Display device and driving device for driving panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device and a driving device for driving a panel. The present invention relates to touch sensing technology. According to the present invention, a multiplexer disposed on a panel is used to drive a touch sensor in a time-division manner. Auxiliary signals having the same phase as the driving signal are supplied to electrodes surrounding the driven touch sensor to minimize the introduction of noise from adjacent electrodes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to techniques for sensing touch. Background Art

[0002] The technology used to sense the touch or proximity of an external object to a touch panel is called touch sensing technology. In electronic devices using this technology, the touch panel is located in the same plane as the display panel. Therefore, while the user is viewing an image on the display panel, the user can input a user operation signal into the touch panel. This method of generating a user operation signal is very intuitive for the user compared to other previous user operation signal input methods, such as mouse input or keyboard input.

[0003] Due to such advantages, touch sensing technology is applied to various electronic devices including display panels.

[0004] On the other hand, as the display panel increases, the number of touch sensors arranged on the panel increases. When the number of touch sensors increases, the number of integrated circuits for driving the touch sensors and the number of lines between the integrated circuits and the panel also increase. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In this context, one aspect of the present invention is to reduce the number of touch driver integrated circuits used to drive a large panel. Another aspect of the present invention is to simplify the wiring between the large panel and the touch driver integrated circuits.

[0006] To this end, in one aspect, the present invention provides a display device comprising: a panel on which a plurality of touch sensors are arranged, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the plurality of touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged; and a driving device connected to the touch sensors via external lines and used to drive the touch sensors to sense the approach or touch of the panel by an external object, wherein the selection circuit connects at least one of the two internal lines to the external line.

[0007] The selection circuit may be arranged in a non-display area of ​​the panel where no pixels are arranged.

[0008] The driving device may drive the touch sensor in a self-capacitance method in which a driving signal is supplied to the touch sensor and a response signal to the driving signal is received from the touch sensor.

[0009] The selection circuit may select one of the at least two internal lines and connect the selected internal line to the external line using a plurality of switches. The driving device may receive control signals for the plurality of switches.

[0010] The selection circuit may connect the internal line not yet connected to the external line with an auxiliary line, and the driving device may supply an auxiliary signal having substantially the same phase as a driving signal supplied via the external line via the auxiliary line.

[0011] The selection circuit may connect one of the at least two internal lines to the external line using a first group of switches, and connect unselected internal lines to the auxiliary line using a second group of switches.

[0012] The selection circuit may connect two switches to each internal line, one of the two switches is connected to the external line, and the other of the two switches is connected to the auxiliary line, and the driving device may supply an auxiliary signal having a phase substantially the same as a phase of the driving signal supplied via the external line via the auxiliary line.

[0013] Each outer line may be connected to one inner line, and the auxiliary line may be connected to more than one inner line.

[0014] The driving device may supply control signals for the two switches to the selection circuit.

[0015] The selection circuit can connect one of two adjacent touch sensors to one of the external lines and connect the other touch sensor to the auxiliary line, and the driving device can supply an auxiliary signal having a phase substantially the same as a phase of a driving signal supplied via the external line via the auxiliary line.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, on the other hand, the present invention provides a driving device for driving a panel, on which a plurality of touch sensors are arranged, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged, wherein the selection circuit connects at least one of two internal lines to an external line, and the driving device includes: a sensing circuit, which is connected to the touch sensor via an external line and is used to sense the approach or touch of an external object to the panel by driving the touch sensor; and a control circuit, which is used to control the selection of the selection circuit using a control signal.

[0017] The touch sensor may be driven in a self-capacitance method in which a driving signal is supplied to the touch sensor and a response signal to the driving signal is received from the touch sensor.

[0018] The driving device may further include an auxiliary signal circuit configured to supply an auxiliary signal to the touch sensor via an auxiliary line, wherein a phase of the auxiliary signal is substantially the same as a phase of the driving signal supplied by the sensing circuit via the external line.

[0019] The selection circuit may connect the internal line that has not been connected to the external line to the auxiliary line.

[0020] In the selection circuit, a plurality of switches are arranged, and the control circuit may transmit the control signals for the plurality of switches via a signal line.

[0021] As described above, according to the present invention, the number of touch driver integrated circuits for driving a large panel can be reduced. In addition, according to the present invention, the wiring between the large panel and the touch driver integrated circuits can be simplified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a general display device;

[0023] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of a first example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a second example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of a third example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0027] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a fourth example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a general display device.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 , the display device 10 may include a panel 11 , an integrated circuit 12 and touch lines LN.

[0030] A plurality of touch sensors TS may be arranged on the panel 11. When an external object approaches a touch sensor TS, the measurement value of the touch sensor TS changes. The integrated circuit 12 can detect such a change in the measurement value to identify the touch of the external object or the coordinates of the external object. Here, the measurement value may be capacitance or charge.

[0031] The touch sensor TS and the integrated circuit 12 may be connected via a touch line LN. The integrated circuit 12 may sense a touch of the panel 11 by an external object by transmitting drive signals via the touch line and receiving response signals of the touch sensor TS to the drive signals.

[0032] The general display device 10 may include as many touch lines LN as the number of touch sensors TS. Some of these touch lines LN are arranged in the panel 11, and the rest of these touch lines LN may be arranged on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and connected to the integrated circuit 12.

[0033] Since the number of touch sensors TS arranged on the panel 11 increases as the panel 11 increases, the number of integrated circuits 12 and the number of touch lines LN also increase.

[0034] In the display device according to the embodiment, a selection circuit is disposed on a panel to reduce the number of integrated circuits and the number of touch lines.

[0035] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] refer to Figure 2 , the display device 100 may include a panel 110 and a driving device 200 .

[0037] The touch lines connecting the touch sensor TS and the driving device 200 may be divided into inner lines LNa and outer lines LNb.

[0038] In the display device 100 according to the embodiment, the number of external lines LNb may be less than the number of internal lines LNa. A selection circuit 112 may be disposed in the panel 110. Since the selection circuit 112 selectively connects the touch sensor TS to the driving device 200, the number of external lines LNb may be less than the number of internal lines LNa.

[0039] In addition, the number of integrated circuits 120 included in the driving device 200 can be reduced. Since the number of external lines LNb in the display device 100 according to the embodiment is reduced, the number of sensing channels is reduced, and thus the number of integrated circuits 120 is also reduced.

[0040] The selection circuit 112 may include a multiplexer (MUX) and connect one of at least two internal lines LNa to the external line LNb through control of the MUX.

[0041] The MUX may include a plurality of switches and may receive control signals for turning on / off of the switches from the driving device 200 .

[0042] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of a first example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] refer to Figure 3 , the display device 100a may include a panel 110a and a driving device 200a.

[0044] The panel 110a may include a plurality of touch sensors TS and a plurality of internal lines LNa connected to the touch sensors TS. Furthermore, the panel 110a may include a selection circuit 112a that is connected to the plurality of internal lines LNa and selects one of the internal lines LNa and connects the selected internal line LNa to an external line LNb.

[0045] The selection circuit 112 a may include a plurality of MUXs 310 , and each MUX 310 may connect one of at least two touch sensors TS to the external line LNb.

[0046] The driving device 200 a may include at least one integrated circuit 120 a .

[0047] The driving device 200a may include a sensing circuit (not shown) and a control circuit (not shown). The sensing circuit and the control circuit may be included in the integrated circuit 120a or outside the integrated circuit 120a (eg, in a printed circuit board (PCB)).

[0048] The control circuit may send a control signal CTR to the selection circuit 112 a , and the selection circuit 112 a may control the MUX 310 using the control signal CTR.

[0049] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a second example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] refer to Figure 4 In the panel 110b, a plurality of touch sensors TS1-TS4 may be arranged, and a plurality of internal lines LNa connected to the touch sensors TS1-TS4 may be arranged. In addition, a selection circuit 112b may be arranged in the panel 110b. The selection circuit 112b is connected to the plurality of internal lines LNa and selectively connects the internal lines LNa to the external line LNb.

[0051] The selection circuit 112 b may be disposed in a non-display region of the panel 110 b where no pixels are disposed.

[0052] The selection circuit 112b can select one of at least two internal lines LNa and connect the selected internal line LNa to the external line LNb using a plurality of switches SW1 and SW2. The control signal CTR for the plurality of switches SW1 and SW2 can be received from the driving device 300b.

[0053] The driving device 300b may include at least one integrated circuit 120b, which supplies driving signals DR to the touch sensors TS1-TS4 and receives response signals to the driving signals DR from the touch sensors TS1-TS4 to sense a touch of an external object on the panel 110b.

[0054] The driving device 300 b may drive the touch sensors TS1 - TS4 in a self-capacitance method in which electrodes for supplying the driving signal DR and electrodes for receiving the response signal are the same.

[0055] Adjacent touch sensors TS1 - TS4 may be connected to the driving device 300 b in different time intervals, respectively.

[0056] refer to Figure 4 , the first and third touch sensors TS1 and TS3 may be connected to the first switch SW1 , and the second and fourth touch sensors TS2 and TS4 may be connected to the second switch SW2 .

[0057] In the first time interval, the driving device 300b can turn on the first switch SW1 using the first control signal CTR1 and turn off the second switch SW2 using the second control signal CTR2. In addition, the driving device 300b provides the driving signal DR via the external line LNb in the first time interval and can drive the first touch sensor TS1 and the third touch sensor TS3 according to the driving signal DR.

[0058] In the second time interval, the driving device 300b may turn off the first switch SW1 using the first control signal CTR1 and turn on the second switch SW2 using the second control signal CTR2. In addition, the driving device 300b supplies the driving signal DR via the external line LNb in the second time interval and may drive the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4 according to the driving signal DR.

[0059] The integrated circuit 120b may transmit the first control signal CTR1 and the second control signal CTR2, or another circuit may transmit the first control signal CTR1 and the second control signal CTR2. The driving device 300b may include a timing control circuit to control the timing for driving the integrated circuit 120b, and the timing control circuit may generate and transmit the first control signal CTR1 and the second control signal CTR2.

[0060] On the other hand, during the first time interval, the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4 may be floating. Parasitic capacitance may be formed between adjacent touch sensors TS1-TS4. The floating touch sensors, namely the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4, may introduce noise into the surrounding touch sensors, namely the first touch sensor TS1 and the third touch sensor TS3, via the parasitic capacitance. This may result in reduced touch sensitivity of the touch sensors.

[0061] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of a third example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] refer to Figure 5 In the panel 110c, a plurality of touch sensors TS1-TS4 may be arranged, and a plurality of internal lines LNa connected to the touch sensors TS1-TS4 may be arranged. In addition, a selection circuit 112c may be arranged in the panel 110c. The selection circuit 112c is connected to the plurality of internal lines LNa and selectively connects the internal lines LNa to the external line LNb.

[0063] The selection circuit 112 c may be arranged in a non-display region where no pixels are arranged.

[0064] The selection circuit 112c can select one of at least two internal lines LNa and connect the selected internal line LNa to the external line LNb using a plurality of switches SWa1, SWa2, SWb1, and SWb2. The control signals CTR for the switches SWa1, SWa2, SWb1, and SWb2 can be received from the driving device 300c.

[0065] The driving device 300c may include at least one integrated circuit 120c, which supplies driving signals DR to the touch sensors TS1-TS4 and receives response signals to the driving signals from the touch sensors TS1-TS4 to sense a touch of an external object on the panel 110c.

[0066] The driving device 300 c may drive the touch sensors TS1 - TS4 in a self-capacitance method in which electrodes for supplying the driving signal DR and electrodes for receiving the response signal are the same.

[0067] Adjacent touch sensors TS1 - TS4 may be connected to the driving device 300 c in different time intervals, respectively.

[0068] The plurality of switches SWa1, SWa2, SWb1, and SWb2 may be classified into a first group of switches SWa1 and SWa2 and a second group of switches SWb1 and SWb2. The first group of switches SWa1 and SWa2 may control the connection between the internal line LNa and the external line LNb, and the second group of switches SWb1 and SWb2 may control the connection between the internal line LNa and the auxiliary line LNc.

[0069] refer to Figure 5 The first touch sensor TS1 can be connected to the external line LNb via the first switch SWa1 of the first group, and to the auxiliary line LNc via the second switch SWb2 of the second group. The second touch sensor TS2 can be connected to the external line LNb via the second switch SWa2 of the first group, and to the auxiliary line LNc via the first switch SWb1 of the second group. The third touch sensor TS3 can be connected to the external line LNb via the first switch SWa1 of the first group, and to the auxiliary line LNc via the second switch SWb2 of the second group. The fourth touch sensor TS4 can be connected to the external line LNb via the second switch SWa2 of the first group, and to the auxiliary line LNc via the first switch SWb1 of the second group.

[0070] The driving device 300c can send a first driving signal CTR1 to the selection circuit 112c, and the first driving signal CTR1 is used to turn on the first switch SWa1 of the first group and the first switch SWb1 of the second group in the first time interval, and turn off the first switch SWa1 of the first group and the first switch SWb1 of the second group in the second time interval.

[0071] In addition, the driving device 300c can send a second driving signal CTR2 to the selection circuit 112c, and the second driving signal CTR2 is used to disconnect the second switch SWa2 of the first group and the second switch SWb2 of the second group in the first time interval, and connect the second switch SWa2 of the first group and the second switch SWb2 of the second group in the second time interval.

[0072] Through such control, in the first time interval, the first touch sensor TS1 and the third touch sensor TS3 are connected to the external line LNb, and the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4 are connected to the auxiliary line LNc, while in the second time interval, the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4 are connected to the external line LNb, and the first touch sensor TS1 and the third touch sensor TS3 are connected to the auxiliary line LNc.

[0073] The driving device 300c can supply the driving signal DR to the touch sensors via the external line LNb, and supply the auxiliary signal ZDR having the same phase and / or magnitude as the driving signal DR via the auxiliary line LNc. Therefore, in the first time interval, the driving signal DR can be supplied to the first touch sensor TS1 and the third touch sensor TS3, and the auxiliary signal ZDR can be supplied to the second touch sensor TS2 and the fourth touch sensor TS4.

[0074] According to such control, since the auxiliary signal ZDR having the same phase as that of the drive signal DR is supplied to the touch sensors surrounding the touch sensor being driven, the introduction of noise due to parasitic capacitance can be minimized.

[0075] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a fourth example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] The driving device may include an integrated circuit 120 d , an auxiliary signal generating circuit 620 , and a timing control circuit 610 .

[0077] The integrated circuit 120 d may transmit a driving signal DR to the external line LNb and receive a response signal from the external line LNb.

[0078] The outer line LNb can be connected to one of the plurality of inner lines LNa according to the control signals CTR1 and CTR2 , and the inner lines LNa can be connected to the touch sensors TS, respectively. Such connection allows the driving signal DR to be supplied to one of the plurality of touch sensors TS.

[0079] The timing control circuit 610 may generate a timing signal TCS and transmit the timing signal TCS to the integrated circuit 120 d and the auxiliary signal generation circuit 620 .

[0080] The timing signal TCS can be used to distinguish the integrated circuit 120d and / or the auxiliary signal generation circuit 620 between the display time interval and the touch time interval. The integrated circuit 120d can send the drive signal DR via the external line LNb during the touch time interval, but may not send the drive signal DR via the external line LNb during the display time interval. The auxiliary signal generation circuit 620 can send the auxiliary signal ZDR via the auxiliary line LNc during the touch time interval, but may not send the auxiliary signal ZDR via the auxiliary line LNc during the display time interval.

[0081] The timing control circuit 610 may generate control signals CTR1 , CTR2 and send these control signals CTR1 , CTR2 to the first and second groups of switches SWa and SWb.

[0082] In a first time interval, the first group of switches SWa may be turned on according to the first control signal CTR1, and the second group of switches SWb may be turned off according to the second control signal CTR2. In a second time interval, the first group of switches SWa may be turned off according to the first control signal CTR1, and the second group of switches SWb may be turned on according to the second control signal CTR2.

[0083] The integrated circuit 120 d may transmit the sensing data TDAT of the touch sensor TS to the timing control circuit 610 , and the timing control circuit 610 may calculate the touch coordinates of the external object using the sensing data TDAT.

[0084] The integrated circuit 120d may include an internal multiplexer (MUX) therein. The MUX disposed on the panel may be referred to as an external MUX. The integrated circuit 120d may use the internal MUX and the external MUX so that one sensing channel senses a plurality of touch sensors TS.

[0085] For example, the external MUX can connect one of N (N is a natural number of 2 or greater) touch sensors TS to one external line LNb, and the internal MUX can connect one of M (M is a natural number of 2 or greater) external lines LNb to one sensing channel. Here, the one sensing channel can sequentially sense N×M touch sensors.

[0086] According to the above-described embodiments, the MUX arranged on the panel allows for reduction in the number of lines between the panel and the driving device and the number of integrated circuits for driving the touch sensor.

[0087] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0088] This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0152034, filed on November 25, 2019, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0119745, filed on September 17, 2020, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Claims

1. A display device comprising: a panel in which a plurality of touch sensors are arranged, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the plurality of touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged; as well as a driving device connected to the plurality of touch sensors via a plurality of external lines and configured to drive the plurality of touch sensors to sense an approach or touch of an external object to the panel, wherein the selection circuit connects one of at least two internal lines among the plurality of internal lines to an external line among the plurality of external lines, and The selection circuit connects the internal lines that are not yet connected to the plurality of external lines to the auxiliary lines.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The selection circuit is arranged in a non-display area where no pixels are arranged.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The driving device drives the plurality of touch sensors in a self-capacitance method in which a driving signal is supplied to the touch sensors and a response signal to the driving signal is received from the touch sensors.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The selection circuit selects one of the at least two internal lines among the plurality of internal lines, connects the selected internal line to the external line using a plurality of switches, and receives control signals for the plurality of switches from the driving device.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The driving device supplies, via the auxiliary line, an auxiliary signal having substantially the same phase as that of the driving signal supplied via the plurality of external lines. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein: The selection circuit connects one of the at least two internal lines to the external line using a first group of switches, and connects the internal line that is still unconnected to the auxiliary line using a second group of switches.

7. A display device comprising: a panel in which a plurality of touch sensors are arranged, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the plurality of touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged; as well as a driving device connected to the plurality of touch sensors via a plurality of external lines and configured to drive the plurality of touch sensors to sense an approach or touch of an external object to the panel, wherein the selection circuit connects one of at least two internal lines among the plurality of internal lines to an external line among the plurality of external lines, and wherein the selection circuit connects two switches to each of the plurality of internal lines, one of the two switches is connected to an external line of the plurality of external lines and the other of the two switches is connected to an auxiliary line, and the driving device supplies an auxiliary signal having a phase substantially the same as a phase of a driving signal supplied via the external line via the auxiliary line.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein: Each of the plurality of outer lines is connected to one of the plurality of inner lines, and the auxiliary line is connected to more than one of the plurality of inner lines.

9. The display device according to claim 7, wherein: The driving device supplies control signals for the two switches to the selection circuit.

10. A display device comprising: a panel in which a plurality of touch sensors are arranged, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the plurality of touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged; as well as a driving device connected to the plurality of touch sensors via a plurality of external lines and configured to drive the plurality of touch sensors to sense an approach or touch of an external object to the panel, wherein the selection circuit connects one of at least two internal lines among the plurality of internal lines to an external line among the plurality of external lines, and In which, the selection circuit connects the first touch sensor of two adjacent touch sensors to one of the multiple external lines, and connects the second touch sensor of the two touch sensors to the auxiliary line, and the driving device supplies an auxiliary signal via the auxiliary line having a phase substantially the same as a phase of a driving signal supplied via one of the multiple external lines.

11. A driving device for driving a panel, wherein a plurality of touch sensors are arranged on the panel, a plurality of internal lines respectively connected to the plurality of touch sensors are arranged, and a selection circuit connected to the plurality of internal lines is arranged. in, The selection circuit connects at least two of the plurality of internal lines to an external line, and the driving device includes: a sensing circuit connected to the plurality of touch sensors via the plurality of external lines and configured to drive the plurality of touch sensors to sense an external object approaching or touching the panel; and a control circuit configured to control selection of the selection circuit using a control signal. The selection circuit connects the internal lines that are not yet connected to the plurality of external lines to the auxiliary lines.

12. The driving device according to claim 11, wherein: The driving device drives the touch sensor in a self-capacitance method in which a driving signal is supplied to a touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors and a response signal to the driving signal is received from the touch sensor.

13. The driving device according to claim 11, further comprising an auxiliary signal circuit, configured to supply an auxiliary signal to the touch sensor via the auxiliary line, wherein a phase of the auxiliary signal is substantially the same as a phase of the driving signal supplied by the sensing circuit via the external line.

14. The driving device according to claim 13, wherein: The selection circuit connects an internal line, among the plurality of internal lines, that is not connected to the external line to the auxiliary line.

15. The driving device according to claim 11, wherein The selection circuit includes a plurality of switches, and the control circuit transmits the control signals for the plurality of switches via a signal line.

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