Display device, operating method thereof, and electronic device including the same

Abstract

A display device, an operating method thereof, and an electronic device including the same are disclosed. The display device includes: a sensor unit including a first sensor and a second sensor; and a sensor driver configured to control the sensor unit, in which the sensor driver includes: a change rate calculator configured to calculate a first mutual capacitance of the sensor unit and calculate a change rate corresponding to the first mutual capacitance; and a threshold calculator configured to generate a threshold by applying the change rate to a reference threshold.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0022612 filed on February 16, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a display device that adjusts a threshold value for determining a touch, an operating method thereof, and an electronic device including the same. Background Art

[0004] With the development of information technology, the importance of display devices that provide a connection medium between users and information has increased. Accordingly, display devices such as liquid crystal display devices and organic light emitting display devices are increasingly used.

[0005] A display device may include a display unit for displaying an image and a sensor unit for sensing a touch position. The display unit may display an image in response to a drive signal supplied from a display driver, and the sensor unit may determine a touch in response to a touch signal supplied from a sensor driver. The sensor driver may determine a touch based on a change in mutual capacitance in response to the touch signal.

[0006] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background technology and therefore the information discussed in this Background section does not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Aspects of some embodiments include a display device that may be capable of adjusting the magnitude of a threshold value used to determine a touch according to temperature.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, which includes: a sensor unit including a first sensor and a second sensor; and a sensor driver configured to control the sensor unit, wherein the sensor driver includes: a change rate calculator configured to calculate a first mutual capacitance of the sensor unit and calculate a change rate corresponding to the first mutual capacitance; and a threshold calculator configured to generate a threshold by applying the change rate to a reference threshold.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the rate of change may refer to an increase or decrease in a first mutual capacitance at an external temperature of the display device compared to a second mutual capacitance at room temperature.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the reference threshold may be a threshold for determining a touch at room temperature. According to some embodiments, the threshold may be a value for determining a touch at an external temperature of the display device.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the sensor driver may further include a temperature measurer. According to some embodiments, the temperature measurer may measure an external temperature of the display device. According to some embodiments, the external temperature may be output to the change rate calculator and the threshold calculator.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the threshold value may be greater than the reference threshold value based on the external temperature being higher than the room temperature.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the extent to which the threshold value is greater than the reference threshold value may be the same as the rate of change.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the threshold value may be smaller than the reference threshold value based on the external temperature being lower than the room temperature.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the extent to which the threshold value is smaller than the reference threshold value may be the same as the rate of change.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for operating a display device including a sensor unit, the sensor unit including a first sensor and a second sensor, the method including: during a test period, calculating a mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures, and calculating a rate of change corresponding to each of the external temperatures; during an operating period after the test period, measuring the external temperature; and calculating a threshold by applying the rate of change corresponding to the measured external temperature to a reference threshold.

[0017] According to some embodiments, calculation of the mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures during a test period and calculation of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures may include: setting the external temperature as a starting temperature; calculating the mutual capacitance of the sensor unit at the external temperature; after calculating the mutual capacitance of the sensor unit, comparing whether the external temperature is a maximum temperature; and when the external temperature is the maximum temperature, calculating the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures.

[0018] According to some embodiments, the method may further include: when the external temperature is not the highest temperature, setting the external temperature to a temperature increased by a step value.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the external temperature may include a temperature that increases by a step value from a start temperature to a maximum temperature.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the calculation of the mutual capacitance of the sensor cells may include: calculating the mutual capacitance between the first sensor and the second sensor; and calculating an average value of the calculated mutual capacitances.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the calculation of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures may include calculating an increase or decrease in the mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures compared to the mutual capacitance at room temperature.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the calculation of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures may include storing the calculated change rate in a memory.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the reference threshold may be a threshold for determining a touch at room temperature. According to some embodiments, the threshold may be a value for determining a touch at an external temperature of the display device.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the threshold value may be greater than the reference threshold value based on the measured external temperature being higher than the room temperature.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the extent to which the threshold value is greater than the reference threshold value may be the same as the rate of change.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the threshold value may be smaller than the reference threshold value based on the measured external temperature being lower than the room temperature.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the extent to which the threshold value is smaller than the reference threshold value may be the same as the rate of change.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor for providing input image data; and the above-mentioned display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, for displaying an image based on the input image data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Aspects of some embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, they may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0030] In the drawings, dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "between" two elements, it can be the only element between the two elements, or one or more intervening elements may be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 2 is an illustration of some embodiments of the present disclosure including Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing aspects of sensors in a display device.

[0033] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a sensor driver according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a graph illustrating mutual capacitance according to external temperature of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating mutual capacitance according to external temperature of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a sensor driver according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of a method of operating a display device during a test period according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of a method of operation of a display device during an operating period.

[0039] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 11 It is an icon Figure 10 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the electronic device is implemented as a smart phone.

[0041] Figure 12 It is an icon Figure 10 Schematic diagram of an example in which the electronic device is a tablet computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, aspects of some embodiments are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification.

[0043] In addition, parts of the drawings that are not related to the present disclosure have been omitted to clarify the description of the present disclosure. Throughout the specification, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

[0044] In addition, the terms including "unit" and "module" used in this document refer to units that perform at least one function or operation, and the units and modules, etc. can be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Detailed descriptions of repeated components will be omitted to clarify the scope of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 1is a diagram illustrating a display device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 The display device 1 may include a panel 10 and a driving circuit 20 for driving the panel 10. In addition, the display device 1 may further include an application processor, or be connected to an application processor.

[0047] The panel 10 may include a display unit 110 for displaying an image and a sensor unit 120 for sensing touch, pressure, fingerprint, hovering, or biometric information (or biometric features). For example, the panel 10 may include pixels PX and sensors SC positioned while overlapping at least some of the pixels PX. According to some embodiments, the sensors SC may include a first sensor TX (or driving electrode) and a second sensor RX (or sensing electrode). According to some embodiments (e.g., a self-capacitance mode), the sensors SC may be configured as a single sensor without distinguishing the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX from each other.

[0048] The driving circuit 20 may include a display driver (D-IC) 210 for driving the display unit 110 and a sensor driver (T-IC) 220 for driving the sensor unit 120. For example, the pixel PX may display an image using a display frame period as a unit. For example, the sensor SC may sense a user's input using a sensing frame period as a unit. The sensing frame period and the display frame period may be independent of each other or different from each other. The sensing frame period and the display frame period may be synchronized with each other or may be asynchronous.

[0049] According to some embodiments, after the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 are manufactured separately from each other, the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 may be arranged and / or coupled to overlap each other (e.g., in at least one region). According to some embodiments, the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 may be manufactured integrally. For example, the sensor unit 120 may be formed directly on at least one substrate constituting the display unit 110 (e.g., an upper substrate and / or lower substrate of a display panel or a thin film encapsulation layer) or another insulating layer or one of various types of functional layers (e.g., an optical layer or a protective layer).

[0050] At the same time, despite Figure 1 , the sensor unit 120 is shown as being located on the front surface (e.g., the upper surface on which an image is displayed) of the display unit 110, but the position of the sensor unit 120 is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the sensor unit 120 may be located on the rear surface or both surfaces of the display unit 110. According to some embodiments, the sensor unit 120 may be located in at least one edge region of the display unit 110.

[0051] The display unit 110 may include a display substrate 111 and a plurality of pixels PX formed on the display substrate 111. The pixels PX may be located in a display area DA of the display substrate 111.

[0052] The display substrate 111 may include a display area DA in which an image is displayed and a non-display area NDA at the periphery of the display area DA (or outside the footprint of the display area DA). According to some embodiments, the display area DA may be located in a central area of the display unit 110, and the non-display area NDA may be located in an edge area of the display unit 110 to surround the display area DA.

[0053] The display substrate 111 may be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate, and the material or properties of the display substrate 111 are not particularly limited. For example, the display substrate 111 may be a rigid substrate made of glass (e.g., tempered glass) or a flexible substrate constructed with a thin film made of plastic or metal.

[0054] Scan lines SL and data lines DL, as well as pixels PX connected to these lines, are located in the display area DA. Pixels PX are selected by a scan signal at an on level supplied from the scan lines SL, are supplied with data signals from the data lines DL, and emit light having a brightness corresponding to the data signals. Accordingly, an image corresponding to the data signals is displayed in the display area DA. In the present disclosure, the structure and driving method of the pixels PX are not particularly limited. For example, each of the pixels PX can be implemented as a pixel having various structures and / or various driving methods currently known in the art.

[0055] Various types of lines and / or built-in circuits connected to the pixels PX in the display area DA may be located in the non-display area NDA. In an example, a plurality of lines for supplying various power supplies and various control signals to the display area DA may be located in the non-display area NDA. In addition, a scan driver and the like may be further located in the non-display area NDA.

[0056] In the present disclosure, the type of display unit 110 is not particularly limited. For example, the display unit 110 can be implemented as a self-luminous display panel such as an organic light-emitting display panel. However, when the display unit 110 is implemented as a self-luminous display panel, each of the pixels PX is not necessarily limited to the case where the pixel PX only includes an organic light-emitting element. For example, the light-emitting element of each of the pixels PX can be constructed as an organic light-emitting diode, an inorganic light-emitting diode, or a quantum dot / well light-emitting diode, etc. A plurality of light-emitting elements can be provided in each of the pixels PX. The plurality of light-emitting elements can be connected in series, in parallel, or in series / parallel, etc. Alternatively, the display unit 110 can be implemented as a non-luminous display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel. When the display unit 110 is implemented as a non-luminous display panel, the display device 1 can additionally include a light source such as a backlight unit.

[0057] The sensor unit 120 may include a sensor substrate 121 and a plurality of sensors SC formed on the sensor substrate 121. The sensors SC may be located in a sensing area SA on the sensor substrate 121.

[0058] The sensor substrate 121 may include a sensing area SA capable of sensing touch input, etc., and a peripheral area NSA at the periphery of the sensing area SA. According to some embodiments, the sensing area SA may be arranged to overlap at least one area of the display area DA. According to some embodiments, the sensing area SA may be set to an area corresponding to the display area DA (e.g., an area overlapping the display area DA), and the peripheral area NSA may be set to an area corresponding to the non-display area NDA (e.g., an area overlapping the non-display area NDA). When a touch input, etc. is provided on the display area DA, the touch input may be detected by the sensor unit 120.

[0059] The sensor substrate 121 may be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. In addition, the sensor substrate 121 may be constructed with at least one insulating layer. In addition, the sensor substrate 121 may be a transparent or translucent light-transmitting substrate, but is not limited thereto according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, in the present disclosure, the material and properties of the sensor substrate 121 are not particularly limited. For example, the sensor substrate 121 may be a rigid substrate constructed with glass (e.g., tempered glass) or a flexible substrate constructed with a thin film made of plastic or metal. According to some embodiments, at least one substrate constituting the display unit 110 (e.g., the display substrate 111, the encapsulation substrate and / or the thin film encapsulation layer) or at least one insulating layer or at least one functional layer located at the interior and / or exterior surface of the display unit 110 may be used as the sensor substrate 121.

[0060] The sensing area SA is set as an area capable of reacting to touch input (i.e., an active area of the sensor unit 120). To this end, a sensor SC for sensing touch input, etc. may be located in the sensing area SA. According to some embodiments, the sensor SC may include a first sensor TX and a second sensor RX.

[0061] When the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 are positioned adjacent to each other, parasitic capacitance may be formed between the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120. According to some embodiments, the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX of the sensor unit 120 may overlap with a cathode electrode or a common electrode, etc., configured inside the display unit 110 while being adjacent to the cathode electrode or the common electrode, etc. Accordingly, a relatively large parasitic capacitance may be formed between the display unit 110 and the sensor unit 120, and due to a coupling effect, noise caused by a driving signal, etc. applied to the display unit 110 may be transmitted to the sensor unit 120.

[0062] For example, each of the first sensors TX may extend in a first direction DR1. The first sensors TX may be arranged in a second direction DR2. The second direction DR2 may be different from the first direction DR1. For example, the second direction DR2 may be a direction intersecting the first direction DR1. According to some embodiments, the extending direction and the arrangement direction of the first sensors TX may follow a conventional configuration. Each of the first sensors TX may have a form in which a first unit having a relatively wide area and a first bridge having a relatively narrow area are connected to each other. Although in Figure 1 , each of the first cells has a diamond shape, but each of the first cells may be configured in various conventional shapes including circular, triangular, grid, and other polygonal shapes. For example, the first bridge may be formed integrally with the first cells on the same layer. According to some embodiments, the first bridge may be formed in a layer different from that of the first cells to electrically connect adjacent first cells to each other.

[0063] For example, each of the second sensors RX may extend in the second direction DR2. The second sensors RX may be arranged in the first direction DR1. According to some embodiments, the extending direction and the arrangement direction of the second sensors RX may follow another conventional configuration. Each of the second sensors RX may have a form in which a second unit having a relatively wide area and a second bridge having a relatively narrow area are connected to each other. Although Figure 1In the figure, each of the second cells has a diamond shape, but each of the second cells can be configured into various conventional shapes including circular shapes, triangular shapes, grid shapes, and other polygonal shapes. For example, the second bridge can be formed integrally with the second cell on the same layer. According to some embodiments, the second bridge can be formed in a layer different from the layer of the second cell to electrically connect adjacent second cells to each other.

[0064] According to some embodiments, each of the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may include at least one of a metal material, a transparent conductive material, and various other conductive materials, thereby having electrical conductivity. In an example, the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may include at least one of various metal materials including gold (Au), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), copper (Cu), and / or platinum (Pt), or alloys thereof. The first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may be configured in a mesh shape. In addition, the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may include at least one of various transparent conductive materials including silver nanowires (AgNWs), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), antimony zinc oxide (AZO), indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO2), carbon nanotubes, and / or graphene. In addition, the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may include at least one of various other conductive materials, thereby having electrical conductivity. In addition, each of the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX may be configured as a single layer or multiple layers, and the cross-sectional structure thereof is not particularly limited.

[0065] Meanwhile, sensor lines or the like for electrically connecting the first and second sensors TX and RX to the sensor driver 220 may be concentrically located in the peripheral area NSA.

[0066] The driving circuit 20 may include a display driver 210 for driving the display unit 110 and a sensor driver 220 for driving the sensor unit 120. According to some embodiments, the display driver 210 and the sensor driver 220 may be configured as separate integrated circuits (ICs). According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the display driver 210 and at least a portion of the sensor driver 220 may be integrated together in one IC.

[0067] The display driver 210 is electrically connected to the display unit 110 to drive the pixels PX. For example, the display driver 210 may include a data driver and a timing controller, and a scan driver may be separately installed in the non-display area NDA of the display unit 110. According to some embodiments, the display driver 210 may include all or at least some of the data driver, the timing controller, and the scan driver.

[0068] Image data and control signals may be supplied from the application processor to the display driver 210. A first oscillator for generating a first clock signal may be provided inside the display driver 210. The display driver 210 may determine a driving frequency (or frame rate) using a synchronization signal included in the control signal, and generate various signals including a vertical synchronization signal Vsync and a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync by dividing the first clock signal.

[0069] According to some embodiments, an external vertical synchronization signal and an external horizontal synchronization signal, etc., may be included in the control signal supplied from the application processor to the display driver 210. The display driver 210 may use the external vertical synchronization signal and the external horizontal synchronization signal to generate a vertical synchronization signal Vsync and a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync to be used inside the display device 1.

[0070] Figure 2 is an illustration of the process according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing aspects of the sensors TX and RX in the display device 1 .

[0071] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , first sensors TX1, TX2, TX3, and TX4 and second sensors RX1, RX2, RX3, and RX4 are shown in the figure, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For ease of description, it is assumed that four first sensors TX1 to TX4 are located in the sensing area SA, and four second sensors RX1 to RX4 are located in the sensing area SA. In practice, y (e.g., y is a natural number greater than 0) to p (e.g., p is a natural number greater than y) first sensors TX and y to p second sensors RX can be located.

[0072] The description of the first sensors TX1 to TX4 and the second sensors RX1 to RX4 is the same as Figure 1 The description of the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX shown in FIG. 5 is the same, and thus repeated description will be omitted.

[0073] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sensor driver 220 .

[0074] Reference Figures 1 to 3, the sensor unit 120 and the sensor driver 220 may sense an external touch.

[0075] The sensor driver 220 may include a sensor receiver TSC (or referred to as a touch sensing circuit) and a sensor transmitter TDC (or referred to as a touch driving circuit). The sensor transmitter TDC may be connected to the first sensor TX, and the sensor receiver TSC may be connected to the second sensor RX.

[0076] The sensor receiver TSC may include an operational amplifier AMP, an analog-to-digital converter 224, and a processor 226. In an example, each sensing channel 222 may be implemented as an analog front end (AFE) including at least one operational amplifier AMP. The analog-to-digital converter 224 and the processor 226 may be provided for each sensing channel 222 and shared by multiple sensing channels 222.

[0077] The first input terminal IN1 of the operational amplifier AMP can be connected to the corresponding second sensor RX, and the second input terminal IN2 of the operational amplifier AMP can be connected to the ground GND. For example, the first input terminal IN1 can be an inverting terminal, and the second input terminal IN2 can be a non-inverting terminal. According to some embodiments, the second input terminal IN2 can be connected to a signal line supplied with a voltage of a specific amplitude.

[0078] The analog-to-digital converter 224 may be connected to the output terminal OUT1 of the operational amplifier AMP. The analog-to-digital converter 224 may convert the output of the operational amplifier AMP into a digital sensed value and then output the sensed value. The capacitor Ca and the switch SWr may be connected in parallel between the first input terminal IN1 and the output terminal OUT1.

[0079] Through the mutual capacitance Cse formed between each of the first sensors TX1 to TX4 and the second sensors RX1 to RX4 at their peripheries, the second sensors RX1 to RX4 can output a sensing signal Sse corresponding to the drive signal Sdr applied to the first sensors TX1 to TX4. The sensing signal Sse can be input to the sensor receiver TSC for detection of touch input.

[0080] According to some embodiments, when the sensor unit 120 is Figure 1 When a plurality of second sensors RX are included as shown in FIG, the sensor receiver TSC may include a plurality of sensing channels (or receiving channels) 222 electrically connected to each of the second sensors RX. The sensor receiver TSC may receive a sensing signal Sse from each of the second sensors RX through the sensing channel 222 and detect a touch input by synthesizing the received sensing signals Sse.

[0081] Figure 4and Figure 5 is a graph illustrating mutual capacitance Cse according to the external temperature of the display device 1 .

[0082] Reference Figures 1 to 5 , the diagram shows the display device 1 (see Figure 1 ), the mutual capacitance Cse, the change ΔCse in mutual capacitance, and the noise at the external temperature of ). The unit of the horizontal axis is "° C.," and the unit of the vertical axis is a relative value as an arbitrary unit.

[0083] When the external temperature of the display device 1 becomes higher than room temperature (e.g., 20°C), the mutual capacitance Cse may increase. Accordingly, the change in mutual capacitance ΔCse and noise may also increase. The change in mutual capacitance ΔCse may be the degree to which the mutual capacitance Cse associated with a touch is changed when a touch occurs in the display device 1.

[0084] When the external temperature of the display device 1 becomes lower than room temperature (for example, 20° C.), the mutual capacitance Cse may decrease. Accordingly, the change ΔCse in the mutual capacitance and the noise may also decrease.

[0085] When the change ΔCse of the mutual capacitance is a threshold value TH or more, the sensor receiver TSC may determine that a touch has occurred. The threshold value TH may be a value for determining a touch.

[0086] Reference Figure 4 In the case where the external temperature of the display device 1 is -20°C, which is lower than room temperature, the change in mutual capacitance ΔCse is smaller than that at room temperature, and thus the change in mutual capacitance ΔCse may be less than the threshold value TH. That is, although a touch occurs in the display device 1, the sensor receiver TSC may determine that no touch has occurred.

[0087] Reference Figure 5 In the case where the external temperature of the display device 1 is 60°C, which is higher than room temperature, the noise may be greater than the threshold value TH because the noise increases compared to room temperature. That is, although no touch occurs in the display device 1, the sensor receiver TSC may determine that a touch has occurred.

[0088] That is, when the external temperature of the display device 1 is changed, it is desirable to prevent or reduce noise misrecognition or touch non-recognition of the display device 1 by changing the threshold value TH.

[0089] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating mutual capacitance Cse according to external temperature of the display device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] Reference Figure 6 , the diagram shows the display device 1 (see Figure 1), the mutual capacitance Cse, the change ΔCse in mutual capacitance, and the noise at the external temperature of ). The unit of the horizontal axis is "° C.," and the unit of the vertical axis is a relative value as an arbitrary unit.

[0091] As the external temperature of the display device 1 becomes higher than room temperature (eg, 20° C.), the threshold TH may increase. As the external temperature of the display device 1 becomes lower than room temperature (eg, 20° C.), the threshold TH may decrease.

[0092] Referring to the case where the external temperature of the display device 1 is "-20°C" which is lower than room temperature, since the mutual capacitance Cse is reduced compared to room temperature, the change ΔCse of the mutual capacitance can be reduced compared to room temperature. Accordingly, the threshold value TH can be reduced compared to room temperature. Even when the external temperature of the display device 1 is lower than room temperature, the sensor receiver TSC (see Figure 3 ) can also sense touch of the display device 1.

[0093] Referring to the case where the external temperature of the display device 1 is "60°C" which is higher than the room temperature, since the mutual capacitance Cse increases compared to the room temperature, the noise may increase compared to the room temperature. Accordingly, the threshold TH may increase compared to the room temperature. Even when the external temperature of the display device 1 is higher than the room temperature, the sensor receiver TSC (see Figure 3 ) It is also possible not to recognize the noise of the display device 1 as a touch.

[0094] Accordingly, it is possible to prevent or reduce erroneous recognition of noise or non-recognition of touch in the display device 1 , and improve the accuracy of touch sensing.

[0095] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the sensor driver 220 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0096] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 7 , the sensor driver 220 may include a temperature measurer 221 , a change rate calculator 223 , a memory 225 , and a threshold calculator 227 .

[0097] The temperature measuring device 221 can measure the temperature of the display device 1 (see Figure 1 ). The temperature measurer 221 may output the external temperature TP to the change rate calculator 223 and the threshold calculator 227.

[0098] In the present disclosure, it is illustrated that the temperature measurer 221 is included in the sensor driver 220. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the temperature measurer 221 may be included in a component other than the sensor driver 220.

[0099] The change rate calculator 223 may calculate a change rate RC for each external temperature TP based on the external temperature TP and the sensing signal Sse. The change rate RC may refer to an increase or decrease in the mutual capacitance Cse at the external temperature compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature.

[0100] The change rate calculator 223 may calculate the mutual capacitance Cse of the sensor unit 120 based on the sensing signal Sse. For example, when the external temperature TP is “0° C.”, the change rate calculator 223 may calculate the mutual capacitance Cse of the sensor unit 120 based on the sensing signal Sse received from the sensor unit 120.

[0101] The change rate calculator 223 may calculate a change rate RC of the mutual capacitance Cse compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature.

[0102] According to some embodiments, the calculated mutual capacitance Cse may be an average value of the mutual capacitance Cse between the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX of the sensor unit 120. The change rate calculator 223 may calculate the change rate RC corresponding to the external temperature TP by comparing the average value of the mutual capacitance Cse at the external temperature TP with the average value of the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature.

[0103] The change rate calculator 223 may output the mutual capacitance Cse and the change rate RC for each external temperature TP to the memory 225. According to some embodiments, the change rate calculator 223 may calculate the change rate RC for each external temperature TP based on the mutual capacitance Cse for each external temperature TP stored in the memory 225.

[0104] The memory 225 may store the mutual capacitance Cse and the change rate RC for each external temperature TP. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The memory 225 may store only the change rate RC. The memory 225 may be included in a component other than the sensor driver 220 of the display device 1.

[0105] The threshold calculator 227 may generate the threshold TH based on the external temperature TP received from the temperature measurer 221 and the change rate RC stored in the memory 225 .

[0106] For example, when the external temperature TP is "-20°C", the change rate RC corresponding to "-20°C" is "-20%", and therefore, the threshold calculator 227 can generate the threshold TH by applying the change rate RC to the reference threshold THR. The reference threshold THR may be a threshold for determining a touch at room temperature.

[0107] In the present disclosure, it is illustrated that the reference threshold THR is stored in the threshold calculator 227. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the reference threshold THR may be stored in the memory 225 or input from the outside.

[0108] Hereinafter, an operating method of the sensor driver 220 will be described.

[0109] During the test period, the sensor driver 220 may calculate the mutual capacitance Cse corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP and calculate the change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP. The test period may be a period for setting parameters of the display device 1 before actually using the display device 1.

[0110] According to some embodiments, the external temperature TP may include a temperature that increases in steps from a starting temperature to a maximum temperature. For example, the external temperature TP of the display device 1 may increase in steps of 20°C from -20°C to 60°C. Accordingly, the external temperature TP may be sequentially set to -20°C, 0°C, 20°C, 40°C, and 60°C. The step value may be freely set according to the user's settings.

[0111] The temperature measurer 221 may measure the external temperature TP set during the test period and output the measured external temperature TP to the change rate calculator 223 .

[0112] The change rate calculator 223 may change the change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP based on the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature and the mutual capacitance Cse corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP.

[0113] For example, the change rate calculator 223 may change the change rate RC corresponding to "-20°C" based on the mutual capacitance V1 at "-20°C" and the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature. Alternatively, the change rate calculator 223 may change the change rate RC corresponding to "60°C" based on the mutual capacitance V4 at "60°C" and the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature.

[0114] For example, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 is "0°C", the change rate calculator 223 may calculate the mutual capacitance V2 at "0°C". The change rate calculator 223 may calculate the change rate RC of the mutual capacitance V2 at "0°C" compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature. If the mutual capacitance V2 at "0°C" decreases by 10% compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature, the change rate RC at "0°C" may be "-10%".

[0115] According to some embodiments, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 is "40° C.", the change rate calculator 223 may calculate the mutual capacitance V3 at "40° C." The change rate calculator 223 may calculate the change rate RC of the mutual capacitance V3 at "40° C." compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature. If the mutual capacitance V3 at "40° C." increases by 10% compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature, the change rate RC at "40° C." may be "+10%."

[0116] During the operation period after the test period, the sensor driver 220 may calculate the threshold TH based on the reference threshold THR and the change rate RC corresponding to the external temperature TP during the operation period. The operation period may be a period in which an image is displayed when the display apparatus 1 is actually used.

[0117] During the operation period, the temperature measurer 221 may measure the external temperature TP and output the measured external temperature TP to the threshold calculator 227. The threshold calculator 227 may generate a threshold TH based on the external temperature TP received from the temperature measurer 221 and the change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP stored in the memory 225.

[0118] For example, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 measured during the operation period is "0°C," the threshold calculator 227 may calculate the threshold TH by applying "-10%" to the reference threshold THR based on the fact that the rate of change RC of "0°C" is "-10%." Accordingly, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 is lower than room temperature, the threshold TH may be lower than the reference threshold THR at room temperature. That is, the threshold TH may be lower than the reference threshold THR by the same amount as the rate of change RC.

[0119] In another example, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 measured during the operation period is "40°C," the threshold calculator 227 may calculate the threshold TH by applying "+10%" to the reference threshold THR based on the fact that the rate of change RC of "40°C" is "+10%." Accordingly, when the external temperature TP of the display device 1 is higher than room temperature, the threshold TH may be greater than the reference threshold THR at room temperature. That is, the threshold TH may be greater than the reference threshold THR by the same amount as the rate of change RC.

[0120] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating the display device 1 during a test period. Figure 8The various operations in the method of operating the display device 1 during the test period are illustrated, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, according to some embodiments, unless otherwise stated or implied, the method may include additional operations or fewer operations, or the order of the operations may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0121] Reference Figure 8 , showing the period of the test Figure 1 The operation of the display device 1 is shown in FIG. The display device 1 may include Figure 7 The sensor driver 220 is shown in FIG.

[0122] In operation S110, the external temperature TP of the display device 1 may be set as a starting temperature. For example, the starting temperature may be "-20°C".

[0123] In operation S120, the display apparatus 1 may calculate a mutual capacitance of the sensor unit 120. According to some embodiments, the mutual capacitance of the sensor unit 120 may be an average value of mutual capacitances of the first sensor TX and the second sensor RX.

[0124] In operation S130, when the external temperature TP of the display apparatus 1 is not the highest temperature, operation S140 may be performed. When the external temperature TP of the display apparatus 1 is the highest temperature, operation S150 may be performed.

[0125] In operation S140, the external temperature TP of the display device 1 may be increased by a step value. For example, the step value may be "20°C".

[0126] In operation S150, a change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP of the display device 1 may be calculated. The external temperatures TP may include temperatures of increasing step values from a starting temperature to a maximum temperature. According to some embodiments, the operation of calculating the change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP may include an operation of calculating an increase or decrease in the mutual capacitance Cse corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP compared to the mutual capacitance VR at room temperature. According to some embodiments, the operation of calculating the change rate RC corresponding to each of the external temperatures TP may include an operation of storing the calculated change rate RC in the memory 225.

[0127] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of the display device 1 during an operating period. Figure 9The various operations in the method of operating the display device 1 during the operation period are illustrated, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, according to some embodiments, unless otherwise stated or implied, the method may include additional operations or fewer operations, or the order of the operations may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0128] Reference Figure 9 , showing the period of operation after the test period Figure 1 The operation of the display device 1 is shown in FIG. The display device 1 may include Figure 7 The sensor driver 220 is shown in FIG.

[0129] In operation S210 , the display apparatus 1 may measure an external temperature TP.

[0130] In operation S220 , the display apparatus 1 may calculate a threshold value TH based on the measured external temperature TP, a reference threshold value THR, and a change rate RC.

[0131] In a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display device may adjust a threshold value for determining a touch according to temperature, so that false touch recognition or non-recognition of noise can be prevented or reduced.

[0132] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 It is an icon Figure 10 The electronic device 1000 is an example of a smart phone. Figure 12 It is an icon Figure 10 The electronic device 1000 is a schematic diagram of an example of a tablet computer.

[0133] Reference Figures 10 to 12 , the electronic device 1000 may include a processor 1010, a memory device 1020, a storage device 1030, an input / output (I / O) device 1040, a power supply 1050, and a display device 1060. The display device 1060 may be Figure 1 The electronic device 1000 may further include various ports for communicating with a video card, a sound card, a memory card, a USB device or other systems. Figure 11 As shown in FIG, the electronic device 1000 may be implemented as a smart phone. Figure 12 As shown in FIG, the electronic device 1000 may be implemented as a tablet computer. However, the aforementioned examples are illustrative, and the electronic device 1000 is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device 1000 may be implemented as a cellular phone, a video phone, a smart tablet, a smart watch, a navigation device for a vehicle, a computer monitor, a laptop computer, a head-mounted display device, and the like.

[0134] The processor 1010 may perform specific calculations or tasks. In embodiments, the processor 1010 may include at least one of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a communication processor, an image signal processor, and a controller. The processor 1010 may be connected to other components via an address bus, a control bus, and a data bus. In embodiments, the processor 1010 may be connected to an expansion bus such as a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus. In embodiments, the processor 1010 may provide input image data to the display device 1060. Thus, the display device 1060 may display an image based on the input image data provided by the processor 1010.

[0135] The memory device 1020 may store data required to perform operations of the electronic device 1000. The memory device 1020 may function as a working memory and / or a buffer memory for the processor 1010. For example, the memory device 1020 may include one or more volatile memory devices such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, and a mobile DRAM device.

[0136] The storage device 1030 may store data in response to a control signal or data from the processor 1010. The storage device 1030 may include one or more non-volatile memories to retain data even when the electronic device 1000 is powered off. In some embodiments, the storage device 1030 may include a solid-state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), a CD-ROM, or the like.

[0137] The I / O device 1040 may include input devices such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touch pad, a touch screen, and a mouse, and output devices such as a speaker and a printer. In an embodiment, the display device 1060 may be integrated with the I / O device 1040.

[0138] The power supply 1050 may supply power required to perform operations of the electronic device 1000. For example, the power supply 1050 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). In an embodiment, the power supply 1050 may supply power to the display device 1060.

[0139] The display device 1060 may display images in response to image data signals and / or control signals from the processor 1010. The display device 1060 may be connected to other components via a bus or other communication link.

[0140] Aspects of some embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and should be interpreted in a general and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. In some cases, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the time this application is filed that features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Accordingly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: A sensor unit including a first sensor and a second sensor; as well as a sensor driver configured to control the sensor unit, Wherein, the sensor driver comprises: a change rate calculator configured to calculate a first mutual capacitance of the sensor unit and calculate a change rate corresponding to the first mutual capacitance; and A threshold calculator is configured to generate a threshold by applying the change rate to a reference threshold.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The rate of change refers to an increase or decrease in the first mutual capacitance at an external temperature of the display device compared to a second mutual capacitance at room temperature.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The reference threshold is a threshold for determining a touch at room temperature, and The threshold is a value used to determine the touch under an external temperature of the display device.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The sensor driver further includes a temperature measurer, wherein the temperature measuring device is configured to measure the external temperature of the display device, and The external temperature is output to the change rate calculator and the threshold calculator.

5. The display device according to claim 2, wherein Based on the external temperature being higher than the room temperature, the threshold is greater than the reference threshold. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein: The threshold is greater than the reference threshold by an amount equal to the rate of change.

7. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: Based on the external temperature being lower than the room temperature, the threshold value is lower than the reference threshold value.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein: The threshold value is smaller than the reference threshold value by an amount equal to the rate of change.

9. A method of operating a display device including a sensor unit, the sensor unit including a first sensor and a second sensor, the method comprising: calculating, during a test period, a mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures, and calculating a rate of change corresponding to each of the external temperatures; measuring the external temperature during an operating period following the test period; as well as A threshold value is calculated by applying the change rate corresponding to the measured external temperature to a reference threshold value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The calculation of the mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures during the test period and the calculation of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures include: setting the external temperature as a starting temperature; calculating a mutual capacitance of the sensor cells at the external temperature; After calculating the mutual capacitance of the sensor units, comparing whether the external temperature is a maximum temperature; and When the external temperature is the highest temperature, the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures is calculated.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Based on the fact that the external temperature is not the maximum temperature, the external temperature is set to a temperature that increases by a step value.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The external temperature includes a temperature that increases from the start temperature to the maximum temperature by the step value.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The calculation of the mutual capacitance of the sensor cells includes: calculating a mutual capacitance between the first sensor and the second sensor; and An average value of the calculated mutual capacitances is calculated.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The calculating of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures includes calculating an increase or decrease in the mutual capacitance corresponding to each of the external temperatures compared to a mutual capacitance at room temperature.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein The calculating of the change rate corresponding to each of the external temperatures includes storing the calculated change rate in a memory.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein The reference threshold is a threshold for determining a touch at room temperature, and The threshold value is a value used to determine the touch under the external temperature of the display device.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein Based on the measured external temperature being higher than the room temperature, the threshold value is greater than the reference threshold value.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein The threshold is greater than the reference threshold by an amount equal to the rate of change.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein Based on the measured external temperature being lower than room temperature, the threshold value is lower than the reference threshold value.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The threshold value is smaller than the reference threshold value by an amount equal to the rate of change.

21. An electronic device comprising: a processor for providing input image data; as well as The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, configured to display an image based on the input image data.

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