Touch Screen Control Circuit Grouped Gate Line Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch screen technologies face limitations in manufacturing processes and production costs due to the separate manufacturing of touch panels and LCD modules, and suffer from image frame distortion and lack of flexibility in touch sensing.
Innovation Solution
A touch control and display circuit and module where most components and control lines are manufactured on a substrate, allowing for simultaneous operation in frame update and touch sensing modes with grouped control of gate lines to enhance flexibility and prevent image distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If touch sensing is performed during the blanking interval when gate driver ICs are not updating pixel information, then touch sensing can be performed without affecting display updates, but the voltage of the capacitor changes as the TFT is turned on again causing image frame distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The gate lines are divided into multiple groups, and the TFTs are turned on in sequential groups rather than all at once. This segmentation allows touch sensing to be performed on certain groups while other groups maintain their display voltage, preventing image distortion while enabling flexible touch sensing timing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control where the gate driver ICs can switch between different operating modes (display update mode and touch sensing mode) for different groups of gate lines. This dynamic switching allows the system to adaptively allocate resources between display and touch functions without compromising either
2Ease of manufacture
If the TFT array serves as sensing electrode and touch sensing is performed by sequentially scanning during intervals between pixel data updates, then manufacturing processes are simplified, but the capacitance change detection lacks flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing gate lines into multiple groups that can be independently controlled, the system enables various touch sensing schemes including simultaneous multi-row sensing, selective region sensing, and flexible timing arrangements, greatly enhancing touch sensing versatility while maintaining integrated manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The gate lines serve dual functions: driving display updates and performing touch sensing. The grouped control mechanism allows the same hardware infrastructure to flexibly switch between different operational modes, achieving multi-functionality without additional complex components
3Manufacturing precision
If gate driver ICs sequentially scan gate lines to update pixel information, then the display region can be completely updated, but touch sensing also requires sequential scanning resulting in limited flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The gate lines are divided into multiple groups that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows different groups to perform different functions simultaneously - some groups update display pixel information while other groups perform touch sensing, enabling parallel operations and significantly improving system flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
By enabling parallel operations where display updates and touch sensing occur simultaneously in different gate line groups, the system maximizes the utilization of available time resources. This continuous useful action eliminates idle periods and allows both functions to operate at full capacity without interfering with each other
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 approach reduces manufacturing processes and costs, increases the integrity of the LCD, and enhances touch sensing flexibility while maintaining image quality by controlling gate lines in a grouped manner.
Implementation Method 1
The gate of the TFT receives a gate control signal G outputted by the gate driver IC, and the gate of the TFT receives pixel data DATA outputted by the source driver IC. When the TFT is turned on, the capacitor coupled to the TFT is charged to a voltage corresponding to the pixel data
Implementation Method 2
When the TFT is turned on, the capacitor coupled to the TFT is charged to a voltage corresponding to the pixel data DATA, and the TFT is controlled by a gate control signal G to become turned off after the capacitor is fully charged. At this point, the capacitor stores voltage information corresponding to the TFT
Implementation Method 3
estimate information such as position and time of a touch event through detecting capacitance changes between the sensing electrodes of the transmitter and the sensing electrodes of the receiver by a touch sensing IC
Data Source
AI summary
A touch control and display control module of a touch screen includes (n×y) rows of sensing units disposed on a substrate. The touch control and display control module includes: a control circuit, controlling the touch screen to operate in one of a frame update mode and a touch sensing mode; and n first control lines, y second control lines and n control signal output circuits disposed on the substrate. Each control signal output circuit is coupled to one of the n first control line, and includes y control signal buffer units. Each control signal buffer units is coupled to one of the y second control lines and sensing units of one row to output a voltage signal to the sensing units of that row, to cause the sensing units of that row to operate in one of the frame update mode and the touch sensing mode.