KR102002605B1 - Tactile sense feedback touch screen - Google Patents

Abstract

A tactile feedback touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a touch screen including Tx lines, Rx lines intersecting the Tx lines, and an insulation layer formed on the Tx lines and the Rx lines, the Tx An electric stimulation generating unit for generating an electric input applied to the lines, a touch driving pulse applied to the Tx lines, sensing through the Rx lines to generate touch data, And a host system for applying a control signal to the touch screen driving circuit to apply the electric stimulation driving pulse to the electric stimulation generating unit in accordance with the touch data, And one frame period for time division into a driving period and a driving period of the electric stimulation generating unit, The touch driving pulse is applied during the driving period and the electrical input is applied from the electric stimulation generating unit according to the electric stimulation driving pulse in the driving period of the electric stimulation generating unit to give electric stimulation to the touch body part .

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a tactile feedback touch screen,

The present invention relates to a touch screen, and more particularly to a tactile feedback touch screen.

A user interface (UI) enables communication between a person (user) and various electric or electronic devices, allowing a user to easily control the device as desired. Representative examples of such a user interface include a keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, an on screen display (OSD), a remote controller having infrared communication or radio frequency (RF) communication function, and the like. User interface technology has been developed to enhance the user's sensibility and ease of operation. The user interface is evolving into touch UI, voice recognition UI, 3D UI and so on.

Touch UI is becoming a necessity for portable information devices and is being applied to household appliances. As an example of a touch screen for implementing a touch UI, mutual capacitance type touch screens capable of sensing proximity and sensing multi-touch (or proximity) as well as touch are attracting attention. A method of sensing a touch screen includes supplying a driving voltage to a sensor node, generating charge from the mutual capacitance formed at the sensor node, converting a charge variation of the mutual capacitance into a voltage change, And counting.

In recent years, a technology has been developed that provides tactile feedback to the user in response to the user's touch, thereby recognizing the user's touch. However, a separate feedback providing means is required to provide a tactile pad back, which complicates the apparatus and increases the thickness.

The present invention provides a tactile feedback touch screen that can be interlocked with a touch without increasing cost by applying the electrodes of the touch screen together as a tactile feedback electrode.

In order to achieve the above object, a tactile feedback touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention includes Tx lines, Rx lines intersecting the Tx lines, and an insulation layer formed on the Tx lines and the Rx lines. A touch screen including a touch screen, an electrical stimulation generator for generating an electrical input applied to the Tx lines, a touch drive pulse applied to the Tx lines, sensing through the Rx lines to generate touch data, And a host system for applying a control signal to the touch screen driving circuit to apply the electric stimulation driving pulse to the electric stimulation generating unit according to the touch data, , The touch screen driving circuit includes a one-frame period in which the touch driving period and the electric stimulation generating unit driving period are time-divided Wherein the touch driving pulse is applied to the Tx lines during the touch driving period and the electrical input is applied from the electrical stimulation generator in accordance with the electrical stimulation drive pulse during the driving period of the electrical stimulation generator, Thereby imparting electric stimulation.

The touch driving period is a period for generating the touch data, and the electric stimulation generating unit driving period is a period for giving electric stimulation to the touch body part by the touch data.

Wherein the touch driving circuit includes a TSP timing controller, the TSP timing controller controls the Tx driving circuit to apply the touch driving pulse to the Tx lines during the touch driving period, and stops driving the electric stimulation generating unit .

The TSP timing controller controls the electric stimulation generator to apply the electric input to the Tx lines during the driving period of the electric stimulation generator, and stops the driving of the Tx driving circuit.

The electrical input applied to the Tx lines is a high voltage current.

The electric stimulus generator includes a high voltage amplifier composed of a current amplifier and a high voltage transformer.

The electrical stimulation generator includes electrodes consisting of a plurality of Ex lines connected to the Tx lines on a one-to-one basis.

The tactile feedback touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide a touch screen capable of performing tactile feedback without increasing the size of the touch screen by using the Tx lines of the touch screen as electrodes of the electric stimulation generating unit There is an advantage.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a display device including a tactile feedback touch screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a combination of various types of touch screens and display panels according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the operation principle of the electric stimulation generator of the present invention. FIG.
6 is a view showing an electrical stimulation generating unit applied to the touch screen of the present invention.
7 is a waveform diagram of a vertical synchronizing signal showing a time division driving method of a touch screen and an electric stimulus generator.
8 is a waveform diagram showing an operation of a touch screen having an electric stimulation generating unit incorporated therein;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a stepwise operation of a touch screen having an electric stimulation generating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals throughout the specification denote substantially identical components. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a display device including a tactile feedback touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate various combinations of touch screens and display panels according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

1 to 3, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel DIS, a display driving circuit 20, a display timing controller 20, a touch screen (TSP), a touch screen driving circuit, An execution unit 30, an electric stimulation generating unit 55, and the like.

The display device of the present invention can be applied to a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting display , OLEDs, and electrophoresis (EPD) devices. In the following embodiments, a display device is described as a liquid crystal display device as an example of a flat panel display device, but it should be noted that the display device of the present invention is not limited to a liquid crystal display device.

The display panel (DIS) has a liquid crystal layer formed between two substrates. A plurality of gate lines G1 to Gn, n being a natural number) intersecting the data lines D1 to Dm and m are natural numbers and the data lines D1 to Dm are formed on the lower substrate of the display panel DIS, A plurality of TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) formed at intersections of the data lines D1 to Dm and the gate lines G1 to Gn, a plurality of pixel electrodes for charging data voltages to the liquid crystal cells, And a storage capacitor for maintaining the voltage of the liquid crystal cell.

The pixels of the display panel DIS are formed in a pixel region defined by the data lines D1 to Dm and the gate lines G1 to Gn and arranged in a matrix form. The liquid crystal cells of each of the pixels are driven by an electric field applied in accordance with a voltage difference between a data voltage applied to the pixel electrode and a common voltage applied to the common electrode to control the amount of incident light. The TFTs are turned on in response to gate pulses from the gate lines G1 to Gn to supply a voltage from the data lines D1 to Dm to the pixel electrodes of the liquid crystal cell.

The upper substrate of the display panel DIS may include a black matrix, a color filter, and the like. The lower substrate of the display panel DIS may be implemented with a COT (Color Filter On TFT) structure. In this case, the black matrix and the color filter can be formed on the lower substrate of the display panel DIS. On the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the display panel DIS, a polarizing plate is attached, and an alignment film for forming a pre-tilt angle of the liquid crystal on the inner surface in contact with the liquid crystal is formed. A column spacer for maintaining a cell gap of the liquid crystal cell is formed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the display panel DIS.

A backlight unit may be disposed below the rear surface of the display panel DIS. The backlight unit is implemented as an edge type or direct type backlight unit, and irradiates the display panel (DIS) with light. The display panel DIS may be implemented in any known liquid crystal mode such as TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, IPS (In Plane Switching) mode and FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode.

The display driving circuit includes a data driving circuit 12, a scan driving circuit 14, and a display timing controller 20, and writes the video data voltage of the input image to the pixels of the display panel DIS. The data driving circuit 12 converts the digital video data RGB input from the display timing controller 20 into an analog positive / negative gamma compensation voltage to output a data voltage. The data voltage output from the data driving circuit 12 is supplied to the data lines D1 to Dm. The scan driving circuit 14 sequentially supplies a gate pulse (or a scan pulse) synchronized with the data voltage to the gate lines G1 to Gn to select a line of the display panel DIS to which the data voltage is written.

The display timing controller 20 controls the timing of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync, the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the data enable signal DE and the main clock MCLK input from the external host system 15 And generates a scan timing control signal and a data timing control signal for controlling the operation timings of the data driving circuit 12 and the scan driving circuit 14. The scan timing control signal includes a gate start pulse (GSP), a gate shift clock, a gate output enable signal (GOE), and the like. The data timing control signal includes a source sampling clock (SSC), a polarity control signal (Polarity), a source output enable signal (SOE), and the like.

The touch screen TSP may be bonded onto the upper polarizer POL1 of the display panel DIS as shown in FIG. 2 or may be formed between the upper polarizer POL1 and the upper substrate GLS1 as shown in FIG. 2 and 3, "PIX" denotes a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal cell, "GLS2" denotes a lower substrate, and "POL2" denotes a lower polarizer.

The touch screen TSP includes Tx lines (T1 to Tj, j is a positive integer less than n), Rx lines (R1 to Ri, i being an amount less than m) crossing the Tx lines Integer) and ix j sensor nodes (not shown) formed at intersections of the Tx lines T1 to Tj and the Rx lines R1 to Ri. Each of the sensor nodes includes mutual capacity.

The touch screen driving circuit applies a driving pulse to the Tx lines T1 to Tj and receives the voltage of the sensor node through the Rx lines R1 to Ri in synchronization with the driving pulse. The touch screen driving circuit includes a Tx driving circuit 32, an Rx driving circuit 34, a TSP timing controller 36, and a touch recognition algorithm executing unit 30.

The Tx drive circuit 32 selects a Tx channel to output a drive pulse in response to the Tx setup signal input from the TSP timing controller 36 and outputs drive pulses to the Tx lines T1 to Tj connected to the selected Tx channel . The driving pulse is supplied to N (N is a positive integer equal to or larger than 2) times to each of the Tx lines Tl to Tj so that the signal voltage received through the Rx channel can be accumulated in the integrator.

The Rx drive circuit 34 selects an Rx channel to receive the sensor node voltage in response to the Rx setup signal input from the TSP timing controller 36. [ The Rx driving circuit 34 receives the positive polarity signal and the negative polarity signal through the Rx lines R1 to Ri connected to the selected Rx channel. The Rx drive circuit 34 samples the output voltage of the integrator and converts it to digital data. The digital data output from the Rx driving circuit 34 is transmitted to the touch recognition algorithm executing section 30 as touch data (Touch Raw Data, Tdata).

The TSP timing controller 36 generates a setup signal for setting a Tx channel in which a drive pulse is output from the Tx drive circuit 32 and a setup signal for setting an Rx channel for receiving the sensor node voltage in the Rx drive circuit 34 . The TSP timing controller 36 also generates timing control signals for controlling the operation timings of the Tx driving circuit 32, the Rx driving circuit 34, and the electric stimulation generating unit 55.

The touch recognition algorithm executing unit 30 analyzes the preset touch recognition algorithm and analyzes the data (Tdata) with the touch input from the Rx driving circuit 34. When the amount of change in the sensor node voltage before and after the touch is larger than a predetermined reference value Determines the data as a touch (or proximity) input, estimates coordinates of the touch (or proximity) input, and outputs touch map data (HIDxy) including coordinates of the touch input position. The touch map data HIDxy output from the touch recognition algorithm executing section 30 is transmitted to the host system 15. [ The touch recognition algorithm executing unit 30 may be implemented as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit).

The host system 15 may be implemented as any one of a navigation system, a set top box, a DVD player, a Blu-ray player, a personal computer (PC), a home theater system, a broadcast receiver, and a phone system. The host system 15 includes a system on chip (SoC) with a built-in scaler, and converts the image data into a format suitable for display on the display panel DIS. In addition, the host system executes an application program associated with coordinate values of the touch data input from the touch recognition algorithm executing section 30. [ The host system 15 transmits a drive signal for driving the electric stimulus generator 55 to the TSP timing controller 36 according to the touch data coordinate value.

The electrical stimulation generator 55 applies an electrical input to the Tx lines T1 to Tj of the touch screen to form a capacitive coupling between the touch body part of the user and the Tx lines to give electrical stimulation . The electric stimulation generator 55 inputs electrical signals to the Ex lines E1 to Ej connected to the Tx lines T1 to Tj. The Ex lines E1 to Ej are connected to the Tx lines T1 to Tj on a one-to-one basis to input an electric signal, for example, a high voltage current. The electric stimulation generating unit 55 generates an electric stimulus to the Ex lines E1 to Ej corresponding to the touch coordinates according to the control signal input to the timing controller 36 in the host system 15 according to the touch coordinates And inputs a high voltage current to the Tx lines (T1 to Tj).

The TSP timing controller 36 generates a synchronizing signal SYNC for controlling the operation timings of the Tx driving circuit 32, the Rx driving circuit 34 and the electric stimulation generating unit 55.

A concrete embodiment for giving an electric stimulus to a user through the above-described electric stimulation generator will be described.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the operation principle of the electric stimulation generator. FIG. The electric stimulation generating portion 55 includes a high voltage amplifier 100, an insulator 108 and an electrode 106. The output of the high voltage amplifier 100 is labeled OUT and the high voltage amplifier is connected to the isolated electrode 106 from the electrical contact due to the insulator 108 comprising at least one of an insulating layer or an insulating member.

The electrical stimulation generator 55 is a relatively good insulator in the dry state while the body part 120 of the user's body 120 contacting the insulator 108, 120 to provide relatively good capacitive coupling. The present invention allows the capacitive coupling between electrode 106 and body region 120 to generate a Coulomb Force. The electrical force stimulates the vibration-sensing receptors present under the skin epithelial layer contained within the ipodermis 121, termed the Pacinian corpuscle 122.

The high voltage amplifier 100 is driven by an input signal IN and the input signal expresses a significant portion of the energy content that expresses the electrical force present within a frequency range that the Pachinier body 122 can sense. In human, the above frequency range is within the range of 10 Hz to 1000 Hz, preferably 50 Hz and 500 Hz, and the range of 100 Hz to 300 Hz, about 240 Hz is the optimum frequency.

The capacitive coupling to the high voltage amplifier 100 and the insulator 108 is arranged such that the passcannus or other physical receptors are stimulated and an electrical sensor sense is generated. To this end, the high voltage amplifier 100 must be capable of generating hundreds or even thousands of volts of output. In actual implementation, the alternating current generated towards the body part 120 is of a very small size and can be further reduced by using alternating low frequencies.

Referring to FIG. 5, in this embodiment, high voltage amplifier 100 includes a high voltage transformer 104 and a current amplifier 102. The current amplifier 102 is driven by a modulated signal denoted by reference numerals 112 and 114. The output from the high-voltage amplifier 100 is coupled from the electrical contact to the insulated electrode 106 by an insulator 108. The amplifiers 100 and 102 are driven by the high frequency signal 112 in which the low frequency signal is modulated in the modulator 110. [ The frequency of the low frequency signal 114 is the frequency at which the response of the parancholy present in the conductive tissue inherent in the skin surface. The frequency of the high frequency signal 112 is preferably a frequency of 18 to 25 kHz, which is as high as a small amount of the human audible frequency. More preferably between about 19 and 22 kHz.

The control unit 116 operates the frequency or amplitude amplifier 102 of the high or low frequency signals 112 and 114, or controls the power supply.

6 is a diagram showing an electric stimulus generator 55 applied to the touch screen of the present invention. The present embodiment consists of a number of independently controllable electrodes 206A, 206B and 206C. Although three electrodes are shown in the drawing, the number of electrodes may be equal to the number of Tx lines of the touch screen.

The control unit 216 can respond to commands from the host system by controlling high voltage signals to the electrodes 206A, 206B, and 206C. The electrodes 206A, 206B, and 206C may be Tx lines of the touch screen. The control unit 216 controls the switch 217 to input an electrical signal to each of the electrodes 206A, 206B and 206C. The switch 217 includes a semiconductor relay, Switches can also be used.

The electric stimulation generating unit 55 modulates an electric force between the finger, which is the touch body of the user, and the touch screen, and generates a tactile signal by using the electric power. Therefore, when the user touches the display device, the user receives the electric stimulation feedback.

On the other hand, as described above, the Tx lines of the touch screen (TSP) can be used simultaneously as the electrodes of the electric stimulus generator 55. Accordingly, the electric stimulation generating unit 55 and the touch screen TSP can be time-divisionally driven in the same manner as in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram of a vertical synchronizing signal showing a time-division driving method of the touch screen and the electric stimulation generating unit, and FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram showing the operation of the touch screen having the electric stimulation generating unit incorporated therein. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a touch screen having an electric stimulation generating unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, one frame period may be time-divided into a touch screen driving period T1 and an electric stimulus generator driving period T2. 7, "Vsync" is a first vertical synchronization signal input to the TSP timing controller 36, and "SYNC" is a second vertical synchronization signal input to the electric stimulus generator 55. The TSP timing controller 36 modulates the first vertical synchronization signal Vsync input from the host system to define the touch screen driving period T1 and the electric stimulus generator driving period T2 in one frame period 2 vertical sync signal SYNC.

7, the TSP timing controller 36 receives the second vertical synchronization signal SYNC input from the host system 15, and outputs the second vertical synchronization signal SYNC to the host system 15, The touch screen driving period T1 and the electric stimulus generator driving period T2 can be controlled in response to the control signal. Accordingly, in the present invention, the controller for time-dividing one frame period into the touch screen driving period and the electric stimulation generating unit driving period to control the operation timing of the touch screen driving circuit and the electric stimulation generating unit includes the TSP timing controller 36 and the host system 15). ≪ / RTI >

The low logic level section of the second vertical synchronization signal SYNC is defined as the touch screen driving period T1 and the high logic level section of the second vertical synchronization signal SYNC is defined as the And the stimulus generator driving period T2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the high logic level interval of the second vertical synchronizing signal SYNC is defined as the electric stimulus generator driving period T1 and the low logic level interval of the second vertical synchronizing signal SYNC is the touch screen driving period T2). ≪ / RTI > During the touch screen driving period T1, the touch screen driving circuit is driven and the electric stimulation generating unit 55 is not driven.

(S1) During the touch screen driving period T1, the Tx driving circuit 32 applies driving pulses to the Tx lines T1 to Tj, and the Rx driving circuit 34 Receives the positive polarity signal and the negative polarity signal through the Rx lines (R1 to Ri), samples the output voltage of the integrator, and converts the output voltage to digital data. The converted digital data is outputted to the host system 15 by outputting the touch map data including the coordinates of the touch input position in the touch recognition algorithm executing unit 30. (S2) The electric stimulation generating unit 55 generates a touch- During the period T1, no driving signal is supplied to the Tx lines T1 to Tj of the touch screen.

The host system 15 transmits the touch map data to the TSP timing controller 36. This causes the Tx driving circuit 32 to stop applying driving pulses to the Tx lines. In the stimulus generator driving period T2, the TSP timing controller 36 transmits the touch map data to the electric stimulus generator 55, and the electric stimulation generator 55 generates the electrodes E1 to Ej ) So that an electric input is possible. The switches turn on the corresponding electrodes E1 to Ej according to the applied driving pulse and a high voltage electrical signal is inputted to the Tx lines connected one to one to the corresponding electrodes.

The electrical stimulation generating unit 55 performs high voltage electrical signal input to the Tx lines through the E1 lines during the electrical stimulation generator driving period T2. When the control signal is inputted from the timing controller 36 through the host system 15 in accordance with the touch data coordinate value, the electric stimulation generating unit 55 generates the electric stimulus corresponding to the touch data coordinate value Causing the Ex lines connected to the Tx lines to generate a high voltage electrical signal.

A high-voltage electrical signal applied to the Tx lines generates an electric force between the fingers of the user touched on the touch screen, so that feedback is sensed at the user's finger to sense electric stimulation. (S6) During the sub-drive period T2, the touch screen drive circuit is not driven and the electric stimulation generator 55 is driven. After the electric stimulation generator driving period T2 ends, the next touch driving period T1 is performed again. (S7)

As described above, the tactile feedback touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the Tx lines of the touch screen as the electrodes of the electric stimulation generating unit, thereby enabling the touch screen to perform tactile feedback without increasing the size of the touch screen. Can be provided.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

DIS: Display panel TSP: Touch screen
12: Data driving circuit 14: Scan driving circuit
15: host system 20: display timing controller
30: Touch recognition algorithm executing section 32: Tx driving circuit
34: Rx driving circuit 36: TSP timing controller
55: Electrical Stimulation Generator

Claims (7)

Tx lines, Rx lines intersecting the Tx lines, and an insulation layer formed on the Tx lines and the Rx lines;
An electrical stimulation generator for generating an electrical input applied to the Tx lines;
A touch screen driving circuit for applying touch driving pulses to the Tx lines, sensing the touch data through the Rx lines to generate touch data, and applying an electric stimulation driving pulse to the electric stimulation generating unit; And
And a host system for applying a control signal to the touch screen drive circuit to apply the electric stimulation drive pulse to the electric stimulation generator according to the touch data,
Wherein the touch screen driving circuit includes one frame period in which time division is performed in a touch driving period and a driving period of an electric stimulation generating unit,
Wherein the touch driving pulse is applied to the Tx lines during the touch driving period and the electrical input is applied from the electrical stimulation generator in response to the electrical stimulation drive pulse during the driving period of the electrical stimulation generator, Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the electrical stimulation generator comprises electrodes consisting of a plurality of Ex lines connected one to one to the Tx lines.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the touch driving period is a period for generating the touch data, and the electric stimulation generating unit driving period is a period for giving an electric stimulus to the touch body part by the touch data.
3. The method of claim 2,
The touch screen driving circuit includes a TSP timing controller,
Wherein the TSP timing controller controls the Tx driving circuit to apply the touch driving pulse to the Tx lines during the touch driving period and controls the driving of the electric stimulation generating unit to stop,
Wherein the TSP timing controller controls the electric stimulation generator to apply the electric input to the Tx lines during the driving period of the electric stimulation generator and controls the driving of the Tx driving circuit to stop.
delete The method of claim 3,
Wherein the electrical input applied to the Tx lines is a high voltage current.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrical stimulation generator comprises a high voltage amplifier comprising a current amplifier and a high voltage transformer.
delete

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