TWI691884B - Position input system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A position input system includes a touch screen, an active stylus and a driver. The driver transmits an uplink signal to the active stylus via the touch screen in a current touch period, the uplink signal containing timing information that informs the active stylus of timing of a next touch period in which the active stylus transmits a downlink signal to the driver via the touch screen. In another embodiment, the driver transmits an uplink signal to the active stylus via the touch screen in a current touch period of a current frame at a time different from a corresponding touch period of a previous frame.

Description

Positioning input system and method

The invention relates to a touch screen, in particular to a positioning input system and method, which is used to overcome the problem of branding.

The touch screen is a single input/output device formed by combining touch technology and display technology, and is generally used in electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers. The touch screen allows users to directly interact with the displayed content.

The touch screen usually includes a display driver for performing display work; and a touch driver for performing touch work. Touch with display driver integration (TDDI) is a technology that integrates the touch driver and display driver into a single chip to simplify manufacturing, reduce costs, and improve reliability.

The stylus (especially the active pen) can be used to interact or communicate with the touch screen. The active pen is an input device that contains electronic components so that the user can write directly on the surface of the touch screen. The active pen can generate a wireless signal, which can be received, digitized and transmitted to the controller (or driver) to provide position data, pressure and other functions of the stylus.

Due to the physical properties of touch screens (such as amorphous silicon touch screens), touch screens that include integrated drivers for touch displays can cause burn-in problems. Burn-in problems can cause permanent damage to the touch screen.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a novel mechanism to overcome the problem of branding, so as to improve the reliability and lifespan of the touch screen.

In view of the above, one of the objects of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a positioning input system and method for overcoming the problem of branding, thereby improving the reliability and life span of the touch screen of the positioning input system.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning input system includes a touch screen, an active pen, and a driver. During the current touch, the driver sends an upstream signal to the active pen through the touch screen. The upstream signal includes timing information to inform the active pen of the timing of the next touch period. The active pen transmits the downstream signal to the driver through the touch screen during the next touch period.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the driver transmits an upstream signal to the active pen through the touch screen during the current touch period of the current frame, and the transmission time is different from the corresponding touch period of the previous frame.

The first figure shows a schematic diagram of a positioning input system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the positioning input system 100 may include a touch screen 11, such as an amorphous silicon (a-Si) touch screen. The positioning input system 100 of this embodiment may include a touch with display driver integration (TDDI) 12, which integrates the touch driver and the display driver into a single chip. The touch display integrated driver 12 can send a display enable signal DE to make the touch screen 11 perform display work, and the touch display integrated driver 12 can also send a touch enable signal TE to make the touch screen 11 perform touch work. Although this embodiment uses the touch display integrated driver 12 as an example, this embodiment may also use a separate touch driver and display driver.

The positioning input system 100 may include an active stylus 13 for communicating with the touch screen 11 and the touch display integrated driver 12. The active pen 13 can perform two-way communication with the touch display integrated driver 12. Among them, the touch display integrated driver 12 can transmit an uplink signal US to the active pen 13 through the touch screen 11. The active pen 13 can send a downlink signal DS to the touch display integrated driver 12 through the touch screen 11.

The second diagram illustrates the timing diagram of the related signals of the positioning input system 100 of the first diagram in the normal mode. During the touch period t1~t2 (when the touch enable signal TE is active), the touch display integrated driver 12 transmits an upstream signal US to the active pen 13 for synchronization. Next, during the next touch period t3~t4, the active pen 13 transmits the downlink signal DS to the touch display integrated driver 12 for communication. It is worth noting that in the normal mode, the transmission timing of the upstream signal US and the downstream signal DS is fixed in all frames. Therefore, the touch screen 11 may cause a burn-in problem.

FIG. 3A shows a flowchart of the positioning input method 300 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which can overcome the problem of branding. The positioning input method 300 of the third figure A can be applied to the positioning input system 100 of the first figure. FIG. 3B illustrates a timing diagram of relevant signals of the positioning input system 100 of FIG. 1 according to the positioning input method 300 of FIG. 3A.

In step 31, during the touch period t1~t2 (when the touch enable signal TE is active), the touch display integrated driver 12 transmits an upstream signal US to the active pen 13 for synchronization. According to one of the features of this embodiment, in step 32, the uplink signal US provided by the touch display integrated driver 12 may include timing information to inform the active pen 13 of the timing of the next touch period (ie, the next touch Control time). As illustrated in FIG. 3B, at the current frame N, the uplink signal US provided by the touch display integrated driver 12 includes timing information to inform the active pen 13 that the next touch period will occur at time t3′ (or row) Index 195), which is different (eg, later) than the corresponding time t3 (or column index 180) of the previous frame N-1.

Next, in step 33, during the next touch period t3'~t4', the active pen 13 transmits a downlink signal DS to the touch display integrated driver 12 according to the timing information provided by the uplink signal US for communication. Compared with the previous frame N-1, since the timing of the next touch period t3'~t4' of the current frame N has been changed or moved, compared with the previous frame N-1, the downlink signal DS The transmission timing (eg, delay time d1) will also be different. Thereby, the touch period of each frame does not occur at the same time, so that the problem of branding can be overcome, and thus the reliability of the touch screen 11 is improved.

FIG. 4A shows a flowchart of the positioning input method 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which can overcome the problem of branding. The positioning input method 400 of the fourth diagram A can be applied to the positioning input system 100 of the first diagram. The fourth diagram B illustrates a timing diagram of relevant signals of the positioning input system 100 of the first diagram according to the positioning input method 400 of the fourth diagram A.

In step 41, during the touch period t1'~t2' (when the touch enable signal TE is active), the touch display integrated driver 12 transmits the uplink signal US to the active pen 13 through the touch screen 11. According to one of the features of this embodiment, the touch display integrated driver 12 changes (eg, delays) the touch period t1' in the current frame N compared to the corresponding touch period t1~t2 of the previous frame N-1 The timing of ~t2'. As illustrated in the fourth diagram B, the upstream signal US (of the current frame N) has a delay time d2 compared to the previous frame N-1. The delay time d2 of each frame can be randomly generated or set in advance. Next, in step 42, the touch display integrated driver 12 synchronizes with the active pen 13 according to the uplink signal US.

Next, in step 43, during the next touch period t3'~t4', the active pen 13 transmits a downlink signal DS to the touch display integrated driver 12 for communication. Compared to the previous frame of N-1, since the current frame N has changed or moved (eg delayed) in the previous touch period t1'~t2' and the next touch period t3'~t4', the downlink signal DS The transmission therefore has a different timing (eg delay time d2). In other words, compared to the previous frame N-1, the upstream signal US in the previous touch period t1'~t2' of the current frame N has a delay time d2, which is the same as a touch under the current frame N The delay time d2 of the downlink signal DS in the period t3'~t4'. Thereby, the touch period of each frame does not occur at the same time, so that the problem of branding can be overcome, and thus the reliability of the touch screen 11 is improved.

Generally speaking, according to the first embodiment (third A and third B) and second embodiment (fourth A and fourth B) of the present invention, the touch display integrated driver 12 can take the initiative by notification The pen 13 (as shown in the first embodiment) or the active pen 13 (as shown in the second embodiment) is not notified to change the timing of the touch period of each frame. Therefore, the active pen 13 uses a different timing for each frame to transmit the downlink signal DS. In this way, the present invention can overcome the burn-in problem of the touch screen 11 and improve its reliability.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention; all other equivalent changes or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the invention should be included in the following Within the scope of patent application.

100: positioning input system

11: Touch screen

12: Integrated driver for touch display

13: Active pen

300: Positioning input method

31: The drive is synchronized with the active pen

32: Provide an uplink signal to inform the timing of the next touch period of the active pen

33: Active pen transmits downstream signals at different timings

400: positioning input method

41: The driver transmits upstream signals at different timings

42: Drive synchronized with active pen

43: Active pen transmits downstream signals at different timings

DE: display enable signal

TE: Touch enable signal

US: uplink signal

DS: downlink signal

d1: delay time

d2: delay time

t1, t2, t3, t4, t1’, t2’, t3’, t4’: time

The first figure shows a schematic diagram of a positioning input system according to an embodiment of the invention. The second diagram illustrates the timing diagram of the related signals of the positioning input system of the first diagram in the normal mode. FIG. 3A shows a flowchart of the positioning input method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which can overcome the problem of branding. FIG. 3B illustrates a timing diagram of relevant signals of the positioning input system of FIG. 1 according to the positioning input method of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A shows a flowchart of the positioning input method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which can overcome the problem of branding. FIG. 4B illustrates a timing diagram of relevant signals of the positioning input system of FIG. 1 according to the positioning input method of FIG. 4A.

300: Positioning input method

31: The drive is synchronized with the active pen

32: Provide an uplink signal to inform the timing of the next touch period of the active pen

33: Active pen transmits downstream signals at different timings

Claims (7)

A positioning input system includes: a touch screen; an active pen to communicate with the touch screen; and a driver to transmit an uplink signal to the active pen through the touch screen during the current touch, the uplink The signal includes timing information to inform the active pen of the timing of the next touch period, the active pen transmits a downstream signal to the driver through the touch screen during the next touch period; wherein the timing information of the current frame is different from The timing information of the previous frame. According to the positioning input system described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the driver includes a touch display integrated driver. According to the positioning input system described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the touch screen includes an amorphous silicon touch screen. The positioning input system according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the driver transmits the upstream signal at the same time in the current frame and the previous frame, and the active pen transmits the upstream signal in the current frame and the previous frame The time of the downstream signal is different. A positioning input method includes: during a current touch, the driver transmits an upstream signal to the active pen through the touch screen; the upstream signal provides timing information to notify the timing of the next touch period of the active pen; and according to the timing information , The active pen sends a downlink signal to the driver through the touch screen; where the timing information of the current frame is different from the timing information of the previous frame. According to the positioning input method described in item 5 of the patent application scope, wherein the driver includes a touch display integrated driver. According to the positioning input method described in item 5 of the patent application scope, wherein the driver transmits the uplink signal at the same time in the current frame and the previous frame, and the active pen transmits the uplink signal in the current frame and the previous frame The time of the downstream signal is different.

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