Timing Controller for Touch Sensing via OLED Emission

Solution Overview

Problem

Current display devices with touch screen capabilities require a separate touch sensing device or touch IC, complicating the manufacturing process and increasing costs due to the need for additional components.

Innovation Solution

A timing controller that uses light emitted from self-emission elements in the display panel to sense touch coordinates, allowing for the acquisition of touch coordinates without a separate touch IC or touch screen panel by time-dividing the frame duration and varying the number of pixels emitting light based on resolution and coordinate precision, and enabling random color emission to prevent ghost images.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a separate touch sensing device or touch IC is used to detect touch coordinates, then touch detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch coordinate detection accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the touch sensing function with the existing display panel by utilizing the self-emission elements (OLED pixels) to emit light patterns for touch coordinate detection. This eliminates the need for a separate touch sensing device or touch IC, as the display panel itself performs both display and touch sensing functions through time-division multiplexing of emission patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The display panel is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the display element and the touch sensing element. The self-emission elements can emit light in different patterns (full emission for display, line emission for touch sensing) to achieve both display and touch detection functions with a single component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If a separate touch sensing device or touch IC is used to detect touch coordinates, then touch detection accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch coordinate detection accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the touch sensing function with the existing display panel by utilizing the self-emission elements (OLED pixels) to emit light patterns for touch coordinate detection. This eliminates the need for a separate touch sensing device or touch IC, as the display panel itself performs both display and touch sensing functions through time-division multiplexing of emission patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The display panel is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the display element and the touch sensing element. The self-emission elements can emit light in different patterns (full emission for display, line emission for touch sensing) to achieve both display and touch detection functions with a single component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If light emission is used for touch coordinate detection, then touch sensing capability is added, but ghost images may occur affecting image quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch sensing capabilityVSAvoidghost images

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs periodic action by time-division multiplexing the light emission patterns. During display periods, full emission patterns are used for normal image display. During dedicated touch sensing periods, specific line emission patterns are activated for coordinate detection. This periodic switching between different emission modes prevents ghost images while maintaining both display quality and touch sensing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the frame duration into multiple periods: display periods for normal image output and touch sensing periods for coordinate detection. By dividing the time into distinct segments with different emission patterns, the system can perform touch sensing without causing ghost images that would degrade image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

This solution simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs by eliminating the need for additional components, and maintains image quality by allowing touch coordinate acquisition without degrading the display's image resolution or causing ghost images.

Implementation Method 1

sensing touch coordinates of a pen that comes into contact with a display panel using light emitted from a self-emission element included in a pixel of a display panel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelf-emission element light emission: Electroluminescence

Data Source

PatentUS11222584B2Timing controller for controlling emission of emission element for recognizing touch coordinates and electronic device including the same

Publication Date: 2022.01.11 SILICON WORKS CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a timing controller including a coordinate data generation circuit configured to generate X coordinate emission data for each data line group and Y coordinate emission data for each gate line group, a selection circuit configured to output the X coordinate emission data during an X coordinate field and to output the Y coordinate emission data during a Y coordinate field, and a control data generation circuit configured to output control data for allowing each pixel to emit light in units of the data line groups based on the X coordinate emission data during the X coordinate field and allowing each pixel to emit light in units of the gate line groups based on the Y coordinate emission data during the Y coordinate field, wherein the X coordinate emission data for each data line group and the Y coordinate emission data for each gate line group have random color.