Sensor Driver Mode Switching for Touch and Fingerprint Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current display devices face challenges in improving touch performance and integrating fingerprint recognition functionality, particularly in distinguishing between user inputs and foreign substances, which affects sensing accuracy and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a sensing area containing touch electrodes and a fingerprint sensor, driven by a sensor driver that switches between different sensing modes based on the presence of foreign substances, using mutual capacitance and self-capacitance methods to enhance touch and fingerprint sensing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single sensing mode is used for both touch and fingerprint sensing, then device complexity is reduced, but touch performance and sensing accuracy deteriorate when foreign substances are present
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing driver dynamically switches between first and second sensing modes based on the presence of foreign substances detected during touch input. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize sensing accuracy for different conditions without requiring separate dedicated sensors for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes sensing parameters by switching between different sensing modes (first mode for normal touch, second mode for foreign substance detection). This parameter change enables the same touch electrodes to adapt to different sensing requirements without hardware modification.
2Reliability
If touch electrodes and fingerprint sensor are driven simultaneously in all modes, then sensing coverage is improved, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically activates only the necessary sensing component based on the situation: touch electrodes for normal touch input, or fingerprint sensor for foreign substance detection. This dynamic activation reduces energy consumption compared to continuous simultaneous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing driver automatically determines which sensing mode to use based on detected conditions, eliminating the need for continuous operation of all sensing components. The system self-regulates resource usage based on actual sensing needs.
3Measurement precision
If foreign substance detection is added to improve touch accuracy, then sensing precision is improved, but device complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The touch electrodes serve multiple functions: normal touch sensing in the first mode and foreign substance detection in the second mode. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated foreign substance sensors, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between sensing modes based on detected conditions, using the same hardware infrastructure for both normal touch and foreign substance detection. This dynamic approach avoids the complexity of maintaining separate sensing systems for different functions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution improves touch sensitivity and accuracy by adapting sensing modes to differentiate between user inputs and foreign substances, enabling precise touch input detection and rapid fingerprint recognition.
Implementation Method 1
The first sensing mode may include a mutual capacitance method, wherein the second sensing mode includes a self-capacitance method
Implementation Method 2
The fingerprint sensor may include the optical sensor, and may be driven so that a time for capturing a sensor image in the touch sensing mode is shorter than a reference time
Data Source
AI summary
A display device according to some embodiments includes a display panel including a sensing area, touch electrodes in the sensing area, a fingerprint sensor overlapping at least a portion of the touch electrodes, and a sensor driver configured to drive the touch electrodes and the fingerprint sensor, wherein the sensor driver drives the touch electrodes in a first sensing mode or a second sensing mode depending on whether a foreign substance exists in a touch inputted to the sensing area, and drives the fingerprint sensor in a fingerprint sensing mode or a touch sensing mode.