Intra-frame pausing for touch screen displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional touch screen displays are limited in their ability to perform touch sensing at frequent intervals, as they typically only allow for inter-frame pausing, which may not be sufficient for certain applications requiring more frequent touch detection.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an intra-frame pausing (IFP) scheme, where blanking intervals are inserted within a video frame to allow for touch sensing operations to be performed at higher frequencies, enabling touch sensing during sub-frames within a single frame, rather than only between successive display frames.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If inter-frame pausing is used for touch sensing, then the display function can be maintained, but the touch sensing frequency is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch sensing frequencyVSAvoidframe rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The video frame is divided into multiple sub-frames, and touch sensing is performed during specific sub-frames (e.g., every other sub-frame or at designated intervals within the frame). This segmentation allows touch sensing operations to be embedded within the frame structure without requiring complete frame interruptions, thereby increasing touch sensing frequency while maintaining overall frame rate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Touch sensing is performed periodically at specific intervals within each frame (e.g., during designated sub-frames or at regular time intervals within the frame duration). This periodic approach enables multiple touch sensing operations per frame, significantly increasing touch sensing frequency compared to inter-frame pausing while preserving continuous display updates

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If intra-frame pausing is implemented to increase touch sensing frequency, then touch detection responsiveness improves, but the frame structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch detection responsivenessVSAvoidframe structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The frame is segmented into display sub-frames and touch sensing sub-frames, with clear temporal separation. This structured segmentation simplifies the control logic compared to arbitrary intra-frame pausing, as each sub-frame has a designated function, making the enhanced complexity manageable and systematic rather than chaotic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The same frame structure serves dual purposes: it maintains video display functionality while simultaneously enabling touch sensing operations. By designing the frame to accommodate both display and touch functions through sub-frame allocation, the system achieves multi-functionality without requiring separate independent systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If touch sensing is performed during display interval, then touch detection frequency increases, but display quality may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch detection frequencyVSAvoiddisplay quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The frame is divided into distinct display sub-frames and touch sensing sub-frames, ensuring that touch sensing operations occur only during designated sub-frames while display rendering occurs during other sub-frames. This temporal segmentation prevents interference between touch sensing and display rendering, maintaining display quality while enabling frequent touch detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Touch sensing is performed periodically during specific sub-frames within the frame sequence, while display rendering occurs during other sub-frames. This periodic alternation between touch sensing and display rendering ensures that both functions operate at optimal times without interfering with each other, maintaining display quality while achieving high touch detection frequency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3102999B1Displays with intra-frame pause
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 APPLE INC
  • EP3102999B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3102999B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3102999B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A touch screen display may include gate line driver circuitry coupled to a display pixel array. The display may be provided with intra-frame pausing (IFP) capabilities, where touch or other operations may be performed during one or more intra-frame blanking intervals. In one suitable arrangement, a gate driver circuit may include multiple gate line driver segments each of which is activated by a separate gate start pulse. Each gate start pulse may only be released at the end of an IFP interval. In another suitable arrangement, dummy gate driver units may be interposed among active gate driver units. Gate output signals may propagate through the dummy gate driver units during the IFP internal. In another suitable arrangement, each active gate driver unit may be provided with a buffer portion that protects at least some transistor in the gate driver unit from undesired stress.