one of the plurality of data lines. The third connection end of the plurality of touch switches is respectively coupled to one of the plurality of sensing electrodes, and the fourth connection end of the plurality of touch switches is respectively coupled to the second connection end of one of the plurality of data switches.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular to an electronic device with touch display technology. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to achieve the purpose of portability and user-friendly operation, many electronic products have been equipped with touch sensors as input devices to replace traditional keyboards or mice. Among these electronic devices that use touch sensors as input devices, electronic devices that integrate touch displays with touch and display functions are one of the most popular products today.

[0003] As the size of touch displays increases day by day, the number of touch sensors required to be sensed also increases, making the pins of a single touch display chip (Touch and Display Driver Integration, TDDI) insufficient. In addition, if multiple touch display chips are used, the overall bill of material cost (Bill Of Material Cost, BOMCost) will become too high. Therefore, developing products that increase the number of touch sensors at a lower bill of material cost is still one of the topics that the industry is committed to researching. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising a substrate, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of data switches, a plurality of sensing electrodes and a plurality of touch switches. The substrate has a peripheral area. A plurality of data lines are arranged on the substrate. A plurality of data switches are arranged in the peripheral area of ​​the substrate. Each data switch has a first connection end and a second connection end. The first connection end of each data switch is coupled to one of the plurality of data lines. A plurality of sensing electrodes are arranged on the substrate. A plurality of touch switches are arranged in the peripheral area of ​​the substrate. Each touch switch has a third connection end and a fourth connection end. The third connection end of each touch switch is coupled to one of the plurality of sensing electrodes, and the fourth connection end of each touch switch is coupled to the second connection end of one of the plurality of data switches.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device further includes a driver integrated circuit having a plurality of transmission pins, wherein the fourth connection ends of the plurality of touch switches and the second connection end of one of the plurality of data switches are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver integrated circuit turns on the touch switches and disables the data switches during a touch period, and the driver integrated circuit performs touch sensing via the transmission pins coupled to the touch switches.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of touch switches are divided into a first group of touch switches and a second group of touch switches, the driver integrated circuit turns on the first group of touch switches in a first touch timing during a touch period, and performs touch sensing via the plurality of transmission pins coupled to the first group of touch switches, and the driver integrated circuit turns on the second group of touch switches in a second touch timing during the touch period, and performs touch sensing via the plurality of transmission pins coupled to the second group of touch switches.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the fourth connection ends of the touch switches are respectively coupled to different ones of the data switches.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fourth connection end of the multiple touch switches in the first group of touch switches is respectively coupled to one of the multiple transmission pins with the fourth connection end of one of the multiple touch switches in the second group of touch switches and the second connection end of one of the multiple data switches.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, one of the multiple data switches to which the fourth connection ends of the multiple touch switches in the first group of touch switches are respectively coupled are different from each other, and one of the multiple data switches to which the fourth connection ends of the multiple touch switches in the second group of touch switches are respectively coupled are different from each other.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving integrated circuit turns on the plurality of data switches and disables the plurality of touch switches during a display period, and the driving integrated circuit transmits a plurality of display data to the plurality of data lines via the plurality of transmission pins.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver integrated circuit comprises: a plurality of drive switches, a plurality of detection switches, a drive unit and a detection unit. The plurality of drive switches respectively have a fifth connection terminal and a sixth connection terminal, and the fifth connection terminal of the plurality of drive switches is coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins. The plurality of detection switches respectively have a seventh connection terminal and an eighth connection terminal, and the fifth connection terminal of the plurality of drive switches and the seventh connection terminal of one of the plurality of detection switches are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins. The drive unit is coupled to the sixth connection terminal of the plurality of drive switches. The detection unit is coupled to the eighth connection terminal of the plurality of detection switches.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit outputs a plurality of display data to the plurality of transmission pins via the plurality of driving switches during a display period, and the detection unit performs touch sensing via the plurality of detection switches during a touch period. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a display control signal and a touch control signal of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a touch control signal and a signal on a sensing electrode of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a driving integrated circuit of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a display control signal and a touch control signal of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Explanation of symbols:

[0023] 100 Electronic devices

[0024] 110 substrate

[0025] 120 Driver IC

[0026] 121 Driver Unit

[0027] 122 Detection Unit

[0028] 130 Gate drive circuit

[0029] A1 Viewing Area

[0030] A2 Surrounding Area

[0031] B1-B6 Data switch

[0032] C1-C4 sensing electrodes

[0033] DL1-DL6 Data Cable

[0034] E1-E4 Touch Switch

[0035] F1-F6 drive switch

[0036] GL1-GL6 Gate Line

[0037] H1-H6 Detector Switch

[0038] P1-P6 Transmission Pins

[0039] S1 Display control signal

[0040] S10 Display control signal

[0041] S2 Touch control signal

[0042] S20 touch control signal

[0043] S21, S22 touch control signal

[0044] S3 Display control signal

[0045] S4 touch control signal

[0046] S51 signal

[0047] S52 signal

[0048] SG1-SG6 drive signal

[0049] Td Display period

[0050] Tt Touch duration

[0051] Tt1 First touch timing

[0052] Tt2 Second touch timing

[0053] U11-U66 Pixel Unit

[0054] V1 First Direction

[0055] V2 Second direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of some embodiments of the present invention more obvious and understandable, a detailed description is given below in conjunction with the attached drawings.

[0057] It must be understood that the words "comprise", "include" and the like used in this specification are used to indicate the existence of specific technical features, values, method steps, operation processing, components and / or components, but do not exclude the addition of more technical features, values, method steps, operation processing, components, components, or any combination of the above.

[0058] The words "first", "second", "third", "fourth", "fifth", "sixth", "seventh", and "eighth" are used to modify components. They are not used to indicate priority or precedence between components. They are only used to distinguish components with the same name.

[0059] In the present invention, it can be any suitable type of electronic device, such as a touch display, an antenna device, a splicing device, a sensing device, a flexible device, etc., but not limited thereto. The electronic device described in the present invention is a touch display integrating touch and display functions, and its display may include liquid crystal (LC), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) such as micro-LED (micro-LED, mini-LED), quantum dots (QDs), quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED, QDLED), fluorescence, phosphor, other suitable materials or combinations of the above materials, but not limited thereto. The splicing device may be, for example, a display splicing device or an antenna splicing device, but not limited thereto. In addition, the display in the electronic device may be a color display or a monochrome display, and the shape of the electronic device may be a rectangle, a circle, a polygon, a shape with curved edges, or other suitable shapes. In addition, the electronic device described below takes the touch sensing through the embedded touch display as an example, but the touch sensing method is not limited to this, and a suitable touch sensing method can be used according to the needs.

[0060] See also Figures 1 to 3 , the electronic device 100 can provide a touch display function for the user to operate. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can achieve the touch display function by integrating a touch display in the device.

[0061] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a substrate 110, a plurality of data lines DL1-DL6, a plurality of data switches B1-B6, a plurality of sensing electrodes C1-C4, and a plurality of touch switches E1-E4. The substrate 110, the plurality of data lines DL1-DL6, the plurality of data switches B1-B6, the plurality of sensing electrodes C1-C4, and the plurality of touch switches E1-E4 are part of the touch display.

[0062] In addition, in one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may further include a plurality of gate lines GL1-GL6 and a plurality of pixel units U11-U66. The plurality of gate lines GL1-GL6 and the plurality of pixel units U11-U66 are also part of the touch display. In some embodiments, the touch display is an embedded touch display. In addition, the touch display may be an LED touch display, an LCD touch display, an OLED touch display, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0063] The following is an explanation using six data lines DL1-DL6, six data switches B1-B6, four sensing electrodes C1-C4, four touch switches E1-E4, six gate lines GL1-GL6, and thirty-six pixel units U11-U66 as examples. The number of data switches corresponds to the number of data lines, and the number of touch switches corresponds to the number of sensing electrodes. However, it should be noted that the aforementioned quantities may depend on the design and application of the actual product, but are not limited thereto. For example, when the resolution specification of the touch display is 1920RGB*720, the number of data lines can reach 5760 (1920*3), and the number of gate lines can reach 720.

[0064] A plurality of data lines DL1 - DL6 and a plurality of gate lines GL1 - GL6 are disposed on the substrate 110 , and the plurality of data lines DL1 - DL6 and the plurality of gate lines GL1 - GL6 are interlaced with each other to define a plurality of pixel regions.

[0065] Here, the data lines DL1-DL6 may extend along the first direction V1 and be arranged along the second direction V2, and the gate lines GL1-GL6 may extend along the second direction V2 and be arranged along the first direction V1. The first direction V1 and the second direction V2 are different. In some embodiments, the first direction V1 and the second direction V2 are perpendicular. In some embodiments, the shape of the pixel area defined by the data lines DL1-DL6 and the gate lines GL1-GL6 may be a rectangle, a parallelogram, a bend, or other suitable shapes. The substrate 110 may be a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, a sapphire substrate, or a substrate of other suitable materials. In addition, the substrate 110 may be a hard substrate or a bendable substrate, such as a curved surface, an S-shape, a wavy shape, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of pixel units U11 - U66 may be arranged in an array to form a pixel array, and the pixel units U11 - U66 are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of data lines DL1 - DL6 and one of the plurality of gate lines GL1 - GL6 .

[0067] In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 further includes a gate driving circuit 130, and the gate driving circuit 130 is coupled to the plurality of gate lines GL1-GL6. The gate driving circuit 130 is used to control the display period Td of the electronic device 100 (eg, Figure 4 ) in sequence outputting driving signals SG1-SG6 to the plurality of gate lines GL1-GL6, when the pixel units U11-U66 are driven according to the driving signals SG1-SG6 on the coupled gate lines GL1-GL6, the display data on the coupled data lines DL1-DL6 can be loaded to display the screen. Here, the display data can be a voltage signal, and the pixel unit can display the corresponding grayscale according to the voltage magnitude of the display data.

[0068] A plurality of sensing electrodes C1-C4 may be arranged in an array on the substrate 110, and the orthographic projections of the sensing electrodes C1-C4 in the normal direction of the substrate 110 may overlap with a plurality of pixel units. In the following, for the convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the orthographic projection of one sensing electrode in the normal direction of the substrate 110 can cover nine pixel units. For example, the orthographic projection of the sensing electrode C1 in the normal direction of the substrate 110 can cover the pixel units U11, U21, U31, U12, U22, U32, U13, U23, and U33, but this number is not limited thereto.

[0069] The substrate 110 can be roughly divided into a visible area A1 and a peripheral area A2, and the peripheral area A2 is the area outside the visible area A1. In some embodiments, the peripheral area A2 is adjacent to the visible area A1, and in some embodiments, the peripheral area A2 surrounds the visible area A1. The visible area A1 refers to the area that can be used to display images and provide users with touch operations, such as the area where the pixel units U11-U66 and / or the sensing electrodes C1-C4 are located.

[0070] A plurality of data switches B1-B6 and a plurality of touch switches E1-E4 are disposed in the peripheral area A2 of the substrate 110. The data switches B1-B6 each have a control terminal and two connection terminals (hereinafter referred to as the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, respectively), and the touch switches E1-E4 each have a control terminal and two connection terminals (hereinafter referred to as the third connection terminal and the fourth connection terminal, respectively).

[0071] The first connection ends of the data switches B1-B6 are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of data lines D1-D6. Here, the first connection end of the data switch B1 is coupled to the data line DL1. The first connection end of the data switch B2 is coupled to the data line DL2. The first connection end of the data switch B3 is coupled to the data line DL3. The first connection end of the data switch B4 is coupled to the data line DL4. The first connection end of the data switch B5 is coupled to the data line DL5. And, the first connection end of the data switch B6 is coupled to the data line DL6.

[0072] The third connection terminals of the touch switches E1-E4 are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of sensing electrodes C1-C4. Here, the third connection terminal of the touch switch E1 is coupled to the sensing electrode C1. The third connection terminal of the touch switch E2 is coupled to the sensing electrode C2. The third connection terminal of the touch switch E3 is coupled to the sensing electrode C3. And, the third connection terminal of the touch switch E4 is coupled to the sensing electrode C4.

[0073] The fourth connection terminals of the touch switches E1-E4 are respectively coupled to the second connection terminals of one of the plurality of data switches B1-B6. Here, the data switches B1-B6 can respectively establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the first connection terminals and the second connection terminals according to the control signals received by the control terminals thereof. Furthermore, the touch switches E1-E4 can respectively establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection terminals and the fourth connection terminals according to the control signals received by the control terminals thereof.

[0074] In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 may further include a driver integrated circuit 120, and the driver integrated circuit 120 is coupled to a plurality of data switches B1-B6, a plurality of touch switches E1-E4, and a gate drive circuit 130. The driver integrated circuit 120 may transmit a timing signal to the gate drive circuit 130 to control the timing of the gate drive circuit 130 outputting the drive signal SG1-SG6. In addition, the driver integrated circuit 120 may control whether the plurality of data switches B1-B6 and the plurality of touch switches E1-E4 are turned on or off. Furthermore, the driver integrated circuit 120 may display a screen through the turned-on data switches, such as outputting display data. Furthermore, the driver integrated circuit 120 may perform touch sensing through the turned-on touch switches, such as receiving a touch sensing signal and / or outputting a touch detection signal.

[0075] The driver integrated circuit 120 has a plurality of transmission pins P1-P6, and the transmission pins P1-P6 can be respectively coupled to the second connection end of one of the plurality of data switches B1-B6. Here, the touch switches E1-E4 and the data switches to which their fourth connection ends are coupled can be coupled to the same transmission pin by the same wiring. In this way, the number of transmission pins required for the driver integrated circuit 120 can be greatly reduced because the touch and display share the transmission pins, thereby reducing the size of the driver integrated circuit 120 or reducing the number of driver integrated circuits 120 required for use.

[0076] Since the number of sensing electrodes is less than the number of data lines, the number of transmission pins of the driver integrated circuit 120 may correspond to the number of data lines, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, if the number of sensing electrodes is greater than the number of data lines, the maximum number of transmission pins required by the driver integrated circuit 120 may correspond to the number of sensing electrodes. In other words, the maximum number of transmission pins required by the driver integrated circuit 120 may be the number of data lines plus the difference between the number of data lines and the number of sensing electrodes, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0077] See also Figure 1 , the fourth connection terminals of the touch switches E1-E4 are respectively coupled to different data switches. In other words, the data switches B1-B6 are at most respectively coupled to the same transmission pin with one touch switch using one trace. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the fourth connection end of the touch switch E1 can be coupled to the data switch B1, and coupled to the transmission pin P1 with the data switch B1 through a line. The fourth connection end of the touch switch E2 can be coupled to the data switch B3, and coupled to the transmission pin P3 with the data switch B3 through a line. The fourth connection end of the touch switch E3 can be coupled to the data switch B4, and coupled to the transmission pin P4 with the data switch B4 through a line. In addition, the fourth connection end of the touch switch E4 can be coupled to the data switch B6, and coupled to the transmission pin P6 with the data switch B6 through a line.

[0078] like Figure 1 As shown, the data switches B1-B6 can respectively establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the first connection end and the second connection end according to the display control signal S1. Moreover, the touch switches E1-E4 can respectively establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection end and the fourth connection end according to the touch control signal S2.

[0079] See also Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, during a display period Td of a frame of the electronic device 100, the driver integrated circuit 120 may use the display control signal S1 to turn on the plurality of data switches B1-B6, and use the touch control signal S2 to disable the plurality of touch switches E1-E4, so that the transmission pins P1-P6 may be electrically connected to the data lines D1-D6 via the corresponding data switches B1-B6. Afterwards, the driver integrated circuit 120 may transmit a plurality of display data to the data lines DL1-DL6 via the plurality of transmission pins P1-P6, so that the pixel units U11-U66 may display images according to the display data on the data lines D1-D6 when they are driven by the corresponding drive signals SG1-SG6.

[0080] During a touch period Tt of a frame of the electronic device 100, the driver integrated circuit 120 can use the display control signal S1 to disable the data switches B1-B6, and use the touch control signal S2 to turn on the touch switches E1-E4, so that the transmission pins P1, P3, P4, and P6 can be electrically connected to the corresponding sensing electrodes C1-C4 through the corresponding touch switches E1-E4. Afterwards, the driver integrated circuit 120 can perform touch sensing through the transmission pins P1, P3, P4, and P6.

[0081] See also Figure 2 , the fourth connection terminals of the touch switches E1-E4 are respectively coupled to different data switches. In addition, the sensing electrodes C1-C4 can be divided into at least two groups (hereinafter referred to as the first group of sensing electrodes and the second group of sensing electrodes).

[0082] See also Figure 2 , the sensing electrodes C1 and C2 are the first group of sensing electrodes, and the sensing electrodes C3 and C4 are the second group of sensing electrodes. In some embodiments, the sensing electrodes C1 and C3 can also be the first group of sensing electrodes, and the sensing electrodes C2 and C4 can be the second group of sensing electrodes. The present invention is not limited to this. Figure 2 , the description is made by taking the sensing electrodes C1 and C2 as the first group of sensing electrodes and the sensing electrodes C3 and C4 as the second group of sensing electrodes.

[0083] In addition, corresponding to the grouping of the sensing electrodes C1-C4, the plurality of touch switches E1-E4 can also be correspondingly divided into at least two groups (hereinafter referred to as the first group of touch switches and the second group of touch switches, respectively), but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 2 , the touch switches E1 and E2 coupled to the first group of sensing electrodes are the first group of touch switches, and the touch switches E3 and E4 coupled to the second group of sensing electrodes are the second group of touch switches. The first group of touch switches can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection terminal and the fourth connection terminal according to the touch control signal S21, and the second group of touch switches can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection terminal and the fourth connection terminal according to the touch control signal S22.

[0084] See also Figure 2 and Figure 5In some embodiments, a touch period Tt of a frame can be divided into two touch timings (hereinafter referred to as a first touch timing Tt1 and a second touch timing Tt2, respectively). Here, in the first touch timing Tt1 of a touch period Tt of a frame, the driver integrated circuit 120 can first disable the data switches B1-B6 using the display control signal S1 and disable the second group of touch switches (i.e., touch switches E3 and E4) using the touch control signal S22, and turn on the first group of touch switches (i.e., touch switches E1 and E2) using the touch control signal S21, so that the transmission pins P1 and P3 can be electrically connected to the corresponding sensing electrodes C1 and C2 respectively through the first group of touch switches, and then the driver integrated circuit 120 can perform touch sensing through the transmission pins P1 and P3. In the second touch timing Tt2 of a touch period Tt of a frame, the driver integrated circuit 120 uses the touch control signal S21 to disable the first group of touch switches, and uses the touch control signal S22 to turn on the second group of touch switches, so that the transmission pins P4 and P6 can be electrically connected to the corresponding sensing electrodes C3 and C4 respectively through the second group of touch switches. Then, the driver integrated circuit 120 can perform touch sensing through the transmission pins P4 and P6.

[0085] In some embodiments, since the operation of the driving integrated circuit 120 in the display period Td is substantially the same as that of the above embodiments, it will not be described in detail herein.

[0086] See also Figure 3 , the sensing electrodes C1-C4 can be divided into a first group of sensing electrodes and a second group of sensing electrodes, and the touch switches E1-E4 can be correspondingly divided into a first group of touch switches and a second group of touch switches. The first group of touch switches can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection terminal and the fourth connection terminal according to the touch control signal S21, and the second group of touch switches can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between the third connection terminal and the fourth connection terminal according to the touch control signal S22. Since the grouping method can refer to the description in the above embodiment, it will not be repeated here.

[0087] See also Figure 3 , the fourth connection ends of the touch switches E1 and E2 in the first group of touch switches can be coupled to the second connection end of the same data switch with the fourth connection end of one of the touch switches in the second group, and are coupled to the same transmission pin by a line. The fourth connection ends of the touch switches E1 and E2 in the first group of touch switches are respectively coupled to different data switches, and the fourth connection ends of the touch switches E3 and E4 in the second group of touch switches are also respectively coupled to different data switches. In other words, the data switches B1-B6 are coupled to the same transmission pin with at most two touch switches by a line, and the two touch switches to which the data switches B1-B6 are coupled are respectively in different groups.

[0088] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the fourth connection end of the touch switch E1 in the first group of touch switches can be coupled to the second connection end of the data switch B1 with the fourth connection end of the touch switch E3 in the second group of touch switches, and coupled to the transmission pin P1 with the data switch B1 through a line. In addition, the fourth connection end of the touch switch E2 in the first group of touch switches can be coupled to the second connection end of the data switch B5 with the fourth connection end of the touch switch E4 in the second group of touch switches, and coupled to the transmission pin P5 with the data switch B5 through a line.

[0089] See also Figure 3 and Figure 5 , a touch period Tt of a frame can also be divided into a first touch timing Tt1 and a second touch timing Tt2. In the first touch timing Tt1 of a touch period Tt of a frame, the driver integrated circuit 120 can first use the display control signal S1 to disable the data switches B1-B6 and use the touch control signal S22 to disable the second group of touch switches (i.e., touch switches E3 and E4), and use the touch control signal S21 to turn on the first group of touch switches (i.e., touch switches E1 and E2), so that the transmission pins P1 and P5 can be electrically connected to the corresponding sensing electrodes C1 and C2 respectively through the first group of touch switches. Then, the driver integrated circuit 120 can perform touch signal sensing (such as Figure 5 Then, in the second touch timing Tt2 of the touch period Tt of a frame, the driver integrated circuit 120 uses the touch control signal S21 to disable the first set of touch switches, and uses the touch control signal S22 to turn on the second set of touch switches, so that the transmission pins P1 and P5 can be respectively electrically connected to the corresponding sensing electrodes C3 and C4 through the second set of touch switches. Then, the driver integrated circuit 120 can sense the touch signal through the transmission pins P1 and P5 (such as Figure 5 signal S52).

[0090] See also Figure 6 In some embodiments, the driver integrated circuit 120 may include a plurality of driving switches F1-F6, a plurality of detection switches H1-H6, a driving unit 121, and a detection unit 122. The number of the driving switches F1-F6 corresponds to the number of the transmission pins P1-P6. In addition, the number of the detection switches H1-H6 may correspond to the number of the transmission pins P1-P6, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of the detection switches H1-H6 may also correspond to the number of the transmission pins P1-P6 shared by the touch control and the display. The following is an example of the number of the detection switches H1-H6 corresponding to the number of the transmission pins P1-P6.

[0091] The driving switches F1-F6 each have a control terminal and two connection terminals (hereinafter referred to as the fifth connection terminal and the sixth connection terminal, respectively), and the detection switches H1-H6 each have a control terminal and two connection terminals (hereinafter referred to as the seventh connection terminal and the eighth connection terminal, respectively). Here, the fifth connection terminals of the driving switches F1-F6 and the seventh connection terminal of one of the detection switches H1-H6 can be coupled to the same transmission pin. For example, the fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F1 and the seventh connection terminal of the detection switch H1 are coupled to the transmission pin P1. The fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F2 and the seventh connection terminal of the detection switch H2 are coupled to the transmission pin P2. The fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F3 and the seventh connection terminal of the detection switch H3 are coupled to the transmission pin P3. The fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F4 and the seventh connection terminal of the detection switch H4 are coupled to the transmission pin P4. The fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F5 and the seventh connection terminal of the detection switch H5 are coupled to the transmission pin P5. Furthermore, the fifth connection terminal of the driving switch F6 and the seventh connection terminal of the detecting switch H6 are coupled to the transmission pin P6 .

[0092] Each of the driving switches F1-F6 can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between its fifth connection terminal and the sixth connection terminal according to the control signal received by its control terminal. In addition, the detection switches H1-H6 can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between its seventh connection terminal and the eighth connection terminal according to the control signal received by its control terminal. Here, the driving switches F1-F6 establish or disconnect the electrical connection between its fifth connection terminal and the sixth connection terminal according to the same display control signal S3, and the detection switches H1-H6 can establish or disconnect the electrical connection between its seventh connection terminal and the eighth connection terminal according to the same touch control signal S4. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The detection switches H1-H6 can also operate according to different touch control signals. For example, corresponding to the grouping of the touch switches E1-E4, when the first group of touch switches is turned on (or disabled), the detection switches coupled to the same transmission pin as the first group of touch switches will also be turned on (or disabled) accordingly; and when the second group of touch switches is turned on (or disabled), the detection switches coupled to the same transmission pin as the second group of touch switches will also be turned on (or disabled) accordingly. The following is an example of the detection switches H1-H6 establishing or disconnecting the electrical connection between their seventh connection terminal and their eighth connection terminal according to the same touch control signal S4, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0093] The driving unit 121 is coupled to the sixth connection terminal of the driving switches F1-F6, and the detecting unit 122 is coupled to the eighth connection terminal of the detecting switches H1-H6. Figure 6Here, in a display period Td of a frame, after the driving switches F1-F6 are turned on according to the display control signal S3 and the detection switches H1-H6 are disabled according to the touch control signal S4, the driving unit 121 can generate a plurality of display data according to an image input data input (for example, from a timing controller), and output the plurality of display data through the transmission pins P1-P6. In addition, in a touch period Tt of a frame, after the driving switches F1-F6 are disabled according to the display control signal S3 and the detection switches H1-H6 are turned on according to the touch control signal S4, the detection unit 122 can perform touch sensing through the detection switches H1-H6, for example, receiving a touch sensing signal and / or outputting a touch detection signal.

[0094] In some implementations, the electronic device 100 may have two operating modes. In the first mode (eg, Long Vmode), Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device 100 first performs operations related to the screen display in a frame (such as the display period Td), such as using Figure 4 The display control signal S1 of the display control signal turns on the data switches B1-B6, and after the entire screen display is completed (i.e., all pixel units U11-U66 are scanned), the touch sensing related operations are continuously performed in one frame (such as the touch period Tt), such as using Figure 4 The touch control signal S2 turns on the touch switches E1-E4. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can perform other operations related to the screen display (such as using Figure 4 The display control signal S1 is used to turn on a part of the data switches, and the display control signal S10 is used to turn on another part of the data switches), wherein the display control signal S1 and the display control signal S10 can be output by the control circuit, such as the driver integrated circuit 120, through the same transmission pin, or through different transmission pins, and the display control signal S1 and the display control signal S10 can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can perform other touch sensing related operations (such as using Figure 4 The touch control signal S2 is used to turn on a part of the touch switches, and the touch control signal S20 is used to turn on another part of the touch switches), wherein the touch control signal S2 and the touch control signal S20 can be output by the control circuit, such as the driver integrated circuit 120, through the same transmission pin, or can be output through different transmission pins, and the touch control signal S2 and the touch control signal S20 can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the second mode (such as the Long H mode), if Figure 7As shown, the electronic device 100 can continuously perform operations related to image display and touch sensing alternately in one frame. For example, the electronic device 100 scans a portion of pixel units (for example, every N rows) and then stops to perform a portion of touch sensing. Figure 7 The display control signal S1 turns on some data switches to scan some pixel units and then stops to use Figure 7 The touch control signal S2 turns on a part of the touch switches to perform a part of the touch sensing. Figure 7 The display control signal S10 turns on a part of the data switches to scan a part of the pixel units and then stops to use the following Figure 7 The touch control signal S20 turns on a part of the touch switches to perform a part of the touch sensing, and repeats this process until a frame ends. The display control signal S1 and the display control signal S10 can be achieved by a control circuit, such as a driver integrated circuit 120, through the same transmission pin, or through different transmission pins. The touch control signal S2 and the touch control signal S20 can be achieved by a control circuit, such as a driver integrated circuit 120, through the same transmission pin, or through different transmission pins.

[0095] In some embodiments, the gate driver circuit 130, the plurality of data switches B1-B6, and the plurality of touch switches E1-E4 can be directly fabricated in the peripheral area A2 of the substrate 110, for example, using a gate driver on array (GOA) technology. In addition, the driver integrated circuit 120 can be fabricated into a chip using any suitable size integration process technology, such as 0.35 μm integration process technology, 0.18 μm integration process technology, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0096] In some embodiments, the present invention can determine whether the touch control and display share the same transmission pin by checking whether the physical traces connected to the transmission pins P1 - P6 of the driver integrated circuit 120 are coupled to the data lines and the sensing electrodes.

[0097] In the above embodiments, it should be noted that the profile of the circuit signal can be of any suitable type, and the circuit signal shown in the above embodiments is a square wave as an example, but is not limited thereto. In addition, although the square wave shown in the above embodiments is an ideal square wave, in actual applications, the provided square wave signal can be a non-ideal square wave with noise, ripple effect and / or ringing effect. In addition, the signal size of the circuit signal shown in the above embodiments is only for illustration, and the size relationship of each signal is not limited to the example shown in the above embodiments.

[0098] It should be noted that the features of the various embodiments may be mixed and matched as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with each other.

[0099] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic device, which directly manufactures a touch switch on a substrate, so that the touch switch does not need to be set in the driver integrated circuit. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can significantly reduce the number of transmission pins required for the driver integrated circuit by sharing the transmission pins for touch control and display, and reduce the size of the driver integrated circuit or reduce the number of driver integrated circuits required to be used, thereby reducing the overall bill of materials cost.

[0100] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the definition of the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that include: A substrate having a peripheral region; A plurality of data lines are arranged on the substrate; A plurality of data switches are disposed in the peripheral area, each of the plurality of data switches having a first connection end and a second connection end, and the first connection end of each of the plurality of data switches is respectively coupled to one of the plurality of data lines, and the plurality of data switches are divided into a first group of data switches and a second group of data switches; A plurality of sensing electrodes are disposed on the substrate; and A plurality of touch switches are disposed in the peripheral area, each of the plurality of touch switches having a third connection end and a fourth connection end, the third connection ends of the plurality of touch switches are respectively coupled one-to-one to one of the plurality of sensing electrodes, and the fourth connection ends of the plurality of touch switches are respectively coupled to the second connection end of one of the first group of data switches, and the second connection end of any one of the second group of data switches is not coupled to the fourth connection end of the plurality of touch switches.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A driving integrated circuit has a plurality of transmission pins, wherein the fourth connection ends of the plurality of touch switches and the second connection end of one of the first set of data switches are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The driving integrated circuit turns on the touch switches and disables the data switches during a touch period, and the driving integrated circuit performs touch sensing via the transmission pins coupled to the touch switches.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of touch switches are divided into a first group of touch switches and a second group of touch switches. The driver integrated circuit turns on the first group of touch switches in a first touch timing during a touch period, and performs touch sensing via the plurality of transmission pins coupled to the first group of touch switches. The driver integrated circuit turns on the second group of touch switches in a second touch timing during the touch period, and performs touch sensing via the plurality of transmission pins coupled to the second group of touch switches.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The fourth connection ends of the plurality of touch switches are respectively coupled to different ones of the first set of data switches.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The fourth connection ends of the touch switches in the first group of touch switches are respectively coupled to one of the transmission pins with the fourth connection end of one of the touch switches in the second group of touch switches and the second connection end of one of the first group of data switches.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein: The fourth connection ends of the multiple touch switches in the first group of touch switches are respectively coupled to one of the first group of data switches that is different from each other, and the fourth connection ends of the multiple touch switches in the second group of touch switches are respectively coupled to one of the first group of data switches that is different from each other.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The driving integrated circuit turns on the plurality of data switches and disables the plurality of touch switches during a display period, and the driving integrated circuit transmits a plurality of display data to the plurality of data lines via the plurality of transmission pins.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The driver integrated circuit comprises: A plurality of driving switches, each of the plurality of driving switches having a fifth connection terminal and a sixth connection terminal, the fifth connection terminal of the plurality of driving switches being coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins; A plurality of detection switches, each of the plurality of detection switches having a seventh connection terminal and an eighth connection terminal, the fifth connection terminal of the plurality of driving switches and the seventh connection terminal of one of the plurality of detection switches are respectively coupled to one of the plurality of transmission pins; a driving unit coupled to the sixth connection end of the plurality of driving switches; and A detection unit is coupled to the eighth connection end of the plurality of detection switches.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein: The driving unit outputs a plurality of display data to the plurality of transmission pins via the plurality of driving switches in a display period, and the detection unit performs touch sensing via the plurality of detection switches in a touch period.

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