Common Electrode Segmentation for Touch Screen Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen technologies face challenges in efficiently managing the load on driving circuitry during the display phase, as all common electrodes are often driven simultaneously, leading to increased power consumption and potential visual artifacts due to voltage inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where only a portion of the common electrodes are actively driven at a time, with feedback mechanisms to ensure accurate voltage on driven electrodes, and integrating or separating the driving circuitry with touch sensing circuitry to optimize power usage and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all common electrodes are driven simultaneously during the display phase, then the display update is complete and uniform, but the load on driving circuitry increases and power consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the common electrodes into multiple groups (first set and second set) that are driven at different times. During the display phase, only the first set of common electrodes is driven to the reference voltage while the second set is left floating or weakly driven. This segmentation reduces the simultaneous load on the driving circuitry and lowers power consumption while maintaining complete display updates through sequential operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If all common electrodes are driven simultaneously, then voltage consistency across the display is maintained, but visual artifacts may occur due to driving inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the common electrodes into multiple sets driven at different times, the patent reduces driving inconsistencies and associated visual artifacts. The sequential driving approach allows for more controlled voltage application to each group, improving voltage consistency within each driven set while eliminating the harmful effects of simultaneous driving conflicts.
3Measurement precision
If feedback mechanisms are implemented to ensure accurate voltage on driven electrodes, then touch position accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the driving circuitry monitors the voltage on driven common electrodes and adjusts accordingly. This feedback ensures accurate voltage application to the first set of common electrodes during display updates, improving touch position accuracy by maintaining precise voltage levels. The feedback is integrated into the existing driving circuitry rather than adding completely separate monitoring systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch screen is disclosed. A plurality of common electrodes can be configured to operate as display circuitry during a display phase, and to operate as touch sensing circuitry during a touch sensing phase. The plurality of common electrodes can include a first common electrode associated with a first display pixel, and a second common electrode associated with a second display pixel. Circuitry can be configured to update the first display pixel at a first time while driving the first common electrode but not the second common electrode, and update the second display pixel at a second time, after the first time, while driving the second common electrode but not the first common electrode. In some examples, the circuitry can be configured to leave the second common electrode floating while driving the first common electrode, and leave the first common electrode floating while driving the second common electrode.