U.S. patent application number 15/924822 was filed with the patent office on 2018-07-26 for dynamic adjustment of touch resolutions on an amoled display.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ignis Innovation Inc.. Invention is credited to Gholamreza Chaji.
Application Number | 20180210591 15/924822 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51535959 |
Filed Date | 2018-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180210591 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chaji; Gholamreza |
July 26, 2018 |
DYNAMIC ADJUSTMENT OF TOUCH RESOLUTIONS ON AN AMOLED DISPLAY
Abstract
Dynamically adjusting a touch resolution of a display having
pixel circuits each including an OLED driven by a driving
transistor according to programming information representing a
desired brightness for each OLED. A first touch resolution of the
display is defined to create first touch zones relative to the
display as images are being displayed thereon. A first touch in one
of the first touch zones is detected by measuring a voltage across
an anode and a cathode of each of a first set of OLEDs in the first
touch zone. The first touch resolution is dynamically changed to a
different second touch resolution to create second touch zones as
further images are being displayed. A second touch in one of the
second touch zones is detected by measuring a voltage across an
anode and a cathode of each of a second set of OLEDs in the second
touch zone.
Inventors: |
Chaji; Gholamreza;
(Waterloo, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ignis Innovation Inc. |
Waterloo |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
51535959 |
Appl. No.: |
15/924822 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14776887 |
Sep 15, 2015 |
9952698 |
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PCT/IB2014/059409 |
Mar 3, 2014 |
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15924822 |
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61792358 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/044 20130101;
G06F 3/0442 20190501; G06F 3/0416 20130101; G06F 3/041661 20190501;
G06F 3/0412 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/041 20060101
G06F003/041; G06F 3/044 20060101 G06F003/044 |
Claims
1-9. (canceled)
10. A method of dynamically adjusting a touch resolution of a
display device including a plurality of pixel circuits, each pixel
circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits including a light
emitting device for generating light, the light emitting device
having an anode and a cathode, and a driving transistor for driving
the light emitting device according to a programming current or
voltage, the method comprising: defining a first touch zone
comprising a first plurality of said light emitting devices
arranged in a first array; reading voltages in the first touch zone
across the anode and cathode of each light emitting device of the
first plurality of light emitting devices; subsequent to said
reading voltages in the first touch zone, dynamically defining a
second touch zone comprising a second plurality of said light
emitting devices arranged in a second array, the first and second
arrays different in size or shape; and reading voltages in the
second touch zone across the anode and cathode of each light
emitting device of the second plurality of light emitting
devices.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein reading voltages in the first
touch zone across the anode and cathode of each light emitting
device of the first plurality of light emitting devices includes:
activating each of a first set of read transistors connected to
corresponding ones of the first plurality of light emitting devices
thereby connecting each of the first plurality of light emitting
devices to a readout circuit; and comparing the voltages read from
each of the first plurality of light emitting devices with a
criterion indicative of a touch.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein a gate of each of the first set
of read transistors is connected to a corresponding readout select
line, and wherein a first terminal of each of the first set of read
transistors is connected to a corresponding monitor line that is
connected to the readout circuit, wherein the activating includes
activating each of the gates of the first set of read transistors
simultaneously with activating the corresponding monitor line
connected to the readout circuit.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: simultaneously with
the reading of voltages in the first touch zone, determining from
the voltages read, an aging characteristic of the driving
transistor or of the light emitting device of a selected pixel
circuit in the first touch zone; adjusting the programming current
or voltage for the selected pixel circuit to compensate for the
determined aging characteristic; and driving the light emitting
device in the selected pixel circuit according to the adjusted
programming current or voltage.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading of voltages in the
first touch zone is carried out simultaneously with programming
each of the pixel circuits in the first touch zone with a desired
brightness.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein an area of the first array
corresponds to a surface area of a tip of an average human finger,
and wherein an area of the second array corresponds to a surface
area of a point of a capacitive stylus, or vice versa.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein a maximum number of touch zones
definable relative to the display device corresponds exactly to the
number of the plurality of pixels in the display device such that
each of the pixels in the display device corresponds to a discrete
touch point.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein a size of the first array is
N.times.M such that N is an integer not greater than the total
number of rows of pixel circuits forming the display device and M
is an integer not greater than the total number of columns of pixel
circuits forming the display device, and wherein a size of the
second array is P.times.Q such that P is an integer not greater
than the total number of rows of pixel circuits forming the display
device and Q is an integer not greater than the total number of
columns of pixel circuits forming the display device, where
N.times.M is distinct from P.times.Q.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the display device is an active
matrix organic light-emitting organic device (AMOLED) display, and
each of the light emitting devices is an organic light emitting
device (OLED).
19. A display device comprising: a plurality of pixel circuits,
each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits including: a
light emitting device for generating light, the light emitting
device having an anode and a cathode; and a driving transistor for
driving the light emitting device according to a programming
current or voltage, and a controller for dynamically adjusting a
touch resolution of the display device, the controller configured
to: define a first touch zone comprising a first plurality of said
light emitting devices arranged in a first array; control the
reading of voltages in the first touch zone across the anode and
cathode of each light emitting device of the first plurality of
light emitting devices; subsequent to said reading voltages in the
first touch zone, dynamically define a second touch zone comprising
a second plurality of said light emitting devices arranged in a
second array, the first and second arrays different in size or
shape; and control the reading of voltages in the second touch zone
across the anode and cathode of each light emitting device of the
second plurality of light emitting devices.
20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the display further
comprises a first set of read transistors connected to
corresponding ones of the first plurality of light emitting devices
and a readout circuit coupled to the first set of read transistors,
wherein the controller is adapted to read control the reading of
voltages in the first touch zone across the anode and cathode of
each light emitting device of the first plurality of light emitting
devices by: activating each of the first set of read transistors
thereby connecting each of the first plurality of light emitting
devices to the readout circuit; and comparing the voltages read
from each of the first plurality of light emitting devices with a
criterion indicative of a touch.
21. The display device of claim 20, wherein a gate of each of the
first set of read transistors is connected to a corresponding
readout select line, and wherein a first terminal of each of the
first set of read transistors is connected to a corresponding
monitor line that is connected to the readout circuit, wherein the
activating includes activating each of the gates of the first set
of read transistors simultaneously with activating the
corresponding monitor line connected to the readout circuit.
22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the controller is
further configured to: simultaneously with the controlling of the
reading of voltages in the first touch zone, determine from the
voltages read an aging characteristic of the driving transistor or
of the light emitting device of a selected pixel circuit in the
first touch zone; adjust the programming current or voltage for the
selected pixel circuit to compensate for the determined aging
characteristic; and drive the light emitting device in the selected
pixel circuit according to the adjusted programming current or
voltage.
23. The display device of claim 19, wherein the controller is
configured to control the reading of voltages simultaneously with
programming each of the pixel circuits in the first touch zone with
a desired brightness.
24. The display device of claim 19, wherein an area of the first
array corresponds to a surface area of a tip of an average human
finger, and wherein an area of the second array corresponds to a
surface area of a point of a capacitive stylus, or vice versa.
25. The display device of claim 19, wherein a maximum number of
touch zones definable relative to the display device corresponds
exactly to the number of plurality of pixels in the display device
such that each of the pixels in the display device corresponds to a
discrete touch point.
26. The display device of claim 19, wherein a size of the first
array is N.times.M such that N is an integer not greater than the
total number of rows of pixel circuits forming the display device
and M is an integer not greater than the total number of columns of
pixel circuits forming the display device, and wherein a size of
the second array is P.times.Q such that P is an integer not greater
than the total number of rows of pixel circuits forming the display
device and Q is an integer not greater than the total number of
columns of pixel circuits forming the display device, where
N.times.M is distinct from P.times.Q.
27. The display device of claim 19, wherein the display device is
an active matrix organic light-emitting organic device (AMOLED)
display, and each of the light emitting devices is an organic light
emitting device (OLED).
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a U.S. National Stage of International
Application No. PCT/IB2014/059409, filed Mar. 3, 2014, (Attorney
Docket No. 058161-000079WOPT), which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/792,358, filed Mar. 15, 2013
(Attorney Docket No. 058161-000079PL01), each of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in their respective entirety.
COPYRIGHT
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark
Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to touch-sensitive
displays, and more particularly, to methods of dynamically
adjusting a touch resolution of an active-matrix organic
light-emitting diode display where the light emitting device is
used for touch detection.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Touch resolutions on AMOLED displays are generally fixed,
and the number of touch zones is defined by how the touch
monitoring circuit that monitors the touch substrate is subdivided
in a predetermined and fixed manner.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method
is disclosed of dynamically adjusting a touch resolution of a video
display having a plurality of pixel circuits each including a light
emitting device driven by a driving transistor according to a
programming current or voltage representing a desired brightness
produced by the light emitting device. The method comprises:
defining, by a controller, a first touch resolution of the video
display to create a first plurality of capacitive touch zones
relative to a transparent substrate of the video display as images
are being displayed on the video display; detecting a first touch
on the transparent substrate in one of the first touch zones by
measuring a voltage across an anode and a cathode of each of a
first set of light emitting devices of the video display in the
first touch zone; dynamically changing, by the controller, the
first touch resolution to a second touch resolution different from
the first touch resolution to create a second plurality of
capacitive touch zones relative to the video display as further
images are being displayed on the video display; and detecting a
second touch in one of the second touch zones by measuring a
voltage across an anode and a cathode of each of a second set of
light emitting devices of the video display in the second touch
zone.
[0006] The measuring corresponding changes in the voltage across
each of the first set of light emitting devices can include:
activating each of a first set of read transistors connected to
corresponding ones of the first set of light emitting devices
thereby connecting each of the first set of read transistors to a
readout circuit; comparing the measured voltage from each of the
first set of activated read transistors with a criterion indicative
of a touch; and responsive to the comparing indicating that the
criterion is satisfied, the controller indicating a coordinate of
the first touch relative to the video display in the one of the
first touch zones.
[0007] A gate of each of the first set of read transistors can be
connected to a corresponding readout select line. A first terminal
of each of the first set of read transistors can be connected to a
corresponding monitor line that is connected to the readout
circuit. The activating can include activating each of the gates of
the first set of read transistors simultaneously with activating
the corresponding monitor line connected to readout circuit.
[0008] The method can further comprise: simultaneously with the
detecting, determining from the measured voltage an aging
characteristic of the driving transistor or of the light emitting
device of a selected pixel circuit in the one of the first touch
zones; adjusting the programming current or voltage for the
selected pixel circuit to compensate for the determined aging
characteristic; and driving the light emitting device in the
selected pixel circuit according to the adjusted programming
current or voltage.
[0009] The detecting can be carried out simultaneously with
programming each of the pixel circuits in the one of the first
touch zones with a desired brightness. The first touch resolution
can correspond to a surface area of a tip of an average human
finger, and the second touch resolution can correspond to a surface
area of a point of a capacitive stylus, or vice versa.
[0010] The maximum number of touch zones can correspond exactly to
the number of pixels in the video display such that each of the
pixels in the video display corresponds to a discrete touch
point.
[0011] A size of the first touch resolution can be N.times.M such
that N is an integer multiple of the total number of rows of pixel
circuits forming the video display and M is an integer multiple of
the total number of columns of pixel circuits forming the video
display. A size of the second touch resolution can be P.times.Q
such that P is an integer multiple of the total number of rows of
pixel circuits forming the video display and Q is an integer
multiple of the total number of columns of pixel circuits forming
the video display. N.times.M is distinct from P.times.Q.
[0012] The foregoing and additional aspects and embodiments of the
present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments
and/or aspects, which is made with reference to the drawings, a
brief description of which is provided next.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The foregoing and other advantages of the present disclosure
will become apparent upon reading the following detailed
description and upon reference to the drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 is functional block diagram of an example pixel
circuit showing a light emitting device that is used for touch
detection;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of part of an active
matrix display having monitor lines on the columns of the display
and readout select lines on the rows of the display for dynamically
defining differently sized touch zones relative to the display;
and
[0016] FIG. 3 is a flowchart diagram of an exemplary algorithm for
dynamically adjusting the touch resolution of a display while
displaying images on the display.
[0017] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various
modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments and
implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings
and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood,
however, that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited
to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure
is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives
falling within the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined by
the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] FIG. 2 is an electronic video display system or panel 200
having an active matrix area or pixel array in which an array of
pixel circuits 100 (shown in FIG. 1) are arranged in a row and
column configuration. For ease of illustration, only some rows and
columns are shown. Peripheral circuitry external to an active
matrix area on the display includes a conventional gate or address
driver circuit (not shown), a source or data driver circuit (not
shown), a controller 210, and a readout circuit 220 connected to
the controller 210 (these are illustrated as functional modules, so
the readout circuit 220 can be part of the controller 210). The
controller 210 conventionally controls the gate and source drivers
(not shown). The gate driver, under control of the controller 210,
operates on address or select lines SEL, one for each row of pixels
104 in the display 200. The source driver circuit, under control of
the controller 210, operates on voltage data lines VDATA 110, one
for each column of pixels 104 in the display 200. The voltage data
lines VDATA 110 carry voltage or current programming information to
each pixel circuit 100 indicative of a luminance (or brightness as
subjectively perceived by an observer) of each light emitting
device 104. A conventional storage element, such as a capacitor, in
each pixel circuit 100 (see FIG. 1) stores the programming
information until an emission or driving cycle turns on the light
emitting device 104, such as an organic light emitting device
(OLED). During the driving cycle, the programming information
preserved in the storage element in each pixel circuit is
transferred by a drive transistor T1 to illuminate each light
emitting device 104 at the programmed luminance.
[0019] As is known, each pixel circuit (FIG. 1) in the display 200
needs to be programmed with information indicating the luminance of
the light emitting device 104. This information can be supplied by
the controller 210 to each light emitting device 104 in the form of
a stored voltage or a current. A frame defines the time period that
includes a programming cycle or phase during which each and every
pixel circuit (FIG. 1) in the display system 200 is programmed with
a programming voltage (or current) indicative of a luminance and a
driving or emission cycle or phase during which each light emitting
device 104 in each pixel circuit 100 is turned on to emit light at
a luminance commensurate with or indicative of the programming
voltage stored in a storage element or a programming current. A
frame is thus one of many still images that compose a complete
moving picture displayed on the display system 200. There are
different schemes for programming and driving the pixels, including
row-by-row and frame-by-frame. In row-by-row programming, a row of
pixels is programmed and then driven before the next row of pixels
is programmed and driven. In frame-by-frame programming, all rows
of pixels in the display system 100 are programmed first, and all
of the pixels are driven row-by-row. Either scheme can employ a
brief vertical blanking time at the beginning or end of each frame
during which the pixels are neither programmed nor driven.
[0020] Turning now to the example pixel circuit 100 shown in FIG.
1, each pixel circuit 100 includes conventional a switching network
and one or more capacitors (102). The switching network
conventionally includes one or more switching transistors for
conveying the programming information from the VDATA line 110 to
the one or more storage devices and storing that information in the
storage devices until the driving or emission cycle. The details of
the switching network are not pertinent here. Each pixel circuit
100 includes a driving transistor T1, which turns on to transfer
the programming information stored in the one more storage devices
in the switching network 102 in the form of a drive current to the
light emitting device 104, which in this example is an organic
light-emitting diode (OLED). The OLED has an anode 106 and a
cathode 108, which form a capacitor whose varying voltage can be
used to detect a touch. When a human finger or a stylus grasped by
a human hand is brought sufficiently near the surface of the anode
106, a voltage across the OLED changes, and this change in voltage
can be used by the controller 210 to detect a touch. To read the
OLED voltage across the anode and cathode 106, 108, each pixel
circuit 100 includes a read transistor T2 having a gate terminal
connected to a readout select line 114 (RD), a drain terminal
connected to a monitor line 112, and a source terminal connected to
the anode 106 of the OLED 104. When the read transistor T2 is
activated, the voltage across the OLED 104 is transferred to the
monitor line 112, which is read by the readout circuit 220. Because
each pixel circuit 100 can detect a touch, the touch resolution for
the entire display 200 is equal to the pixel resolution.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows two touch zones 202, 204. For ease of
illustration, the first touch zone 202 is shown as having an array
size of N.times.M pixels (2.times.2), whereas the second touch zone
204 is shown as having an array size of P.times.Q pixels
(3.times.3). Of course, the present disclosure contemplates any
touch resolutions of any size or shape (array, circular,
irregular), where N, M, P, and Q can be any positive integers but
no greater than the overall pixel resolution (N.sub.R.times.N.sub.C
pixels 100) of the display 200. Moreover, each of the touch zones
can be different on the display 200. For example, in one area of
the display 200, the touch zones can be relatively small, such as
to detect the tip of a capacitive stylus grasped by a human finger,
but another area of the same display 200 can have relatively large
touch zones, such as sufficiently sized to detect the tip of an
average-sized human finger. Thus, the various touch zones can be
uniform or non-uniform relative to the entire surface of the
display 200. In the illustrated example, the touch zones are
uniform, but this is merely for ease of illustration. Because each
OLED 104 is capable of detecting a discrete touch, the smallest
achievable touch resolution is 1.times.1 pixel. Some aspects of the
present disclosure are directed to dynamically changing the touch
resolution by exploiting the fact that each OLED 104 itself can be
used to detect a touch, and by selectively reading the voltage
across different groupings of OLEDs in the display 200, different
touch resolutions are achievable on-the-fly in real time as the
display 200 is displaying images.
[0022] As disclosed herein, the controller 210 can dynamically
adjust the touch resolution of the display 200 as the display 200
is displaying images, by selectively activating combinations of the
monitor lines 112 and the readout select lines 114 to dynamically
define different touch resolutions as images are being displayed on
the display 200. During the programming cycles, for example, the
readout circuit 220 or controller 200 can selectively activate
selected ones of the readout select lines 114 (rows) while
selectively activating selected ones of the monitor lines 112
(columns) to define a touch electrode or a touch zone. In FIG. 2,
the first touch zone 202 is selected by successively activating the
RD1 and RD2 lines and simultaneously activating monitor switches
212-1 and 212-2, thereby allowing the voltage from the OLEDs 104 in
the four pixel circuits 100 that comprise the first touch zone 202
to be read by the readout circuit 220 via the respective monitor
lines 112-1 and 112-2. For example, the first two pixel circuits
100 in the first row can be selected by activating the RD1 line and
simultaneously activating the monitor switches 212-1 and 212-2, and
reading the OLED voltage that is presented at the drain of T2.
Then, while keeping the monitor switches 212-1 and 212-2 activated,
the RD1 line is deactivated while the RD2 line is activated,
thereby reading the OLED voltages for the two pixels in the second
row. This readout can occur, for example, simultaneously while
programming each of the pixel circuits 100 with programming
information on the respective VDATA lines 110 (omitted from FIG. 2
for clarity and ease of discussion).
[0023] In the next frame, for example, before the next image is
displayed on the display 200, the controller 200 can dynamically
change the touch resolution from 2.times.2 as defined by the touch
zone 202, to a larger touch resolution of 3.times.3 as defined by
the second touch zone 204, which comprises an array of 3.times.3
pixel circuits 100 in the illustrated example. Each of the readout
select lines RD1, RD2, RD3 are successively activated while the
monitor switches 212-1 to 212-3 remain activated, and the
corresponding OLED voltages from each of the rows are read by the
readout circuit 220 to determine whether a touch is detected in the
second touch zone 204. The programming information for the next
image to be displayed can be simultaneously imparted to the storage
device(s) in the switching network 102 via the VDATA lines 110.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a flow chart diagram of an example method or
algorithm 300 for carrying out an aspect of the present disclosure.
The algorithm 300 is directed to dynamically adjustment of a touch
resolution of a video display 200 having a pixel circuits 100 such
as shown in FIG. 1. Each pixel circuit 100 includes a light
emitting device 104 driven by a driving transistor T1 according to
a programming current or voltage representing a desired brightness
produced by the light emitting device 104. The algorithm 300
defines, by a controller 200, a first touch resolution of the video
display 200 to create first capacitive touch zones 202 relative to
a transparent substrate of the display 200 as images are being
displayed on the display 200 (302). The controller 200 detects a
first touch (e.g., by a capacitive stylus grasped by a human hand)
relative to the display 200 in one of the first touch zones by
measuring a voltage across an anode 106 and a cathode 108 of each
of a first set of light emitting devices 104 of the display 200 in
the first touch zone 202 (304). The controller dynamically changes
the first touch resolution to a second touch resolution different
from the first touch resolution to create second capacitive touch
zones 204 relative to the display 200 as further images are being
displayed on the display 200 (306). The controller 200 detects a
second touch (e.g., by a tip of an average-size human finger) in
one of the second touch zones 204 by measuring a voltage across an
anode 106 and a cathode 108 of each of a second set of light
emitting devices 104 of the display 200 in the second touch zone
204 (308).
[0025] Changes in the voltage across the light emitting devices 104
can be measured as follows. Each of a first set of read transistors
T2 connected to corresponding ones of the first set of light
emitting devices 104 is activated, thereby connecting each of the
first set of read transistors T2 to a readout circuit 220. The
algorithm 300 compares the measured voltage from each of the first
set of activated read transistors T2 with a criterion indicative of
a touch. The criterion can include a threshold value such that if
the voltage changes by more than the threshold value, a touch is
detected. If the criterion is satisfied such that a touch is
detected, the controller 200 indicates a coordinate of the first
touch relative to the display 200 in the one of the first touch
zones 202.
[0026] A gate of each of the first set of read transistors T2 is
connected to a corresponding readout select line RD. A first
terminal (e.g., a drain) of each of the first set of read
transistors T2 is connected to a corresponding monitor line 112
that is connected to the readout circuit 220. Each of the gates of
the first set of read transistors T2 in one of the rows, e.g., the
row defined by RD1, are activated simultaneously with activating
the corresponding monitor line 112 connected to readout circuit 220
by activating respective ones of the monitor switches 212. As
touches are being detected, the readout circuit 220 can also
determine from the measured voltage an aging or non-uniformity
(caused by process non-uniformities in the fabrication of the
display 200) characteristic of the driving transistor T1 or of the
light emitting device 104 of a selected pixel circuit 100 in the
one of the first touch zones 202. The algorithm 300 can adjust the
programming current or voltage for the selected pixel circuit 100
to compensate for the determined aging or non-uniformity
characteristic or both, and drive the light emitting device 104 in
the selected pixel circuit 100 according to the adjusted
programming current or voltage to compensate for the aging or
non-uniformity characteristic or both.
[0027] The touch detection can be carried out simultaneously with
programming each of the pixel circuits 100 in the one of the first
touch zones 202 with a desired brightness. The first touch
resolution can, for example, correspond to a surface area of a tip
of an average human finger, and the second touch resolution can,
for example, correspond to a surface area of a point of a
capacitive stylus, or vice versa. As mentioned above, different
regions on the display 200 can have different touch resolutions
simultaneously, such that part of the display 200 is used for
detecting stylus inputs, for example, while another part of the
same display 200 is used for detecting inputs from a human finger
(which requires a bigger touch resolution).
[0028] A maximum number of touch zones definable relative to the
display 200 corresponds exactly to the number of pixels 100 in the
display 200 such that each of the pixels 100 in the display 200
corresponds to a discrete touch point. In other words, the smallest
possible touch resolution has a size of one pixel circuit 100. A
size of the first touch resolution is N.times.M such that N is an
integer multiple of the total number of rows of pixel circuits 100
forming the display 200, and M is an integer multiple of the total
number of columns of pixel circuits 100 forming the display 200. N
can be identical to or distinct from M. A size of the second touch
resolution is P.times.Q such that P is an integer multiple of the
total number of rows of pixel circuits 100 forming the display 200,
and Q is an integer multiple of the total number of columns of
pixel circuits 100 forming the display 200. P can be identical to
or distinct from Q. N.times.M is distinct from P.times.Q. As
mentioned above, the form factor of the touch zones is not limited
to an array, but can be any regular or irregular shape.
[0029] Any of the circuits disclosed herein can be fabricated
according to many different fabrication technologies, including for
example, poly-silicon, amorphous silicon, organic semiconductor,
metal oxide, and conventional CMOS. Any of the circuits disclosed
herein can be modified by their complementary circuit architecture
counterpart (e.g., n-type circuits can be converted to p-type
circuits and vice versa).
[0030] While particular embodiments and applications of the present
disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is to be
understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the
precise construction and compositions disclosed herein and that
various modifications, changes, and variations can be apparent from
the foregoing descriptions without departing from the scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *