Touch Panel Multipath Gating Circuit Reduces Pin Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels have a large number of touch electrodes, leading to many leads and pins at the connection region with the signal source, which increases complexity and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel with a multipath gating circuit that includes touch switches and a touch clock signal line, where the signal input terminals of multiple touch switches are electronically connected to each other and to a signal source, allowing for reduced signal output lines and lead pins by using a single signal output line and lead pin to transmit touch signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each touch electrode is connected to a separate pin and signal output line, then each touch electrode can be independently controlled, but the number of leads and pins increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple touch electrodes are grouped into electrode groups, with each group connected to a single pin through a switching circuit. This merging approach reduces the number of pins and leads while maintaining independent control capability through temporal switching of the electrode groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic switching circuits that can selectively connect different electrode groups to the single pin at different time periods. This dynamic reconfiguration allows independent control of multiple electrodes using a fixed number of pins, resolving the contradiction between control independence and connection complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple signal output lines are used to connect each touch electrode to the signal source, then signal transmission reliability is improved, but the number of connection components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic switching to sequentially connect different electrode groups to the signal source through a single output line. Each electrode group is activated in time periods, ensuring reliable signal transmission to all electrodes while using only one physical signal output line, thus reducing the quantity of connection components.
3Area of stationary object
If a large number of touch electrodes are implemented, then touch detection coverage is improved, but the number of required pins and leads increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch electrode array is segmented into multiple electrode groups that can be selectively activated. Each group shares common connection lines, and the switching circuit enables sequential or simultaneous activation of different segments. This segmentation allows extensive touch coverage while minimizing the number of external pins and leads required.
Data Source
AI summary
It is provided a touch panel including a substrate where a touch electrode layer and multiple touch lines are disposed on, and the touch panel further includes: a multipath gating circuit including multiple touch switches and at least one touch clock signal line, where each touch switch includes a control terminal, a signal input terminal and a signal output terminal, the signal output terminal of the touch switch is connected to a second terminal of a touch line corresponding to the touch switch, the signal input terminals of at least two of the touch switches are electronically connected to each other and are connected to a touch signal source, the control terminal of each of the touch switches is connected to the touch clock signal line corresponding to the touch switch.