Electronic device, stylus pen, and method for detection of a position of the stylus pen on the electronic device

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/794,736, filed on Jul. 22, 2022, which is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2021/000870, filed Jan. 22, 2021, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2020-0008825, 10-2020-0008826, 10-2020-0008827, 10-2020-0008828, 10-2020-0008829, and 10-2020-0008830, all filed Jan. 22, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0022527, filed Feb. 24, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0039246, filed Mar. 31, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0039831, filed Apr. 1, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0040911, filed Apr. 3, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0043434, filed Apr. 9, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0047507, filed Apr. 20, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0056598, filed May 12, 2020; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0058885, filed May 18, 2020; and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0060499; filed May 20, 2020. The disclosures of all the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties, for all purposes.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a stylus pen, and driving and controlling method thereof.

Touch sensors are included in various electronic devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, tablet PCs, laptop computers, digital broadcasting terminals, PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation systems.

In such an electronic device, the touch sensor may be located on a display panel displaying an image or located in an area of the electronic device body. When the user interacts with the electronic device by touching the touch sensor, the electronic device may provide an intuitive user interface to the user.

A user may use a stylus pen for sophisticated touch input. Such a stylus pen may transmit and receive a signal through an electrical and/or magnetic method with the touch sensor. In the case of a passive stylus pen, the stylus pen generates a signal by resonating with a driving signal applied to the touch sensor, and the touch sensor receives the resonance signal of the stylus pen and detects a touch position.

In the case of a passive stylus pen, the stylus pen generates a signal by resonating with a driving signal applied to the touch sensor, and the touch sensor receives the resonance signal of the stylus pen and detects a touch position. On the other hand, when such a passive stylus pen touches the touch sensor with a conductive object such as a human body, a problem arises that the touch sensor does not detect the touch of the stylus pen depending on the location of the conductive object or the touch area of the conductive object.

Noise exists in an electronic device for various reasons, and such noise may act as a factor degrading the sensing performance of the electronic device. In particular, in the case of the stylus pen, when noise in a frequency band similar to the resonant frequency of the stylus pen exists, the precision of touch sensing may be greatly reduced.

The demand for an electronic device having a larger display screen while having the same or smaller volume or thickness than the prior art is increasing, and a foldable display device or a bendable display device is also being developed.

Conventionally, in order to receive a sensing signal from the touch electrodes included in the touch sensor, amplifiers corresponding to each of the touch electrodes are provided in the touch sensor.

Meanwhile, for a sophisticated touch input to an electronic device having a large screen, a stylus pen may be used. The stylus pen may be divided into an active stylus pen and a passive stylus pen depending on whether a battery and electronic components are provided therein.

The active stylus pen has superior basic performance compared to the passive stylus pen and has the advantage of providing additional functions (pressure, hovering, buttons), but it is difficult to use while charging the battery, and the pen itself is expensive and requires power. Since it is a method of charging the battery, there are not many actual users except for some advanced users.

The passive stylus pen has the advantage of being cheaper and not requiring a battery compared to the active stylus pen, but it has the disadvantage that it is difficult to recognize a sophisticated touch compared to the active stylus pen. However, recently, in order to implement a passive stylus pen capable of sophisticated touch recognition, an Electro Magnetic Resonance (EMR) method which is an inductive resonance method, and a capacitive resonance method have been proposed. In addition, in the case of a passive stylus pen, the stylus pen generates a signal by resonating with a driving signal applied to the touch sensor, and the touch sensor receives the resonance signal of the stylus pen to detect a touch position. On the other hand, when such a passive stylus pen touches the touch sensor with a conductive object such as a human body, a problem arises that the touch sensor does not detect the touch of the stylus pen depending on the location of the conductive object or the touch area of the conductive object.

Since a passive stylus pen operating without an internal power source performs a touch input using an electric signal and/or a magnetic signal transmitted from a touch sensor, research to improve touch sensitivity is being conducted.

However, recently, a technique for implementing a passive stylus pen capable of sophisticated touch recognition using a resonance circuit has been proposed.

In particular, in the case of an Electro-Magnetic Resonance (EMR) type pen among passive stylus pens, after a digitizer transmits an electromagnetic signal to the pen, the digitizer receives a resonance signal from the pen. That is, since a signal is transmitted and received only by the digitizer, signal transmission and signal reception cannot be simultaneously performed, and there is a problem in that it must be performed in a time division manner. Similarly, in the case of an Electrically Coupled Resonance (ECR) type pen among passive stylus pens, after the touch electrode transmits an electromagnetic signal to the pen, the touch electrode receives a resonance signal from the pen. That is, since the signal is transmitted and received only by the touch electrode, there is a problem that the signal transmission and the signal reception cannot be simultaneously performed, and must be performed in a time division manner.

The EMR method has superior writing/drawing quality, which is the core function of the stylus pen, but has a disadvantage in that it is thicker and more expensive because a separate EMR sensor panel and EMR driving IC must be added in addition to the capacitive touch panel.

The capacitive resonance method uses a general capacitive touch sensor and a touch controller IC to support pen touch by increasing the performance of the IC at no additional cost.

In the capacitive resonance method, in order for the touch sensor to more accurately identify the touch by the stylus pen, the amplitude of the resonance signal must be large. Accordingly, the frequency of the driving signal transmitted from the touch sensor to the stylus pen is made to be substantially the same as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit built in the stylus pen. However, according to the conventional capacitive resonance method, even if the resonance frequency and the frequency of the driving signal match, signal transmission is attenuated due to a very small capacitance formed between the touch sensor outputting the driving signal and the pen tip receiving the driving signal is very large, so there is a problem in that signal transmission is difficult. As a result, despite the many attempts of many touch controller IC vendors for a long time, there is no company that has succeeded in mass production as there is not enough output signal.

Therefore, in order to manufacture a capacitive resonant stylus pen capable of generating the maximum output signal, how to design the internal resonant circuit and the structure of the pen becomes a very important factor.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a capacitive resonant stylus pen capable of generating a sufficient output signal.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof, capable of preventing noise caused by a display panel.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, having a plurality of resonant frequencies and using them to receive a signal with reduced noise.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of reducing noise of a touch signal.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of improving touch sensing performance by the stylus pen.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof, capable of improving touch sensing performance by a stylus pen in an environment in which noise in a frequency band similar to a resonance signal of the stylus pen exists.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of improving signal sensitivity for detecting a touch position of the stylus pen.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of sensing a touch position by the stylus pen when the stylus pen comes into contact with another conductive object such as a human body at the same time.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of searching for a resonant frequency of the stylus pen.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method for driving and controlling the same, capable of generating a sufficient resonance signal.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of resonating a signal transmitted from a touch sensor, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method for driving and controlling the same, in which the stylus pen is easy to use.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a foldable electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, in which the stylus pen is easily used.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an antenna module implemented on one layer, an electronic device including the same, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of wireless charging while the stylus pen is in use, the stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, including an antenna module driven with a smaller current.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of outputting a driving signal corresponding to a resonant frequency of the stylus pen, the stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of transmitting a signal of an appropriate size to a touch sensor.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of wireless charging without a separate wireless charging module, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof, including an antenna module capable of reducing power consumption.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof, in which a resonant frequency can be maintained.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of a touch input and a sensor input, and a stylus pen, and a driving and controlling method thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method for driving and controlling the same, in which a resonant frequency can be changed.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of amplifying a magnetic field generated in a coil with the same voltage.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of wireless charging with maximum efficiency.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a method of driving and controlling the same, capable of communicating with the electronic device using a commercialized communication protocol.

In order to achieve the above or other objects, the stylus pen according to an embodiment is connected to a body portion, a conductive tip exposed to the outside in the body portion, a ferrite core positioned in the body portion, and the conductive tip, and an inductor part including a coil wound in multiple layers on at least a portion of the ferrite core, and a capacitor part located in the body portion and electrically connected to the inductor part to form a resonance circuit.

Here, the dielectric constant of the ferrite core is 1000 or less, the coil may have adjacent winding layers that are alternately wound, and the coil may be a wire wrapped around two or more insulated wires.

In addition, the ferrite core may include nickel, and the coil may be formed of a Litz wire.

In addition, it may further include a grounding portion that can be electrically connected to a user, and further includes a bobbin surrounding at least a portion of the ferrite core, and the coil may be wound on at least a portion of the bobbin.

A conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the inductor portion may be further included. The blocking member may include a single slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the blocking member may be spaced apart from each other in a first direction, which is a direction in which an eddy current is formed by the single slit.

A stylus pen according to another embodiment includes a body part, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body part, a resonance circuit unit that is located in the body part, is connected to the conductive tip, and resonates an electrical signal transmitted from the conductive tip, and a ground part that can be electrically connected to a user.

Here, the resonance circuit unit is electrically connected to the ferrite core and the conductive tip located in the body part, and it may include an inductor unit including a coil wound in multiple layers on at least a portion of the ferrite core and located in the body part, and a capacitor part electrically connected to the ground part and the conductive tip. In this case, the dielectric constant of the ferrite core is 1000 or less, and the coil is wound in a zigzag manner in which adjacent winding layers are inclined, and the coil may be a wire wrapped around two or more insulated wires.

In addition, the ferrite core may include nickel, and the coil may be formed of a Litz wire.

In this case, the resonance circuit unit may be formed of two or more inductor units and one capacitor unit connected in series. In addition, two or more LC resonance circuits may be connected in series to the resonance circuit unit.

It may further include a conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the resonance circuit unit. The blocking member may include a single slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the blocking member may be spaced apart from each other in a first direction, which is a direction in which an eddy current is formed by the single slit.

A stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a housing, a conductive tip at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the housing, a resonance circuit unit located in the housing, connected to the conductive tip, and resonating an electrical signal transmitted from the conductive tip, and a conductive blocking member positioned to correspond to a portion of the housing to which the conductive tip is exposed to the outside.

The blocking member may be a single conductive plate.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion. The blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder portion, and includes a slit for blocking generation of eddy currents. Both ends of the blocking member are spaced apart in the first direction by the single slit and the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

The blocking member includes a connection unit connecting both ends of the blocking member, and further includes a grounding unit capable of electrical connection with a user, and the connection unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

The blocking member may be positioned between an area spaced apart 0.1 mm from the opening of the housing to which the conductive tip is exposed to the outside, and an area spaced apart from the opening by 20 mm.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion. The blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder portion, is spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and includes the plurality of first blocking units extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction where the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and the plurality of first blocking units may be conductive.

The blocking member includes a connection unit connecting both ends of the blocking member, and further includes a grounding unit capable of electrical connection with a user, and the connection unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion. The blocking member includes a plurality of second blocking units positioned corresponding to the holder portion, extending along a first direction, and spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction where the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and both ends of each of the plurality of second blocking units are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

It may further include a ground part that is connected to the blocking member and can be electrically connected to a user, wherein the resonance circuit unit may include an inductor part connected between the conductive tip and the ground part, and a capacitor part connected between the conductive tip and the ground part.

The blocking member surrounds at least a portion of an inductor part.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion and a non-conductive body portion spaced apart from the conductive tip, and a first portion positioned adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder portion, and one conductive plate and a second portion surrounding at least a portion of the inductor portion of the blocking member is positioned to correspond to the body portion and includes one slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the second portion of the blocking member are separated by the one slit. Both ends of the second portion are spaced apart along a first direction, and the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion, the housing further includes a non-conductive body portion spaced apart from the conductive tip, a first portion positioned adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder portion, a first slit for blocking generation of eddy currents, and a second portion surrounding at least a portion of the inductor portion of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the body portion, and includes a second slit for blocking generation of eddy currents. Both ends of the first portion of the blocking member are spaced apart in a first direction by one first slit, and both ends of the second portion of the blocking member are spaced apart in the first direction by one second slit. The first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

One portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder portion, the housing further includes a non-conductive body portion spaced apart from the conductive tip, a first portion positioned adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder portion, a second portion including a plurality of first blocking portions spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second portion surrounding at least a portion of the inductor portion of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the body portion, a plurality of third blocking portions spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, where the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and the plurality of first blocking portions and the plurality of third blocking portions may be conductive.

The inductor unit may include a ferrite core and a conductive coil connected to the conductive tip and wound around the ferrite core.

The blocking member may be located on the inner surface of the housing.

The blocking member may be located on the outer surface of the housing.

The blocking member is embedded between the inner and outer surfaces of the housing.

The blocking member may include a sheet in which a plurality of conductive blocking portions is printed.

The blocking member may include a plurality of blocking portions plated on the housing.

To achieve the above or other objects, a touch device according to an embodiment includes a touch panel that applies a first driving signal to the touch panel while driving in a first mode, the touch panel including a plurality of touch electrodes, and enters a second mode, a driving/receiving unit that applies a second driving signal different from the first driving signal to the touch panel during driving, and a controller configured to obtain first touch data by comparing first sensing signals received from the touch panel while driving in the first mode with a first threshold value, and to obtain second touch data by comparing second sensing signals received from the touch panel with a second threshold value while driving in the second mode. The controller may determine the second threshold value based on at least some of the first sensing signals.

The controller acquires touch coordinates by using the second sensing signals, and determines the second threshold by using the first sensing signals corresponding to a predetermined region based on the touch coordinates among the first sensing signals.

The plurality of touch electrodes includes a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the driving/receiving unit may apply a signal of first frequency as the first driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes during a first period of driving in the first mode.

The driving/receiving unit may apply a signal of a second frequency different from the first frequency to both the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes as the second driving signal during a part of the second period driven in the second mode.

The controller may receive the first sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes during the first period.

The controller may receive the second sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes in a part of the second period.

The frequency of the second driving signal may correspond to a resonance frequency of a stylus pen.

The first sensing signals are used to acquire touch coordinates of a first touch object, and the second sensing signals are used to acquire touch coordinates of a second touch object, where the second touch object includes a stylus pen, and the first touch object may include a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen.

When the first and second touch objects simultaneously touch the touch panel, the controller may change the second threshold value according to a distance between a touch point of the first touch object and a touch point of the second touch object, and acquire the second touch data by the second touch object.

When the first and second touch objects simultaneously touch the touch panel, the controller may change the second threshold value according to a touch pattern of the first touch object, and acquire the second touch data by the second touch object.

The touch pattern may include a touch area or a touch shape.

A touch device according to another embodiment may include a touch panel, a driving/receiving unit that applies a driving signal corresponding to a frequency of a resonance signal of a stylus pen to the touch panel, and receives sensing signals from the touch panel, and among the sensing signals, and a controller configured to acquire touch data by the stylus pen using at least one sensing signal identified as a valid touch signal. In addition, in a state in which the touch panel is individually touched by the stylus pen, the controller may identify a sensing signal having a signal magnitude of a first range as the effective touch signal. In a state in which the touch panel is simultaneously touched by the stylus pen and a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen, the controller may identify a sensing signal having a signal magnitude of a second range different from the first range as the effective touch signal.

The controller compares the sensing signals with a threshold value to identify the effective touch signal. The threshold value in a state where the touch panel is touched by the stylus pen alone, and the threshold value in a state in which the touch panel is simultaneously touched by the stylus pen and a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen may be used differently.

The controller may identify the effective touch signal by comparing the sensing signals with a threshold value. When the touch panel is simultaneously touched by the stylus pen and a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen, the sensing signal may be compared with the threshold value, after amplifying the sensing signals having a signal level in the second range to those having a signal level in the first range.

A touch detection method of a touch device according to an embodiment includes applying a driving signal corresponding to a resonance signal of a stylus pen to the touch panel in a state in which the touch panel is individually touched by the stylus pen, receiving sensing signals from the touch panel, identifying a valid touch signal from among the sensing signals using a threshold value, and acquiring touch data by the stylus pen using the sensing signal identified as the valid touch signal from among the sensing signals. In the step of identifying, when the touch panel is individually touched by the stylus pen, a sensing signal having a signal magnitude of a first range among the sensing signals is identified as a valid touch signal, and when the touch panel is simultaneously touched by the stylus pen and a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen, a sensing signal having a signal magnitude in a second range different from the first range among the sensing signals is identified as a valid touch signal.

The threshold value in a state in which the touch panel is individually touched by the stylus pen and the threshold value in a state in which the touch panel is simultaneously touched by the stylus pen and a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen may be different from each other.

The step of identifying the sensing signal having the signal magnitude in the second range as the valid touch signal may include amplifying the sensing signals so that a sensing signal having a signal magnitude in the second range among the sensing signals has a signal magnitude in the first range, and comparing the amplified sensing signals with the threshold value to identify the valid touch signal.

A touch detection method of a touch device according to another embodiment may include entering a first mode and applying a first driving signal to a touch panel, receiving first sensing signals from the touch panel in response to the first driving signal, acquiring first touch data by comparing the first sensing signals with a first threshold value, entering a second mode and applying a second driving signal different from the first driving signal to the touch panel, receiving second sensing signals from the touch panel in response to the second driving signal, determining a second threshold value based on the first sensing signals, and acquiring second touch data by comparing the second sensing signals with two threshold values.

The step of determining may include acquiring touch coordinates using the second sensing signals, and determining the second threshold value using the first sensing signals corresponding to a predetermined area based on the touch coordinates among the first sensing signals.

The step of determining may include using any one of first value and second value obtained by using the first sensing signals as the second threshold value.

The second value may be smaller than the first value.

The method for detecting a touch of a touch device according to another embodiment may further include obtaining touch coordinates of a first touch object using the first touch data, and obtaining touch coordinates of a second touch object using the second touch data. In addition, the second touch object may include a stylus pen, and the first touch object may include a conductive touch object different from the stylus pen.

The step of determining may include changing the second threshold value according to a distance between a touch point of the first touch object and a touch point of the second touch object, when the first and second touch objects simultaneously touch the touch panel.

The step of determining may include changing the second threshold value according to a touch pattern of the first touch object, when the first and second touch objects simultaneously touch the touch panel.

To achieve the above or other objects, a touch device according to an embodiment includes a touch panel comprising a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a driver configured to apply a driving signal of a first frequency to the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during at least one first period within one frame period among successive frame periods, a receiver configured to receive sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after a first period to which the driving signal is applied, and a controller configured to control the driver to change frequencies of driving signals applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes based on the signal output from the receiver during at least one first period within one frame period among successive frame periods.

To achieve the above or other objects, a touch device according to an embodiment may include a touch panel comprising a plurality of touch electrodes, and a driving/receiving unit configured to apply a driving signal having a frequency corresponding to a resonance frequency of a stylus pen to the plurality of touch electrodes and receive sensing signals from the plurality of touch electrodes, wherein the driving signal may include a first driving signal and a second driving signal having a phase different from that of the first driving signal.

The touch device may further include a controller configured to acquire first touch data based on sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes during a first period, wherein the driving/receiving unit applies the first driving signal to the plurality of touch electrodes during a second period and the second driving signal to the plurality of touch electrodes during a third period, and wherein the first period may include at least one of the second period and the third period.

The controller may further acquire second touch data based on sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in at least one of the second period and the third period.

The number of the second periods included in the first period may be the same as the number of the third periods included in the first period.

The number of the second periods included in the first period may be different from the number of the third periods included in the first period.

In the first period, the second period and the third period may be alternately arranged at a predetermined interval.

In the first period, the second period and the third period may be repeated at least once.

In the first period, the second period and the third period may be continuous at least twice.

The number of successive times of the second period and the number of successive times of the third period within the first period may be different from each other.

The number of successive times of the second period and the number of successive times of the third period within the first period may be the same.

The controller calculates a first amplitude value by multiplying an amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a first value when the sensing signals are first sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the first driving signal. When the sensing signals are second sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the second driving signal, the controller calculates a second amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the second sensing signal by a second value. The controller acquires the first touch data based on the first amplitude value and the second amplitude value acquired for a predetermined time. The first value and the second value may have the same absolute value and different signs.

The first touch data or the second touch data may correspond to a capacitance change amount of the touch electrodes, a change amount of the sensing signal, or an analog to digital converter (ADC) output, due to a touch of the stylus pen on the touch panel.

In addition, a method for detecting a touch of a touch device according to an embodiment may include selectively applying any one of first and second driving signals having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen and having different phases from each other to a touch panel including a plurality of touch electrodes, receiving sensing signals from the plurality of touch electrodes, calculating the amplitude of each of the sensing signals, repeating the receiving step and the calculating step for a preset number of times, obtaining a final signal level corresponding to each of the plurality of touch electrodes by using the calculated amplitude each time the calculating step is performed, and acquiring touch data by the touch of the stylus pen based on the final signal level.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the number of times the first driving signal is applied is equal to the number of times the second driving signal is applied within the preset number of times.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are alternately applied at a predetermined interval.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are alternately applied at a predetermined interval.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are repeatedly applied at least once within the preset number of times.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are repeatedly applied at least twice, wherein the number of times the first driving signal is continuously applied and the number of times the second driving signal is continuously applied may be different from each other within the preset number of times.

The selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that each of the first driving signal and the second driving signal is continuously applied at least twice, wherein the number of times the first driving signal is continuously applied and the number of times the second driving signal is continuously applied may be the same within the preset number of times.

The step of obtaining the final signal level includes calculating a first amplitude value by multiplying an amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a first value when the sensing signals are first sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the first driving signal, calculating a second amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the second sensing signal by a second value when the sensing signals are second sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the second driving signal, and acquiring the final signal level based on the first amplitude value and the second amplitude value acquired for a predetermined time, wherein the first value and the second value may have the same absolute value and different signs.

The step of acquiring the touch data may include acquiring the touch data based on a touch electrode having a corresponding final signal level equal to or greater than a threshold value among the plurality of touch electrodes.

To achieve the above or other objects, a touch device according to an embodiment includes a touch sensing unit that is positioned on a display unit of a display device for driving a plurality of pixels according to a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal and comprises a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, a driving/receiving unit for applying a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a first period and receiving sensing signals from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, wherein the driving signal is synchronized to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The driving/receiving unit may simultaneously apply the driving signal to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the first period, and may receive sensing signals from at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the second period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal of a predetermined period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with a pulse of the vertical synchronization signal for every frame of a predetermined period.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The sensing signal may be received in a period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period other than the period in which the data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels is at a disable level.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period excluding the period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels.

The driving/receiving unit may receive the sensing signals according to the frequency of the driving signal synchronized to the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The reception timing of the sensing signals may include at least two timing-points having opposite phases within one period of a frequency.

The reception timing of the sensing signals may include at least two timing-points at which the phase is changed within one period of a frequency.

The sensing signal may be a signal in which a resonance signal by the driving signal is transmitted to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and plurality of second touch electrodes.

The display unit is positioned on the substrate, wherein a thin film encapsulation layer is positioned on the display unit, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes is positioned on the thin film encapsulation layer, and wherein the thin film encapsulation layer may have a thickness of 4 μm to 10 μm.

A method of driving a touch device according to an embodiment includes receiving a horizontal synchronization signal from a signal control unit of a display device, applying a driving signal to at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes in a second direction crossing the first direction during a first period, receiving sensing signals from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, and generating touch information using the sensing signals, wherein the driving signal is synchronized to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The step of applying the driving signal may include simultaneously applying the driving signal to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the first period, and the step of receiving the sensing signals may include receiving the sensing signals from at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the second period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal of a predetermined period.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The sensing signal may be received in a period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period other than the period in which the data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels is at a disable level.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period excluding the period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels.

The step of receiving the sensing signals may include receiving the sensing signals in a period other than the period in which a data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The step of receiving the sensing signals may include receiving the sensing signals during a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal is at a disable level.

The step of receiving the sensing signals may include receiving the sensing signals during a period excluding the period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of a plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal.

A display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel including a display area in which a plurality of pixels are positioned, a data driver for applying a data signal to data lines connected to the plurality of pixels, a scan driver for applying a scan signal to scan lines connected to the plurality of pixels, a signal controller for controlling the data driver and the scan driver according to a horizontal synchronization signal, a touch panel overlapping the display area and comprising an active area in which a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction are positioned, and a touch controller for driving the touch panel so that the touch controller applies a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of the plurality of second touch electrodes during a first period, and the touch controller receives sensing signals from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, wherein the drive signal is synchronized to the pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

A touch system according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor unit that is located on a display unit of a display device that drives a plurality of pixels according to a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal and includes a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes in a second direction crossing the first direction, a driving/receiving unit that applies a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a first period and receives sensing signals from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, a touch device comprising a controller for generating touch information by using the sensing signals, and a stylus pen comprising a conductive tip and a resonant circuit unit that is connected to the conductive tip and resonates with a driving signal transmitted from the conductive tip, wherein the sensing signal is a signal resonated by the resonance circuit unit, and the driving signal is a signal synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal.

To achieve the above or other objects, a touch device according to an embodiment includes a touch panel comprising first and second touch electrodes for sensing an external touch through a change in capacitance formed therebetween and third touch electrodes arranged in a matrix form, and a controller that detects a touch position of a first object by applying a first driving signal to at least one of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the third touch electrodes, and the first touch electrodes and the second touch and detects a touch position of a second object different from the first object by applying a second driving signal and a third driving signal different from the second driving signal to at least one of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes, wherein the first driving signal has a frequency different from that of the second driving signal, and the second driving signal is a signal for resonating the second object.

The controller may apply the second driving signal to at least one of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes located in areas other than the touch position of the first object among the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes.

The controller may apply the third driving signal to at least one of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes located at the touch position of the first object among the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes.

The controller may apply the second driving signal to at least one type of touch electrodes among the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes and the third touch electrodes during a first period so as to detect the position of the second object, and apply only the second driving signal or the second and third driving signals together depending on the distance between the touch position of the first object and the touch position of the second object during a second period after the first period.

The controller may apply the second driving signal and the third driving signal together if the distance between the touch position of the first object and the touch position of the second object exceeds a threshold value.

The controller may apply the second driving signal to all of the third touch electrodes during a first period and apply the third driving signal to the third touch electrodes corresponding to the touch position of the first object depending on the distance between the touch position of the first object and the touch position of the second object during a second period after the first period, and apply the second driving signal to the remaining third touch electrodes.

The controller may further apply the second driving signal to both the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during the first period and the second period.

The controller may further apply the second driving signal to all of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during a first period, apply the third driving signal to the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes corresponding to the touch position of the first object depending on the distance between the touch position of the first object and the touch position of the second object during a second period, and apply the second driving signal to the remaining first touch electrodes and second touch electrodes.

The first object may include at least one of finger and palm, and the second object may be a stylus pen.

The third driving signal may have a phase difference of 180 degrees from the second driving signal.

The third driving signal may maintain a constant voltage.

A touch device according to another embodiment may include a plurality of first sensor patterns and a plurality of second sensor patterns each including an outer line and an inner line, a plurality of first connection patterns electrically connecting the plurality of first sensor patterns, a plurality of second connection patterns electrically connecting the plurality of second sensor patterns and located on a different layer from the plurality of first connection patterns, a plurality of third sensor patterns disposed in an inner region surrounded by an inner line on a plane, and a plurality of third connection patterns electrically connecting the plurality of third sensor patterns, wherein the plurality of third sensor patterns are located in an inner region of the plurality of first sensor patterns and the plurality of second sensor patterns on a plane.

The plurality of third connection patterns may be located on the same layer as the plurality of second connection patterns.

The touch device may further include an insulating layer disposed between the plurality of first connection patterns and the plurality of second connection patterns, wherein the plurality of second connection patterns and the plurality of third connection patterns are disposed on a first layer under the insulating layer, wherein the plurality of first and second sensor patterns and the plurality of first connection patterns are disposed on a second layer on the insulating layer, and wherein the plurality of second sensor patterns are connected to the plurality of second connection patterns through the insulating layer between the first layer and the second layer.

Each of the plurality of third sensor patterns may be disposed on the first layer, and each of the plurality of third sensor patterns and each of the plurality of first sensor patterns and the plurality of second sensor patterns may not overlap each other on a plane.

At least one of plurality of third connection patterns may connect a third sensor pattern positioned in an inner region of a first sensor pattern among the plurality of third patterns and a third sensor pattern positioned in an inner region of a second sensor pattern among the plurality of third patterns.

The touch device may further include a first driving/receiving unit electrically connected to the plurality of first sensor patterns, a second driving/receiving unit electrically connected to the plurality of second sensor patterns and a third driving/receiving unit electrically connected to the plurality of third sensor patterns, wherein at least one of the first driving/receiving unit, the second driving/receiving unit, and the third driving/receiving unit drives and detects the touch position of the first object in the first period, wherein at least one of the first driving/receiving unit, the second driving/receiving unit, and the third driving/receiving unit drives and detects the touch position of the second object in the second section after the first section, wherein the first object may include at least one of a finger and a palm, and the second object may be a stylus pen.

In the second period, the signal applied to the sensor patterns corresponding to the position of the first object and the signal applied to the sensor patterns corresponding to the position of the second object may be different from each other.

A touch device according to another embodiment may include first sensor patterns and second sensor patterns each having an opening and sensing an external touch through a change in capacitance formed therebetween, and third sensor patterns positioned in each opening in the same layer as the first sensor patterns and the second sensor patterns, wherein two or more third sensor patterns adjacent to each other among the third sensor patterns are connected to each other to constitute one sensor electrode, and wherein two or more third sensor patterns adjacent to each other constituting one sensor electrode are positioned in at least an opening included in the first sensor patterns and an opening included in the second sensor patterns, respectively.

Some of the third sensor patterns are floating.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment may include a body part, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body part, a ground part that can be electrically connected to a user, and a resonant circuit unit comprising at least one resonant circuit that resonates with electrical signals of different frequencies transmitted from the conductive tip and outputs resonant signals of the different frequencies.

The resonant circuit unit may include a first resonant circuit resonant with an electrical signal of a first frequency and a second resonant circuit resonant with an electrical signal of a second frequency, wherein the first resonant circuit outputs a resonant signal through the conductive tip during a first period, and wherein the second resonant circuit outputs a resonance signal through the conductive tip during a second period different from the first period.

The first resonance circuit and the second resonance circuit may alternately output a resonance signal.

The first resonant circuit may include a first inductor connected between the conductive tip and the second resonant circuit and a first capacitor coupled between the conductive tip and the second resonant circuit, and the second resonant circuit may include a second inductor connected between the ground part and the first resonant circuit and a second capacitor connected between the ground part and the first resonant circuit, wherein the first inductor and the second inductor may have separate ferrite cores.

The first resonant circuit is connected between the conductive tip and the second resonant circuit, and the second resonant circuit is connected between the first resonant circuit and the ground part.

The resonant circuit unit may output a resonance signal whose frequency changes with time in response to an electrical signal whose frequency changes with time.

A touch device according to an embodiment includes a touch panel comprising first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a controller that determines whether a noise signal is received by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during a first period within one touch report frame period according to a first sampling frequency related to a first driving frequency, and applies a second driving signal having a second driving frequency different from the first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period when a noise signal is determined to be received.

The controller may receive a sensing signal by sampling the signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to the second sampling frequency related to the second driving signal during a third period after the second period.

The signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during the third period may be a signal resonated by the second driving signal.

The controller may determine whether a noise signal is received by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to the second sampling frequency related to the second driving frequency during the first period within the next touch report frame period after the third period ends.

When it is determined that the noise signal is not received, the controller may apply the first driving signal having the first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during the second period after the first period.

The controller may receive a sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to the first sampling frequency during the third period after the second period.

A touch device according to another embodiment includes a touch panel comprising first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a controller that applies a first driving signal having a first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during a first number of first periods within one touch report frame period including a plurality of first periods, receives a first sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to a first sampling frequency related to the first driving frequency, applies a first driving signal having a second driving frequency different from the first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during a second number of first periods, and receives a second sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first and second touch electrodes according to a second sampling frequency related to the second driving frequency.

The controller may determine whether a noise signal is received using the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and change the first number and the second number within the next touch report frame period when it is determined that a noise signal is received.

The controller may increase the first number when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first sensing signal is greater than the SNR of the second sensing signal, and may increase the second number when the SNR of the second sensing signal is greater than the SNR of the first sensing signal.

The first number and the second number may be the same.

A touch system according to an embodiment includes a stylus pen according to an embodiment, and a touch device according to any one of the embodiments.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a loop coil, a touch panel comprising a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, a driver that applies a driving signal of a first frequency to the loop coil during at least one first period within one frame period among successive frame periods, a receiver that receives a sensing signal from the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period to which the driving signal of the first frequency is applied, and a controller that controls the driver so as to change the frequency of the driving signal applied to the loop coil during at least one first period within the frame periods after the one frame period based on the signal output from the receiver.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment may include a loop coil, a touch panel comprising a plurality of touch electrodes, and a driving/receiving unit that applies driving signals having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of a stylus pen to the loop coil and receives sensing signals from the plurality of touch electrodes, wherein the driving signals may include a first driving signal and a second driving signal having a phase different from that of the first driving signal.

The electronic device may further include a controller that acquires first touch data based on sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes during a first period, wherein the driving/receiving unit may apply the first driving signal to the plurality of touch electrodes during a second period, and may apply the second driving signal to the plurality of touch electrodes during a third period, and wherein the first period may include at least one of the second period and at least one of the third period.

The controller may further acquire second touch data based on sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in at least one of the second period and the third period.

The number of the second period included in the first period may be the same as the number of the third periods.

The number of the second period included in the first period may be different from the number of the third periods.

In the first period, the second period and the third period may be alternately arranged at a predetermined period.

In the first period, the second period and the third period may be repeated at least once.

Each of the second period and the third period within the first period may be continuous at least twice.

The number of successive times of the second period and the number of successive times of the third period within the first period may be different from each other.

The number of successive times of the second period and the number of successive times of the third period within the first period may be the same.

The controller may calculate a first amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a first value if the sensing signals are the first sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the first driving signal, calculate a second amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a second value if the sensing signals are the second sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the second driving signal, and acquire the first touch data based on the first amplitude value and the second amplitude value obtained for a predetermined time, wherein the first value and the second value may have the same absolute value and different signs.

The first touch data or the second touch data corresponds to a capacitance change amount of the touch electrode, a change amount of the sensing signals, or an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) output due to a touch of the stylus pen on the touch panel.

In addition, a method for detecting a touch of an electronic device according to an embodiment may include selectively applying to a loop coil any one of first and second driving signals having different phases and having a frequency corresponding to a resonant frequency of a stylus pen, receiving sensing signals from a plurality of touch electrodes, calculating the amplitude of each of the sensing signals, repeating the applying step, the receiving step, and the calculating step a predetermined number of times, obtaining a final signal level corresponding to each of the plurality of touch electrodes by using the calculated amplitude whenever the calculating step is performed, and acquiring one touch data based on the final signal level.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the number of times the first driving signal is applied is equal to the number of times the second driving signal is applied within the predetermined number of times.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the number of times the first driving signal is applied is different from the number of times the second driving signal is applied within the predetermined number of times.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are alternately applied at a predetermined period.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are each repeatedly applied at least once within the predetermined number of times.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are each repeatedly applied at least twice wherein the number of times the first driving signal is continuously applied and the number of times the second driving signal is continuously applied may be different from each other within the predetermined number of times.

The step of selectively applying may include selectively applying any one of the first and second driving signals so that the first driving signal and the second driving signal are each repeatedly applied at least twice wherein the number of times the first driving signal is continuously applied and the number of times the second driving signal is continuously applied may be the same.

The step of obtaining a final signal level may include calculating a first amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a first value if the sensing signals are the first sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the first driving signal, calculating a second amplitude value by multiplying the amplitude value of the first sensing signal by a second value if the sensing signals are the second sensing signals received from the plurality of touch electrodes in response to the second driving signal, and acquiring the signal level based on the first amplitude value and the second amplitude value obtained for a predetermined time, wherein the first value and the second value may have the same absolute value and different signs.

The step of acquiring the touch data may include acquiring the touch data based on a touch electrode having a corresponding final signal level equal to or greater than a threshold value among the plurality of touch electrodes.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment may include a loop coil, a touch sensor that is positioned on a display driving a plurality of pixels according to a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal and includes a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, a driving receiver that applies a driving signal to the loop coil during a first period and receives a sensing signal from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, and a controller that generates touch information using the sensing signal, wherein the drive signal is synchronized to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The driving receiver may simultaneously apply a driving signal to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the first period, and may receive the sensing signal from at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the second period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal of a predetermined period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with a pulse of the vertical synchronization signal for every frame of a predetermined period.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The sensing signal may be received in a period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period other than the period in which a data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels is at a disable level.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period excluding a period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels.

The driving receiver may receive the sensing signal according to the frequency of the driving signal synchronized to the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The reception timing of the sensing signal may include at least two timing-points having opposite phases within one period of the frequency.

The reception timing of the sensing signal may include at least two timing-points at which the phase is changed within one period of the frequency.

The sensing signal may be a signal in which a resonance signal by the driving signal is transmitted to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes.

The display is positioned on the substrate, the thin film encapsulation layer is positioned on the display, and the plurality of touch electrodes are positioned on the thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer may have a thickness of 4 μm to 10 μm.

A method of driving an electronic device according to an embodiment includes receiving a horizontal synchronization signal from a signal controller of a display device, applying a driving signal to at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction of a touch sensor during a first period and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction during a first period, receiving a sensing signal from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, and generating touch information using the sensing signal, wherein the driving signal is synchronized to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The step of applying the driving signal may include simultaneously applying the driving signal to at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the first period, and the step of receiving the sensing signal may include receiving the sensing signal from at least one of plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of plurality of second touch electrodes during the second period.

The driving signal may be synchronized with pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal of a predetermined period.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The sensing signal may be received in a period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period other than the period in which the data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels is at a disable level.

The period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal may be a period excluding a period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels.

The step of receiving the sensing signal may include receiving the sensing signal in a period other than a period in which a data signal is input in at least some of the plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal.

The step of receiving the sensing signal may include receiving the sensing signal during a period in which a scan signal applied to the plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal is at a disable level.

The step of receiving the sensing signal may include receiving the sensing signal during a period excluding a period in which a data signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of data lines connected to a plurality of pixels of the display device according to the horizontal synchronization signal.

A display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel comprising a display area in which a plurality of pixels are positioned, a data driver applying a data signal to data lines connected to the plurality of pixels, a scan driver applying a scan signal to scan lines connected to the plurality of pixels, a signal controller controlling the data driver and the scan driver according to a horizontal synchronization signal, a touch panel overlapping the display area and comprising an active area in which a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction are positioned, and a touch controller driving the touch panel so as to apply a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of the plurality of second touch electrodes during a first period and receive a sensing signal from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, wherein the driving signal is synchronized to the pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The frequency of the driving signal may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

A touch system according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor that is positioned on a display of a display device driving a plurality of pixels according to a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal, and comprises a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, a driving receiver that applies a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and at least one of the plurality of second touch electrodes during a first period, and receives a sensing signal from at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period, a touch device comprising a controller that generates touch information using the sensing signal, and a stylus pen comprising a conductive tip and a resonance circuit that is connected to the conductive tip and resonates with a driving signal transmitted from the conductive tip, wherein the sensing signal is a signal resonated by the resonance circuit, and the driving signal is a signal synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a body, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body, an inductor comprising a ferrite core located in the body and a coil connected to the conductive tip and wound in multiple layers on at least a portion of the ferrite core, and a capacitor located in the body and electrically connected to the inductor to form a resonance circuit.

Here, the dielectric constant of the ferrite core may be 1000 or less, the coil may have adjacent winding layers that are alternately wound, and the coil may be a type of wire surrounding two or more insulated wires.

In addition, the ferrite core may include nickel, and the coil may be formed of a Litz wire.

In addition, it may further include a ground that can be electrically connected to a user, and further includes a bobbin surrounding at least a portion of the ferrite core, and the coil may be wound on at least a portion of the bobbin.

It may further include a conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the inductor. The blocking member may include one slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the blocking member may be spaced apart from each other in a first direction by the one slit in the direction in which the eddy current is formed.

A stylus pen according to another embodiment includes a body part, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body part, and a resonance circuit part that is located in the body part, is connected to the conductive tip, and resonates an electrical signal transmitted from the conductive tip, and a ground part that can be electrically connected to a user.

Here, the resonance circuit part may include an inductor part comprising a ferrite core located in the body part and a coil electrically connected to the conductive tip and wound in multiple layers on at least a portion of the ferrite core, and a capacitor part that is located in the body part and electrically connected to the ground part and the conductive tip, wherein the dielectric constant of the ferrite core is 1000 or less, the coil is wound with adjacent winding layers inclined in a zigzag, and the coil may be a wire in the form of wrapping two or more insulated wires.

In addition, the ferrite core may include nickel, and the coil may be formed of a Litz wire.

In this case, the resonance circuit part may be formed of two or more inductor parts and one capacitor part connected in series. In addition, it may be formed of two or more LC resonance circuits connected in series.

It may further include a conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the resonance circuit part. The blocking member may include a single slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the blocking member may be spaced apart from each other in a first direction, which is a direction in which an eddy current is formed by the single slit.

A stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a housing, a conductive tip at least partially exposed to the outside of the housing, a resonance circuit unit positioned in the housing and resonating a magnetic signal, and a conductive blocking member positioned to correspond to a portion of the housing where the conductive tip is exposed to the outside.

The blocking member may be a single conductive plate.

A portion thereof may include a non-conductive holder part, wherein the blocking member may be positioned corresponding to the holder part, and may include a slit for blocking generation of eddy currents, and wherein both ends of the blocking member are spaced apart in a first direction by the slit, and the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

The blocking member is connected to a blocking member further comprising a connection part connecting both ends of the blocking member, and further includes a grounding part capable of electrical connection with a user, wherein the connection part is electrically connected to the grounding part.

The blocking member may be positioned between an area spaced apart 0.1 mm from the opening of the housing to which the conductive tip is exposed to the outside, and an area spaced apart from the opening by 20 mm.

A portion thereof may include a non-conductive holder part, wherein the blocking member may be positioned corresponding to the holder part, spaced apart from each other in a first direction, include a plurality of first blocking parts extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and wherein the plurality of first blocking parts may be conductive.

The blocking member is connected to the blocking member, further comprising a connection unit for connecting the plurality of first blocking units, and further includes a grounding unit capable of being electrically connected to a user, and the connection unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

A portion thereof includes a non-conductive holder part, wherein the blocking member includes a plurality of second blocking parts positioned corresponding to the holder part, extending along a first direction, and spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and both ends of each of the plurality of second blocking parts are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

It may further include a ground part that is connected to the blocking member and can be electrically connected to a user, wherein the resonance circuit part may include an inductor part connected between the conductive tip and the ground part, and a capacitor part connected between the conductive tip and the ground part.

The blocking member further surrounds at least a portion of the inductor part.

A portion thereof may include a non-conductive holder part and a non-conductive body part spaced apart from the conductive tip, wherein a first part adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder part and one conductive plate, wherein a second part surrounding at least a portion of the inductor part of the blocking member is positioned to correspond to the body part and including one slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and wherein both ends of the second part of the blocking member are separated by the one slit spaced apart along a first direction which may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

A portion thereof may include a non-conductive holder part, wherein the housing further includes a non-conductive body part spaced apart from the conductive tip, wherein a first part adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder part and includes a first slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, wherein a second part surrounding at least a portion of the inductor part of the blocking member is positioned to correspond to the body part and includes a second slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, wherein both ends of the first part of the blocking member are spaced apart in a first direction by the first slit, and both ends of the second part of the blocking member are spaced apart in the first direction by the second slit, and wherein the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

A portion thereof may include a non-conductive holder part, wherein the housing further includes a non-conductive body part spaced apart from the conductive tip, wherein a first part adjacent to the conductive tip of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the holder part, and includes a plurality of first blocking parts spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a second part surrounding at least a portion of the inductor part of the blocking member is positioned corresponding to the body part, and includes a plurality of third blocking parts spaced apart from each other in the first direction and extending in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first direction may be a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and the plurality of first blocking parts and the plurality of third blocking parts may be conductive.

The inductor part may include a ferrite core and a conductive coil connected to the conductive tip and wound around the ferrite core.

The blocking member may be located on the inner surface of the housing.

The blocking member may be located on the outer surface of the housing.

The blocking member may be embedded between the inner and outer surfaces of the housing.

The blocking member may include a sheet in which a plurality of conductive blocking parts are printed.

The blocking member may include a plurality of blocking parts plated on the housing.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a body portion, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body portion, a resonance circuit unit that is located in the body portion, is connected to the conductive tip, and resonates an electrical signal transmitted from the conductive tip, and a conductive blocking unit surrounding at least a portion of the resonance circuit unit.

It may further include a grounding unit that can be electrically connected to a user.

The resonance circuit unit may include an inductor unit connected between the conductive tip and the grounding unit, and a capacitor unit connected between the conductive tip and the grounding unit.

The blocking unit may surround only the inductor unit.

The blocking unit may include one slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, and both ends of the blocking unit may be spaced apart from each other in a first direction by the slit, and the first direction may be a direction in which eddy currents are formed.

The blocking unit may further include a connection unit spaced apart from a position of the inductor unit in the body in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction and connecting both ends of the blocking unit.

The connection unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

The blocking unit may include a plurality of first blocking units spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and the plurality of first blocking units may be conductive.

The blocking unit may further include a connection unit spaced apart from a position of the inductor unit in the body portion along the second direction and connecting the plurality of first blocking units.

The connection unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

The blocking unit extends along a first direction and includes a plurality of second blocking units spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed, and wherein both ends of each of the plurality of second blocking units are spaced apart from each other along the first direction.

The blocking unit extends along a second direction and includes a connection unit connecting the plurality of second blocking units and an additional grounding unit that is spaced apart from the position of the inductor unit in the body portion and is connected to the connection unit along the second direction.

The additional grounding unit is electrically connected to the grounding unit.

The inductor unit may include a ferrite core and a conductive coil connected to the conductive tip and wound around the ferrite core.

The capacitor unit may include a plurality of capacitors connected in parallel and having different capacitances.

The blocking unit may be located on the inner surface of the body portion.

The blocking unit may be located on the outer surface of the body portion.

The blocking unit may be embedded between the inner surface and the outer surface of the body portion.

A stylus pen according to another embodiment includes a body portion, a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body portion, a resonance circuit portion that is located in the body portion, is connected to the conductive tip, and resonates an electrical signal transmitted from the conductive tip, and a conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the body portion, wherein the blocking member includes a slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents, wherein both ends of the blocking member are spaced apart along a first direction by the slit, and wherein the first direction is a direction in which an eddy current is formed.

The resonance circuit portion may include an inductor part connected between the conductive tip and a ground part, a capacitor part connected between the conductive tip and the ground part, and a conductive connection member connecting the conductive tip and the inductor part.

A stylus pen according to another embodiment includes a body portion, a conductive blocking member surrounding at least a portion of the body portion, and a conductive tip exposed to the outside within the body portion, wherein the blocking member includes a slit for blocking the generation of eddy currents.

The blocking member may be located on the inner surface of the body portion.

The blocking member may be located on the outer surface of the body portion.

The blocking member is embedded between the inner surface and the outer surface of the body portion.

The blocking member may include a plurality of blocking portions printed on a sheet.

The blocking member may include a plurality of blocking portions plated on the body portion.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a body part, a conductive tip exposed to the outside in the body part, a grounding part that can be electrically connected to a user, and a resonance circuit part comprising at least one resonance circuit that is located within the body part, is electrically connected between the conductive tip and the grounding part, resonates with the electromagnetic signals of different frequencies transmitted through the body part, respectively, and outputs resonance signals of different frequencies.

The resonant circuit part may include a first resonance circuit resonanting with an electromagnetic signal of a first frequency, and a second resonance circuit resonanting with an electromagnetic signal of a second frequency, wherein the first resonance circuit may output a resonance signal through the conductive tip during a first period, and the second resonance circuit may output a resonance signal through the conductive tip during a second period different from the first period.

The first resonance circuit and the second resonance circuit may alternately output a resonance signal.

The first resonance circuit may include a first inductor connected between the conductive tip and the second resonance circuit and a first capacitor connected between the conductive tip and the second resonance circuit, wherein the second resonance circuit may include a second inductor connected between the grounding part and the first resonance circuit and a second capacitor connected between the grounding part and the first resonance circuit, and wherein the first inductor and the second inductor may have separate ferrite cores.

The first resonance circuit is connected between the conductive tip and the second resonance circuit, and the second resonance circuit is connected between the first resonance circuit and the grounding part.

The resonance circuit part may output a resonance signal whose frequency changes with time in response to an electromagnetic signal whose frequency changes with time.

A touch sensor according to an embodiment includes a touch panel comprising first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a controller that determines whether a noise signal is received by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to a first sampling frequency related to a first driving frequency during a first period within one touch report frame period, and when it is determined that a noise signal is received, applies a second driving signal having a second driving frequency different from the first driving frequency to at least one of the first and second touch electrodes during a second period after the first period.

The controller may receive a sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to a second sampling frequency related to the second driving signal during a third period after the second period.

A signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes during the third period may be a signal resonated by the second driving signal.

The controller may determine whether a noise signal is received by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to the second sampling frequency related to the second driving frequency during a first period within the next touch report frame period after the third period ends.

When it is determined that a noise signal is not received, the controller may apply a first driving signal having the first driving frequency to at least one of the first and second touch electrodes during the second period after the first period.

The controller may receive a sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first and second touch electrodes according to the first sampling frequency during the third period after the second period.

A touch sensor according to another embodiment includes a touch panel comprising first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a controller that, in one touch report frame period including a plurality of first periods, applies a first driving signal having a first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes for a first number of first periods, receives a first sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to a first sampling frequency related to the first driving frequency, applies a second driving signal having a second driving frequency different from the first driving frequency to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes for a second number of first periods, and receives a second sensing signal by sampling a signal transmitted from at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes according to a second sampling frequency related to the second driving frequency.

The controller may determine whether a noise signal is received using the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and change the first number and the second number within the next touch report frame period when it is determined that the noise signal is received.

The controller may increase the first number when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first sensing signal is greater than the SNR of the second sensing signal, and may increase the second number when the SNR of the second sensing signal is greater than the SNR of the first sensing signal.

The first number and the second number may be the same.

A touch system according to an embodiment includes a stylus pen according to an embodiment, and a touch sensor according to any one of the embodiments.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a loop coil, a touch panel comprising a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a coil driver applying a coil driving signal to the loop coil, a driving receiver applying a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes and receiving a sensing signal from the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes, and a controller controlling the coil driver so as to change the length of a period in which the coil driver operates based on the sensing signal from the driving receiver.

To achieve the above or other objects, a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor and a loop coil disposed under the touch sensor, wherein the loop coil includes a ferrite sheet in a region excluding a folding region forming a curved surface in a folded state and an antenna loop disposed on the ferrite sheet.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of antenna loops formed to be spaced apart from each other on a substrate, the plurality of antenna loops comprising a first antenna loop connecting between a first pad and a second pad on the substrate and a second antenna loop connecting between a third pad and a fourth pad, and a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the first to fourth pads, the flexible circuit board comprising the second and a connection wire connecting the second pad and the third pad to each other and a coil driver applying a driving signal to the first pad and the second pad.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a sensor sensing an external input, a resonance circuit, and a controller controlling a resonance signal generated by the resonance circuit according to a sensing value of the sensor.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor that sequentially transmits an electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies to a stylus pen and receives an electrical signal corresponding to the electromagnetic signal from the stylus pen, and a touch controller that operates the touch sensor by determining one of two or more frequencies as a frequency of the electromagnetic signal according to a change in the electrical signal.

The touch controller may determine a frequency at which the magnitude of the electrical signal is large as the frequency of the electromagnetic signal.

The touch controller may generate touch data based on the electrical signal in a unit of one frame.

The touch sensor may sequentially apply electromagnetic signals having two or more frequencies within one frame.

The touch sensor may apply electromagnetic signals of different frequencies corresponding to a plurality of time periods within one frame during each time period.

The touch sensor may apply electromagnetic signals having two or more frequencies in a unit of one frame.

The touch sensor sequentially applies electromagnetic signals having a frequency included in each of a plurality of first frequency periods divided by a first frequency unit to each of a plurality of time periods in a first frame, and sequentially applies electromagnetic signals having a frequency included in each of a plurality of second frequency periods divided by a second frequency unit to each of a plurality of time periods in a second frame successive to the first frame, wherein the first frequency unit is greater than the second frequency unit.

A first frequency period including a frequency having the largest magnitude among electrical signals received during the first frame may be identified as the second frequency unit.

The touch sensor may include a touch panel comprising a plurality of first touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a driving receiver for applying driving signals corresponding to two or more frequencies to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes so that electromagnetic signals having two or more frequencies are transmitted to the stylus pen, and for receiving electrical signals.

The touch sensor may include a loop coil for generating a magnetic field, a touch panel comprising a plurality of first touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction, and a plurality of second electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a driving receiver for applying driving signals corresponding to two or more frequencies to the loop coil so that electromagnetic signals having two or more frequencies are transmitted to the stylus pen, and for receiving an electrical signal.

It may further include a temperature sensor for sensing an ambient temperature, wherein the touch sensor may start to transmit electromagnetic signals having two or more frequencies when the ambient temperature is changed.

A method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment includes the steps of, by a touch sensor, sequentially transmitting an electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies to a stylus pen, and by the touch controller, operating the touch sensor by determining any one of two or more frequencies according to a change in an electrical signal as the frequency of the electromagnetic signal.

Determining any one of the two or more frequencies as the frequency of the electromagnetic signal may include determining, by the touch controller, a frequency having a large electrical signal as the frequency of the electromagnetic signal.

The method may further include, by the touch controller, generating touch data based on an electrical signal in a unit of one frame.

The step of sequentially transmitting the electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies to the stylus pen may include, by the touch sensor, sequentially applying the electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies within one frame.

The step of sequentially transmitting the electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies to the stylus pen may include, by the touch sensor, applying the electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies in a unit of one frame.

The step of applying the electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies in a unit of one frame may include sequentially applying, by the touch sensor, electromagnetic signals having a frequency included in each of a plurality of first frequency periods divided by a first frequency unit to each of a plurality of time periods in a first frame, and sequentially applying, by the touch sensor, electromagnetic signals having a frequency included in each of a plurality of second frequency periods divided by a second frequency unit to each of a plurality of time periods in a second frame successive to the first frame, wherein the first frequency unit is larger than the second frequency unit.

A first frequency period including a frequency having the largest magnitude among electrical signals received during the first frame is identified as a second frequency unit.

The method may further include sensing an ambient temperature, wherein the touch sensor may start to transmit an electromagnetic signal having two or more frequencies when the ambient temperature is sensed to be changed.

A system according to an embodiment includes a stylus pen comprising a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency, and a touch sensor that searches for the resonant frequency by increasing the frequency of a drive signal from a lower limit to an upper limit within a predetermined range of a reference frequency, or decreasing the frequency of the driving signal from an upper limit to a lower limit within a predetermined range and transmits an electromagnetic signal having the resonant frequency to the stylus pen.

To achieve the above or other objects, an antenna module according to an embodiment includes a resonance circuit comprising a loop coil and a capacitor connected in parallel with the loop coil, a blocking capacitor connected in series to the resonance circuit, and a power supply transmitting a driving signal having a predetermined frequency to the blocking capacitor.

An electronic device according to an embodiment includes a loop coil and a coil driver that applies a driving signal of a predetermined frequency to both ends of the loop coil, wherein the coil driver applies driving signals of opposite phases to both ends of the loop coil.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a loop coil, a coil driver applying a driving signal of a predetermined frequency to the loop coil, a touch electrode, and a touch driver receiving a sensing signal from the touch electrode, wherein the touch driver receives the sensing signal in a period to which the driving signal is not applied.

To achieve the above or other objects, an electronic device according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor comprising a touch electrode, and a loop coil having a different distance between windings corresponding to the arrangement of the touch electrode.

To achieve the above or other objects, a stylus pen according to an embodiment includes a resonant circuit, an inductor coupled to the resonant circuit in mutual inductance, and an active module coupled to the inductor.

An electronic device, a stylus pen and a driving and controlling method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide an advantage in that a sufficient output signal can be generated even with a thin diameter due to an optimal structure of resonant circuit in a capacitive resonant stylus pen.

In addition, when the stylus pen is in contact with another conductive object such as a human body at the same time, there is an advantage in that a touch position by the stylus pen can be detected.

In addition, even if the resonant frequency of the stylus pen is changed, there is an advantage in that the size of a signal output from the stylus pen can be increased.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the reception sensitivity of a touch input can be improved.

In addition, there is an advantage in that a more accurate touch position can be calculated.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the touch sensing performance by the stylus pen can be improved in an environment in which noise in a frequency band similar to the resonance signal of the stylus pen exists.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a touch device can be improved.

In addition, by presenting an optimal structure of resonant circuit of the stylus pen, there is an advantage in that a sufficient output signal can be generated even with a thin diameter.

In addition, there is an advantage in that it is possible to provide the stylus pen that is robust against external factors.

In addition, there is an advantage in that it is possible to provide the stylus pen that prevents an unintentional touch input.

In addition, there is an advantage in that it is possible to provide the stylus pen that improves the touch sensitivity to a touch sensor.

In addition, there is an advantage of improving the signal-noise-ratio (SNR) of the signal output from the stylus pen.

In addition, there is an advantage in that a palm rejection can be performed.

In addition, there is an advantage in that energy consumption of a touch sensor can be reduced by reducing energy consumption in a period in which a driving signal is output to the touch sensor for resonance of the stylus pen.

In addition, there is an advantage of being able to provide a thinner and smaller form factor.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the costs for manufacturing the antenna module and the electronic device including the same can be saved.

In addition, there is an advantage in that an additional input of a user using the stylus pen can be detected.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the manufacturing cost of the stylus pen can be reduced.

In addition, even if a resonant frequency of the stylus pen is changed, there is an advantage in that the size of a signal output from the stylus pen can be increased.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the power consumption of the antenna module and the electronic device including the same can be reduced.

In addition, there is an advantage of increasing the energy delivered to the stylus pen.

In addition, there is an advantage in that power required for the use of the stylus pen can be delivered at the same time as the use of the stylus pen without separate wireless charging.

In addition, there is an advantage of being able to wirelessly charge the stylus pen in use.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the stylus pen can be charged more quickly.

In addition, there is an advantage of reducing power consumption for charging the stylus pen.

In addition, there is an advantage in that an additional input of a user using the stylus pen can be detected.

In addition, the further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific embodiments such as preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereby disclosed by way of illustration purpose only, since a variety of changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be readily apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art.

FIGS. 1 A and 1 B are conceptual views illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device.

FIG. 3 A is a plan view schematically illustrating a part of a display unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 B is a cross-sectional view taken along the I-I′ line of FIG. 3 A .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of some configurations of an electronic device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an aspect of the display unit 250 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a pixel of the display unit of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal for driving the display unit of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another aspect of the display unit of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a pixel of the display unit of FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensing unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 12 A and 12 B are a diagram illustrating an example in which a stylus pen is touched by a touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 13 A and 13 B are a diagram illustrating a case in which a driving signal is applied to a stylus pen and a user's hand holding the stylus pen.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a touch input to the touch sensing unit 260 using a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an effect of a driving signal transmitted by hand in FIG. 14 .

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal application operation of the touch sensing unit ( 260 ) according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating another case of performing a touch input to the touch sensing unit 260 using a stylus pen according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the influence of a driving signal transmitted by hand in FIG. 17 .

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal application operation of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensing unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a plan view of a portion of the touch sensor 261 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a plan view illustrating a part of FIG. 21 in detail.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X-X′ line of FIG. 22 .

FIG. 24 is a plan view of a portion of the touch sensor 261 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a view illustrating an example in which a stylus pen is close to the touch sensing unit of FIG. 20 .

FIG. 26 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of a touch sensing unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 29 A and 29 B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the stylus pen 10 according to the embodiment and the touch screen 20 according to two embodiments.

FIGS. 30 A to 30 E are a diagram illustrating a stylus pen according to various embodiments.

FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating a part of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart illustrating a sensor input operation of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a resonance signal according to FIG. 32 .

FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of changing a resonance frequency of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 35 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a resonance signal according to FIG. 34 .

FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a part of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart illustrating a sensor input operation of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 38 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of changing a resonance frequency of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 39 A is a diagram showing a state in which a stylus pen is close to an electronic device, and FIG. 39 B is a schematic circuit diagram showing the stylus pen and the electronic device.

FIGS. 40 A and 40 B are diagrams illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device to transmit and receive signals.

FIG. 41 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device outputting a driving signal.

FIGS. 42 A and 42 B are an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device for receiving a detection signal.

FIGS. 43 to 47 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device.

FIGS. 48 to 53 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

FIGS. 54 to 59 are another schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

FIGS. 60 and 61 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device to transmit and receive signals.

FIGS. 62 and 63 are another schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

FIG. 64 is a diagram illustrating an antenna module and a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIG. 65 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal applied by a coil driver to a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen.

FIG. 66 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal applied by a coil driver to a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIG. 67 is a diagram specifically illustrating the coil driver of FIG. 66 .

FIGS. 68 and 69 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

FIGS. 70 A, 70 B and 71 are circuit diagrams illustrating the stylus pen of FIG. 69 in more detail.

FIG. 72 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 73 and 74 are circuit diagrams illustrating the stylus pen of FIG. 72 in more detail.

FIGS. 75 to 77 are diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and a portion of an electronic device according to various aspects of an embodiment.

FIG. 78 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a stylus pen is used in an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 79 is a diagram showing an example in which an antenna pattern is implemented on one surface of a substrate.

FIGS. 80 and 81 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 82 and 83 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 84 and 85 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 86 to 88 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 89 and 90 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 91 and 92 are diagrams illustrating a case in which a stylus pen according to a conventional method is used in a foldable electronic device.

FIGS. 93 and 94 are diagrams illustrating a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 95 A to 100 B are diagrams showing arrangement of a touch panel and a loop coil according to various aspects of another embodiment.

FIG. 101 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal of a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 102 and 103 are diagrams illustrating a foldable electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIGS. 104 A to 107 B are diagrams illustrating an arrangement of a touch panel and a loop coil according to various aspects of another embodiment.

FIG. 108 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a stylus pen approaches various locations of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 109 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal of a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to the position of the stylus pen.

FIGS. 110 A to 112 B are diagrams schematically illustrating a magnetic field generated when the driving signal of FIG. 109 is applied.

FIG. 113 is a flowchart illustrating a touch detection method according to an embodiment.

FIG. 114 is a modified example of the touch detection method of FIG. 113 .

FIG. 115 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal according to the touch detection method of FIGS. 113 and 114 .

FIG. 116 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a received signal according to the touch detection method of FIGS. 113 and 114 .

FIG. 117 shows an example of processing a sensing signal in the first period T 1 of FIG. 116 .

FIG. 118 is a waveform diagram illustrating another example of a driving signal and a received signal according to the touch detection method of FIGS. 113 and 114 .

FIG. 119 shows an example of processing a sensing signal in the second period T 2 of FIG. 118 .

FIG. 120 is a graph showing the magnitude of the received signal in FIGS. 116 and 118 .

FIGS. 121 and 122 are diagrams illustrating touch areas of different objects, respectively.

FIG. 123 illustrates a case in which a touch of the stylus pen 10 is not detected according to a distance between the stylus pen 10 and a touch point of another touch object 30 .

FIG. 124 illustrates a case in which a touch of the stylus pen 10 is not detected according to a touch area of another touch object 30 .

FIG. 125 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of determining a valid touch signal in the step S 14 of the touch detection method of FIG. 114 .

FIG. 126 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of determining a valid touch signal in the step S 14 of the touch detection method of FIG. 114 .

FIG. 127 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 128 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and a driving signal according to the driving method of FIG. 127 .

FIG. 129 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and a driving signal according to the driving method of FIG. 127 .

FIGS. 130 to 133 are timing diagrams illustrating a timing at which the touch device according to an embodiment receives a sensing signal in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal of the display unit 250 of FIG. 5 according to the driving method of FIG. 127 .

FIGS. 134 and 135 are timing diagrams for explaining a driving operation of the pixel PX_ab and an operation of receiving a sensing signal by a touch device.

FIG. 136 is a diagram schematically illustrating a driving timing of a touch sensor according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 137 A to 140 B are diagrams illustrating driving timings of touch sensors according to embodiments.

FIG. 141 is a diagram for explaining the effect of noise on touch sensing performance of an electronic device.

FIG. 142 is a flowchart illustrating a touch detection method while a touch sensing unit operates in a second touch driving mode according to an embodiment.

FIG. 143 is a diagram for explaining a method of filtering noise in the touch detection method of FIG. 142 .

FIGS. 144 to 147 are waveform diagrams illustrating examples in which a touch sensing unit outputs first and second driving signals having different phases.

FIG. 148 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a touch sensing unit according to embodiments.

FIGS. 149 A and 149 B are a diagram illustrating an example of applying a driving signal according to a control method of a touch sensing unit.

FIG. 150 is a waveform diagram illustrating a first example of a driving signal according to a method of controlling a touch device.

FIGS. 151 to 153 are diagrams illustrating examples to which the driving signal of FIG. 150 is applied.

FIG. 154 is a waveform diagram illustrating a second example of a driving signal according to a control method of a touch sensing unit.

FIGS. 155 to 157 are diagrams illustrating examples to which the driving signal of FIG. 154 is applied.

FIG. 158 is a waveform diagram illustrating a third example of a driving signal according to a method of controlling a touch device.

FIGS. 159 to 162 are diagrams illustrating examples to which the driving signal of FIG. 158 is applied.

FIG. 163 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 164 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal according to the driving method of FIG. 163 .

FIG. 165 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIGS. 166 and 167 are waveform diagrams illustrating an example of a driving signal according to the driving method of FIG. 165 .

FIG. 168 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 169 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement form of a touch sensor and a loop coil of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 170 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal applied to a loop coil by a coil driver and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 171 and 172 are diagrams illustrating a driving signal applied by a coil driver to a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to another embodiment.

FIGS. 173 to 176 are waveform diagrams illustrating driving signals according to various aspects of an embodiment.

FIG. 177 is a diagram illustrating the touch sensing unit 260 operating in the first period T 1 in more detail.

FIG. 178 is a diagram illustrating in more detail operations of the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 in the first period T 1 of FIG. 177 .

FIG. 179 is a diagram illustrating the touch device 10 operating in the second sub-period T 22 of the second period T 2 .

FIG. 180 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a stylus pen and a touch sensor.

FIG. 181 is a detailed diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device in detail.

FIG. 182 is a conceptual diagram specifically illustrating the inductor part of a stylus pen.

FIG. 183 is a graph for explaining the inductance L and Q value in the design of the inductor part.

FIGS. 184 and 185 are diagrams for explaining a type of wire according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 186 A and 186 B are diagrams for explaining two types of multi-layer winding method.

FIG. 187 is a graph showing the Q values of inductor 1 and inductor 2 measured while changing the frequency through the E4980A precision LCR meter of KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES.

FIG. 188 is a graph showing the Q values of inductors 3 to 5 measured while changing the frequency through the E4980A precision LCR meter of KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES.

FIG. 189 is a graph showing the Q values of inductor 6 and inductor 7 measured while changing the frequency through the E4980A precision LCR meter of KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES.

FIG. 190 is a diagram for explaining an inductor unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 191 is a graph showing the maximum amplitude of a resonance signal when the inductor unit 14 includes only the ferrite core 15 and the coil 16 .

FIG. 192 is a graph showing the maximum amplitude of a resonance signal when the inductor unit 14 includes the ferrite core 15 , the bobbin 141 and the coil 16 .

FIG. 193 shows an equivalent circuit in which two thin-diameter inductors are connected in series and a capacitor is connected in parallel between both ends of the two inductors.

FIG. 194 is a diagram illustrating an equivalent circuit in which two LC resonant circuits are connected in series (hereinafter, referred to as an “LCLC resonant circuit”) and output by combining two resonant signals.

FIGS. 195 A and 195 B are a diagram illustrating a touch input by hovering of a stylus pen.

FIGS. 196 A and 196 B are a conceptual diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device when the stylus pen is gripped.

FIG. 197 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device when the stylus pen is gripped.

FIGS. 198 and 199 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device when the stylus pen is gripped.

FIG. 200 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a stylus pen having an LLC structure.

FIG. 201 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a stylus pen.

FIGS. 202 A and 202 B is an exemplary diagram illustrating an eddy current generated in the stylus pen shown in FIG. 201 .

FIGS. 203 A to 211 D are conceptual diagrams illustrating a structure of a stylus pen according to embodiments.

FIGS. 212 A and 213 C are conceptual diagrams illustrating a structure of a blocking member of a stylus pen according to embodiments.

FIGS. 214 A and 214 B are a diagram illustrating a touch input by hovering of a stylus pen according to embodiments.

FIGS. 215 A to 217 B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a body part of a stylus pen according to embodiments.

FIG. 218 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 219 A and 219 B are a conceptual diagram illustrating a stylus pen including resonant circuits each resonating with driving signals having different frequencies.

FIG. 220 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 221 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a resonance signal according to the control method of the electronic device of FIG. 220 .

FIG. 222 is a flow chart illustrating a control method of the electronic device 2 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 223 is a waveform diagram illustrating a driving signal according to the method of controlling the electronic device of FIG. 222 .

FIGS. 224 A and 224 B are diagrams showing the arrangement of the touch sensor and the loop coil.

FIGS. 225 and 226 are diagrams showing the arrangement of a touch sensor and a loop coil.

FIG. 227 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the touch sensor and the loop coil of FIG. 225 in more detail.

FIGS. 228 to 233 are diagrams showing the arrangement of a touch sensor and a loop coil in various aspects of an embodiment.

FIG. 234 is a graph comparing a touch signal and a noise signal according to an embodiment and a comparative example.

FIGS. 235 to 238 B are diagrams showing the arrangement of a touch sensor and a loop coil in various aspects of another embodiment.

FIG. 239 is a block diagram illustrating a touch sensor and a host according to an embodiment.

FIG. 240 is a diagram illustrating an example of touch data provided from a touch sensor to a host.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments, and includes various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of embodiments of the present disclosure. In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar elements.

In addition, since sizes and thicknesses of components in the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience of explanation, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. For convenience of explanation, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated in the drawings.

In addition, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, substrate, etc. is referred to as being “on” or “above” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Conversely, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, intervening elements are not present in the middle. Additionally, to be “on” or “above” a reference part means to be located above or below the reference part, and it does not necessarily mean to be located “on” or “above” the opposite direction of gravity.

Herein, the expression “have”, “may include”, “include”, or “may include” refers to the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, action, part, etc.), and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In the present disclosure, the expression “A or B”, “at least one of A and/or B”, or “one or more of A and/or B” may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. For example, “either A or B”, “at least one of A and B, or “at least one of A or B” may refer to all cases including: at least one A; at least one B; or at least one A and at least one B.

Herein, the expression such as “No. 1”, “No. 2”, “first”, or “second” may be used regardless of order and/or importance. It is used only to distinguish one component from other components, and does not limit the corresponding component. For example, the user equipment No. 1 and the user equipment No. 2 may display different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, component No. 1 may be referred to as component No. 2, and similarly, component No. 2 may be referred to as component No. 1 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that when a component (e.g., component No. 1) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., component No. 2), the component is connected directly to another component or through another component (e.g., component No. 3). On the other hand, when a component (e.g., component No. 1) is referred to as being “directly connected to” another component (e.g., component No. 2), it may be understood that there is no other component (e.g., component No. 3) between the component and another component.

The expression “configured to” as used herein may be used interchangeably with, for example, “suitable for”, “having the capacity to”, “designed to”, “adapted to”, “made to”, or “capable of”, depending on the context.

The term “configured to” may not necessarily mean “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some circumstances, the expression “a device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” with other devices or parts thereof. For example, the phrase “a processor configured to perform A, B, and C” may refer to a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor), or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing the corresponding operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the invention. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms including scientific and technological terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Among the terms used in this disclosure, the terms defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted as the same or similar meaning as that in the context of the related art, and are not interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this disclosure. In some cases, even the terms defined in this disclosure cannot be construed to exclude embodiments of this disclosure.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include, for example, at least one of a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a laptop personal computer (PC), a netbook computer, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may include at least one of an accessory (e.g., a watch, ring, bracelet, anklet, necklace, glasses, contact lenses, or head-mounted-device (HMD)), a fabric or integrated garment (e.g., electronic clothing), a body attachable (e.g., a skin pad or tattoo), and a bio-implantable (e.g., an implantable circuit).

Hereinafter, an electronic device, a stylus pen, and a driving method thereof according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the case of an active stylus pen, in order to efficiently transmit power by a wireless charging method to a battery, the amplitude of a resonance signal in the resonant circuit embedded in the stylus pen should be large. On the other hand, in the resonant method of a passive stylus pen, the amplitude of a resonance signal in the resonant circuit embedded in the stylus pen should be large enough for a touch sensor to more accurately identify a touch by the stylus pen. Therefore, it is very important to transmit a signal having the same frequency as a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit of the stylus pen to the stylus pen so as to produce a maximum resonance signal.

FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device.

As shown in FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B , the stylus pen 10 , 10 ′ receives a signal output from the electronic device 2 , 2 ′ or the touch screen 20 , 20 ′ near the touch screen 20 , 20 ′ of the electronic device 2 , 2 ′, and transmits signals to the touch screen 20 , 20 ′.

The electronic devices 2 , 2 ′ may include at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet PC), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a wearable device, or a home appliance. Further, the electronic device 2 may be a flexible device or a flexible display device. Further, the electronic device 2 may be a touch device capable of touch input.

In the member such as the rectangular foldable electronic device 2 ′ or the touch screen 20 ′ included therein as shown in FIG. 1 B , the long side located on the left side of a plane is referred to as a first long side LS 1 , the long side located on the right side thereof is referred to as a second long side LS 2 , the short side located above is referred to as a first short side SS 1 , and the short side located below is referred to as a second short side SS 2 .

The foldable electronic device 2 ′ may be bent along a predetermined folding direction based on a folding axis AXIS_F that crosses the first short side SS 1 and the second short side SS 2 . That is, the foldable electronic device 2 ′ may be able to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state along the folding direction based on the folding axis AXIS_F.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the electronic device 2 , 2 ′ in FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B may include a wireless communication unit 210 , a memory 220 , an interface unit 230 , a power supply unit 240 , a display unit 250 , a touch sensing unit 260 , a control unit 270 , and the like. The components illustrated in FIG. 2 are not necessary to implement an electronic device, and the electronic device described in this disclosure may have more or fewer components than those listed above. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the electronic device 2 of FIG. 1 A will be described as an example. Hence, it should be noted that the contents described below may also be applied to the electronic device 2 ′ of FIG. 1 B .

More specifically, among the components, the wireless communication unit 210 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the electronic device 2 and the wireless communication system, between the electronic device 2 and another electronic device 2 , or between the electronic device 2 and an external server. Further, it may include one or more modules that connect the electronic device 2 to one or more networks. The wireless communication unit 210 may include a wireless Internet module 211 and a short-range communication module 212 .

The wireless Internet module 211 refers to a module for wireless Internet connection, and may be incorporated in the electronic device 2 . The wireless Internet module 211 is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over a communication network according to wireless Internet technologies. Wireless Internet technology is, for example, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced) and the like, and the wireless Internet module 211 transmits and receives data according to at least one wireless Internet technology within a scope including Internet technologies not listed above.

The short-range communication module 212 is for short-range communication, and at least one of Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), infrared communication (Infrared Data Association; IrDA), UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct, or Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus) may be used to support the short-range communication. The short-range communication module 212 may support wireless communication via Wireless Area Networks between the electronic device 2 and the wireless communication system, between the electronic device 2 and the wireless communication capable device, or between the touch sensor 2 and a network where an external server is located. The short-range wireless communication network may be a short-range Wireless Personal Area Networks.

Here, the wireless communication enabled device may be a mobile terminal (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet PC, a notebook, etc.) capable of exchanging data with the electronic device 2 according to the present invention. The short-range communication module 212 may sense or recognize a wireless communication enabled device that is communicable with the electronic device 2 . Further, the control unit 270 may transmit at least a portion of data processed by the electronic device 2 to the wireless communication enabled device through the short-range communication module 2 when the sensed wireless communication enabled device is a device authenticated to communicate with the electronic device 2 according to an embodiment. Accordingly, a user of the wireless communication enabled device can use the data processed by the electronic device 2 through the wireless communication enabled device.

Further, the memory 220 may store data supporting various functions of the electronic device 2 . The memory 220 may store a plurality of application programs (or applications) executed in the electronic device 2 , data for operation of the electronic device 2 , and instructions.

The interface unit 230 may serve as a path to various kinds of external devices connected to the electronic device 2 . The interface unit 230 may include at least one of a wired/wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired/wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device equipped with an identification module, an audio I/O (Input/Output) port, a video I/O (Input/Output) port, and an earphone port.

The power supply unit 240 receives external power or internal power under the control of the control unit 270 , and supplies the power to each component included in the electronic device 2 . The power supply unit 240 may include a battery, and the battery may be an internal battery or a replaceable battery.

The display unit 250 displays information processed in the electronic device 2 . For example, the display unit 250 may display the execution screen information of an application program executed in the electronic device 2 , or UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information.

The display unit 250 may include LCD display (liquid crystal display), OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, electronic ink display (e-ink display), quantum dot light-emitting display, micro-LED (light emitting diode) display, and the like.

The display unit 250 includes a display panel 251 for displaying an image, and a display controller 252 connected to the display panel 251 to supply signals for displaying an image to the display panel 251 .

For example, the display panel 251 may include a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of pixels connected to the same signal lines as a plurality of data lines, and a scan driving unit configured to supply scan signals to the scan lines.

The display controller 252 may include a data driver IC for generating a data signal to be applied to the data line, a timing controller that processes an image signal and controls the overall operation of the display unit 250 , power management IC, and the like.

The touch sensing unit 260 may sense a touch or touch input applied to the touch area using a capacitive method. As an example, the touch sensing unit 260 may be configured to convert a change in capacitance, voltage, or current generated in a specific region into an electrical input signal. The touch sensing unit 260 may be configured to detect a position and area where a touch object applying a touch on a touch area is touched on the touch sensing unit 260 , and a capacitance at the time of the touch. Here, the touch object is an object that applies a touch to the touch sensor. For example, it can be a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.), a passive or active type stylus pen 10 , etc.

The touch sensing unit 260 includes the touch sensor 261 in which the touch electrodes are located, and the touch controller 262 that applies a driving signal to the touch sensor 261 , receives a sensing signal from the touch sensor 261 , and transmits touch data to the control unit 270 and/or the display controller 252 .

In FIG. 2 , the configuration called the touch sensing unit 260 is named in terms of operation with the configurations of other “units” such as the “display unit”. In the following description, a “unit” can be used when expressing the concept of operation in relation to other configurations, a “module” can be used in the concept of the configuration being modularized and produced, a “device” can be used in the concept where the configuration is embodied as one aspect of a “thing”, a “sensor” may be used in the concept of physical operation of the configuration, and a “panel” may be used in the concept of a production process. The names of “unit”, “module”, “device”, “sensor”, and “panel” may be used to make the present invention easily understood within each concept thereof by those skilled in the art, and the differences in expressions do not limit the scope of the present invention.

The touch controller 262 may output touch coordinate information in response to a touch input sensed by the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may change a frequency of the driving signal in response to a touch sensing result.

As an embodiment, the touch controller 262 may include a driving unit that is connected to at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second touch electrodes and applies a driving signal, a receiving unit that is connected to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes and receives a sensing signal, and a micro control unit (MCU) that controls operations of the driving unit and the receiving unit and obtains a touch position by using the sensing signal output from the receiving unit.

In another embodiment, the touch controller 262 may include a first driving/receiving unit that is connected to a plurality of first touch electrodes, applies a driving signal, and receives a sensing signal, a second driving/receiving unit that is connected to a plurality of second touch electrodes, applies a driving signal, and receives a sensing signal, and an MCU that obtains a touch position by using sensing signals output from the first and second driving/receiving units.

The display panel 251 and the touch sensor 261 may be formed in a mutual layered structure or integrally formed, and may be referred to as a touch screen 20 .

The touch sensing unit 260 may further include a loop coil 264 and a coil driver 264 for applying a driving signal to the loop coil 263 . The loop coil 264 may be disposed near the touch screen 20 or at a location within the electronic device 2 . The loop coil 264 may also be composed of an antenna of a short-range communication module 212 such as RFID and NFC. The driving signal may include an alternating voltage or alternating current having a predetermined frequency.

Here, the loop coil 264 may receive a driving signal from the coil driver 253 and transmit power to the outside. Hence, the loop coil 264 may be referred to as a transmission electrode unit. The coil driver 253 may also be referred to as a transmission driver.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the control unit 270 may control driving of the electronic device 2 , and may output touch coordinate information corresponding to a touch sensing result of the electronic device 2 . The control unit 270 may change a frequency of the driving signal in response to a touch sensing result.

The control unit 270 controls the overall operation of the electronic device 2 in addition to the operation associated with the application program. The control unit 270 may provide or process appropriate information or functions to a user by processing signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the above-described components or by driving an application program stored in the memory 270 .

In addition, the control unit 270 may control at least some of the components shown in FIG. 2 to drive an application program stored in the memory 270 . Further, the control unit 270 may combine and operate at least two of the components included in the electronic device 2 to drive the application program.

FIG. 3 A is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 B is a sectional view along the I-I′ line in FIG. 3 A .

Referring to FIG. 3 A and FIG. 3 B , the display panel 251 may display any visual information on the front surface thereof, for example, texts, videos, photos, 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional images, and the like. The type of the display panel 251 is not particularly limited as long as an image is displayed thereon.

In an embodiment, the display panel 251 is a panel having organic light emitting diodes as a light emitting element. However, the type of the display panel 251 is not limited thereto, and another display panel may be used as long as it meets the concept of the present invention.

The display panel 251 may have various shapes. For example, the display panel 251 may be a rectangular panel having two pairs of sides thereof parallel to each other. For convenience of description, the display panel 251 is shown as a rectangle having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides.

However, the shape of the display panel 251 is not limited thereto, and the display panel 251 may have various shapes. For example, the display panel 251 may have any shape of a closed-type polygon including a straight line, a circle, an ellipse, etc. including a curved line, and a semi-circle, semi-ellipse, etc. including a side having a straight line and a curved line. At least some of the corners of the display panel 251 may have a curved shape.

The display panel 251 may have flexibility in a whole or at least a portion thereof.

The display panel 251 may display an image. The display panel 251 includes a display portion 204 , and the display portion 204 may include a display area DA on which an image is displayed and a non-display area NDA located at at least one side of the display area DA. For example, the non-display area NDA may surround the display area DA. A plurality of pixels PX may be located on the display area DA, and a driving unit that drives the plurality of pixels PX may be disposed in the non-display area NDA (see FIG. 210 ).

The display area DA may have a shape corresponding to that of the display panel 251 . For example, like a shape of the display panel 251 , the display area DA may have various shapes such as a closed-type polygon including a straight line, a circle, an ellipse, etc. including a curved line, and a semi-circle, semi-ellipse, etc. including a side having a straight line and a curved line. In an embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the display area DA is rectangular.

The display panel 251 may include a substrate 202 and a display portion 204 provided on the substrate 202 .

The substrate 202 may be made of various materials such as glass, polymer metal, etc., for example. The substrate 202 may be an insulating substrate made of a polymer organic material. As to the material of an insulating substrate containing an organic polymer, there are polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyphenyleneterephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylate, polyimide, polycarbonate, triacetate cellulose, cellulose acetate propionate, and the like. However, the material of the substrate 202 is not limited thereto, and for example, the substrate 202 may be made of FRP (fiber glass reinforced plastic).

The display portion 204 can be positioned over the substrate 202 . The display unit 204 may display information inputted by a user or information provided to a user as an image. The display portion 204 may include a plurality of pixels PX. The plurality of pixels PX may be organic light emitting devices including organic layers, but are not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various forms such as liquid crystal devices, electrophoretic devices, and electrowetting devices. Each pixel PX may include an organic light emitting device that emits white light and/or color light as a minimum unit for displaying an image. Each pixel PX may emit light of any one of red, green, blue, and white, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, it may emit color light such as cyan, magenta, yellow, or the like. Each pixel PX may include a plurality of transistors (not shown therein) connected to a plurality of signal lines (not shown therein) and an organic light emitting diode electrically connected to the transistors.

The display driving unit 210 includes a scan driver that supplies signals to the pixels PX included in the display panel 251 and a data driver.

The signal control unit 220 may supply a driving control signal and image data to the display driving unit 210 , and control an image display operation of the display panel 251 . In detail, the signal control unit 220 may generate the driving control signal and the image data by using the video signal and the data enable signal supplied from an external video source. For example, the signal control unit 220 may receive an image signal and a control signal from an external image source, and the control signal may include a vertical sync signal that is a signal for discriminating frame periods, a horizontal sync signal that is a row discriminating signal within one frame, a data enable signal having a high level only during a data output period, and clock signals. In addition, the driving control signal may include a scan driving control signal, a data driving control signal, and the like.

The scan driving unit 220 generates scan signals based on a scan driving control signal provided from the signal control unit 220 , and outputs the scan signals to scan lines connected to the pixels PX. The data driving unit generates grayscale voltages according to the image data provided from the signal control unit 220 based on the data driving control signal received from the signal control unit 220 . The data driving unit outputs grayscale voltages as data voltages to data lines connected to the pixels PX. On the other hand, the scan driving unit may be formed simultaneously with the pixels PX through a thin film process. For example, the scan driving unit may be mounted in a non-display area NDA in the form of an ASG (amorphous silicon TFT gate driver circuit) or OSG (oxide semiconductor TFT gate driver circuit).

The touch sensor 261 may be mounted on the display portion 204 in the form of a separate panel or film, and may be formed integrally with the display portion 204 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a plurality of touch sensing units TS for sensing a position of a touch when a user's touch is present. The touch sensing unit TS may sense a touch in a mutual capacitance type or a self capacitance type. The touch sensor 261 receives a driving signal from a touch controller 102 of FIG. 3 . The touch controller 262 may receive a sensing signal that changes according to a user's touch from the touch sensor 261 .

The window 103 may be positioned on the touch sensor 261 . The window 103 may have a shape corresponding to that of the display panel 251 , and may cover at least a portion of the front surface of the display panel 251 . For example, if the display panel 251 is rectangular, the window 103 may also be rectangular. Alternatively, if the display panel 251 is circular, the window 103 may also be circular.

An image displayed on the display panel 251 is transmitted to the outside through the window 103 . The window 103 may relieve an external impact and prevent the display panel 251 from being damaged or malfunctioning by the external impact. The external impact may refer to a force that causes a defect in the display panel 251 due to an external force which may be expressed by pressure, stress, or the like.

The window 103 may have flexibility in whole or at least in part.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of some configurations of an electronic device. Referring to FIG. 4 , the display panel 251 is connected to the display driving unit 210 , and the touch sensor 261 is connected to the touch controller 262 .

The touch controller 262 may generate a driving signal output to the touch sensor 261 , and may receive a sensing signal input from the touch sensor 261 . In addition, the touch controller 262 may determine whether a touch is input to the touch screen, the number of touch inputs, the location of the touch input, and the like, by using the driving signal and the sensing signal. The touch controller 262 may receive a horizontal synchronization signal, a scan driving control signal, a data driving control signal, and the like from the signal control unit 220 . The touch controller 262 may adjust the frequency of the driving signal provided to the touch sensor 261 based on the horizontal synchronization signal. For example, the touch controller 262 may set the frequency of the driving signal to an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

Further, the touch controller 262 may receive a sensing signal from the touch sensor 261 during a period in which the scan signal has a disable level based on at least one of the horizontal synchronization signal and the scan driving control signal.

Further, the touch controller 262 may receive a sensing signal from the touch sensor 261 for a period other than the period in which the data signal is applied to the data lines of the display panel 251 based on at least one of the horizontal synchronization signal and the data driving control signal.

In an embodiment of FIG. 4 , the touch sensor 261 and the display panel 251 are separated from each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the touch sensor 261 and the display panel 251 may be integrally formed.

The touch sensor 261 may be provided on at least one area of the display panel 251 . For example, the touch sensor 261 may be provided on at least one surface of the display panel 251 to overlap the display panel 251 . For example, the touch sensor 261 may be disposed on one surface (e.g., an upper surface) of the display panel 251 in a direction in which an image is emitted.

In addition, the touch sensor 261 may be directly formed on at least one surface of both surfaces of the display panel 251 , or may be formed inside the display panel 251 . For example, the touch sensor 251 is formed directly on the upper substrate (or encapsulation layer) of the display panel 251 or the outer surface of the lower substrate (e.g., the upper surface of the upper substrate or the lower surface of the lower substrate). For example, the touch sensor 251 may be formed directly on the upper substrate (or encapsulation layer) of the display panel 251 or the outer surface of the lower substrate (e.g., the upper surface of the upper substrate or the lower surface of the lower substrate). Alternatively, it may be formed directly on the upper substrate or the inner surface of the lower substrate (e.g., the lower surface of the upper substrate or the upper surface of the lower substrate).

When the touch sensor 261 is formed directly on the encapsulation layer of the display panel 251 , the overall thickness of the encapsulation layer may be 4 μm to 10 μm.

The touch sensor 261 includes an active area AA capable of sensing a touch input and a non-active area NAA surrounding at least a portion of the active area AA. According to an exemplary embodiment, the active area AA may be disposed to correspond to the display area DA of the display panel 251 , and the non-active area NAA may be disposed to correspond to the non-display area NDA of the display panel 251 . For example, the active area AA of the touch sensor 261 may overlap the display area DA of the display panel 251 , and the non-active area NAA of the touch sensor 261 may overlap the display area NDA of the display panel 251 .

According to an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of touch sensing units TS is disposed in the active area AA. That is, the active area AA may be a touch sensing area capable of sensing a touch input by a user.

The plurality of touch sensing units TS includes at least one touch electrode for detecting a touch input, for example, in the case of a mutual capacitance method, a plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second touch electrodes. Specifically, one touch sensing unit TS may be one unit for detecting a change in capacitance formed by crossing one first touch electrode and one second touch electrode.

As another example, in the case of a self capacitance method, the plurality of touch sensing units TS includes a plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a matrix form. Specifically, one touch sensing unit TS may be one unit for detecting a change in capacitance of one touch electrode.

According to an embodiment, at least one touch electrode may be provided on the display area DA of the display panel 251 . In this case, the at least one touch electrode may overlap at least one of electrodes and wires provided in the display panel 251 on a plane. For example, when the display panel 251 is an organic light emitting display panel, at least one touch electrode may at least overlap a cathode electrode, a data line, a scan line, and the like. When the display panel 251 is a liquid crystal display panel, at least one touch electrode may overlap at least a common electrode, a data line, a gate line, and the like.

As such, when the touch sensor 261 is coupled to the display panel 251 , a parasitic capacitance is generated between the touch sensor 261 and the display panel 251 . For example, at least one touch electrode of the touch sensor 261 may be disposed to overlap at least one of electrodes and wires of the display panel 251 on a plane, and accordingly, a parasitic capacitance is generated between the touch sensor 261 and the display panel 251 .

A signal of the display panel 251 may be transmitted to the touch sensor, in particular, the touch sensor 261 by the coupling action of the parasitic capacitance. For example, a noise signal due to a display driving signal (e.g., a data signal, a scan signal, a light emission control signal, etc.) applied to the display panel 251 may be introduced into the touch sensor 261 .

In the electronic device 2 according to an embodiment, the display panel 251 may be an organic light emitting display panel having a thin film encapsulation layer, and the touch sensor 261 may be made of on-cell type sensor electrodes in which at least one touch electrode is directly formed on one surface (e.g., an upper surface) of the thin film encapsulation layer. In this case, at least one (e.g., a cathode electrode) of electrodes and wires provided in the organic light emitting display panel and at least one touch electrode are positioned adjacent to each other. Accordingly, a noise signal according to driving the display may be transmitted to the touch sensor 261 with a relatively high intensity.

The noise signal transmitted to the touch sensor 261 may cause a ripple of the sensing signal, which may reduce the sensitivity of the touch sensor. Accordingly, the present disclosure will provide various embodiments capable of improving the sensitivity of the touch sensor, and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

Next, an aspect of the display unit 250 shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating one embodiment of the display unit 250 of FIG. 2 , and FIG. 6 illustrates pixels of the display unit of FIG. 5 , and FIG. 7 illustrates an timing view representing an example of a driving signal for driving the display unit in FIG. 5 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the display unit may include a display panel 251 including a plurality of pixels PX, a data driving unit 2522 , a scan driving unit 2520 , and a signal control unit 2524 .

The display panel 251 includes a plurality of pixels PX arranged in a substantially matrix form. Although not particularly limited, the plurality of scan lines S 1 to Si extends substantially opposite to each other in a substantially row direction in the arrangement of pixels and is substantially parallel to each other, and the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj extends substantially in the column direction, and is substantially parallel to each other.

Each of the plurality of pixels PX is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of scan lines S 1 to Si connected to the display panel 251 and a corresponding one of the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj connected to the display panel 251 . In addition, although not shown directly on the display panel 251 of FIG. 5 , each of the plurality of pixels PX is connected to a power source connected to the display panel 251 , and is supplied a first power supply voltage ELVDD and a second power supply voltage ELVSS.

Each of the plurality of pixels PX emits light with a predetermined luminance by a driving current supplied to the organic light emitting diode according to a corresponding data signal transmitted through the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj.

The scan driving unit 2520 generates and transmits a scan signal corresponding to each pixel through the plurality of scan lines S 1 to Si. That is, the scan driving unit 2520 transmits a scan signal to each of a plurality of pixels included in each pixel row through a corresponding scan line.

The scan driving unit 2520 receives the scan driving control signal CONT 2 from the signal controller 2524 and generates a plurality of scan signals, and sequentially applies the scan signals to the plurality of scan lines S 1 to Si connected to each pixel row. In addition, the scan driving unit 2520 generates a common control signal and supplies the common control signal to a common control line connected to all of the plurality of pixels PX.

The data driving unit 2522 transmits a data signal to each pixel through a plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj.

The data driving unit 2522 receives a data driving control signal CONT 1 from the signal control unit 2524 and supplies data signals corresponding to the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj connected to each of the plurality of pixels included in each pixel row.

The signal control unit 2524 converts an image signal transmitted from the outside into image data DATA and transmits it to the data driving unit 2522 . The signal control unit 2524 receives external control signals such as a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a clock signal, a data enable signal, etc., and generates and transmits a control signal for controlling of driving the scan driving unit 2520 and the data driving unit 2522 . That is, the signal control unit 2524 generates and transmits a scan driving control signal CONT 2 for controlling the scan driving unit 2520 and a data driving control signal CONT 1 for controlling the data driving unit 2522 , respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the pixel PX_lk may include an organic light-emitting diode OLED, a first transistor TR 1 , a second transistor TR 2 , and a storage capacitor Cst. The pixel PX_lk may be disposed in the first pixel row and k-th pixel column. Each transistor is a PMOS transistor for the convenience of description.

The first transistor TR 1 may be a driving transistor. In an embodiment, the first transistor TR 1 may include a gate connected to the first node N 1 , a source connected to the first power voltage ELVDD, and a drain connected to the anode of the organic light emitting diode OLED.

The driving current is a current corresponding to a voltage difference between the gate and the source of the first transistor TR 1 , and the driving current varies according to a voltage according to a data signal applied to the data line D 1 .

The second transistor TR 2 may be turned on according to the level of the scan signal applied to the scan line Sk and connect the first node N 1 and the data line D 1 . In one embodiment, the second transistor TR 2 may include a gate connected to the scan line Sk, a source connected to the data line D 1 , and a drain connected to the first node N 1 . The second transistor TR 2 transmits a data voltage according to the data signal D[ 1 ] transmitted through the first data line D 1 to the first node N 1 in response to the corresponding scan signal S[k] transmitted through the k-th scan line Sk.

The storage capacitor Cst is connected between the first power voltage ELVDD and the first node N 1 . In an embodiment, the storage capacitor Cst may include one electrode connected to the first power voltage ELVDD and the other electrode connected to the first node N 1 .

The organic light emitting diode OLED may emit light by a driving current flowing from the first transistor TR 1 . In an embodiment, the organic light emitting diode OLED may include an anode connected to the drain of the first transistor TR 1 and a cathode connected to the second power voltage ELVSS.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the period of the pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync may be one frame period 1 FRAME of the display panel 251 according to the display frame rate.

During one frame period 1 FRAME, the data driving unit 2522 may be synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and apply an enable level data signal to the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj. For example, for every pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the data driving unit 2522 applies a data signal corresponding to pixels connected to a scan line to which a scan signal having a low-level voltage L is applied to all of the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj. For example, the scan driving unit 2520 applies the scan signal of the low-level voltage L to one corresponding scan line for every pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

Within one horizontal period 1H, that is, within one period of the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, there are the period dwp for applying the data signal to the data line and the period sp during which the scan signal is a low-level voltage L.

Regarding the period dwp and the period sp, a pixel connected to the scan line Sk and the data line D 1 will be described as an example.

At t 00 , one horizontal period 1H begins. At t 01 , the data signal DATA[k] is applied to the data line D 1 . At t 10 , the scan signal S[k] applied to the scan line Sk is changed to a low-level voltage L.

The time t 10 at which the scan signal S[k] is changed to the low-level voltage L and the time t 01 at which the data signal DATA [k] starts to be applied to the data line D 1 may be the same or different. For example, in consideration of the RC delay of the data line D 1 , before the scan signal S[k] is changed to the low-level voltage L, the data signal DATA[k] is may be applied to the data line D 1 .

At t 11 , the scan signal S[k] is changed to a high-level voltage H. At t 12 , the application of the data signal DATA[k] to the data line D 1 is stopped. At t 22 , one horizontal period 1H ends.

The time t 11 at which the scan signal S[k] is changed to the high-level voltage H and the time t 12 at which the application of the data signal DATA[k] to the data line D 1 is stopped may be the same or different. For example, after the scan signal S[k] is changed to the high-level voltage H, the application of the data signal DATA[k] to the data line D 1 may be stopped.

The data writing period TA includes a period dwp and a period sp. Specifically, the data writing period TA is from the earlier of the time at which the period dwp starts and the time at which the period sp starts, up to the later of the end of the period dwp and the end of the period sp. For example, the data writing period TA may be a period from t 01 to t 12 .

Next, another aspect of the display unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another aspect of the display unit of FIG. 2 , and FIG. 9 is a view showing pixels of the display unit of FIG. 8 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the display unit includes a display panel 251 including a plurality of pixels PX, a data driving unit 2522 , a scan driving unit 2520 , a light emission control driver 2526 , and a signal control unit 2524 .

The display panel 251 includes a plurality of pixels PX arranged in a substantially matrix form. Although not particularly limited, the plurality of scan lines S 0 to Si and the plurality of light emission control lines E 1 to Ei extend oppositely in the substantially row direction in the arrangement of the pixels and are substantially parallel to each other, and the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj extend approximately in the substantially column direction and are substantially parallel to each other.

Each of the plurality of pixels PX is connected to corresponding two scan lines among the plurality of scan lines S 0 to Si connected to the display panel 251 , corresponding one light emission control line of the plurality of light emission control lines E 1 to Ei, and corresponding one data line of the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj, respectively. In addition, although not directly shown on the display panel 251 of FIG. 8 , each of the plurality of pixels PX is connected to a power source connected to the display panel 251 , and is supplied a first power supply voltage ELVDD, a second power supply voltage ELVSS, and an initialization voltage VINT.

Each of the plurality of pixels PX of the display panel 251 is connected to two corresponding scan lines. That is, it is connected to the scan line corresponding to the pixel row including the corresponding pixel and the scan line corresponding to the previous pixel row of the pixel row. Each of the plurality of pixels included in the first pixel row may be connected to the first scan line S 1 and the dummy scan line S 0 . In addition, each of the plurality of pixels included in the i-th pixel row is connected to the i-th scan line Si corresponding to the i-th pixel row, which is the corresponding pixel row, and the i−1th scan line Si−1 corresponding to the i−1th pixel row, which is the previous pixel row. It is connected to the line Si−1.

Each of the plurality of pixels PX emits light having a predetermined luminance by a driving current supplied to the organic light emitting diode according to a corresponding data signal transmitted through the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj.

The scan driving unit 2520 generates and transmits a scan signal corresponding to each pixel PX through the plurality of scan lines S 0 to Si. That is, the scan driving unit 2520 transmits a scan signal to each of the plurality of pixels PX included in each pixel row through a corresponding scan line.

The scan driving unit 2520 receives the scan driving control signal CONT 2 from the signal control unit 2524 and generates a plurality of scan signals, and sequentially applies the scan signals to a plurality of scan lines S 0 to Si connected to each pixel row.

The data driving unit 2522 transmits a data signal to each pixel through the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj.

The data driving unit 2522 receives the data driving control signal CONT 1 from the signal control unit 2524 and supplies data signals corresponding to the plurality of data lines D 1 to Dj connected to each of the plurality of pixels included in each pixel row.

The light emission control driving unit 2526 is connected to a plurality of light emission control lines E 1 to Ei connected to the display panel 251 including a plurality of pixels PX arranged in a matrix. That is, a plurality of light emission control lines E 1 to Ei extending substantially parallel to each other while facing each of the plurality of pixels in a substantially row direction, connects each of the plurality of pixels PX to the light emission control driving unit 2526 .

The light emission control driving unit 2526 generates and transmits a light emission control signal corresponding to each pixel through the plurality of light emission control lines E 1 to Ei. Each pixel receiving the light emission control signal is controlled to emit an image according to the image data signal in response to the control of the light emission control signal. That is, in response to the light emission control signal transmitted through the corresponding light emission control line, the operation of the light emission control transistors TR 5 , TR 6 in FIG. 9 included in each pixel is controlled, and accordingly, the organic light emitting diode connected to the light emission control transistor may or may not emit light with a luminance according to the driving current corresponding to the data signal.

A first power voltage ELVDD, a second power voltage ELVSS, and an initialization voltage VINT are supplied to each pixel PX of the display panel 251 . The first power voltage ELVDD may be a predetermined high-level voltage, and the second power voltage ELVSS may be a voltage lower than the first power voltage ELVDD or a ground voltage. The initialization voltage VINT may be set to be equal to or lower than the second power voltage ELVSS.

Voltage values of the first power voltage ELVDD, the second power voltage ELVSS, and the initialization voltage VINT are not particularly limited.

The signal control unit 2524 converts a plurality of image signals transmitted from the outside into a plurality of image data signals DATA, and transmits the converted image signals to the data driving unit 2522 . The signal control unit 2524 receives the vertical synchronization signal Vsync, the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, and the clock signal, and generates control signals for controlling the driving of the scan driving unit 2520 , the light emission control driving unit 2526 , and the data driving unit 2522 and transmit them thereto, respectively. That is, the signal control unit 2524 generates and transmits the data driving control signal CONT 1 for controlling the data driving unit 2522 , the scan driving control signal CONT 2 for controlling the scan driving unit 2520 , and the light emission control signal CONT 3 for controlling the light emission control driving unit 2526 .

As shown in FIG. 9 , the pixel PX_ab includes an organic light emitting diode OLED, a storage capacitor Cst, and the first to seventh transistors TR 1 to TR 7 . The pixel PX_ab may be located in the a-th pixel row and the b-th pixel column. Each transistor is assumed to be a PMOS transistor for the convenience of description.

The first transistor TR 1 has a gate connected to the first node N 1 , a source connected to the second node N 2 to which the drain of the fifth transistor TR 5 is connected, and a drain connected to a third node N 3 . A driving current flows through the first transistor TR 1 according to the corresponding data signal D[b].

The driving current is a current corresponding to a voltage difference between the source and gate of the first transistor TR 1 , and the driving current varies in response to a data voltage according to the applied data signal D[b].

The second transistor TR 2 has a gate connected to the a-th scan line Sa, a source connected to the b-th data line Db, and a drain connected to the second node N 2 which is commonly connected to the source of the first transistor TR 1 and the drain of the fifth transistor TR 5 .

The second transistor TR 2 transmits to the second node N 2 a data voltage according to the data signal D[b] transmitted through the b-th data line Db in response to the corresponding scan signal S[j] transmitted through the a-th scan line Sa.

The third transistor TR 3 includes a gate connected to the a-th scan line Sa, and both ends respectively connected to the gate and drain of the first transistor TR 1 . The third transistor TR 3 operates in response to the corresponding scan signal S[j] transmitted through the a-th scan line Sa. The turned-on third transistor TR 3 connects the gate and the drain of the first transistor TR 1 , and diode-connects the first transistor TR 1 .

When the first transistor TR 1 is diode-connected, a voltage compensated by the threshold voltage of the first transistor TR 1 from the data voltage applied to the source of the first transistor TR 1 is applied to the gate of the first transistor TR 1 . Since the gate of the first transistor TR 1 is connected to one electrode of the storage capacitor Cst, the voltage is maintained by the storage capacitor Cst. Since the voltage for which the threshold voltage of the first transistor TR 1 is compensated is applied to the gate thereof and maintained, the driving current flowing through the first transistor TR 1 is not affected by the threshold voltage of the first transistor TR 1 .

The fourth transistor TR 4 includes a gate connected to the a−1th scan line Sa−1, a source connected to the initialization voltage VINT, and a drain connected to the first node N 1 . The fourth transistor TR 4 transmits to the first node N 1 an initialization voltage VINT applied through the initialization voltage VINT in response to the a−1th scan signal S[a−1] transmitted through the a−1th scan line Sa−1. The fourth transistor TR 4 may transmit to the first node N 1 the initialization voltage VINT, before the data signal D[b] is applied, in response to the a−1th scan signal S[a−1]transmitted in advance to the a−1th scan line Sa−1 corresponding to the previous pixel row of the j-th pixel row including the corresponding pixel PX_ab.

In this case, the voltage value of the initialization voltage VINT is not limited, but may be set to have a low-level voltage value to sufficiently lower the gate voltage of the first transistor TR 1 for initialization. That is, during the period in which the a−1th scan signal S[a−1] is transferred to the gate of the fourth transistor TR 4 at the gate-on voltage level, the gate of the first transistor TR 1 is set to be initialized with the initialization voltage VINT.

The fifth transistor TR 5 includes a gate connected to the j-th light emission control line Ej, a source connected to the first power voltage ELVDD, and a drain connected to the second node N 2 .

The sixth transistor TR 6 includes a gate connected to the j-th light emission control line Ej, a source connected to the third node N 3 , and a drain connected to the anode of the organic light emitting diode OLED.

The fifth transistor TR 5 and the sixth transistor TR 6 operate in response to the j-th light emission control signal E[j] transmitted through the j-th light emission control line Ej. When the fifth transistor TR 5 and the sixth transistor TR 6 are turned on in response to the j-th light emission control signal E[j], a current path is formed in the direction from the first power voltage ELVDD to the organic light emitting diode OLED so that a driving current can flow, and then the organic light emitting diode OLED emits light according to the driving current, and an image of the data signal is displayed.

The storage capacitor Cst includes one electrode connected to the first node N 1 and the other electrode connected to the first power voltage ELVDD. As described above, since the storage capacitor Cst is connected between the gate of the first transistor TR 1 and the first power voltage ELVDD, the voltage applied to the gate of the first transistor TR 1 may be maintained.

The seventh transistor TR 7 includes a gate connected to the a−1th scan line Sa−1, a source connected to the anode of the organic light emitting diode OLED, and a drain connected to the power supply of the initialization voltage VINT.

The seventh transistor TR 7 may transmit to the anode of the organic light emitting diode OLED the initialization voltage VINT in response to the a−1th scan signal S[a−1] transmitted in advance to the a−1th scan line Sa−1 corresponding to the previous pixel row of the j-th pixel row including the corresponding pixel PX_ab. The anode of the organic light emitting diode OLED is reset to a sufficiently low voltage by the transmitted initialization voltage VINT.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensing unit according to an embodiment.

The touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor 261 and a touch controller 262 for controlling the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may include a driving unit 2620 and a receiving unit 2622 that transmit/receive signals to and from the touch sensor 261 , and a control unit 2624 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - n for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction. For example, the touch sensor 261 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m having a shape extending in the second direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n having a shape extending in the first direction crossing the second direction. In the touch sensor 261 , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may be arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be arranged along the second direction.

The plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m are connected to the driving unit 2620 , and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n are connected to the receiving unit 2622 . Although the driving unit 2620 , the receiving unit 2622 , and the control unit 2624 are illustrated separately in FIG. 10 , they may be implemented as one module, unit, or chip, but are not limited thereto.

The driving unit 2620 may apply a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . The receiving unit 2622 may receive a sensing signal from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

Although it has been described above that the touch sensing unit 260 is implemented in a mutual capacitance method, the touch sensing unit 260 may be implemented in a self-capacitance method, and a person skilled in the art may easily modify the touch electrodes in the mutual capacitance method 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n , the driving unit 2620 , and the receiving unit 2622 so as to suit the self-capacitance method by means of appropriate modification thereof, adding new components, or omitting some components thereof.

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment, and FIGS. 12 A and 12 B are a diagram illustrating an example in which a stylus pen is touched by the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the touch sensing unit 260 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a touch panel 262620 and a touch controller 262 controlling the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may include first and second driving/receiving units 2620 ′ and 2622 ′ that transmit/receive signals to and from the touch sensor 261 , and a control unit 2624 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The touch sensing unit 260 of the present embodiment may not include the coil driver 263 and the loop coil 264 .

The touch sensor 261 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m having a shape extending in a first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - n having a shape extending in a second direction crossing the first direction. In the touch sensor 261 , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may be arranged along the second direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be arranged along the first direction. Although the shape of the touch sensor 261 in FIG. 1 is illustrated as a rectangle, it is not limited thereto.

Although the shape of the touch sensor 261 in FIG. 11 is illustrated as a rectangle, it is not limited thereto. The shape of the touch sensor 261 may have an arbitrary shape. For example, the arbitrary shape may be a circle, an ellipse, a partially circular polygon, or a polygon other than a square. The arbitrary shape includes the shape of a figure partially composed of curves.

The touch sensing unit 260 may be used to sense a touch input (direct touch or proximity touch) by a touch object. A touch input of the stylus pen 10 close to the touch sensor 261 may be sensed by the touch sensing unit 260 .

As shown in FIGS. 12 A and 12 B , the touch sensor 261 further includes an insulating layer 23 and a window 22 . The touch electrode layer 21 may be positioned on the insulating layer 23 . The touch electrode layer 21 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . A window 22 may be positioned on the touch electrode layer 21 . In FIG. 12 A and FIG. 12 B , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n are illustrated as being positioned on the same layer, however, they may be respectively located on different layers, and are not limited thereto.

The plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m is connected to the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n is connected to the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′. Although the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ are shown separately in FIG. 11 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may be implemented as a module, a unit, or a chip, but are not limited thereto.

The first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ may apply a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m through the plurality of touch channels. The first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ may also receive sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m through the plurality of touch channels. Similarly, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may apply driving signals to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the plurality of touch channels. The second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may also receive sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the plurality of touch channels.

That is, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may be a kind of transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals.

When a driving signal is applied from the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′ to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , the channels corresponding to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m act as drive channels. In addition, when a sensing signal is transmitted from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m to the first driving/receiving unit 2620 ′, the touch channels corresponding to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m act as sensing channels. Similarly, when a driving signal is applied from the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , the touch channels corresponding to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n act as driving channels. In addition, when a sensing signal is transmitted from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n to the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′, the touch channels corresponding to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n act as sensing channels.

The driving signal may include a signal (e.g., a sine wave, a square wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . The resonant frequency of the stylus pen 10 depends on a design value of the resonant circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen.

The touch sensing unit 260 may be used to sense a touch input (direct touch or proximity touch) by a touch object. As shown in FIG. 12 A , a touch input of the stylus pen 10 adjacent to the touch sensor 261 may be sensed by the touch sensing unit 260 .

As shown in FIG. 12 B , the touch screen 20 includes a display panel 251 and a touch sensor 261 on the display panel 251 . The touch sensor 261 may include a substrate 23 , a touch electrode 21 on the substrate, and a window 22 on the touch electrode 21 .

The touch electrode 21 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 , . . . , 111 - m and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , . . . , 121 - n . Although the touch electrode 21 is illustrated as a single layer in FIG. 12 B , the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes may be respectively located on different layers, but are not limited thereto.

A window 22 may be positioned on the touch electrode 21 . The touch electrode 21 , the conductive tip 11 , and the window 22 may form a capacitance Cx. Accordingly, a signal a resonance signal or an active touch signal generated by the stylus pen 10 may be transmitted to the touch electrode 21 .

As shown in FIG. 12 A , the touch sensing unit 260 may be used to sense a touch input direct touch or proximity touch by a touch object. As illustrated in FIG. 12 B , a touch input of the stylus pen 10 close to the touch sensor 261 may be sensed by the touch sensing unit 260 .

FIGS. 13 A and 13 B are a diagram illustrating a case in which a driving signal is applied to a stylus pen and a user's hand holding the stylus pen.

As shown in FIG. 13 A , the driving signal is transmitted to the resonance circuit unit 12 through a capacitance formed from the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 .

However, assuming that a user holds the stylus pen 10 with the hand 30 and writes on the touch sensing unit 260 , a capacitance formed between the user's hand 30 and the touch electrodes 111 , 121 also exists in addition to the capacitance formed between the touch electrodes 111 , 121 and the conductive tip 11 .

When the same driving signal is applied to the plurality of touch electrodes 111 , 121 in this connection state, as shown in FIG. 13 B , the driving signal is transmitted not only to the capacitance formed from the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 , but also to the capacitance with the user's hand 30 at the same time. Since the user's hand 30 is connected to the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 , the driving signal is transmitted to the resonance circuit unit 12 .

On the other hand, the resonance circuit unit 12 resonates using the voltage difference between the signal transmitted through the conductive tip 11 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 , but when the same driving signal is applied to the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 through the hand 30 , the voltage difference between the conductive tip 11 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 is reduced, thereby reducing the magnitude of a resonance signal. In this regard, it will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 .

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a case of performing a touch input to the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment using a stylus pen, and FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the influence of a driving signal transmitted by hand in FIG. 14 .

As shown in FIG. 14 , the tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 forms capacitances Ct 1 , Ct 2 with the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 , respectively.

When a user grips the stylus pen 10 and performs a touch input on the touch sensor 261 , the user's hand 30 is spaced apart from the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 and comes in contact with the touch sensor 261 . For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , the user's hand 30 contacts the area in which the second touch electrodes 121 - 7 , 121 - 8 are arranged in the touch sensor 261 . That is, the user's hand 30 may form capacitance with the second touch electrodes 121 - 7 , 121 - 8 .

Referring to FIG. 15 , the touch electrodes of the touch sensor 261 may form capacitance with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 . For example, the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 of the touch sensor 261 form a capacitance Ct 1 with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 , and the second touch electrodes 121 - 4 form a capacitance Ct 2 with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 . One end of the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 is electrically connected to the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 .

The touch electrodes of the touch sensor 261 may form capacitance with the user's hand 30 . For example, the second touch electrode 121 - 8 of the touch sensor 261 forms a capacitance Cp 1 with the user's hand 30 , and the second touch electrode 121 - 8 forms a capacitance Cp 2 with the user's hand 30 .

Since the user's hand 30 is holding the stylus pen 10 , that is, the ground unit 15 or the body portion 17 of the stylus pen 10 , the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 are electrically conductive, or the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 form a capacitance Ccp through the body portion 17 . That is, the other end of the resonance circuit unit 12 is electrically connected to the user's hand 30 .

In addition, a capacitance Cpg is formed between the user's hand 30 and the ground of the touch sensor 261 , and a capacitance Csg is also formed between the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 and the ground of the touch sensor 261 .

The driving signal applied to the touch electrodes 121 - 8 , 121 - 9 is transmitted to the other end of the resonance circuit unit 12 through capacitances Cp 1 , Cp 2 between the touch electrodes 121 - 8 , 121 - 9 and the user's hand 30 and the user's hand 30 , and through the capacitance Ccp between the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 .

As such, as the driving signal is applied to the ground unit 15 , the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 does not have an ideally stable ground state, and the voltage level changes according to the driving signal. On the other hand, the resonance circuit unit 12 accumulates energy required for resonance with the voltage difference between the ground unit 15 and the conductive tip 11 , but when the potential of the ground unit 15 moves according to the driving signal, the voltage difference between the ground unit 15 and the conductive tip 11 is reduced, thereby the magnitude of a resonance signal is reduced.

In order to solve this problem, in the prior art, when a contact object such as the user's hand 30 and the stylus pen 10 contact the touch sensor 261 at the same time, a driving signal is not applied at a point where the user's hand is expected to be located, or a driving signal having a 180-degree phase difference is applied so that the magnitude of the resonance signal generated by the stylus pen 10 is not reduced. This operation will be described below with reference to FIG. 16 .

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal application operation of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 16 , when the user's hand 30 grips the stylus pen 10 and is positioned on the touch sensor 261 , the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 may be positioned on the second touch electrode 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 , and the user's hand 30 may be positioned on the second touch electrodes 121 - 8 , 121 - 9 .

In this case, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may apply a first driving signal to the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 where the stylus pen 10 is positioned, and may apply a second driving signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees from the first driving signal to to the second touch electrodes 121 - 8 , 121 - 9 arranged adjacent to the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 where the first driving signal is applied.

In this case, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 ′ may be configured such that the other second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 5 , 121 - 6 , 121 - 7 arranged adjacent to the second touch electrodes 121 - 3 , 121 - 4 maintain a constant voltage (e.g., a ground state). Although the illustrated example shows that the second touch electrodes 121 - 5 , 121 - 6 , 121 - 7 grounded between the second touch electrodes to which the first driving signal and the second driving signal are applied are disposed therein, the touch electrode to which the first driving signal is applied and the touch electrode to which the second driving signal is applied may be continuously arranged in some implementation. In addition, the control unit 2624 may make the corresponding second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 5 , 121 - 6 , 121 - 7 have a floating state instead of grounding them. Here, the floating state means that a specific electrode is opened without being grounded or connected to another circuit configuration.

Since the driving signal having a 180-degree phase difference is provided to the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 , the voltage difference between both ends of the resonant circuit unit 12 increases more than that in a case where the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 is ideally grounded. Accordingly, as the energy that can be utilized for resonance increases, the stylus pen 10 may generate a resonance signal of a larger size.

However, when the stylus pen 10 and the user's hand 30 respectively form capacitances with the same touch electrode, it is difficult to increase the magnitude of the resonance signal according to the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating another case of performing a touch input to the touch sensing unit 260 using a stylus pen according to an embodiment, and FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the influence of a driving signal transmitted by hand in FIG. 17 .

Referring to FIG. 17 , the tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 forms capacitances Cx 1 , Cx 2 , Cx 3 respectively with the second touch electrode 121 - 4 and the first touch electrodes 111 - 2 , 111 - 3 .

When a user grips the stylus pen 10 and performs a touch input on the touch sensor 261 , the user's hand 30 may be spaced apart from the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 and come into contact with the touch sensor 261 . In this case, the user's hand 30 and the conductive tip 11 may be located together on the same touch electrode. For example, as shown in FIG. 18 , the user's hand 30 comes into contact with an area where the second touch electrodes 121 - 4 are disposed within the touch sensor 261 . That is, the user's hand 30 may form a capacitance with the second touch electrode 121 - 4 .

Referring to FIG. 18 , the touch electrodes of the touch sensor 261 may form capacitance with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 . For example, the second touch electrode 121 - 4 of the touch sensor 261 forms a capacitance Cx 1 with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 , and the first touch electrode 111 - 2 of the touch sensor 261 and the first touch electrode 111 - 3 form a capacitance Cx 2 and a capacitance Cx 3 with the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 , respectively. One end of the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 is electrically connected to the second touch electrode 121 - 4 and the first touch electrodes 111 - 2 , 111 - 3 .

The touch electrodes of the touch sensor 261 may form capacitance with the user's hand 30 . For example, the second touch electrode 121 - 4 of the touch sensor 261 forms a capacitance Cb 1 with the user's hand 30 , and the first touch electrode 111 - 8 forms a capacitance Cb 2 with the user's hand 30 .

Since the user's hand 30 is holding the stylus pen 10 , that is, the ground unit 15 or the body portion 17 of the stylus pen 10 , the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 are electrically conductive, or the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 form a capacitance Ccp through the body portion 17 . That is, the other end of the resonance circuit unit 12 is electrically connected to the user's hand 30 .

In addition, a capacitance Cpg is formed between the user's hand 30 and the ground of the touch sensor 261 , and a capacitance Csg is also formed between the ground unit 25 of the stylus pen 10 and the ground of the touch sensor 261 .

The driving signal applied to the touch electrode 121 - 4 is transmitted to the other end of the resonance circuit unit 12 through the capacitance Cb 4 between the touch electrode 121 - 4 and the user's hand 30 and through the capacitance Ccp between the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 .

As such, as the driving signal is applied to the ground unit 15 , the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 does not have an ideally stable ground state, and the voltage level changes according to the driving signal. On the other hand, the resonance circuit unit 12 accumulates energy required for resonance with the voltage difference between the ground unit 15 and the conductive tip 11 , but when the potential of the ground unit 15 moves according to the driving signal, the voltage difference between the ground unit 15 and the conductive tip 11 is reduced, thereby the magnitude of the resonance signal is reduced.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal application operation of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 19 , when a user's hand 30 grips the stylus pen 10 and is positioned on the touch sensor 261 , the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 may be positioned on the second touch electrode 121 - 4 , and the user's hand 30 may also be positioned on the second touch electrode 121 - 4 .

The second driving/receiving unit 2622 may apply the first driving signal to the second touch electrodes 121 - 4 where the stylus pen 10 and the hand 30 are located, and may apply a second driving signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees from the first driving signal to the second touch electrodes 121 - 8 , 121 - 9 located adjacent to the second touch electrode 121 - 4 .

In this case, through the capacitance Cb 4 formed between the touch electrode 121 - 4 and the user's hand 30 and the capacitance Ccp formed between the user's hand 30 and the ground unit 25 of the stylus pen 10 , a driving signal of the same phase as that of the conductive tip 11 is transmitted to the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 . Accordingly, the voltage difference driving the resonance circuit becomes significantly smaller than when there is no driving signal flowing into the hand 30 . That is, when the driving signal is transmitted to the ground unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 through the hand 30 , the voltage difference between both ends of the resonance circuit unit 12 is reduced, and accordingly, the energy that can be utilized for resonance will decrease.

A touch sensing unit according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 24 .

FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensing unit according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the touch sensing unit 260 ′ according to an exemplary embodiment includes a touch sensor 261 and a touch controller 262 for controlling the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may include first to third driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 , 2626 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the touch sensor 261 , and a control unit 2624 .

The touch sensor 261 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m having a shape extending in a first direction, a plurality of second touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - n having a shape extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - ab arranged in a matrix. In the touch sensor 261 , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may be arranged along the second direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be arranged along the first direction. The plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 1 to 131 - ab may be arranged in a dot matrix shape. One third touch electrode (e.g., 131 - 11 ) may be disposed to correspond to a plurality of intersection points where first touch electrodes (e.g., 111 - 1 to 111 - 4 ) adjacent to each other and second touch electrodes (e.g., 121 - 1 to 121 - 4 ) adjacent to each other intersect. The shape of the touch sensor 261 in FIG. 20 is illustrated as a rectangle, but is not limited thereto.

The plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m is connected to the first driving/receiving unit 2620 , the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n is connected to the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , and the plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - ab are connected to the third driving/receiving unit 2626 . In FIG. 1 , although the first driving/receiving unit 2620 , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , the third driving/receiving unit 2626 , and the control unit 2624 are illustrated separately, but they may be implemented as a module, a unit, or a chip, but are not limited thereto.

The first driving/receiving unit 2620 may apply a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . The first driving/receiving unit 2620 may also receive sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . Similarly, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may apply a driving signal to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . The second driving/receiving unit 2622 may also receive sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . Similarly, the third driving/receiving unit 2626 may apply a driving signal to the plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - ab . The third driving/receiving unit 2626 may also receive sensing signals from the plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - ab.

The first driving/receiving unit 2620 , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , and the third driving/receiving unit 2626 may be a kind of transceiver that transmits and receives signals, and may include a driving unit that generates and outputs a driving signal and a receiving unit that receives a signal, respectively. However, each of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , and the third driving/receiving unit 2626 is either a driver only transmitting a signal, or a receiver only receiving a signal, but is not limited to the description above.

The driving signal may include a signal (e.g., a sine wave, a square wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . The resonant frequency of the stylus pen 10 depends on a design value of the resonant circuit unit 23 of the stylus pen.

The touch sensing unit 260 may be used to sense a touch input (direct touch or proximity touch) by a touch object.

FIG. 21 is a plan view of a part of the touch sensor 261 according to an embodiment, FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a part of FIG. 21 in detail, and FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X′ of FIG. 22 , and FIG. 24 is a plan view of a part of the touch sensor 261 according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 21 and FIG. 22 together, the touch sensor 261 may include first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 , second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 , third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 22 , first wirings CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 , second wirings CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 , third wirings CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 , first pads PD 1 , and second pads PD 2 .

The first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 may be arranged along a first direction X. Each of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 may include a plurality of first sensor patterns SP 1 arranged along a second direction Y, and first connection patterns BP 1 electrically connecting the adjacent first sensor patterns SP 1 to each other.

The second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 may be arranged along the second direction Y. Each of the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 may include a plurality of second sensor patterns SP 2 arranged along the first direction X and second connection patterns BP 2 electrically connecting the adjacent second sensor patterns SP 2 to each other.

Each of the first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 may include an outer line OL and an inner line IL. On a plane, the inner line IL may be defined inside the outer line OL. The first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 may not be disposed in the inner area ILA surrounded by the inner line IL on a plane.

The third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 122 may be referred to as third sensor patterns SP 3 , self-capacitance sensor patterns SP 3 , or operation dummy patterns SP 3 . Each of the third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 22 may include third connection patterns BP 3 that electrically connect the plurality of third sensor patterns SP 3 and the adjacent third sensor patterns SP 3 to each other.

The third sensor patterns SP 3 may be disposed in the inner region ILA on a plane view. The third sensor patterns SP 3 may be insulated from the first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 . That is, openings are defined in each of the first and second sensor patterns SP 1 , SP 2 . The opening may correspond to the inner region ILA. Third sensor patterns SP 3 or a dummy pattern DMP may be disposed in each of the openings.

In FIG. 22 , the third sensor patterns SP 3 may be disposed in the inner area ILA of some of the first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 . In this case, the dummy patterns DMP may be disposed in the inner area ILA of other portions of the first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 in which the third sensor patterns SP 3 are not disposed. In FIGS. 21 and 22 , in order to distinguish between an area where the third sensor patterns SP 3 are disposed and an area where the dummy patterns DMP are disposed, dots are marked at positions where the third sensor patterns SP 3 are disposed. The dummy patterns DMP may be floating electrodes to which a separate electrical signal is not applied from the outside. Accordingly, separate signal lines connected to the dummy patterns DMP may be omitted. The dummy patterns DMP may be insulated from the first sensor patterns SP 1 , the second sensor patterns SP 2 , and the third sensor patterns SP 3 .

The first sensor patterns SP 1 and the second sensor patterns SP 2 may form mutual capacitance between each other and sense a touch applied from the outside. In addition, each of the third sensor patterns SP 3 may sense an external touch through a change in self-capacitance.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the touch sensor 261 may implement both a mutual capacitance type touch and a self capacitance type touch.

Each of the first sensor patterns SP 1 , the second sensor patterns SP 2 , the third sensor patterns SP 3 , the first connection patterns BP 1 , and the second connection patterns BP 2 may include a transparent conductive oxide. For example, each of the first sensor patterns SP 1 , the second sensor patterns SP 2 , the third sensor patterns SP 3 , the first connection patterns BP 1 , and the second connection patterns BP 2 may include at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium oxide (IGO), indium zinc gallium oxide (IGZO), and mixtures/compounds thereof. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 may be connected to the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 , and the second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 may be the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may be connected to the third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 22 .

The first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 may be connected to each of the first sensor patterns SP 1 disposed at the respective ends of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 among the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 .

The second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 may be connected to each of the second sensor patterns SP 2 disposed at the respective ends of the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 among the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may be connected to the third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 22 in a one-to-one correspondence.

Some CHD- 4 of the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may be connected to the third touch electrodes 131 - 22 located inside the touch sensor 261 through a connection line CL extending along the outer line OL. The connection line CL may be disposed between the outer lines OL of two adjacent sensor patterns, and minimize parasitic capacitance with the sensor patterns.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of wires may be connected to each of the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 , like the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 . In addition, in another embodiment, wires may be connected to only one side of each of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 . A touch device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include signal wires and sensor electrodes having various connection relationships therewith, and it is not limited to a specific structure.

As shown in FIG. 24 , some CHD- 4 among the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may be connected to the electrodes 131 - 22 positioned inside the touch sensor 261 through the dummy patterns DMP.

Each of the first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 , the second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may have a single-layered or multi-layered structure. In addition, each of the first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 , the second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 may contain a transparent conductive oxide comprising at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium oxide (IGO), indium zinc gallium oxide (IGZO), or mixtures/compounds thereof, or may contain molybdenum, silver, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

The first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 , the second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 are electrically connected to the first driving/receiving unit 2620 , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , and the third driving/receiving unit 2626 that are provided outside the touch sensor 261 , respectively.

Referring to FIG. 23 , the touch sensor 261 includes a first conductive layer 101 , an insulating layer 105 , a second conductive layer 102 , and a window 103 .

Each of the first conductive layer 101 and the second conductive layer 102 may include a plurality of conductive patterns. The plurality of conductive patterns may include the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 , the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 , the third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 22 , the first wires CHY- 1 to CHY- 8 , the second wires CHX- 1 to CHX- 7 , and the third wires CHD- 1 to CHD- 4 , as described in FIGS. 21 and 22 . This will be described in detail below.

The insulating layer 105 is disposed between the first conductive layer 101 and the second conductive layer 102 . The insulating layer 105 separates the first conductive layer 101 and the second conductive layer 102 to be spaced apart from each other in a cross section. That is, the first conductive layer 101 and the second conductive layer 102 may be electrically insulated by the insulating layer 105 . A portion of the first conductive layer 101 and the second conductive layer 102 may be electrically connected through a contact hole penetrating the insulating layer 105 . The insulating layer 105 may include an organic material and/or an inorganic material.

The window 103 covers the second conductive layer 102 and protects the second conductive layer 102 . The window 103 may have insulating properties. The window 103 may include at least one inorganic layer and/or an organic layer. In some cases, the window 103 may be omitted.

The first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - 8 may include first sensor patterns SP 1 disposed on the second conductive layer 102 and first connection patterns BP 1 disposed on the second conductive layer 102 .

The second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - 7 may include second sensor patterns SP 2 disposed on the second conductive layer 102 and second connection patterns BP 2 disposed on the first conductive layer 101 . The second sensor patterns SP 2 and the second connection patterns BP 2 may pass through the contact hole HL to be electrically connected to each other.

The third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - 122 may include third sensor patterns SP 3 disposed on the second conductive layer 102 and third connection patterns BP 3 disposed on the first conductive layer 101 . The third sensor patterns SP 3 and the third connection patterns BP 3 may be electrically connected to each other through the contact hole HL.

FIG. 25 is a view illustrating an example in which a stylus pen is close to the touch sensing unit of FIG. 20 .

The stylus pen 10 may include a conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 , a ground 15 , and a body 17 . A touch input of the stylus pen 10 close to the touch sensor 261 may be sensed by the touch sensing unit 260 .

At least a portion of the conductive tip 11 is formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal, conductive rubber, conductive fabric, conductive silicone, etc.), and may be electrically connected to the resonant circuit unit 12 .

The resonance circuit unit 12 is an LC resonance circuit, and may resonate with a driving signal applied to at least one type of electrodes among the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n from at least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 through the conductive tip 11 .

The resonance signal generated by the resonance circuit unit 12 resonating with the driving signal may be output to the touch sensor 261 through the conductive tip 11 . A resonance signal due to resonance of the resonance circuit unit 12 may be transmitted to the conductive tip 11 in the period in which the driving signal is applied to at least one type of electrodes among the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and the plurality of third touch electrodes 131 - 11 to 131 - ab , and in a period thereafter. The resonance circuit unit 12 may be located in the body 17 , and may be electrically connected to the ground 15 .

The stylus pen 10 of this type may respond to a driving signal applied to at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and 131 - 11 to 131 - ab , and may generate a resonance signal, thereby causing to generate a touch input.

The capacitance Cx is formed by at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and 131 - 11 to 131 - ab and the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 . The driving signal may be transmitted to the stylus pen 10 through the capacitance Cx between at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and 131 - 11 to 131 - ab , and the conductive tip 11 , and the resonance signal may be transmitted to the touch sensor 261 .

The touch sensing unit 260 may detect a touch by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 using the method of generating the resonance signal described above (e.g., a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.), or passive or active type stylus pen), but it is not limited thereto.

For example, the touch sensing unit 260 detects a touch by the stylus pen that receives an electrical signal and outputs it as a magnetic field signal. For example, the touch sensing unit 260 may further include a digitizer. A touch may be detected by the digitizer in the manner that a magnetic field signal electromagnetically resonant (or electromagnetically induced) by the stylus pen is detected by the digitizer. Alternatively, the touch sensing unit 260 detects a touch by the stylus pen that receives a magnetic field signal and outputs it as a resonant magnetic field signal. For example, the touch sensing unit 260 may further include a coil for applying a current as a driving signal, and a digitizer. The stylus pen resonates with the magnetic field signal generated by the current applied coil. A touch may be detected by the stylus pen in the manner that an electromagnetic resonance (or electromagnetic induction) magnetic field signal is detected by the digitizer. The touch sensing unit 260 detects a touch by the stylus pen that receives a magnetic field signal and outputs a predetermined signal. Here, the predetermined signal output from the stylus pen may be different from a signal resonant in the resonance circuit unit inside the stylus pen. For example, the predetermined signal may be a signal output from an active circuit unit inside the stylus pen. The active circuit unit may receive power from a battery charged by the resonance signal, and may output the predetermined signal.

The control unit 2624 may control driving of the touch sensing unit 260 , and may output touch coordinate information in response to the touch sensing result of the touch sensing unit 260 .

The touch sensing unit 260 including the antenna module according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 26 .

FIG. 26 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of the touch sensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment.

The touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor 261 , a loop coil 264 , a coil driver 263 for driving the loop coil 264 , and a touch controller 262 for controlling the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may include a driving unit 2620 and a receiving unit 2622 that transmit/receive signals to and from the touch sensor 261 , and a control unit 2624 . In addition, although separately illustrated in the drawing, the touch controller 262 may further include a coil driver 263 for applying a driving signal to the loop coil 264 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction. For example, the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may have a shape extending in the second direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may have a shape extending in the first direction. In the touch sensor 261 , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may be arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be arranged along the second direction.

The driving unit 2620 may apply a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . The receiving unit 2622 may receive a sensing signal from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

Although it has been described above that the touch sensor 261 is implemented in a mutual capacitance method, the touch sensor 261 may be implemented in a self-capacitance method, and the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the mutual capacitance method, the driving unit 2620 , and the receiving unit 2622 may be appropriately modified, added new components, or omitted some components in order to adapt to the self-capacitance method. This will be easily implemented by a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 27 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an exemplary embodiment.

The touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment includes a touch sensor 261 , a loop coil 264 , a coil driver 263 for driving the loop coil 264 , and a touch controller 262 for controlling the touch sensor 261 . The touch controller 262 may include a driving/receiving unit 2620 that transmits/receives signals to and from the touch sensor 261 , a driving/receiving unit 2622 , and a control unit 2624 . In addition, the touch controller 262 may further include a coil driver 263 that applies a driving signal to the loop coil 264 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction. For example, the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may have a shape extending in the second direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may have a shape extending in the first direction. In the touch sensor 261 , the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m may be arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be arranged along the second direction.

The driving/receiving unit 2620 may apply a driving signal to at least one of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and may receive a sensing signal from the at least one of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . The driving/receiving unit 2622 may apply a driving signal to at least one of the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and may receive a sensing signal to the at least one of the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

Although it has been described above that the touch sensor 261 is implemented in a mutual capacitance method, the touch sensor 261 may be implemented in a self-capacitance method, and the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the mutual capacitance method, the driving unit 2620 , and the receiving unit 2622 may be appropriately modified, added new components, or omitted some components in order to adapt to the self-capacitance method. This will be easily implemented by a person skilled in the art.

In addition, the driving/receiving unit 2620 may be connected to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, and may apply a driving signal. The driving/receiving unit 2622 may be connected to at least one of the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, and may receive a sensing signal.

The coil driver 263 applies a driving signal to the loop coil 264 . The driving signal may include a signal (e.g., a sine wave, a square wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 , and may be an AC voltage or an AC current having a predetermined frequency. The frequency and magnitude of the driving signal may be changed according to the control of the controller 2624 .

The control unit 2624 may receive a sensor input from the stylus pen 10 by demodulating the touch signal received from the driving/receiving unit 2620 and the driving/receiving unit 2622 .

In addition, the control unit 2624 may modulate the driving signal applied to the loop coil 264 so that the frequency of the resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 may be changed. Here, the demodulation method of the touch signal and the modulation method of the frequency change request driving signal in the control unit 2624 may be performed in a manner such as OOK (On/Off Keying), ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying), or FSK (Frequency Shift Keying). Similarly, the modulation method of the touch signal and the demodulation method of the frequency change request driving signal in the stylus pen 10 may be performed in a manner such as On/Off Keying (OOK), or Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK).

The touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device 2 ′ shown in FIG. 1 B will be described with reference to FIG. 28 .

FIG. 28 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an exemplary embodiment. The touch sensing unit 260 shown in FIG. 28 includes a plurality of loop coils 264 a , 264 b , and the plurality of loop coils 264 a , 264 b are respectively located in areas other than the folding area FA including the axis AXIS_F, in comparison with the touch sensing unit 260 described with reference to FIG. 26 . Since the touch sensing unit 260 shown in FIG. 28 is the same except for those enumerated above, detailed descriptions of other components therein will be omitted.

The first loop coil 264 a is located on the left side of the folding axis AXIS_F, and the second loop coil 264 b is located on the right side of the folding axis AXIS_F. The first and second loop coils 264 a , 264 b are connected to the coil driver 263 .

The coil driver 263 applies a driving signal to each of the first and second loop coils 264 a , 264 b . The coil driver 263 may differently apply driving signals using the position of the stylus pen 10 on the touch screen 20 . This will be described later with reference to the drawings.

Meanwhile, although two loop coils are illustrated in FIG. 28 , the number of loop coils may be further increased according to the number of folding areas. For example, if there are two folding areas, there may be three loop coils, and if there are three folding areas, there may be four loop coils. As such, the number of loop coils may have the number obtained by adding one to the number of folding areas.

Hereinafter, the stylus pen 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIGS. 29 A and 29 B are diagrams illustrating the operations of the stylus pen 10 according to an embodiment and the touch screen 20 according to two embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 29 A and FIG. 29 B , the stylus pen 10 may include a conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 , a ground unit 15 , and a housing 17 (e.g., case, frame, cover, etc.).

The conductive tip 11 is electrically connected to the resonant circuit unit 12 . At least a portion thereof may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal, conductive rubber, conductive fabric, conductive silicone, etc.), but it is not limited thereto. In addition, the conductive tip 11 may have a form in which a portion of the conductive tip 11 is exposed to the outside of the housing while being present inside the non-conductive housing, but it is not limited thereto.

At least a portion of the conductive tip 11 is formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal, conductive rubber, conductive fabric, conductive silicone, etc.), and may be electrically connected to the resonant circuit unit 12 .

The resonance circuit unit 12 is an LC resonance circuit, and may resonate with a driving signal output from the touch screen 20 . The resonance circuit unit 12 is an LC resonance circuit, and may resonate with a driving signal applied to at least one type of electrodes among a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n from at least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 through the conductive tip 11 . Here, the driving signal may be a Tx signal transmitted to the touch electrodes (channel). The driving signal may include a signal (e.g., a sine wave, a square wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 . The resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 depends on a design value of the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 . For resonance, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 and the frequency of the driving signal should be the same or very similar. When the touch electrodes 21 generate an electric field by the driving signal, the resonance circuit 12 of the stylus pen 10 resonates using the signal received through the change of the electric field.

The housing 17 may accommodate the elements of the stylus pen 10 . The housing 17 may have a cylindrical pillar shape, a polygonal pillar shape, a pillar shape with at least a portion thereof a curved surface, an entasis shape, a frustum of pyramid shape, a circular truncated cone shape, etc., and the shape thereof is not limited hereto. Since the housing 17 has an empty interior, the conductive tip 11 , the resonance circuit unit 12 , and the ground unit 15 may be accommodated therein. The housing 17 may be made of a non-conductive material.

The resonance signal generated by the resonance circuit unit 12 resonating with the driving signal may be output to the touch screen 20 through the conductive tip 11 . During a period in which a driving signal is input to the touch electrode 21 and a period thereafter, a resonance signal due to resonance may be output to the touch screen 20 through the conductive tip 11 . The resonance circuit unit 12 is located in the housing 17 , and is electrically connected to the ground unit 15 . The ground unit 18 may be grounded by a user's body in contact with the outer surface of the housing 17 .

Hereinafter, stylus pens 10 according to various embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 30 A to 30 E .

FIGS. 30 A to 30 E are a view illustrating a stylus pen according to various embodiments. The stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , and 10 e include a conductive tip 11 and a resonant circuit unit 12 in common.

Specifically, the stylus pen 10 a in FIG. 30 A includes a conductive tip 11 and a resonance circuit unit 12 connected to the conductive tip 11 .

The stylus pen 10 b in FIG. 30 B includes a conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 connected to the conductive tip 11 , a rectifier 13 connected to the resonance circuit unit 12 , a power storage 14 connected to the rectifier 13 , and an active circuit unit 15 connected to the power storage 14 . The active circuit unit 15 is connected to the resonant circuit unit 12 .

The stylus pen 10 c in FIG. 30 C includes a conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 , a battery 50 connected to the resonance circuit unit 12 , and an active stylus module 60 connected to the battery 50 . The active stylus module 60 is connected to the conductive tip 11 .

The stylus pen 10 d in FIG. 30 D includes a conductive tip 11 , an active stylus module 60 connected to the conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 connected to the active stylus module 60 , a battery 50 connected to the resonance circuit unit 12 . The battery 50 and the active stylus module 60 are connected to each other.

The stylus pen 10 e in FIG. 30 E includes a conductive tip 11 , a resonance circuit unit 12 , and an active module 50 . In addition, the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , and 10 e may further include a sensor and/or a communication module to be described later.

At least a portion of the conductive tip 11 may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal, conductive rubber, conductive fabric, conductive silicone, etc.), but it is not limited thereto. The resonance circuit unit 12 is an LC resonance circuit and may resonate with a driving signal output from the loop coil 264 . The resonance circuit unit 12 is an LC resonance circuit and may resonate with a driving signal output from the touch screen 20 . The driving signal may include a signal (e.g., a sine wave, a square wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 . Each resonant frequency of the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , and 10 e depends on the design value of the resonant circuit unit 12 of each of the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , and 10 e . For resonance, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 and the frequency of the driving signal should be the same or very similar. When the loop coil 264 generates a magnetic field by a driving signal or the touch sensor 261 generates an electric field by a driving signal, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , 10 e resonates using a signal received through a change in a magnetic field and/or an electric field.

The elements of the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , 10 e may be accommodated in the housing. The housing may have a cylinder shape, a polygonal pillar shape, a pillar shape at least partially curved, an entasis shape, a frustum of pyramid shape, a circular truncated cone shape, etc., but the shape of the housing is not limited thereto. Since the housing has an empty interior, the elements of the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , 10 e , such as the conductive tip 11 and the resonance circuit unit 12 can be accommodated therein. Such a housing may be made of a non-conductive material.

The stylus pen 10 a illustrated in FIG. 30 A may include a conductive tip 11 and a resonance circuit unit 12 directly connected to the conductive tip 11 . The resonant circuit unit 12 resonates using energy transmitted from the loop coil 264 , and the resonant energy is directly output through the conductive tip 11 .

During the period in which the driving signal is input to the loop coil 264 and the period thereafter, a resonance signal due to resonance may be output to the touch screen 20 through the conductive tip 11 . The resonant circuit unit 12 is located in the housing and is electrically connected to the ground unit. The electronic device 2 may be used to sense a touch input (direct touch or proximity touch) by a touch object. As shown in FIG. 29 , a touch input of the stylus pen 10 proximate to the touch sensor 261 may be sensed by the electronic device 2 .

The stylus pen 10 b shown in FIG. 30 B includes a conductive tip 11 , a resonant circuit unit 12 , a rectifier 13 , a power storage 14 , and an active circuit unit 15 . In addition, the stylus pen 10 may further include a sensor (not shown therein) and/or a communication module (not shown therein). The resonant circuit unit 12 resonates using energy transmitted from the loop coil 264 , and the resonant energy is transmitted to the active module 50 . The resonant circuit unit 12 resonates using energy transferred from the loop coil 264 , and the resonant energy is rectified in the rectifier 13 and can be used to charge the power storage 14 . The power storage 14 includes a rechargeable battery or a capacitor such as an electric double layered capacitor (EDLC).

The active circuit unit 15 of the stylus pen 10 b shown in FIG. 30 B may receive power from the power storage 14 , and may change the magnitude, frequency, phase, etc. of the resonance signal transmitted to the touch screen 20 . In addition, the active circuit unit 15 may transmit an additional signal other than the touch input to the short-range communication module 212 of the electronic device 2 . The active module 50 may also transmit an additional signal other than the touch input to the short-range communication module 212 of the electronic device 2 .

The active module 50 of the stylus pen 10 e shown in FIG. 30 E may rectify the resonant energy and store it. In order to store power, the active module 50 may include a rechargeable battery or a capacitor such as an electric double layered capacitor (EDLC). Additionally, the active module 50 may further include a DC/DC converter, etc.

The active module 50 may include a sensor, a communication unit, and the like. For example, the sensor may include at least one of a pen pressure sensor for obtaining a change in pressure according to the pressure of the pen tip 11 , an acceleration sensor for obtaining a change in inclination of the stylus pen 10 , a mechanical input means (alternatively, a mechanical key, for example, a button located on the back or side of the stylus pen 10 , a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc.), a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, a RGB sensor, an infrared sensor (IR sensor), a fingerprint sensor (finger scan sensor), an optical sensor (e.g., camera), a microphone, a battery gauge, an environmental sensor (e.g., barometer, hygrometer, thermometer, radiation sensor, thermal sensor, gas detection sensor, etc.), and a chemical sensor (e.g., electronic nose, healthcare sensor, biometric sensor, etc.).

The communication unit may perform short-range wireless communication using at least one of Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct and Wireless USB (Universal Serial Bus) technologies. The short-range communication method of the communication unit may be a short-range communication protocol other than the communication protocols described above, and is not limited to the above description.

The stylus pen 10 c shown in FIGS. 30 C and 30 D may include a conductive tip 11 , a resonant circuit unit 12 , a battery 50 connected to the resonant circuit unit 12 to store power, and an active stylus module 60 connected to the conductive tip 11 . The resonant circuit unit 12 resonates using energy transmitted from the loop coil 264 , and the resonant energy may be used to charge the battery 50 . The active stylus module 60 may receive power from the battery 50 and transmit a signal to the touch screen 20 . The active module 50 may transmit an electromagnetic signal to the touch screen 20 using stored power, energy transmitted to the resonance circuit unit 12 , and the like. The active stylus module 60 may include an oscillator and the like, and may transmit an electrical signal oscillating at a predetermined frequency generated by the oscillator to the touch screen 20 .

A stylus pen, an electronic device, and an input system including the same according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 to 35 .

FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating a part of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, descriptions of the same components as those described above will be omitted.

The active circuit unit 15 may include a DC/DC converter 150 , a battery 152 , a sensor 154 , and a controller 156 . Here, the DC/DC converter 150 and the battery 152 may not be included depending on a design thereof.

The DC/DC converter 150 may boost or down-convert the power stored in the power storage 14 to supply an appropriate charging voltage to the battery 152 . When the battery 152 is not included in the active circuit unit 15 , the DC/DC converter 150 may supply the converted voltage as the operating voltage of the controller 156 .

The battery 152 may be charged with a voltage supplied from the DC/DC converter 150 , and the charged voltage may be supplied as an operating voltage of the controller 156 . When the DC/DC converter 150 is not included in the active circuit unit 15 , the battery 152 functions as the charge storage 14 .

The sensor may include at least one of a pen pressure sensor for obtaining a change in pressure according to the pressure of the pen tip 11 , an acceleration sensor for obtaining a change in inclination of the stylus pen 10 , a mechanical input means (alternatively, a mechanical key, for example, a button located on the back or side of the stylus pen 10 , a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc.), a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, a RGB sensor, an infrared sensor (IR sensor), a fingerprint sensor (finger scan sensor), an optical sensor (e.g., camera), a microphone, a battery gauge, an environmental sensor (e.g., barometer, hygrometer, thermometer, radiation sensor, thermal sensor, gas detection sensor, etc.), and a chemical sensor (e.g., electronic nose, healthcare sensor, biometric sensor, etc.).

The controller 156 controls the overall operation of the stylus pen 10 .

The controller 156 may transmit the sensor input to the electronic device 2 by controlling the magnitude of the resonance signal according to the input from the sensor 154 . The controller 154 may modulate a sensor input value in an OOK method or an ASK method by controlling on/off of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 according to an input value from the sensor. In FIG. 31 , a total of three resistors are connected in parallel to represent 4 bits, but more or fewer resistors may be included. In this regard, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 32 and 33 together.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart illustrating a sensor input operation of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 33 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a resonance signal according to FIG. 32 .

As shown in FIG. 32 , the electronic device 2 transmits a driving signal to the stylus pen 10 S 00 . The drive signal may charge the power storage 14 , 152 of the stylus pen 10 . If the power storage 14 , 152 is sufficiently charged, this step may be omitted.

The sensor 154 senses an input S 10 . The input may be various inputs according to the type of the sensor 154 .

The controller 156 modulates the resonance signal according to the sensed input S 12 , and the modulated resonance signal is transmitted to the electronic device 2 S 14 . As shown in FIG. 33 , the resonance signal modulated by the ASK method may be transmitted to the electronic device 2 .

The electronic device 2 acquires data sensed by the sensor 154 by demodulating the transmitted resonance signal, and detects a touch input by the resonance signal S 02 . Hereinafter, data transmitted to the electronic device 2 according to the type of the sensor 154 will be described.

When the sensor 154 is a pen pressure sensor, and senses a hovering state, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. For example, the controller 156 may connect the voltage of the first node N 1 to the ground of the battery 152 , and may stop the output of the resonance signal in the hovering state. In this case, the controller 2624 may sense that the magnitude of the resonance signal received through the touch electrode 21 is very small or the resonance signal itself is not received, and may determine that there is no touch input by the stylus pen 10 . As another example, the controller 156 may output data indicating the hovering state as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and obtain data indicating the hovering state, and may not process the received resonance signal as a touch input.

When the sensor 154 is an acceleration sensor, and senses an inclination angle, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the inclination angle as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 , obtain data indicating the inclination angle, and adjust the touch area to correspond to the inclination angle. If the angle of inclination of the stylus pen 10 from the Z-axis (see FIG. 5 ) is large, the controller 2624 may generate touch data by adjusting it to have a larger value than the touch area according to the touch input by the resonance signal.

When the sensor 154 is a button or a touch sensor, and senses a user's button press or a touch of the touch sensor, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the size of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the button press or the touch input as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and obtain data indicating the button press or the touch input, and may generate touch data indicating the button press or the touch input. The electronic device 2 may process a user input received by the electronic device 2 using touch data indicating the button press or the touch input. For example, when the electronic device 2 further includes a camera, if touch data indicating a button press or a touch input of the stylus pen 10 are received, the controller 270 performs an operation of taking an image with the camera. In addition, when the electronic device 2 further includes a speaker, if touch data indicating a button press or a touch input of the stylus pen 10 are received, the controller 270 may control the volume of the sound output to the speaker, or perform an operation to start or stop the reproduction of the sound.

When the sensor 154 is an illuminance sensor, and senses ambient illuminance, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating ambient illuminance as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and acquire data representing ambient illuminance, and transmit it to the controller 270 or the display controller 252 . Then, the luminance of the image displayed on the display panel 251 may be adjusted according to the ambient illuminance.

When the sensor 154 is a magnetic sensor, and senses the direction the stylus pen 10 faces, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the direction in which the stylus pen 10 faces as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and obtain data indicating the direction in which the stylus pen 10 faces, and transmit it to the controller 270 . Then, the controller 270 may display the direction in which the stylus pen 10 faces on the display panel 251 as a compass image or the like. The controller 270 may generate a signal for controlling another external device positioned in the direction the stylus pen 10 faces. In this case, it is assumed that the direction in which the external device is positioned with respect to the electronic device 2 is stored in the memory 220 .

When the sensor 154 is a gyroscope sensor or a motion sensor, and senses a user's motion input, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the motion input as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may acquire data indicating the motion input by demodulating the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 , and transmit it to the controller 270 . Then, the controller 270 may perform an operation according to the motion input.

When the sensor 154 is an RGB sensor, a light sensor, or an infrared sensor, and senses external light, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the color, image, or infrared level of external light as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and obtain data indicating the color, image, or infrared level of external light, and transmit it to the controller 270 . Then, the controller 270 may perform an operation according to the color, image, or infrared level of external light.

When the sensor 154 is a fingerprint sensor, and senses a user's fingerprint input, the controller 156 may compare the input fingerprint image with a fingerprint image stored in a memory (not shown therein) of the active circuit unit 15 to authenticate the user. If the user is an authenticated user, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal.

For example, the controller 156 may connect the voltage of the first node N 1 to the ground of the battery 152 , and may stop the output of the resonance signal during use by an unauthorized user. In this case, the controller 2624 may sense that the magnitude of the resonance signal received through the touch electrode 21 is very small or the resonance signal itself is not received, and may determine that there is no touch input by the stylus pen 10 . As another example, the controller 156 may output data indicating a use by an unauthorized user as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 and obtain data indicating the use by the unauthorized user, and may not process the received resonance signal as a touch input.

When the sensor 154 is a microphone, and senses an external sound, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating an external sound as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 , acquire data indicating the external sound, and transmit it to the controller 270 . Then, the controller 270 may perform an operation according to the external sound.

When the sensor 154 is a battery gauge, and senses the state of charge (SOC, OCV, etc.) of the batteries 14 , 152 , the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the state of charge of the batteries as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. Then, the controller 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiver 2622 , obtain data indicating the state of charge of the batteries 14 , 152 , and adjust the magnitude of the driving signal applied to the loop coil 264 . When the state of charge of the batteries 14 , 152 is in a fully charged state, the controller 2624 may decrease the level of the driving signal. When the state of charge of the batteries 14 and 152 is equal to or less than a threshold, the controller 2624 may increase the level of the driving signal.

When the sensor 154 is a thermometer, and senses the ambient temperature, the controller 156 may control at least one of the switches SW 0 , SW 1 , SW 2 and change the magnitude of the resonance signal. The controller 156 may output data indicating the ambient temperature as a resonance signal through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal. In this case, the controller 156 may control the switch SW 3 and change the resonance frequency. For example, when the ambient temperature increases, the controller 156 may control the switch SW 3 to increase the resonance frequency. When the ambient temperature decreases, the controller 156 may control the switch SW 3 and reduce the resonance frequency. Then, the control unit 2624 may demodulate the resonance signal received by the receiving unit 2622 , acquire data indicating the ambient temperature, and adjust the frequency of the driving signal applied to the loop coil 264 . When it is determined that the ambient temperature increases, the controller 2624 may decrease the frequency of the driving signal. When it is determined that the ambient temperature increases, the control unit 2624 may decrease the magnitude of the driving signal.

In addition, the data sensed according to the function of the sensor 154 may be modulated according to various data modulation methods and transmitted to the electronic device 2 . Then, the controllers 2624 , 270 may demodulate the received resonance signal, acquire sensor data, and perform appropriate controls in response thereto.

Next, the controller 156 may demodulate a driving signal transmitted through the touch electrode 21 and change the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 . In this regard, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 34 and 35 together.

FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating operations of changing resonance frequencies of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 35 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a resonance signal according to FIG. 34 .

The electronic device 2 may be vulnerable to noise having a frequency similar to the resonant frequency according to the design of the resonant circuit unit built into the stylus pen 10 . Accordingly, the controller 2624 may change the driving frequency of the driving signal when the signal received from the receiver 2622 contains a noise component having the same or similar frequency as the driving frequency of the current driving signal, or only a noise signal equal to or similar to the driving frequency of the current driving signal exists.

As shown in FIG. 34 , the controller 2624 transmits a resonance frequency change request signal to the stylus pen 10 S 20 . Before changing the driving frequency of the driving signal, the controller 2624 may modulate the resonant frequency change request signal to the driving signal, and apply it to the touch electrode 21 . As illustrated in FIG. 35 , the controller 2624 may modulate the resonant frequency change request signal to the driving signal in an ASK method before changing the frequency f 1 of the driving signal to the frequency f 2 , and transmit it to the stylus pen 10 .

The controller 156 determines whether a frequency change request signal is received by demodulating the driving signal transmitted through the touch electrode 21 S 30 .

If there is a frequency change request, the controller 156 controls the switch SW 3 and changes the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 S 32 , and the stylus pen 10 transmits the resonance signal to the electronic device 2 S 34 . In this case, although the resonance frequency is changed, if the driving frequency of the driving signal is not changed, the magnitude of the resonance signal may be reduced.

When the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit unit 12 is changed, the controller 2624 changes the frequency of the driving signal to the changed resonant frequency, and senses a touch input S 22 . Referring back to FIG. 35 , at t 1 , the controller 2624 changes the driving frequency of the driving signal to f 2 . In this case, the changed resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 may be a preset frequency. On the other hand, the controller 156 may output data indicating that the resonance frequency is changed through a signal modulation method using the magnitude of the resonance signal as a resonance signal, and the controller 2624 may check whether the resonance frequency is changed. Alternatively, if the magnitude of the received resonance signal decreases after the controller 2624 transmits the frequency change request signal, or a predetermined time elapses after the frequency change request signal is transmitted, the controller 2624 may determine that the resonance frequency has changed.

Next, a stylus pen, an electronic device, and an input system including the same according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 36 to 38 .

FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a part of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, descriptions of the same components as those described above will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 36 , the stylus pen 10 further includes a communication unit 158 capable of communicating with an external communication module 212 and the like.

The communication unit 158 may perform short-range wireless communication using at least one of Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct and Wireless USB (Universal Serial Bus) technologies. The short-range communication method of the communication unit 158 may be a short-range communication protocol other than the communication protocols described above, and is not limited to the above description.

The controller 156 may transmit the input from the sensor 154 to the electronic device 2 via the communication unit 158 . It will be described together with reference to FIG. 37 .

FIG. 37 is a flowchart illustrating a sensor input operation of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to another exemplary embodiment.

As illustrated, the electronic device 2 transmits a driving signal to the stylus pen 10 S 40 . The drive signal may charge the power storage 14 , 152 of the stylus pen 10 . If the power storage 14 , 152 is sufficiently charged, this step may be omitted.

The sensor 154 senses an input S 50 . The input may be various inputs according to the type of the sensor 154 .

The controller 156 generates a sensing signal according to the sensed input S 52 , and the generated sensing signal is transmitted to the electronic device 2 S 54 .

The electronic device 2 receives the transmitted communication signal and acquires data sensed by the sensor 154 S 42 .

Separately, the stylus pen 10 transmits a resonance signal according to the driving signal to the electronic device 2 S 56 , and the electronic device 2 detects a touch input by the resonance signal S 44 .

Next, the controller 156 may demodulate the driving signal transmitted through the touch electrode 21 , and may change the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 . In this regard, it will be described with reference to FIG. 19 .

FIG. 38 is a flowchart illustrating operations of changing resonance frequencies of a stylus pen and an electronic device according to another embodiment.

As shown, the controller 2624 transmits the resonance frequency change request signal to the stylus pen 10 through the short-range communication module 212 S 60 . The controller 2624 may transmit the resonant frequency change request signal to the stylus pen 10 before changing the driving frequency of the driving signal.

When the resonant frequency change request signal is received through the communication unit 158 , the controller 156 controls the switch SW 3 and change the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit unit 12 S 70 . When the resonant frequency is changed, the communication unit 158 may transmit data indicating that the resonant frequency is changed to the short-range communication module 212 , or may transmit data indicating the timing for the resonant frequency to be changed to the short-range communication module 212 . The stylus pen 10 transmits the changed resonance signal to the electronic device 2 S 72 .

When the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit unit 12 is changed, the controller 2624 changes the frequency of the driving signal to the changed resonant frequency and detects a touch input S 62 . After the controller 2624 transmits the frequency change request signal, if the magnitude of the received resonance signal decreases, or a predetermined time elapses after the frequency change request signal is transmitted, the controller 2624 may determine that the resonance frequency has changed.

FIG. 39 A is a view showing a state in which a stylus pen is in proximity to an electronic device, FIG. 39 B is a schematic circuit diagram showing a stylus pen and an electronic device, and FIGS. 40 A and 40 B are a diagram illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device to transmit and receive signals.

As illustrated in FIG. 39 A , the stylus pen 10 and the touch screen 20 may be adjacent to each other.

The stylus pen 10 of this type may generate a touch input by generating a resonance signal in response to a driving signal applied to the touch electrode 21 .

The touch screen 20 includes a display panel 251 and a touch sensor 261 on the display panel 251 . The touch sensor 261 may include a substrate 23 , a touch electrode 21 on the substrate, and a window 22 on the touch electrode 21 .

The substrate 23 may be an encapsulation substrate of the display panel 251 , which is preferably implemented with a transparent material.

The touch electrode 21 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes having a shape extending in a first direction and arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a plurality of second touch electrodes having a shape extending in a second direction and arranged along the first direction.

Although the touch electrode 21 is illustrated as a single layer in FIG. 39 A , the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes may be respectively located on different layers, but they are not limited thereto.

A capacitance Cx is formed by at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - n , 121 - 1 to 121 - m and the conductive tip 11 of the stylus pen 10 . A driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 may be transmitted to the stylus pen 10 through the capacitance Cx between at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , 121 - 1 to 121 - n and the conductive tip 11 , and a resonance signal may be transmitted to the touch sensor 261 .

The touch sensing unit 260 may detect a touch by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 that uses the method of generating the resonance signal described above (e.g., a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.), a passive or active type stylus pen), but it is not limited thereto.

For example, the touch sensing unit 260 may detect a touch by a stylus pen that receives an electrical signal and outputs it as a magnetic field signal. In addition, for example, the touch sensing unit 260 may detect a touch by a stylus pen that receives a magnetic field signal and outputs it as a resonant magnetic field signal. For example, the electronic device 2 may further comprise a digitizer. A magnetic field signal electromagnetically resonant (or electromagnetically induced) by the stylus pen is detected by the digitizer, and a touch may be detected thereby.

As shown in FIG. 39 B , the stylus pen 10 in FIG. 39 A may be represented by an equivalent circuit including a resistor R 1 , an inductor L 1 , and a capacitor C 1 .

The driving signal 30 having a predetermined frequency through the capacitor Cx is transmitted to the stylus pen 10 through the touch electrode 21 . Then, the resonance circuit unit 12 including the inductor L 1 and the capacitor C 1 of the stylus pen 10 may resonate with the driving signal 30 .

As shown in FIG. 40 A , even in a state in which the stylus pen 10 is not in direct contact with the window 22 (i.e., in a hovering state), the driving signal DS from the touch electrode 21 may be transmitted to the conductive tip 11 .

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 40 B , the resonance signal RS may be transmitted from the conductive tip 11 to the touch electrode 21 through the air or the non-conductive housing 19 .

Next, signal transmission/reception between the electronic device 2 and the stylus pen 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 41 , 42 A and 42 B .

FIG. 41 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device that outputs a driving signal, and FIGS. 42 A and 42 B are an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device that receives a sensing signal.

As shown in FIG. 41 , the stylus pen 10 may be represented by an equivalent circuit including a resistor R 1 , an inductor L 1 , and a capacitor C 1 . At least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 applies the driving signal DS to the touch sensor 261 . The driving signal DS is transmitted to the resonance circuit unit 12 through the capacitance Cx formed between the touch sensor 261 and the stylus pen 10 , that is, between the touch electrodes 111 , 121 and the conductive tip 11 . Then, the resonance circuit unit 12 including the inductor L 1 and the capacitor C 1 of the stylus pen 10 may resonate with the driving signal DS. For resonance, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit 12 and the frequency of the driving signal DS should be the same or very similar.

Next, the touch sensor 261 receiving a signal from the stylus pen 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 42 A and 42 B .

FIGS. 42 A and 42 B are an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and a touch sensor receiving a sensing signal.

As shown in FIG. 42 A , the resonance signal RS of the resonance circuit unit 12 is transmitted to at least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 through the capacitance Cx. At least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 includes an amplifier 2626 .

A first voltage Vcc may be applied to a first power input terminal of the amplifier 2626 , and a second voltage GND may be applied to a second power input terminal thereof. The amplifier 2626 may amplify or differentially amplify and output the resonance signal RS input to at least one of the two input terminals using a voltage difference between the first voltage Vcc and the second voltage GND.

As shown in FIG. 42 B , the noise NS 1 may be introduced from the outside of the touch sensor 261 , or the noise NS 2 may be introduced to the second power input terminal of the amplifier 2626 . In this case, the resonance signal RS generated by the driving signal 30 in FIGS. 12 to 17 has the same or very similar frequency as that of the driving signal 30 . In addition, the noises NS 1 , NS 2 have the same or similar frequency as that of the resonance signal RS.

The noise NS 1 may be transmitted to the input terminal of the amplifier 2626 to which the resonance signal RS is transmitted, the noise NS 1 may be transmitted to the input terminal of the amplifier 2626 to which the resonance signal RS is not transmitted, or the noise NS 1 may be transmitted to both input terminals of the amplifier 2626 with different magnitudes. For this reason, there is a problem in that the signal output from the amplifier 2626 has noise.

In addition, the noise NS 2 is transmitted to the second power input terminal of the amplifier 2626 . Since the amplifier 2626 amplifies or differentially amplifies the resonance signal RS using the voltage difference between the first voltage Vcc and the noise NS 2 , there is a problem in that the signal output from the amplifier 2626 has noise.

As described above, when noises NS 1 , NS 2 similar to the driving signal 30 (or the resonance signal RS) are input to the touch sensor 261 , it is difficult that the touch sensor 261 accurately detects a touch input by the stylus pen 10 . In the case of an active stylus pen, when noises NS 1 , NS 2 are introduced into the touch sensor 261 , the noises are avoided by a frequency hopping method of changing the frequency of a signal transmitted from the active stylus pen, but in the case of a passive stylus pen, since the response by the driving signal DS from the touch sensor 261 is transmitted to the touch sensor 261 as a sensing signal, it is difficult to implement such a frequency hopping method. For example, the touch sensing unit 260 may further include a coil for applying a current as a driving signal and a digitizer. The stylus pen resonates with the magnetic field signal generated by the current applied coil. In the stylus pen, a touch may be detected in the manner that an electromagnetic resonance (or electromagnetic induced) magnetic field signal is detected by a digitizer.

FIGS. 43 to 47 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device.

As shown in FIGS. 43 to 47 , the stylus pen 10 and the touch screen 20 may be adjacent to each other.

The stylus pen 10 in FIGS. 43 to 47 may generate a touch input (a resonance signal or an active touch signal) by resonating with a driving signal applied to the touch electrode 21 .

The touch screen 20 in FIGS. 43 to 47 includes a display panel 251 and a touch sensor 261 on the display panel 251 . The touch sensor 261 may include a substrate 23 , a touch electrode 21 on the substrate, and a window 22 on the touch electrode 21 .

The substrate 23 may be an encapsulation substrate of the display panel 251 , which is preferably implemented with a transparent material.

The touch electrode 21 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction. For example, the touch electrode 21 includes a plurality of first touch electrodes having a shape extending in the second direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes having a shape extending in a first direction crossing the second direction, and the plurality of first touch electrodes may be arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second touch electrodes may be arranged along the second direction. Although the touch electrode 21 is illustrated as a single layer in the drawings, the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes may be respectively located on different layers, but they are not limited thereto.

A window 22 may be positioned on the touch electrode 21 . The touch electrode 21 , the conductive tip 11 , and the window 22 may form a capacitance Cx. Accordingly, a signal (a resonance signal or an active touch signal) generated by the stylus pen 10 may be transmitted to the touch electrode 21 .

As shown in FIGS. 43 to 47 , the resonance circuit unit 12 may mutually resonate with the loop coil 264 , and the degree of mutual resonance occurring between the inductor of the resonance circuit unit 12 and the loop coil 264 is affected by the mutual inductance M. Alternatively, the resonance circuit unit 12 may resonate with the magnetic field generated by the loop coil 264 .

As illustrated in FIGS. 43 to 45 , the loop coil 264 may be positioned in an area that does not overlap the touch sensor 261 .

Referring to FIG. 43 , the loop coil 264 may be printed on the window 22 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like, or may be printed on a sheet by a method of photolithography, thin film deposition, or the like and attached to the window 22 . Methods for positioning the loop coil 264 on the window 22 are not limited to the above description.

FIG. 44 is a view showing the arrangement of the loop coil 264 positioned on the same layer as the touch electrode 21 in the case of an on-cell type touch sensor, and FIG. 45 is a view showing the arrangement of the loop coil 264 located in the same layer as that of the touch electrode 21 in the case of an in-cell type touch sensor.

Referring to FIGS. 44 and 45 , the loop coil 264 may be positioned on the same layer as that of the touch electrode 21 . The loop coil 264 may be made of the same material as that of the touch electrode 21 . However, the loop coil 264 may be positioned on a different layer from the that of touch electrode 21 , and may be made of a different material.

In FIG. 44 , the loop coil 264 and the touch electrode 21 are positioned in the same layer on the encapsulation substrate 23 of the display panel 251 .

In FIG. 45 , the display panel 251 includes a touch electrode 21 and a loop coil 264 . That is, the substrate 23 may be a color filter substrate of the display panel 251 , and the touch electrode 21 and the loop coil 264 may be positioned between the color filter substrate 23 and the TFT substrate of the display panel 251 . Alternatively, both the touch electrode 21 and the loop coil 264 may be positioned on the upper and lower sides of the color filter substrate 23 .

As shown in FIGS. 46 and 47 , the loop coil 264 may be positioned in an area overlapping the touch sensor 261 . The loop coil 264 may be directly printed on the substrate of the display panel 251 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like, or may be printed on a sheet by a method of photolithography, thin film deposition, or the like and attached to the substrate of the display panel 251 . Methods for positioning the loop coil 264 on the substrate of the display panel 251 are not limited to the above description.

As shown in FIG. 46 , the loop coil 264 may be disposed at an outer shell (or edge region) of the touch sensor 261 as a partial area of the touch sensor 261 , or disposed in a position close to the outer shell. Alternatively, the loop coil 264 may be disposed to correspond to the entire area of the touch sensor 261 , as shown in FIG. 47 .

The loop coil 264 may be positioned in a layer different from that of the touch electrode 21 . However, as in FIGS. 44 and 45 , the loop coil 264 may be positioned on the same layer as that of the touch electrode 21 in the area overlapping the touch sensor 261 , and may be made of the same material.

Examples of transmitting and receiving signals between the stylus pen and the electronic device will be described with reference to FIGS. 48 to 53 .

FIGS. 48 to 53 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 48 and 49 , the resonance circuit unit 12 may be expressed as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rp, an inductor Lp, and a capacitor Cp, or as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs.

As shown in FIGS. 48 and 49 , when the loop coil Ld forms a magnetic field by the driving signal applied by the power source 40 , a current is induced in the inductor LP of the stylus pen 10 and the resonance circuit unit ( 12 ) can resonate.

Even in a state in which the stylus pen 10 is not in direct contact with the window 22 (i.e., in a hovering state), the resonance circuit 12 may resonate by the magnetic field generated by the loop coil Ld.

As shown in FIGS. 50 to 53 , when the loop coil and the internal capacitor resonate by the driving signal applied by the power source 40 , the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may interact and resonate with the loop coil and the internal capacitor.

FIG. 50 shows a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rp, the inductor Lp, and the capacitor Cp of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in parallel.

FIG. 51 shows a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls, and the capacitor Cs of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in series.

FIG. 52 shows a case in which the loop coil Lds and the internal capacitor Cds are connected in series, and the resistor Rp, the inductor Lp, and the capacitor Cp of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in parallel.

FIG. 53 shows a case in which the loop coil Lds and the internal capacitor Cds are connected in series, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls, and the capacitor Cs of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in series.

Even in a state in which the stylus pen 10 is not in direct contact with the window 22 (i.e., in a hovering state), the resonance circuit 12 may resonate with the loop coil Lds, Ldp through mutual resonance.

According to the circuit diagrams shown in FIGS. 48 to 53 , when a driving signal is applied to the loop coils Ld, Ldp, Lds included in the electronic device, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 resonates and generates a resonance signal. The generated resonance signal may be sensed through a touch sensor provided in the electronic device.

FIGS. 54 to 59 are still another schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 54 and 55 , the resonance circuit unit 12 may be expressed as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rp, an inductor Lp, and a capacitor Cp, or as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs.

As shown in FIGS. 54 and 55 , when the loop coil Ld forms a magnetic field by the driving signal 40 , a current is induced in the inductor LP of the stylus pen 10 and the resonance circuit unit 12 can resonate.

The resonant voltage in the resonance circuit unit 12 may be rectified by the rectifier 13 and stored in the power storage 14 . Then, the active circuit unit 15 may be driven using the power stored in the power storage 14 .

As shown in FIGS. 56 to 59 , when the loop coil and the internal capacitor resonate by the driving signal 40 , the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may also resonate with the loop coil and the internal capacitor.

FIG. 56 illustrates a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rp, the inductor Lp, and the capacitor Cp of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in parallel.

FIG. 57 illustrates a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls, and the capacitor Cs of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in series.

FIG. 58 illustrates a case in which the loop coil Lds and the internal capacitor Cds are connected in series, and the resistor Rp, the inductor Lp, and the capacitor Cp of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in parallel.

FIG. 59 illustrates a case in which the loop coil Lds and the internal capacitor Cds are connected in series, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls, and the capacitor Cs of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in series.

According to the circuit diagrams shown in FIGS. 54 to 59 , when a driving signal is applied to the loop coils Ld, Ldp, Lds included in the electronic device, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 resonates and generates a resonance signal. The generated resonance signal is stored in the power storage inside the stylus pen 10 , and the active circuit unit may output a predetermined signal using the power stored in the power storage. The output predetermined signal may be detected through a touch sensor provided in the electronic device.

According to the circuit diagrams shown in FIGS. 54 to 59 , when a driving signal is applied to the loop coils Ld, Ldp, Lds included in the electronic device, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 resonates and generates a resonance signal. The generated resonance signal is stored in the power storage inside the stylus pen 10 , and the active circuit unit may output a predetermined signal using the power stored in the power storage, and the output predetermined signal can be detected through a touch sensor provided in the electronic device.

FIGS. 60 and 61 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a stylus pen approaches an electronic device and transmits/receives a signal.

As shown in FIG. 60 , when a driving signal is applied to the loop coil 264 , the resonance circuit 12 resonates by a magnetic field B generated therefrom. Then, as shown in FIG. 61 , the signal RS from the stylus pen 10 can be directly transmitted from the conductive tip 11 to the touch electrode 21 , or can be transmitted to the touch electrode 21 through the air or non-conductive housing. The resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen may resonate by receiving energy from the loop coil 264 as a magnetic field generated by a driving signal of a predetermined frequency applied by the power source 40 . Then, the stylus pen may transmit a touch input signal to the touch sensor 261 using the resonant energy. For example, the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b in FIGS. 30 A and 30 B may transmit a signal resonant from the resonance circuit unit 12 to the touch sensor 261 as a touch input. The stylus pens 10 c , 10 d , 10 e in FIGS. 30 C, 30 D, and 30 E may use the power generated from the resonance signal in the resonant circuit unit 12 , and may cause the active stylus module 60 to transmit a signal to the touch sensor 261 .

Examples of transmitting and receiving signals between the stylus pen and the electronic device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 62 and 63 .

FIGS. 62 and 63 are other schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 62 and 63 , the resonance circuit unit 12 can be expressed as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rp, an inductor Lp, and a capacitor Cp, or as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs.

FIGS. 62 and 63 , when the loop coil and the internal capacitor resonate by the power source 40 that transmits the driving signal, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 can also interact and resonate with the loop coil and the internal capacitor.

FIG. 62 shows a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rp, the inductor Lp, and the capacitor Cp of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in parallel.

FIG. 63 shows a case in which the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls, and the capacitor Cs of the resonance circuit unit 12 are connected in series.

In FIGS. 62 and 63 , when the blocking capacitor Cb is not connected in series with the resonance circuit 42 , the magnetic field generated by the driving signal is as follows:

A change in the magnetic field generated by the resonance circuit 42 generates an induced electromotive force as shown in Equation 2 below.

Looking at Equation 1, both AC and DC currents contribute to inducing a magnetic field when inducing a magnetic field by an electric field, but as in Equation 2, when an electric field is induced by a magnetic field, the electric field is induced only by a magnetic field that changes with time. Accordingly, the current J of the DC component of Equation 1 consumes power despite no contribution to the induced electromotive force of the resonance circuit unit 12 .

Therefore, it is possible to prevent a DC component current from flowing through the resonance circuit 42 as shown in Equation 3 below by connecting the blocking capacitor Cb in series with the resonance circuit 42 .

Accordingly, power consumption by the resonance circuit 42 can be reduced.

Next, an example of the loop coil 264 and the coil driver 263 of the electronic device 2 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 64 .

FIG. 64 is a diagram illustrating an antenna module and a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 64 , the loop coil 264 positioned on the touch sensor 261 forms a resonance circuit with the capacitor Cdp. The resonance circuit and the blocking capacitor Cb are connected in series.

The resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen may resonate by receiving energy from the loop coil 264 as a magnetic field generated by a driving signal of a predetermined frequency applied by the power source 40 . Then, the stylus pen may transmit a touch input signal to the touch sensor 261 using the resonant energy. For example, the stylus pens 10 a , 10 b in FIGS. 30 A and 30 B may transmit a signal resonant from the resonance circuit unit 12 to the touch sensor 261 as a touch input. The stylus pens 10 c , 10 d , 10 e in FIGS. 30 C, 30 D, and 30 E may use the power generated from the resonance signal in the resonance circuit unit 12 , and may causes the active stylus module 60 to transmit a signal to the touch sensor 261 .

Next, a change in the amplitude of the resonance signal based on the magnetic field increased by the method of applying the driving signal will be described with reference to FIGS. 65 to 66 .

FIG. 65 is a view showing a driving signal applied to a loop coil by a coil driver and a resonance signal of a stylus pen, and FIG. 66 is a view showing a driving signal applied to a loop coil by a coil driver and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 65 , the coil driver 263 may apply a driving signal to each of both ends of the loop coil 264 . A ground is connected to the other end of the loop coil 264 , and a driving signal, that is, a voltage having a predetermined frequency, is applied to one end of the loop coil 264 . Since voltages having different magnitudes (voltage difference between both ends=(Vb−Va)) are applied to both ends of the loop coil 264 , a current Id flows in the loop coil 264 . The strength of the current changes according to the change of voltage, but the direction of the current is constant. As in Equation 1 above, a change in current (current strength) forms a magnetic field around the loop coil 264 .

The change in the magnetic field induces an induced electromotive force in the resonance circuit unit 12 as shown in Equation 2.

The PP (peak to peak) voltage of the resonance signal generated by the induced electromotive force in the resonance circuit unit 12 is V 0 .

Referring to FIG. 66 , opposite-phase driving signals are applied to both ends of the loop coil 264 . In this case, the PP voltage of the driving signal is Vb−Va, which is the same as the driving signal applied to the loop coil 264 in FIG. 65 . Since voltages having different magnitudes (voltage difference between both ends=2*(Vb−Va)) are applied to both ends of the loop coil 264 , a current Id flows in the loop coil 264 . As the voltage changes, the strength and direction of the current change.

As in Equation 1 above, a change in current (current strength) forms a magnetic field around the loop coil 264 . The change in the magnetic field induces an induced electromotive force in the resonance circuit unit 12 as shown in Equation 2 above. The PP voltage of the resonance signal generated by the induced electromotive force in the resonance circuit unit 12 is V 1 (V 1 >V 0 ).

An alternating current of greater strength generates a larger magnetic field change, and a larger magnetic field change induces a larger induced electromotive force. According to the electronic device control method of the present disclosure, by simultaneously applying the opposite-phase driving signal to both ends of the loop coil 264 , there occurs an effect of amplifying the magnetic field generated in the coil even with the same voltage.

That is, according to the electronic device control method of the present disclosure, energy transmitted to the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may be increased without the coil driver 263 increasing the PP voltage.

Next, a case where the coil driver 263 using the method of applying the driving signal in FIG. 66 includes the blocking capacitor Cb will be described.

FIG. 67 is a diagram specifically illustrating the coil driver in FIG. 66 .

Referring to FIG. 67 , the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp are connected in parallel, one electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 1 is connected to one electrode of the internal capacitor Cdp, and one electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 2 is connected to the other electrode of the internal capacitor Cdp.

A driving signal of a phase different from each other (e.g., out of phase) is applied to the other electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 1 and the other electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 2 , respectively. For example, the phase of the driving signal applied to the other electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 1 and the phase of the driving signal applied to the other electrode of the blocking capacitor Cb 2 are opposite to each other.

As described with reference to FIG. 66 , by simultaneously applying the opposite-phase driving signal to both ends of the loop coil 264 , there occurs an effect of amplifying the magnetic field generated in the coil even with the same voltage.

Also, by connecting the blocking capacitors Cb 1 and Cb 2 to the resonance circuit 42 , it is possible to prevent a DC component current from flowing in the resonance circuit 42 as in Equation 3 above.

Examples in which the stylus pen and the electronic device transmit/receive signals will be described with reference to FIGS. 68 to 71 .

FIGS. 68 and 69 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device.

The resonance circuit unit 12 of FIGS. 68 and 69 can be expressed as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rp, an inductor Lp, and a capacitor Cp, or as an equivalent circuit including a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs.

As shown in FIG. 68 , the active module 50 is connected in series to a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs. On the electronic device side, when the loop coil Ldp forms a magnetic field by the driving signal 40 , a current I 1 is induced in the inductor Ls of the stylus pen 10 , and the resonance circuit unit 12 can resonate. The degree to which a current is induced in the inductor Ls by the loop coil Ldp is affected by the mutual inductance M 0 . Alternatively, when the loop coil Ldp and the internal capacitor Cdp resonate by the driving signal 40 , the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may also resonate with the loop coil and the internal capacitor. In this case, the degree of mutual resonance among the loop coil Ldp, the internal capacitor Cdp, and the resonance circuit unit 12 is affected by the mutual inductance M 0 . On the electronic device side, the transmitted energy is represented by a voltage source V 1 . V 1 may be determined as in Equation 4 below.

Here, f 0 is the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit unit 12 , L 1 is the inductance of the inductor Ldp, L 2 is the inductance of the inductor Ls, and k is the coupling coefficient of the inductor Ldp and the inductor Ls. L 1 is several tens to hundreds of H, L 2 is several mH, and k is 0 or more and less than 1 (e.g., k may be 0 or more and less than 0.9). Energy resonant in the resonant circuit unit 12 may be rectified by the rectifier 52 and stored in the power storage 54 . Then, the active IC 56 can be driven using the power stored in the power storage 54 . If the active module 50 is represented by an equivalent resistance RL, when the resonance circuit unit 12 resonates, the resistance Rs and the resistance RL must be the same to receive the maximum energy from the electronic device. If the resistor Rs and the resistor RL are the same, the voltage applied to the node N 1 becomes V 1 / 2 . In consideration of the threshold voltages Vth of the diodes D 1 to D 4 included in the rectifier 52 , the voltage transmitted to both ends of the power storage 54 is calculated as in Equation 5 below.

Here, it is assumed that the threshold voltage Vth is greater than 0V and less than or equal to 0.5V. The inventors have confirmed that the voltage VCw stored in the power storage 54 is not sufficient to drive the active IC 56 . That is, the driving voltage for operating the active IC 56 is greater than the voltage VCw stored in the power storage 54 . In addition, there is a problem in that an additional device is required to convert the voltage to a voltage sufficient to drive the active IC 56 .

In addition, although the equivalent resistance RL and the resistance Rs should have the same value, the resistance value of the active module 50 is larger than the resistance Rs. Thus, there occurs a problem that impedance conversion is required.

Accordingly, the inventors considered a structure in which the active module 50 is connected to the resonance circuit unit 12 in parallel. As shown in FIG. 69 , the active module 50 is connected in parallel to a resistor Rs, an inductor Ls, and a capacitor Cs.

In this case, the internal circuit of the stylus pen 10 was converted using Norton's theorem as in FIGS. 70 A, 70 B and 71 in order to calculate the resistance RL value that can receive the maximum energy from the electronic device.

FIGS. 70 A, 70 B and 71 are circuit diagrams illustrating the stylus pen of FIG. 69 in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 70 A , the dependent voltage source V 1 is converted to the current source Ip, and the resistor Rs, the inductor Ls and the capacitor Cs are connected in parallel at the node N 1 . In this case, the current of the current source Ip is calculated as in Equation 6 below.

As shown in FIG. 70 B , the resistor Rs is converted into a resistor Rp connected in parallel with the inductor Ls and the capacitor Cs at the node N 1 . In this case, the resistance Rp is calculated as in Equation 7 below.

As shown in FIG. 71 , when the active modules 50 are connected in parallel, if the equivalent resistance RL and the resistance Rp have the same resistance value, the stylus pen 10 can receive the maximum energy from the electronic device.

However, since the resonance frequency f 0 is several tens to several hundreds of kHz, the value of the resistance Rp is larger than the equivalent resistance RL. The equivalent resistance RL may be several hundred Q. Therefore, the value of the combined resistance in which the equivalent resistor RL and the resistor Rp are connected in parallel has a value similar to that of the equivalent resistor RL rather than the resistor Rp. In this case, the voltage applied to the node N 1 is calculated as Ip*RL and can be expressed as Equation 8 below.

In Equation 8, VN 1 is a voltage applied to the node N 1 . In Equation 8, since the inductance L 2 is several mH, the voltage VN 1 applied to the node N 1 has a very small value. The inventors have confirmed that the voltage VCw stored in the power storage 54 calculated according to Equation 5 is not sufficient to drive the active IC 56 . In addition, there occurs a problem in that an additional device is required to convert the voltage to a voltage sufficient to drive the active IC 56 .

Next, the stylus pen 10 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 72 to 74 .

FIG. 72 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a stylus pen and an electronic device according to an embodiment, and FIGS. 73 and 74 are circuit diagrams illustrating the stylus pen in FIG. 72 in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 72 , the stylus pen 10 further includes an inductor Lk connected to the inductor Ls and a mutual inductance M 1 of the resonance circuit unit 12 in addition to the resonant circuit unit 12 , and an active module 50 connected to the inductor Lk.

The active module 50 may include a rectifier 52 , a power storage 54 , and an active IC 56 .

In FIG. 73 , the resonance circuit unit 12 , the inductor Lk, and the equivalent resistance RL of the active module 50 are shown as an equivalent circuit. In order to calculate the voltage transmitted to the equivalent resistor RL, that is, the voltage applied to the node N 2 , the resistance RL_eff when the resonance circuit unit 12 looks at the equivalent resistor RL and the resistance Rp_eff when looking at the resonance circuit unit 12 from the equivalent resistor RL can be calculated as in Equations 9 and 10 below.

In Equations 9 and 10, n2 is the number of turns of the inductor Ls, and n3 is the number of turns of the inductor Lk.

As shown in FIG. 74 , the resistance Rp_eff when the resonance circuit unit 12 is viewed from the equivalent resistance RL is connected in parallel to the active module 50 , and the resistance RL_eff when looking at the equivalent resistance RL from the resonance circuit unit 12 is connected in parallel to the resistance Rp of the resonance circuit unit 12 .

The voltage of the node N 2 is determined by the following Equation 11 with the voltage of the node N 1 and the numbers of turns of the inductor Ls and the inductor Lk.

Since the combined resistance of the resistor Rp and the resistor RL_eff calculated in Equation 7 is several hundred kΩ, when the current Ip calculated in Equation 6 is multiplied, the voltage at the node N 1 is calculated as several hundred V.

It is assumed that the ratio of n2 and n3 is a:1 (10<a<300). Then, the voltage at the node N 2 is calculated to be at least several V. Even considering the threshold voltages of the diodes D 1 to D 4 , the voltage at the node N 2 has a sufficient value to drive the active IC 56 .

Next, the stylus pen 10 and the loop coil 264 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 75 to 77 .

FIGS. 75 to 77 are diagrams illustrating a stylus pen and a part of an electronic device according to various aspects of an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 75 to 77 , the resonance circuit unit 12 includes an inductor Ls and a capacitor Cs, and the inductor Ls includes a ferrite core 15 and a coil 16 wound around the ferrite core 15 .

As shown in FIG. 75 , the inductor Lk includes a ferrite core 15 and a coil 17 wound on the outside of a coil 16 (directly wound around the ferrite core 15 ).

As shown in FIG. 76 , the inductor Lk includes a ferrite core 15 and a coil 17 directly wound around the ferrite core 15 while positioned below the coil 16 (i.e., in the −Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIG. 77 , the inductor Lk includes a ferrite core 15 and a coil 17 directly wound around the ferrite core 15 while positioned above the coil 16 (i.e., in the +Z-axis direction). do.

In FIGS. 75 to 77 , the active module 50 is connected to the coil 17 . The coil 16 and the coil 17 are close to the perfect coupling state, and the coupling coefficient between the coil 16 and the coil 17 has a value close to 1 (e.g., 0.9 or more and less than 1).

According to the stylus pen 10 of the present disclosure, the resonance circuit unit 12 and the active module 50 are coupled with a transformer, and there occurs an advantage that a voltage required to drive the active module 50 can be supplied through energy transmitted from the electronic device 2 .

In addition, there is an advantage in that the stylus pen 10 can be charged more quickly.

In addition, there is an advantage in that power consumption in the electronic device 2 for charging the stylus pen 10 can be reduced.

FIG. 78 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a stylus pen is used in an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 78 , the touch screen 20 of the electronic device includes a display panel 251 , a touch sensor 261 on the display panel 251 , and a loop coil 264 below the display panel 251 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a substrate 23 , a touch electrode layer 21 on the substrate, and a window 22 on the touch electrode layer 21 .

The substrate 23 may be an encapsulation substrate of the display panel 251 or a color filter substrate of the display panel 251 , which is preferably made of a transparent material.

The touch electrode layer 21 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction.

Although the touch electrode layer 21 is illustrated as a single layer in FIG. 78 , the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes may be respectively located on different layers, they may or may not overlap each other, or a separate layer may be interposed between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes. However, they are not limited thereto.

A window 22 may be positioned on the touch electrode layer 21 . The touch electrode layer 21 , the conductive tip 11 , and the window 22 may form capacitance.

Accordingly, a signal (a resonance signal or an active touch signal) generated by the stylus pen 10 may be transmitted to the touch electrode layer 21 through the capacitance.

The loop coil 264 may include a substrate 24 on which an antenna loop is positioned and a ferrite sheet 25 . The antenna loop may be formed of a conductive material such as copper, silver, or the like. However, the antenna loop may be located on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 in addition to the substrate 24 . In this case, the antenna loop may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver nanowire, or the like. The antenna loop may also be located under the window 22 . In such cases, the substrate 24 may not be included in the loop coil 264 .

The substrate 24 may be located on the rear surface of the display panel 251 . For example, the substrate 24 may be attached to the rear surface of the display panel 251 .

The substrate 24 may be a single layer FPCB, a double-sided FPCB, or a multilayer FPCB, but it is preferably a single layer FPCB that is a single-sided FPCB or a double-sided FPCB in order to realize thinning and miniaturization of the touch screen 20 . Since such a single layer FPCB can be made thin, it can be used in bendable, foldable, and stretchable electronic devices.

In addition, the substrate 24 may be a rigid PCB, but it is not limited thereto.

When the substrate 24 is formed of a double-sided FPCB, a conductive layer may be positioned on the other surface of one surface on which the antenna loop is positioned. The conductive layer is made of a conductive material, and may be, for example, a copper clad layer.

The substrate 24 may include a base film. The base film may be made of a polyimide resin, an epoxy resin, or other known flexible material. The base film may be flexible. At least one antenna loop formed of at least one wiring may be formed on the base film.

The antenna loop 241 formed on the substrate 24 will be described with reference to FIG. 79 .

FIG. 79 is a view showing an example in which an antenna pattern is implemented on one surface of a substrate.

Referring to FIG. 79 , the antenna loop 241 is formed as a conductive wire on the base film 242 . For example, the antenna loop may be printed on the base film 242 by photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the antenna loop on the base film 242 is not limited to the above description.

Depending on the design value of the inductance of the antenna loop 241 and the radiation performance of the antenna loop 241 , the antenna loop 241 has a spiral pattern. However, when the spiral pattern is implemented only on one surface of the base film 242 , the wiring of the antenna loop 241 is shorted to each other at a point SP on one surface of the base film 242 . Implementing such a spiral pattern using a double-sided PCB may be considered. For example, an opening or a hole may be formed in the base film 242 , and a wiring located on one surface may be connected to a wiring located on the other surface through the opening or hole. However, when the copper foil is attached to the other surface of the double-sided PCB, a problem in which the wiring and the copper foil located on the other surface are in contact with each other or are electrically connected may occur.

FIGS. 80 and 81 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 80 and 81 , the loop coil 264 includes antenna loops 241 a , 241 b positioned under the window 22 , a ferrite sheet 25 a positioned under the display panel 251 , and the antenna loop and a ferrite sheet 25 b positioned below the 241 a , 241 b.

FIG. 81 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D′ of FIG. 80 . As shown in FIG. 81 , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be printed on the window 22 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like, or may be printed on a sheet by photolithography, thin film deposition (sputtering), etc., and attached to the window 22 . The method for positioning the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b on the window 22 is not limited to the above description.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is spaced apart from each other on one surface of the window 22 and does not directly contact each other. One end of the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is connected to one corresponding pad 243 a among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 b . The second sub-antenna loop 241 b has one end connected to a corresponding one pad 243 c among the plurality of pads, and the other end connected to the other corresponding pad 243 d.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as having an overall rectangular shape, it may have a shape such as a circle, an oval circle, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is positioned at the outer shell of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a may extend along the circumference of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The shortest distance at which the adjacent first sub-antenna loop 241 a and second sub-antenna loop 241 b are spaced apart from each other may be the same on one surface of the window 22 , but it is not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be wires having the same width, but they are not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be made of the same material, but they are not limited thereto.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . The flexible circuit board 27 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a chip on film (COF). Since the coil driver 263 is mounted on the flexible circuit board 27 , the flexible circuit board 27 will be described as a chip-on-film (COF) hereinafter.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be electrically connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) on the flexible circuit board 27 connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 may be coupled through the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d and the connector 26 . The connector 26 may be a zero-insertion force connector (ZIF), a board-to-board connector (BTB), or the like, but it is not limited thereto. A plurality of pads (not shown therein) and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be electrically connected to each other in the manner that a socket of the connector 26 is formed in the window 22 , and the flexible circuit board 27 is inserted into the socket of the connector 26 .

As another example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 may be bonded to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, a plurality of pads (not shown therein) connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 , and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be connected by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) by means of an outer lead bonding (OLB) method.

In addition to this, various connection methods for electrically and physically connecting the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be used.

The flexible circuit board 27 includes a plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b positioned on one surface of the substrate and a connection wire 272 positioned on the other surface. The wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 may be printed by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 is not limited to the above description. In addition, although it has been described in the above that the signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 are respectively located on both surfaces of one substrate, they may be respectively located on different substrates. They are not limited thereto.

The signal transmission wire 271 a connects the pad 243 a connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the coil driver 263 , respectively, and the signal transmission wire 271 b connects the pad 243 d connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b and the coil driver 263 .

The connection wire 272 connects the pad 243 b connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the pad 243 c connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b to each other. That is, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are electrically connected to each other through the connection wire 272 located on the flexible circuit board 27 . Accordingly, the current input from the coil driver 263 to the pad 243 a through the signal transmission wire 271 a flows in the order from the first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the pad 243 b , the connection wire 272 , the pad 243 c , the second sub-antenna loop 241 b , the pad 243 d to the signal transmission wire 271 b.

That is, according to the antenna module according to the embodiment, it has substantially the same effect as the antenna loop formed in the spiral pattern without forming wiring in the spiral pattern on the base film 242 . In this antenna module, since all wiring is formed on one surface of the window 22 , manufacturing cost is reduced and the touch screen 20 is thinned and miniaturized.

FIGS. 82 and 83 are diagrams illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

In FIGS. 82 and 83 , when the touch sensor 261 is implemented as an on-cell type touch sensor, a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 is shown.

As shown in FIGS. 82 and 83 , the loop coil 264 includes an antenna loop 241 positioned on the touch electrode layer 21 and a ferrite sheet 25 positioned under the display panel 251 .

FIG. 83 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B′ in FIG. 82 . As shown in FIG. 83 , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b and the touch electrode layer 21 are positioned in the same layer on the encapsulation substrate 23 of the display panel 251 . The antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be made of the same material as the first and second touch electrodes of the touch electrode layer 21 . For example, the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver nanowire, or the like. However, the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be positioned as a different layer from the touch electrode layer 21 , and may be made of a material different from that of the first and second touch electrodes.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is spaced apart from each other on one surface of the encapsulation substrate 23 and does not directly contact each other. One end of the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is connected to one corresponding pad 243 a among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 b . One end of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b is connected to one corresponding pad 243 c among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 d . On the other hand, the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes are connected to the pads 243 e.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as having an overall rectangular shape, it may have a shape such as a circle, an oval circle, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is positioned at the outer shell of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a may extend along the circumference of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The shortest distance at which the adjacent first sub-antenna loop 241 a and second sub-antenna loop 241 b are spaced apart from each other may be the same on one surface of the encapsulation substrate 23 , but it is not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be wires having the same width, but they are not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be made of the same material, but they are not limited thereto.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d of the encapsulation substrate 23 .

A plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 may be electrically connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . A plurality of pads (not shown therein) may be bonded to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be connected to each other by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) or the like using an outer lead bonding (OLB) method.

In addition to this, various connection methods for electrically and physically connecting the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be used.

The flexible circuit board 27 includes a plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b positioned on one surface of the substrate and a connection wire 272 positioned on the other surface. The wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 may be printed by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 is not limited to the above description. In addition, although it has been described in the above that the signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 are respectively located on both sides of one substrate, they may be located on different substrates, and they are not limited thereto.

The signal transmission wire 271 a connects the pad 243 a connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the coil driver 263 , respectively, and the signal transmission wire 271 b connects the pad 243 d connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b and the coil driver 263 .

The connection wire 272 connects the pad 243 b connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the pad 243 c connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b to each other. That is, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are electrically connected to each other through the connection wire 272 located on the flexible circuit board 27 . Accordingly, the current drawn from the coil driver 263 to the pad 243 a through the signal transmission wire 271 a flows in the order from the first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the pad 243 b , the connection line 272 , the pad 243 c , the second sub-antenna loop 241 b , the pad 243 d , to the signal transmission wire 271 b.

That is, according to the antenna module according to an embodiment, it has substantially the same effect as the antenna loop formed in the spiral pattern without forming a wiring in the spiral pattern on the encapsulation substrate 23 . This antenna module has the effect of reducing the manufacturing cost and reducing the thickness and size of the touch screen 20 because the wiring is all formed on one surface of the encapsulation substrate 23 .

FIGS. 84 and 85 are views illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment. FIGS. 84 and 85 show a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 when the touch sensor 261 is implemented as an in-cell type touch sensor.

As shown in FIGS. 84 and 85 , the loop coil 264 includes an antenna loop 241 positioned on the touch electrode layer 21 and a ferrite sheet 25 positioned under the display panel 251 .

FIG. 85 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C′ in FIG. 84 . As shown in FIG. 85 , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b and the touch electrode layer 21 may be positioned between the color filter substrate 23 of the display panel 251 and the TFT substrate of the display panel 251 as the same layer. Both the touch electrode layer 21 and the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be positioned on the upper and lower sides of the color filter substrate 23 .

The antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be made of the same material as the first and second touch electrodes of the touch electrode layer 21 . For example, the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver nanowire, or the like. However, the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be positioned in a layer different from that of the touch electrode layer 21 , and may be made of a material different from that of the first and second touch electrodes.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is spaced apart from each other on one surface of the color filter substrate 23 and does not directly contact each other. One end of the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is connected to one corresponding pad 243 a among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 b . One end of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b is connected to one corresponding pad 243 c among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 d . On the other hand, the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes are connected to the pads 243 e.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as having an overall rectangular shape, it may have a shape such as a circle, an oval circle, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is positioned at the outer shell of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a may extend along the circumference of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The shortest distance at which the adjacent first sub-antenna loop 241 a and second sub-antenna loop 241 b are spaced apart from each other may be the same on one surface of the color filter substrate 23 , but it is not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be wires having the same width, but they are not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be made of the same material, but they are not limited thereto.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d of the color filter substrate 23 .

A plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 may be electrically connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . A plurality of pads (not shown therein) may be bonded to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be connected to each other by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) or the like using an outer lead bonding (OLB) method.

In addition to this, various connection methods for electrically and physically connecting the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be used.

The flexible circuit board 27 includes a plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b positioned on one surface of the substrate and a connection wire 272 positioned on the other surface. The wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 may be printed by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 is not limited to the above description. In addition, although it has been described in the above that the signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 are respectively located on both sides of one substrate, they may be located on different substrates, and they are not limited thereto.

The signal transmission wire 271 a connects the pad 243 a connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the coil driver 263 , respectively, and the signal transmission wire 271 b connects the pad 243 d connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b and the coil driver 263 .

The connection wire 272 connects the pad 243 b connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the pad 243 c connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b to each other. That is, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are electrically connected to each other through the connection wire 272 located on the flexible circuit board 27 . Accordingly, the current input from the coil driver 263 to the pad 243 a through the signal transmission wire 271 a flows in the order from the first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the pad 243 b , the connection wire 272 , the pad 243 c , the second sub-antenna loop 241 b , the pad 243 d , to the signal transmission wire 271 b.

That is, according to the antenna module according to an embodiment, it has substantially the same effect as the antenna loop formed in the spiral pattern without forming a wiring in the spiral pattern on the color filter substrate 23 . In such an antenna module, since the wiring is all formed on one surface of the color filter substrate 23 , manufacturing cost is reduced and the touch screen 20 is thinned and miniaturized.

FIGS. 86 to 88 are views illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 86 , a plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b are positioned on the base film 242 . The antenna loop 241 may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver nanowire, or the like.

FIG. 87 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 86 . As shown in FIG. 87 , the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as being positioned on one surface of the base film 242 spaced apart from the ferrite sheet 25 , but it is not limited thereto.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is spaced apart from each other on one surface of the base film 242 and does not directly contact each other. One end of the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is connected to one corresponding pad 243 a among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 b . One end of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b is connected to one corresponding pad 243 c among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 d.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as having an overall rectangular shape, it may have a shape such as a circle, an oval circle, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is positioned at the outer shell of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a may extend along the circumference of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The shortest distance at which the adjacent first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are spaced apart from each other may be the same on one surface of the base film 242 , but it is not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be wires having the same width, but they are not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be made of the same material, but they are not limited thereto.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d of the base film 242 . The flexible circuit board 27 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). A coil driver 263 is mounted on the flexible circuit board 27 .

The flexible circuit board 27 may be electrically connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) on the flexible circuit board 27 connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 may be coupled through the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d and the connector 26 . The connector 26 may be a zero-insertion force connector (ZIF), a board-to-board connector (BTB), or the like, but it is not limited thereto. A plurality of pads (not shown therein) and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be electrically connected to each other in the manner that a socket for the connector 26 is formed on the substrate 24 , and the flexible circuit board 27 is inserted into the socket of the connector 26 .

As another example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 may be bonded to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, a plurality of pads (not shown therein) connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be connected by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) using an outer lead bonding (OLB) method.

In addition, various connection methods for electrical and physical connection of the plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be used.

The flexible circuit board 27 includes a plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b positioned on one surface of the substrate and a connection wire 272 positioned on the other surface. The wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 may be printed by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 is not limited to the above description. In addition, although it has been described in the above that the signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 are respectively located on both sides of one substrate, they may be located on different substrates, and they are not limited thereto.

The signal transmission wire 271 a connects the pad 243 a connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the coil driver 263 , respectively, and the signal transmission wire 271 b connects the pad 243 d connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b and the coil driver 263 .

The connection wire 272 connects the pad 243 b connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the pad 243 c connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b to each other. That is, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are electrically connected to each other through the connection wire 272 located on the flexible circuit board 27 . Accordingly, the current input from the coil driver 263 to the pad 243 a through the signal transmission wire 271 a flows in the order from the first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the pad 243 b , the connection wire 272 , the pad 243 c , the second sub-antenna loop 241 b , the pad 243 d , to the signal transmission wire 271 b.

That is, according to the antenna module according to an embodiment, it has substantially the same effect as the antenna loop formed in the spiral pattern without forming a wiring in the spiral pattern on the base film 242 . In this antenna module, since the wiring is all formed on one surface of the base film 242 , a copper clad layer may be formed on the other surface, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and reducing the thickness and size of the touch screen 20 .

In the above description, an example of implementing a spiral pattern using two sub-antenna loops has been described, but according to a design, each sub-antenna loop is connected by a connection wire 272 formed on the multi-layer board of the flexible circuit board 27 . By doing so, a spiral pattern can be implemented using three or more sub-antenna loops.

As shown in FIG. 88 , a plurality of antenna loops may be positioned on the touch screen 20 . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the connection wire 272 a , and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b form a first antenna loop of a spiral pattern. The third sub-antenna loop 241 c , the connection wire 272 b , and the fourth sub-antenna loop 241 d form a second antenna loop of a spiral pattern. The first antenna loop and the second antenna loop are spaced apart from each other in the y-axis direction. Here, the ferrite sheet 25 may be individually disposed in an area in which the first antenna loop is located and in an area in which the second antenna loop is located.

The coil driver 263 may apply a driving signal having the same or similar phase to the first antenna loop and the second antenna loop, may apply a driving signal having an opposite phase, or may selectively drive the driving signal.

FIGS. 89 and 90 are views illustrating a part of an antenna module and an electronic device including the same according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 89 and 90 , the loop coil 264 includes the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b located below the display panel 251 , and the ferrite sheet 25 located below the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b and the display panel 251 .

FIG. 90 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D′ in FIG. 89 . As shown in FIG. 90 , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be printed on the display panel 251 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like, and the method for positioning the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b on the display panel 251 is not limited to the above description.

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is spaced apart from each other on one surface of the display panel 251 and does not directly contact each other. One end of the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is connected to one corresponding pad 243 a among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 b . One end of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b is connected to one corresponding pad 243 c among the plurality of pads, and the other end is connected to the other corresponding pad 243 d . The plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be formed on one surface of the display panel 251 .

Each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although each of the plurality of sub-antenna loops 241 a , 241 b is illustrated as having an overall rectangular shape, it may have a shape such as a circle, an oval circle, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a is positioned at the outer shell of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The first sub-antenna loop 241 a may extend along the circumference of the second sub-antenna loop 241 b . The shortest distance at which the adjacent first sub-antenna loop 241 a and second sub-antenna loop 241 b are spaced apart from each other may be the same on one surface of the display panel 251 , but it is not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be wires having the same width, but they are not limited thereto. The first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b may be made of the same material, but they are not limited thereto.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . The flexible circuit board 27 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a chip on film (COF). Since the coil driver 263 is mounted on the flexible circuit board 27 , the flexible circuit board 27 will be described as a chip-on-film (COF) hereinafter.

The flexible circuit board 27 may be electrically connected to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) on the flexible circuit board 27 connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 may be coupled through the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d and the connector 26 . The connector 26 may be a zero-insertion force connector (ZIF), a board-to-board connector (BTB), or the like, but it is not limited thereto. A plurality of pads (not shown therein) and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be electrically connected to each other in the manner that a socket for the connector 26 is formed in the display panel 251 , and the flexible circuit board 27 is inserted into the socket of the connector 26 .

As another example, the plurality of pads (not shown therein) of the flexible circuit board 27 may be bonded to the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d . For example, a plurality of pads (not shown therein) connected to the plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wires 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 , and a plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be connected by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) using an outer lead bonding (OLB) method.

In addition to this, various connection methods for electrically and physically connecting the plurality of pads (not shown therein) and the plurality of pads 243 a , 243 b , 243 c , 243 d may be used.

The flexible circuit board 27 includes a plurality of signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b positioned on one surface of the substrate and a connection wire 272 positioned on the other surface. The wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 may be printed by photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the wires 271 a , 271 b , 272 on the flexible circuit board 27 is not limited to the above description. In addition, although it has been described in the above that the signal transmission wires 271 a , 271 b and the connection wire 272 are respectively located on both sides of one substrate, they may be located on different substrates, and they are not limited thereto.

The signal transmission wire 271 a connects the pad 243 a connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the coil driver 263 , respectively, and the signal transmission wire 271 b connects the pad 243 d connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b and the coil driver 263 .

The connection wire 272 connects the pad 243 b connected to the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the pad 243 c connected to the second sub-antenna loop 241 b to each other. That is, the first sub-antenna loop 241 a and the second sub-antenna loop 241 b are electrically connected to each other through the connection wire 272 located on the flexible circuit board 27 . Accordingly, the current input from the coil driver 263 to the pad 243 a through the signal transmission wire 271 a flows in the order from the first sub-antenna loop 241 a , the pad 243 b , the connection wire 272 , the pad 243 c , the second sub-antenna loop 241 b , the pad 243 d , to the signal transmission wire 271 b.

That is, according to the antenna module according to an embodiment, it has substantially the same effect as the antenna loop formed in the spiral pattern without forming a wiring in the spiral pattern on the base film 242 . In this antenna module, since the antenna loop wire is all formed on the lower surface of the display panel 251 , manufacturing cost is reduced and the touch screen 20 is thinned and miniaturized.

A case in which a conventional stylus pen, for example, an EMR type pen, is used for a foldable electronic device will be described with reference to FIGS. 91 and 92 .

FIGS. 91 and 92 are diagrams illustrating a case in which a stylus pen according to a conventional method is used in a foldable electronic device. The foldable electronic device described here is in a flat state or an unfolded state shown in FIG. 91 , a folded state shown in FIG. 92 , and an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state. Here, the term “folded state” means “fully folded state” unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIG. 91 , in the case of an EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) type pen among passive stylus pens, after a digitizer 33 transmits an electromagnetic signal B 1 to the EMR stylus pen 30 , the digitizer 33 receives the resonance signal B 2 from the EMR stylus pen 30 .

The digitizer 33 may be attached under the display panel 251 , and may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 34 having a plurality of conductive antenna loops formed thereon, and a ferrite sheet 35 blocking a magnetic field generated by the antenna loops.

In the FPCB 34 , a plurality of antenna loops for detecting a position to which a resonance signal is input is configured in a plurality of layers. One antenna loop is overlapped with at least one of other antenna loops in the Z-axis direction. Thereby, the thickness of the FPCB 34 is thick.

As shown in FIG. 92 , when the folding of the foldable electronic device 2 occurs with respect to the folding axis AXIS_F, the deformation of the FPCB 34 attached to the folding area FA may occur. Stress is applied to the wiring member forming the antenna loop by repeated foldings, which may eventually lead to damage to the wiring member. In a folded state, at least a portion of the folding area FA may be formed of a curved surface having a predetermined curvature.

The ferrite sheet 35 blocks the influence of the magnetic field generated by the antenna loop on the inside of the foldable electronic device 2 . The ferrite sheet 35 is also thick, and it is easy to deform when the foldable electronic device 2 is folded. It may be damaged by repeated foldings.

Therefore, it is difficult to apply the EMR type stylus pen 30 to the foldable electronic device 2 . In addition, in the case of the EMR method, since the signal is transmitted and received only by the digitizer 34 , there occurs a problem that the signal transmission B 1 and the signal reception B 2 cannot be performed at the same time.

FIGS. 93 and 94 are diagrams illustrating a foldable electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

The touch screen 20 of the foldable electronic device includes a display panel 251 , a touch sensor 261 on the display panel 251 , and a loop coil 264 below the display panel 251 .

The touch sensor 261 may include a substrate 23 , a touch electrode layer 21 on the substrate, and a window 22 on the touch electrode layer 21 .

The substrate 23 may be an encapsulation substrate of the display panel 251 or a color filter substrate of the display panel 251 , which is preferably made of a transparent material.

The touch electrode layer 21 may include a plurality of first touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrodes for detecting touch coordinates in a second direction crossing the first direction.

Although the touch electrode layer 21 is illustrated as a single layer in FIG. 93 , the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes may be respectively located on different layers, or may or may not overlap each other. Alternatively, a separate layer may be interposed between the first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes, but it is not limited thereto.

A window 22 may be positioned on the touch electrode layer 21 . The touch electrode layer 21 , the conductive tip 11 , and the window 22 may form capacitance. Accordingly, a signal (a resonance signal or an active touch signal) generated by the stylus pen 10 may be transmitted to the touch electrode layer 21 through the capacitance.

The loop coil 264 may include a substrate 24 on which an antenna loop is positioned, and a ferrite sheet 25 . As described later in the drawings, the antenna loop may be located on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 in addition to the substrate 24 or may be located under the window 22 , in which case the substrate 24 may not be included in a loop coil 264 .

The substrate 24 may be attached to the rear surface of the display panel 251 . The substrate 24 may be located in an area including the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 . The substrate 24 may be a single-side FPCB, a double-sided FPCB, or a multilayer FPCB, but it is preferably a single-side FPCB or a double-sided FPCB. Accordingly, even if the folding area FA is bent with respect to the folding axis AXIS_F, the risk of damage to the substrate 24 by the force applied to the substrate 24 is reduced.

The substrate 24 may include a flexible base film. The base film may be made of a polyimide resin, an epoxy resin, or other known flexible material. At least one antenna loop formed of at least one wire may be formed on the base film.

The antenna loop is formed by a conductive wire on the substrate 24 . For example, the antenna loop may be printed on the substrate 24 by a method such as photolithography or thin film sputtering. The manner for positioning the antenna loop on the substrate 24 is not limited to the above description.

The ferrite sheet 25 may be located in an area other than the folding area FA on the XY plane. Here, the area excluding the folding area FA means an area in which the force acting on the ferrite sheet 25 does not damage the ferrite sheet 25 when the foldable electronic device 2 is in a folded state. It does not mean that the ferrite sheet 25 is not completely positioned in the folding area FA. For example, even if the ferrite sheet 25 is located in a part of the folding area FA, if the ferrite sheet 25 is not damaged when the foldable electronic device 2 is repeatedly deformed between the folded state and the unfolded state, it also corresponds to an area excluding the folding area FA. Accordingly, even if the folding area FA is bent based on the folding axis AXIS_F, the risk of damage to the ferrite sheet 25 is reduced.

After the loop coil 264 transmits the electromagnetic signal B 1 to the stylus pen 10 , the touch sensor 261 receives the resonance signal E 1 from the stylus pen 10 .

The resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may mutually resonate with the loop coil 264 , and the degree of mutual resonance occurring between the inductor of the resonance circuit unit 12 and the loop coil 264 is affected by mutual inductance. Alternatively, the resonance circuit unit 12 may resonate with the magnetic field generated by the loop coil 264 . In relation to this, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 95 to 100 .

In FIGS. 91 to 94 , the antenna loop 241 is shown to have a shape extending from the inside of the display area DP along the boundary of the display area DP, but the antenna loop 241 may be located outside the display area DP. The antenna loop 241 may be also located to surround the periphery of the area where the touch electrodes are disposed, without overlapping the touch electrodes disposed on the touch sensor layer 21 on the XY plane.

As shown in FIG. 95 A , the antenna loop 241 may be printed on the window 22 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like, or may be printed on a sheet and attached to the window 22 by a method such as photolithography, thin film sputtering, or the like. The method for positioning the antenna loop 241 on the window 22 is not limited to the above description.

The ferrite sheet 25 includes the first sheet 25 a that is attached to the rear surface of the display panel 261 and located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , the second sheet 25 b that is attached to the rear surface of the display panel 261 and located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 , the third sheet 25 c that is located on the long side LS 1 and located below the antenna loop 241 attached to the window 22 , and the third seat 25 d that is located on the long side L 2 and located below the antenna loop 241 attached to the window 22 .

Next, in the case of an on-cell type touch sensor, FIG. 96 is a view showing a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 . In the case of an in-cell type touch sensor, FIG. 97 is a diagram showing a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 .

The antenna loop 241 may be made of the same material as the first and second touch electrodes of the touch electrode layer 21 . However, the antenna loop 241 may be positioned in a layer different from that of the touch electrode layer 21 , and may be made of a material different from that of the first and second touch electrodes.

As shown in FIGS. 96 A and 97 A , the loop coil 264 includes the antenna loop 241 located in the touch electrode layer 21 , and the ferrite sheet 25 located under display panel 251 .

As shown in FIG. 96 B , the antenna loop 241 and the touch electrode layer 21 are positioned in the same layer on the encapsulation substrate 23 of the display panel 251 .

The antenna loop 241 may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. The antenna loop 241 may overlap an area in which the ferrite sheet 25 is positioned on the XY plane.

The ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

As shown in FIG. 97 b , the display panel 251 includes a touch electrode layer 21 and a loop coil 264 . That is, the substrate 23 may be a color filter substrate of the display panel 251 , and the touch electrode layer 21 and the antenna loop 241 may be positioned between the color filter substrate 23 and the TFT substrate of the display panel 251 . Alternatively, both the touch electrode layer 21 and the antenna loop 241 may be positioned on the upper and lower sides of the color filter substrate 23 .

The antenna loop 241 may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. The antenna loop 241 may overlap an area in which the ferrite sheet 25 is positioned on the XY plane.

The ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

As shown in FIG. 98 a , the loop coil 264 is located under the display panel 251 . The loop coil 264 includes a substrate 24 and a ferrite sheet 25 . The substrate 24 includes a base film 242 and an antenna loop 241 .

As shown in FIG. 98 B , the antenna loop 241 may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although the antenna loop 241 is illustrated as having a rectangular shape as a whole, it may have a shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto. In addition, the antenna loop 241 may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver nanowire, or the like. The antenna loop 241 may overlap an area in which the ferrite sheet 25 is positioned on the XY plane.

The ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

As shown in FIG. 99 a , the antenna loop 241 may be directly printed on the substrate of the display panel 251 by a method such as photolithography or thin film sputtering. The method for directly forming the antenna loop 241 on the substrate of the display panel 251 is not limited to the above description.

As shown in FIG. 99 b , the ferrite sheet 25 may include the first sheet 25 a positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and the second sheet 25 b positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

The antenna loop 241 may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary of the display area DP. Although the antenna loop 241 is shown as being in a rectangular shape as a whole, it may have a shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a polygon with rounded corners, and the like, but it is not limited thereto. In addition, the antenna loop 241 may be formed of a conductive material exhibiting high transmittance and low impedance, such as ITO, graphene, silver, nanowire, or the like. The antenna loop 241 may overlap an area in which the ferrite sheet 25 is located on the XY plane.

As shown in FIG. 100 A , the loop coil 264 is positioned under the display panel 251 . The loop coil 264 includes a substrate 24 and a ferrite sheet 25 . The substrate 24 includes a base film 242 and antenna loops 241 a , 241 b.

As shown in FIG. 100 B , the ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

The antenna loop 241 a may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 1 and the folding area FA, and the antenna loop 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on long side LS 2 and the folding area FA. The antenna loop 241 a may overlap an area where the first sheet 25 a is located on the XY plane, and the antenna loop 241 b may overlap an area where the second sheet 25 b is located on the XY plane.

FIG. 101 is a diagram illustrating a driving signal of a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to an embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 101 , the coil driver 263 may apply a driving signal D_ 264 to the loop coil 264 . The driving signal D_ 264 may have a predetermined frequency, that is, a frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 , and may be an alternating current oscillating between the first level IH and the second level IL. However, it is not limited thereto. Then, the resonance circuit unit 12 resonates by the magnetic field generated in the loop coil 264 by the driving signal D_ 264 . The signal resonated by the resonance circuit unit 12 may be transmitted to the touch sensor 261 through the capacitance formed with the touch sensor 261 , and a sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 may be received from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 .

Next, a foldable electronic device and a driving method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 102 to 113 .

FIGS. 102 and 103 are views illustrating a foldable electronic device according to another embodiment. As compared with the foldable electronic device described above, a description thereof will be omitted because it is the same except that the substrate 24 is located in an area excluding the folding area FA on the XY plane.

Referring to FIG. 102 , the loop coil 264 may include a substrate 24 on which an antenna loop is positioned, and a ferrite sheet 25 . In FIGS. 104 to 107 , as described later, the antenna loop may be located on the same layer as the touch electrode layer 21 in addition to the substrate 24 . In this case, the substrate 24 may not be included in the loop coil 264 .

The loop coil 264 may be located in an area other than the folding area FA on the XY plane. The loop coil 261 may include at least two sub-loop coils 24 a , 24 b . The sub-loop coil 24 a may be located in an area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and the sub-loop coil 24 b may be located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . A driving signal having the same or similar phase may be applied to the two sub-loop coils 24 a , 24 b , a driving signal having the opposite phase may be applied, or a driving signal may be selectively driven.

Accordingly, even if the folding area FA is bent with respect to the folding axis AXIS_F, the risk of damage to the loop coil 264 is further reduced.

FIGS. 104 to 107 are views illustrating an arrangement of a touch panel and a loop coil according to various aspects of another embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 104 A , the loop coil 264 is located under the display panel 251 . The loop coil 264 includes a plurality of substrates 24 a , 24 b , and a ferrite sheet 25 .

The substrate 24 a includes a base film 242 a and an antenna loop 241 a , and the substrate 24 b includes a base film 242 b and an antenna loop 241 b . The substrate 24 a may be positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and the substrate 24 b may be positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The substrates 24 a , 24 b in FIGS. 104 A and 104 B may be FPCBs or rigid PCBs.

As shown in FIG. 104 B , the ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

The antenna loop 241 a of the substrate 24 a may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side and the folding area FA, and the antenna loop of the substrate 24 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 2 and the folding area FA. The antenna loop 241 a may overlap an area where the first sheet 25 a is positioned on the XY plane, and the antenna loop 241 b may overlap an area where the second sheet 25 b is positioned on the XY plane.

As shown in FIG. 105 A , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be directly printed on the substrate of the display panel 251 by a method such as photolithography or thin film sputtering. The method for directly forming the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b on the substrate of the display panel 251 is not limited to the above description.

As shown in FIG. 105 B , the ferrite sheet 25 may include the first sheet 25 a positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 and the second sheet 25 b positioned between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

The antenna loop 241 a may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 1 and the folding area FA, and the antenna loop 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 2 and the folding area FA. The antenna loop 241 a may overlap an area where the first sheet 25 a is located on the XY plane, and the antenna loop 241 b may overlap an area where the second sheet 25 b is located on the XY plane.

Next, FIGS. 106 A and 106 B are a diagram illustrating a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned in the same layer as a touch electrode layer 21 in the case of an on-cell type touch sensor, and FIG. 107 is a diagram illustrating a loop coil 264 including an antenna loop 241 positioned on the same layer as a touch electrode layer 21 in the case of an in-cell type touch sensor.

The antenna loop 241 may be made of the same material as the first and second touch electrodes of the touch electrode layer 21 . However, the antenna loop 241 may be positioned in a layer different from that of the touch electrode layer 21 , and may be made of a material different from that of the first and second touch electrodes.

As shown in FIGS. 106 A and 107 A , the loop coil 264 includes the antenna loop 241 located on the touch electrode layer 21 , and the ferrite sheet 25 located under the display panel 251 .

As shown in FIG. 106 B , the antenna loop 241 and the touch electrode layer 21 are positioned in the same layer on the encapsulation substrate 23 of the display panel 251 .

The antenna loop 241 a may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 1 and the folding area FA, and the antenna loop 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 2 and the folding area FA. The antenna loop 241 a may overlap the area where the first sheet 25 a is located on the XY plane, and the antenna loop 241 b may overlap the area where the second sheet 25 b is located on the XY plane.

The ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

As shown in FIG. 107 B , the display panel 251 includes a touch electrode layer 21 and a loop coil 264 . That is, the substrate 23 may be a color filter substrate of the display panel 251 , and the touch electrode layer 21 and the antenna loop 241 may be positioned between the color filter substrate 23 and the TFT substrate of the display panel 251 . Alternatively, both the touch electrode layer 21 and the antenna loop 241 may be positioned on the upper and lower sides of the color filter substrate 23 .

The antenna loop 241 a may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 1 and the folding area FA, and the antenna loop 241 b may be a conductive wire extending along the boundary between the display area DP on the long side LS 2 and the folding area FA. The antenna loop 241 a may overlap the area where the first sheet 25 a is located on the XY plane, and the antenna loop 241 b may overlap the area where the second sheet 25 b is located on the XY plane.

The ferrite sheet 25 may include a first sheet 25 a located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 , and a second sheet 25 b located in the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 . The ferrite sheet 25 may include a plurality of sheets in addition to the two sheets, and even in this case, the ferrite sheet 25 is located in an area other than the folding area FA on the rear surface of the display panel 261 .

In FIGS. 104 A to 106 B , the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b are shown to have an extended shape along the boundary between the display area DP and the folding area FA, but the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b may be positioned outside the display area DP. The antenna loop 241 may be also positioned to surround the periphery of a region in which the touch electrodes are disposed, without overlapping the touch electrodes disposed on the touch sensor layer 21 on the XY plane.

FIG. 108 is a view illustrating a case in which a stylus pen approaches various positions of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 109 is a view showing a driving signal of a loop coil and a resonance signal of a stylus pen according to a position of the stylus pen.

As in (a) and (c) of FIG. 108 , when the stylus pen 10 is positioned in the area covered by the loop coil on the XY plane, that is, the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 1 or the area between the folding area FA and the long side LS 2 , the coil driver 263 may resonate the resonance circuit unit 12 by applying a driving signal to each of the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b . However, as shown in (b) of FIG. 108 , when the stylus pen 10 is located in an area not covered by the loop coil on the XY plane, that is, the folding area FA, if the driving signal is applied to the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b individually, the signal resonated by the resonance circuit unit 12 is attenuated, and thus the reception sensitivity of the touch input detected by the touch sensor 261 may be reduced.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 109 , when the stylus pen 10 is located in an area not covered by the loop coil on the XY plane, that is, during the period b, the coil driver 263 applies to all the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b a driving signal of the same or similar phase. Here, the position of the stylus pen 10 may be determined by the touch controller 262 , and the touch controller 262 may control the coil driver 263 so that a driving signal as in the period b may be applied to each of the antenna loops 241 a , 241 b if the stylus pen 10 enters an area where the stylus pen 10 is not covered by the loop coil on the XY plane.

FIGS. 110 A to 112 B are diagrams schematically illustrating a magnetic field generated when the driving signal in FIG. 109 is applied.

FIGS. 110 A and 110 B shows the magnetic field Ba generated when the driving signal as in the period a in FIG. 109 is applied. Since the magnetic field Ba is mainly formed in the area covered by the loop coil 264 a on the XY plane by the current I_ 264 a flowing in the loop coil 264 a , the resonance circuit 12 of the stylus pen 10 can resonate.

FIGS. 111 A and 111 B shows magnetic fields Ba, Bb, Be when the driving signal as in the period b in FIG. 109 is applied. The resonance circuit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may resonate because the magnetic field Bb is formed in the area not covered by the loop coils 264 a , 264 b on the XY plane, as well as the magnetic field Ba and the magnetic field Be in the area covered by the loop coils 264 a , 264 b on the XY plane by the current I_ 264 a flowing through the loop coil 264 a and the current I_ 264 b flowing through the loop coil 264 b are formed.

FIGS. 112 A and 112 B shows the magnetic field Be when the driving signal as in the period c in FIG. 109 is applied. Since the magnetic field Be is mainly formed in the area covered by the loop coil 264 b on the XY plane by the current I_ 264 b flowing through the loop coil 264 b , the resonance circuit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may resonate.

A touch detection method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 113 and 114 .

FIG. 113 is a flow chart illustrating a touch detection method according to an embodiment, and FIG. 114 is a modified example of the touch detection method in FIG. 113 . The touch detection method in FIGS. 113 and 114 may be performed by the electronic device described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

Referring to FIG. 113 , the electronic device is driven in the first touch driving mode S 10 . The first touch driving mode is a mode for detecting a touch input by a touch object (e.g., a finger, etc.) other than the stylus pen 10 . For example, the first touch driving mode may be a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 is applied to the touch sensor 261 .

For example, while the electronic device is driven in the first mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive a sensing signal according to a touch from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The control unit 2624 obtains first touch data of the touch object based on the sensing signals received from the touch sensor 261 while the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the first touch driving mode S 11 . The first touch data acquired in the first touch driving mode may respond to a touch input by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 (e.g., a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.), passive or active type stylus pen). That is, the first touch data may be data corresponding to an amount of change in capacitance of a touch electrode due to a touch of the touch sensor 261 by a touch object, an amount of change in a sensing signal, an analog to digital converter (ADC) (see ADC units 115 , 125 to be described later) output (or an amount of change in output), etc.

Here, as shown in FIG. 114 , the control unit 2624 determines whether the sensing signal is a valid touch signal based on whether the signal magnitude (or signal strength) of the sensing signal obtained while the electronic device is driven in the first touch driving mode exceeds the first threshold value S 11 , and the first touch data including touch coordinates, a touch area, etc. may be obtained using the detection signal determined as the valid touch signal S 12 .

For example, if the signal magnitude of the sensing signal received while the electronic device is driven in the first touch driving mode exceeds the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 may use the sensing signal to calculate touch coordinate information of the touch object. On the other hand, if the signal level of the sensing signal received while driving in the first touch driving mode is equal to or less than the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 excludes the sensing signal from the touch coordinate calculation. In addition, for example, if the signal magnitude of the sensing signal received while driving in the first touch driving mode exceeds the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 may calculate the touch area using the sensing signal.

While driving in the first touch driving mode, the sensing signal generated by the touch may include at least one of the first sensing signal generated by the touch of the user's body part (finger, palm, etc.), and the second sensing signal generated by the touch of the stylus pen 10 , a passive type stylus pen, or the like. In the step S 11 , the first threshold value may be set such that the first sensing signal is determined as a valid touch signal, and the second sensing signal is filtered.

When the first touch driving mode ends, the electronic device operates in the second touch driving mode S 12 . The second touch driving mode is a mode for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 . Here, the second touch driving mode may be a mode for applying a driving signal to detect a touch input by the stylus pen 10 to the touch sensor 261 , and receiving a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 resonate in response to the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 .

When the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may simultaneously apply a driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In the above description, in order to generate a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 while the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode, although the case that the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 simultaneously apply a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n has been described as an example, a driving signal may be simultaneously applied to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m by the first driving/receiving unit 2620 , or a driving signal may be simultaneously applied to all of the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n by the second driving/receiving unit 2622 . In a case that the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 simultaneously apply a driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , it is assumed that the driving signal applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the driving signal applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n have the same phase. However, it is not limited thereto. The resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may resonate by the driving signal applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and a resonance signal generated thereby may be transmitted to the touch sensor 261 through the conductive tip 11 . Accordingly, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive the sensing signal transmitted from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive the sensing signal transmitted from the plurality of second touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - n . The first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may process the received sensing signals and transmit it to the control unit 2624 .

The control unit 2624 receives sensing signals from the touch sensor 261 while the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode, and acquires second touch data including touch coordinates of a touch object, etc. based on the received sensing signals S 13 . The second touch data obtained in the second touch driving mode may correspond to a touch input by the stylus pen 10 . That is, the second touch data is obtained by converting into data the amount of capacitance change due to the touch of the touch sensor 261 of the stylus pen 10 , the amount of sensing signal change, ADC output (or amount of output change), or the like.

Here, as shown in FIG. 114 , the control unit 2624 may determine whether the sensing signal while the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode is a valid touch signal based on whether the level of the sensing signal exceeds the second threshold value S 14 . The second touch data may be acquired using the sensing signal determined as the valid touch signal S 15 .

For example, if the magnitude of the sensing signal obtained while the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode exceeds the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 may calculate touch coordinates using the sensing signal. On the other hand, if the level of the sensing signal obtained while the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 excludes the sensing signal from calculating the touch coordinates. If the magnitude of the sensing signal obtained while the electronic device is driven in the second section exceeds the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 may calculate the touch area using the sensing signal.

Next, driving signals applied in the first touch driving mode and the second touch driving mode and a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 115 .

FIG. 115 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal according to the touch detection method in FIGS. 113 and 114 . In FIG. 115 , D_ 111 and D_ 121 represent examples of driving signals output from the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 , respectively.

Referring to FIG. 115 , in a first period T 1 in which the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device is driven in the first touch driving mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs the driving signal D_ 111 to a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . In addition, when the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs driving signals to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . In addition, in a first period T 1 in which the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device is driven in the first touch driving mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may output a driving signal to at least one type of touch electrodes among the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In a first sub-period T 21 of the second period T 2 in which the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 simultaneously applies the driving signal D_ 111 to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 simultaneously applies the driving signal D_ 121 to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In the first sub-period T 21 , the frequencies of the driving signal D_ 111 applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the driving signal D_ 121 applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n correspond to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . For example, the frequencies of driving signals D 111 , D 121 output to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n during the first sub-period T 21 may be frequencies within an offset of 25 kHz based on 500 kHz.

In contrast, in the first period T 1 , the frequencies of the driving signals D_ 111 output to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m are set to be different from the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . For example, the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 output to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m during the first period T 1 may be set to about 150 kHz. The frequency setting of such drive signals is merely an example, and may be set to a value different from the above.

In a second sub-period T 22 of the second period T 2 in which the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device is driven in the second touch driving mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . In the second sub-period T 22 , even after the application of the driving signal is finished, the resonance signal output by the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 is transmitted to at least one among the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The second period T 2 may include a plurality of first sub-periods T 21 and second sub-periods T 22 . For example, in the second period T 2 , the combination of the first sub-period T 21 and the second sub-period T 22 may be repeated eight times.

Although it has been described above that the second period T 2 exists after the first period T 1 , the first period T 1 may exist after the second period T 2 , and the time length of the first period T 1 and the second period T 2 may be changed within several frame periods. The driving method of the touch sensing unit 260 according to an embodiment is not limited thereto.

In addition, in the above description, a case in which the first period T 1 and the second period T 2 are included once in one frame period has been described as an example, but a plurality of first periods T 1 and a plurality of second periods T 2 may be included in one frame period. In this case, the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device may acquire first touch data based on the sensing signals received from the touch sensor 261 in the plurality of first periods T 1 driven in the first touch driving mode, and may acquire second touch data based on the sensing signals received from the touch sensor 261 in the plurality of second periods T 2 driven in the second touch driving mode.

In addition, although it has been described above that the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receive the sensing signal in the second sub-period T 22 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive sensing signals through the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the first sub-period T 21 .

Next, the touch detection method in FIGS. 113 and 114 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 116 to 119 .

FIG. 116 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a driving signal and a received signal according to the touch detection method in FIGS. 113 and 114 , and FIG. 117 indicates an example of processing a sensing signal in the first period T 1 . In FIGS. 116 and 117 , it is assumed that a finger touch is applied to an area where the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 and the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 3 intersect.

In FIG. 116 , the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 applied to the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 and the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 3 include a frequency signal having an enable level voltage VE and a disable level voltage VD. Here, the first driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m may be sequentially applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m in the first period T 1 . The first driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m may be pulse signals having an enable level voltage VE and a disable level voltage VD. On the other hand, in FIG. 116 , a case in which the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are frequency signals of a pulse waveform is illustrated as an example, but the waveform of the driving signals is not limited thereto.

In the first period T 1 , the plurality of driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m are sequentially applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . In addition, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives the sensing signals R_ 121 - 1 to R_ 121 - n from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In the first period T 1 , the driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m are those for detecting a touch input by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 .

The second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives the sensing signals R_ 121 - 1 to R_ 121 - n from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The first driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m are driving signals for detecting a touch input by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 , and are not limited to the waveform shown in FIG. 116 . Although FIG. 116 illustrates that the first driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m are sequentially applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , driving signals having different frequencies (e.g., frequencies having an orthogonal relationship to each other) may be simultaneously applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . In this case, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive sensing signals according to a touch from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , and may separate the sensing signals for each of the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m by means of bandpass filters of different frequency bands.

As shown in FIG. 117 , in the first period T 1 , the sensing signal R_ 121 - 1 from the second touch electrode 121 - 1 may be amplified and output through the corresponding amplifier 123 - 1 . The sensing signal R_ 121 - 2 from the second touch electrode 121 - 2 may be amplified and output through the corresponding amplifier 123 - 1 . The sensing signal R_ 121 - 3 from the second touch electrode 121 - 3 may be amplified and output through the corresponding amplifier 123 - 1 . The sensing signal R_ 121 - 4 from the second touch electrode 121 - 4 may be amplified and output through the corresponding amplifier 123 - 1 . In the sensing signals R_ 121 - 1 , R_ 121 - 2 , R_ 121 - 3 , a change in signal level due to a touch may occur as ΔV 0 , ΔV 1 , ΔV 2 , respectively. The sensing signals amplified by the respective amplifiers 123 - 1 , 123 - 2 , 123 - 3 , 123 - 4 are converted into sensing data that are a digital signal by the ADC unit 125 , then processed by the signal processing unit 127 , and transmitted to the control unit 2624 .

When sensing data are input, the control unit 2624 may detect a change in signal level (amplitude) of each sensing signal therefrom. In addition, a point where the first touch electrode to which the driving signal is applied when the signal magnitude change occurs and the second touch electrode to which the signal magnitude change occurs intersect can be acquired as touch coordinates. Taking FIG. 8 as an example, while a driving signal is applied to the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 , a change in signal magnitude due to a touch occurs as ΔV 0 , ΔV 1 , ΔV 2 , respectively in the sensing signals R_ 121 - 1 , R_ 121 - 2 , R_ 121 - 3 received from the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 3 . Accordingly, a point where the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 and the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 3 intersect may be obtained as touch coordinates.

Next, referring back to FIG. 116 , in the first sub-period T 21 within the second period T 2 , the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are applied to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . Driving signals D_ 111 and D_ 121 applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n during the first sub-period T 21 are a frequency or pulse signal having a frequency similar to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 .

In the first sub-period T 21 , a reception of sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may not be performed.

In the second sub-period T 22 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive sensing signals from all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The second period T 2 may include a plurality of first sub-periods T 21 and second sub-periods T 22 . For example, in the second period T 2 , the combination of the first sub-period T 21 and the second sub-period T 22 may be repeated eight times.

In FIG. 116 , since a touch by the stylus pen 10 does not occur, a sensing signal may not be received in the second sub-period T 22 .

FIG. 118 is a waveform diagram illustrating another example of a driving signal and a received signal according to the touch detection method in FIGS. 113 and 114 , and FIG. 119 indicates an example of processing a sensing signal in the second period T 2 in FIG. 118 . In FIGS. 118 and 119 , it is assumed that a touch by the stylus pen 10 is applied to an area where the first touch electrode 111 - 2 and the second touch electrode 121 - 5 intersect.

In FIG. 118 , driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 applied to the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 , 111 - 2 and the second touch electrodes 121 - 1 , 121 - 2 , 121 - 3 include a frequency or pulse signal having an enable level voltage VE and a disable level voltage VD as in FIG. 116 . Meanwhile, in FIG. 118 , a case in which the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are frequency signals of a pulse waveform is illustrated as an example, but the waveform of the driving signals is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 118 , in the first period T 1 , driving signals D_ 111 - 1 to D_ 111 - m are sequentially applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . The second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives the sensing signals R_ 121 - 1 to R_ 121 - n from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

Since the stylus pen 10 is close to the second touch electrode 121 - 5 , in the first period T, the signal magnitude changing value ΔV 3 of the sensing signal R_ 121 - 5 from the second touch electrode 121 - 5 having a touch may be amplified and output through the amplifier 123 - 5 .

Next, in the first sub-period T 21 in the second period T 2 , the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are applied to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . Driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n during the first sub-period T 21 are frequency or pulse signals having a frequency similar to the resonant frequency of the stylus pen 10 .

In FIG. 118 , the enable level voltage VE and the disable level voltage VD of the second and third driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are described as being the same and in-phase signals, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the first sub-period T 21 , the level of the pen resonance signal increases according to the time when the second and third driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are applied. After a certain time has elapsed, the level of the pen resonance signal is in a saturated state.

In the first sub-period T 21 , sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n are not received.

Thereafter, when the first sub-period T 21 ends, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 stop applying driving signals. That is, during the second sub-period T 22 following the first sub-period T 21 , no driving signal is applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In the second sub-period T 22 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive sensing signals from all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . The first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive a pen resonance signal in the second sub-period T 22 to which the driving signals D_ 111 and D_ 121 are not applied, as a detection signal.

As shown in FIG. 119 , sensing signals R_ 111 - 2 , R_ 121 - 5 received from the first touch electrode 111 - 2 and the second touch electrode 121 - 5 in the area touched by the stylus pen 10 in the second sub-period T 22 may be amplified and output by the corresponding differential amplifiers 113 - 2 , 123 - 1 , respectively. In each of the differential amplifiers 113 - 2 , 123 - 1 , since sensing signals received from the touch electrodes 111 - 6 , 121 - 1 in addition to the sensing signals R_ 111 - 2 , R_ 121 - 5 are input as another input, the signals output from each of the differential amplifiers 113 - 2 , 123 - 1 substantially correspond to the signals obtained by amplifying sensing signals R_ 111 - 2 and R_ 121 - 5 received from the first touch electrode 111 - 2 and the second touch electrode 121 - 5 . The sensing signals amplified by each of the differential amplifiers 113 - 2 , 123 - 1 are converted into a digital signal of sensing data by the corresponding ADCs 115 , 125 , and then are processed by signal processing units 117 , 127 and transmitted to the control unit 2624 . Here, the signal magnitude difference ΔV 4 between the sensing signal R_ 111 - 2 from the first touch electrode 111 - 2 with a touch and the sensing signal R_ 111 - 6 from the first touch electrode 111 - 6 without a touch may be amplified and output through the differential amplifier 113 - 2 . Similarly, the difference ΔV 5 in signal magnitude between the sensing signal R_ 121 - 5 from the second touch electrode 121 - 5 with a touch and the sensing signal R_ 121 - 1 from the second touch electrode 121 - 1 without a touch may be amplified and output through the differential amplifier 123 - 1 .

When sensing data is input, the control unit 2624 may detect an effective touch signal having a signal level (amplitude) equal to or greater than a predetermined value among sensing signals, using the input. In addition, touch coordinates may be obtained from the positions of the touch electrodes detected as valid touch signals. When taking FIG. 118 as an example, a sensing signal greater than or equal to a predetermined value is received from the first touch electrode 111 - 2 and the second touch electrode 121 - 5 . Accordingly, a point where the first touch electrode 111 - 2 and the second touch electrode 121 - 5 intersect may be obtained as touch coordinates.

The control unit 2624 may calculate a touch position in the touch sensor 261 through the sensing signal received in the second sub-period T 22 . According to the electronic device in an embodiment, since the sensing signals are received through both the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the second sub-period T 22 , there is an advantage in that touch coordinates along two axes intersecting each other can be acquired in a short time.

In addition, since the same driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 are simultaneously applied to both the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the first sub-period T 21 , there is an advantage in that the resonance signal level of the stylus pen 10 in response thereto is improved.

In the above description, a reception of the sensing signal may be performed at least once in the second sub-period T 22 by at least one of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 . In addition, the point of time at which the sensing signal is received may be at least a point of time within the second sub-period T 22 , but it is not limited thereto.

According to embodiments, when the first touch data or the second touch data are obtained as described above, the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device detects touch coordinates from the acquired touch data and transmits the touch data including the touch coordinates to the host device every predetermined touch report cycle. In this disclosure, the touch report cycle refers to a cycle in which the electronic device outputs touch data to the host device in order to report the touch data acquired by driving the touch sensor 261 to the external host device (not shown therein).

Next, the magnitude of the sensing signal received in each of the first period T 1 and the second period T 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 120 .

FIG. 120 is a graph showing the magnitude of the received signal in FIGS. 116 and 118 . 1 FRAME includes a first period T 1 and a second period T 2 . The second period T 2 includes a first sub-period T 21 and a second sub-period T 22 . When the second period T 2 ends, the first period T 1 of the next frame starts.

In the first period T 1 , the difference in magnitude of the sensing signal by the finger is ΔV 1 , ΔV 2 , which exceeds the first threshold Threshold 1 . In the first period T 1 , the difference in magnitude of the sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 is ΔV 3 , which is less than or equal to the first threshold Threshold 1 .

According to an embodiment, the control unit 2624 may determine a sensing signal having a difference in magnitude exceeding the first threshold value Threshold 1 in the first period T 1 as an effective touch signal. The first threshold Threshold 1 may be set so that the first sensing signal by the user's body part (finger, palm, etc.) is determined as an effective touch signal, and the second sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 or the passive type stylus pen is filtered.

Therefore, the control unit 2624 determines that the sensing signal by the finger is a valid touch signal, and calculates touch coordinates using the sensing signal. The control unit 2624 determines that the sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 is not a valid touch signal, and does not calculate touch coordinates.

In the second period T 2 , the difference in magnitude of the sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 is ΔV 4 , ΔV 5 , which exceeds the second threshold Threshold 2 .

The control unit 2624 determines a sensing signal having a difference in magnitude exceeding the second threshold value Threshold 2 in the second period T 2 as a valid touch signal. Therefore, the control unit 2624 determines the sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 as a valid touch signal, and calculates touch coordinates using the sensing signal.

According to embodiments, the first threshold value Threshold 1 is set so that the first sensing signal by the user's body part (finger, palm, etc.) is determined as an effective touch signal, and the sensing signal by the passive type stylus pen 10 is filtered. Accordingly, in the first period T 1 , touch coordinates by a touch object having a large change in signal magnitude can be accurately detected, and in the second period T 2 , touch coordinates by a touch object having a small change in signal magnitude can be accurately detected.

A touch area according to a touch object will be described with reference to FIGS. 121 and 122 .

FIGS. 121 and 122 are diagrams illustrating touch areas of different objects, respectively.

FIG. 121 illustrates a case in which the finger 30 touches the touch sensor 261 .

Referring to FIG. 121 , a plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 and 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 may be positioned near an area A 1 where the tip of the finger 30 contacts the touch sensor 261 . In this case, the control unit 2624 may calculate the area of the touch area A 1 by using the sensing signals received from sensing channels corresponding to the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 .

FIG. 122 illustrates a case in which the stylus pen 10 touches the touch sensor 261 .

Referring to FIG. 122 , one first touch electrode 111 - 6 and one second touch electrode 121 - 6 may be positioned near the area A 2 where the tip of the stylus pen 10 contacts the touch sensor 261 . Alternatively, two first touch electrodes and two second touch electrodes may be positioned near the area A 2 where the tip of the stylus pen 10 contacts the touch sensor 261 . That is, the number of touch electrodes positioned in the area A 2 where the tip of the stylus pen 10 contacts the touch sensor 261 is smaller than the number of touch electrodes positioned in the area A 1 where the tip of the finger 30 contacts the touch sensor 261 . Accordingly, the area of the touch area A 2 by the touch of the stylus pen 10 is calculated as a very small value in comparison to that of the touch area A 1 by the touch of the finger 30 .

According to embodiments, the touch sensing unit 260 may transmit touch data including information on the area of the touch area to the host device. Through this, the host device may identify whether the touch object is the finger 30 or the stylus pen 10 .

According to embodiments, the touch sensing unit 260 may determine a touch object according to the calculated area of the touch area and transmit touch data including information on the determined touch object to the host device.

A phenomenon in which a touch of the stylus pen 10 is not detected by another conductive touch object will be described with reference to FIGS. 123 and 124 .

FIG. 123 illustrates a case in which a touch of the stylus pen 10 is not detected according to a distance between the stylus pen 10 and a touch point of another touch object 30 . FIG. 124 illustrates a case in which a touch of the stylus pen 10 is not detected according to a touch area of another touch object 30 .

As shown in FIG. 123 , when the touch point of another touch object 30 is located in the area A 3 within a predetermined distance from the touch point of the stylus pen 10 , the magnitude of the sensing signal by the touch of the stylus pen 10 that the driving/receiving unit 2620 , 2622 receives in the second period T 2 is reduced. For example, the magnitude of the sensing signal in this case may be lowered by about 30% in comparison to the case where the stylus pen 10 alone touches the touch sensor 261 .

As shown in FIG. 124 , even when the touch area of another touch object 30 is large, such as when the touch sensor 261 is touched with a palm, the magnitude of the sensing signal by the touch of the stylus pen 10 that the driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 receives in the second section T 2 is reduced. For example, the magnitude of the sensing signal in this case may be lowered by about 40% in comparison to the case where the stylus pen 10 alone touches the touch sensor 261 .

As described above, since the level of the touch sensing signal of the stylus pen 10 is reduced by the influence of another touch object 30 , the level of the sensing signal is lower than the second threshold value, and the touch sensing unit 260 may not detect the touch of the stylus pen 10 even though the stylus pen 10 touched the touch sensor 261 . If the second threshold value is set to be lowered to the minimum value to solve this problem, it may be detected that the stylus pen 10 touches the stylus pen 10 even though it does not actually touch the touch sensor 261 and is in a hover state. Thus, the quality of writing using the stylus pen may deteriorate.

Therefore, in the embodiments to be described later, in order to solve this problem, the magnitude range of the sensing signal identified as an effective touch signal in the second period T 2 may be determined differently depending on each of the cases that the stylus pen 10 and the conductive touch object 30 (e.g., hand, finger, etc.) different from the stylus pen 10 touch the touch sensor 261 at the same time, and the stylus pen 10 alone touches the touch sensor 261 . That is, when the touch sensing unit 260 identifies a valid touch signal among the sensing signals received in the second period T 2 through the control unit 2624 , a sensing signal having a signal level in the first range may be identified as an effective touch signal in the state in which the stylus pen 10 alone touches the touch sensor 261 , and a sensing signal having a signal level in the second range may be identified as a valid touch signal in the state in which the stylus pen 10 and another conductive touch object 30 simultaneously touch the touch sensor 261 . Here, the second range represents a signal magnitude range having a lower limit value different from the first range, and the signal magnitude lower limit value of the first range may be higher than the signal magnitude lower limit value of the second range. Accordingly, in a state where the stylus pen 10 and another conductive touch object 30 simultaneously touch the touch sensor 261 , the touch sensing unit 260 may identify, as an effective touch signal, a sensing signal having a signal magnitude lower than a sensing signal identified as an effective touch signal in a state where the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 .

According to an embodiment (refer to the method of determining an effective touch signal in FIG. 125 to be described later), the touch sensing unit 260 may be configured such that the magnitude range of a sensing signal identified as an effective touch signal in the second period T 2 is made different by differently using a second threshold value that is a criterion for determining a valid touch signal in the second period T 2 , depending on each of the cases that the stylus pen 10 and the conductive touch object 30 simultaneously touch the touch sensor 261 , and the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 . In this case, the touch sensing unit 260 may be configured such that the magnitude range of a sensing signal identified as an effective touch signal is made different by determining a second threshold value that is a criterion for determining a valid touch signal in the second period T 2 , based on the sensing signal received in the first period T 1 , depending on each of the cases that a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 simultaneously touches the touch sensor 261 , and the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 .

In addition, according to another embodiment (refer to the method of determining an effective touch signal in FIG. 126 to be described later), the touch sensing unit 260 may be configured such that the magnitude range of a sensing signal identified as an effective touch signal is made different by amplifying the sensing signal received in the second section T 2 at a predetermined ratio and comparing with a second threshold value in the case that a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 simultaneously touches the touch sensor 261 , depending on each of the cases that a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 simultaneously touches the touch sensor 261 , and the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 . In this case, when amplifying the sensing signal received in the second period T 2 before comparing with the second threshold value if the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 , the amplification ratio in the case where a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 simultaneously touch the touch sensor 261 may be set to be larger than the amplification ratio in the case where the stylus pen 10 solely touches the touch sensor 261 .

Hereinafter, embodiments in which a valid touch signal is determined in the step S 14 of the touch detection method shown in FIG. 114 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 125 and 126 .

FIG. 125 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of determining a valid touch signal in the step S 14 of the touch detection method in FIG. 114 .

Referring to FIG. 125 , the control unit 2624 of the touch sensing unit 260 receives a sensing signal through the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 S 20 , compares it with the third threshold value, and determine whether there is a sensing signal exceeding the third threshold value during the second period T 2 in which the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the second mode (refer to the step S 13 in FIG. 114 ) S 21 .

The third threshold value is set to be a value smaller than the second threshold value to be described later, and is used to filter noise from the sensing signal and to roughly determine whether a touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred. That is, the control unit 2624 may determine that a touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred if a sensing signal exceeding the third threshold value among sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 is detected during the second period T 2 .

In the step S 21 , when a sensing signal exceeding the third threshold value is detected, the control unit 2624 determines that a touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred. Then, a second threshold value is determined based on the sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the sensing channels during the first period T 1 in FIG. 114 S 22 .

Equation 12 below shows an example of determining the second threshold value Tr.

Tr=Tp×f ( Sa,Sb ),0< f ( Sa,Sb )≤1  [Equation 12]

In Equation 12, Tp represents the default value of the second threshold value, that is, the second threshold value before correction using the sensing signals in the first period T 1 . In addition, Sa denotes sensing signals sensed in a predetermined area adjacent to the touch point of the stylus pen 10 during the first period T 1 , and Sb denotes sensing signals sensed throughout the touch sensor 261 during the first period T 1 . f(Sa, Sb) is a weight calculation function for calculating weights based on attributes (signal magnitudes, coordinates, etc.) of the corresponding sensing signals Sa, Sb.

In Equation 12 above, Sa represents sensing signals corresponding to a predetermined area adjacent to the touch point of the stylus pen 10 among the sensing signals received from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the sensing channels during the first period T 1 in which the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the first mode (refer to step S 10 of FIG. 3 ). The predetermined area may be a circular area, polygonal area, etc. centered on a touch point, and may have a constant area, for example, 1 cm 2 , 2 cm 2 , or the like. The shape and area of the predetermined are not limited thereto.

Here, the touch point (coordinate) of the stylus pen 10 , which is a reference for selecting Sa, is information different from the touch coordinate obtained using the effective touch signal in the step S 15 in FIG. 3 , and may be obtained in response to a sensing signal having the maximum value among the sensing signals received through the step S 20 . When the touch point (coordinate) of the stylus pen 10 is determined in this way, the control unit 2624 may select a sensing channel (or touch electrode) corresponding thereto and a plurality of sensing channels (or touch electrodes) adjacent thereto, and may select the sensing signals received from the selected sensing channels as Sa. Here, the number of sensing channels in which Sa is obtained may be set corresponding to a range in which a touch point of another touch object 30 affects a sensing signal by a touch of the stylus pen 10 , and may be set differently depending on the touch sensing unit 260 . For example, the control unit 2624 may select five sensing channels (or touch electrodes) adjacent to each other in the X-axis and Y-axis directions based on the touch point (coordinate) of the stylus pen 10 , and Sa may be obtained therefrom.

In Equation 12, f(Sa) may be a function for calculating a weight based on signal magnitudes of the selected sensing signals Sa. That is, f(Sa) may be a function by which a relatively large value (e.g., a value close to 1) is calculated as a weight if the sum (or average) of the signal magnitudes of the selected sensing signals Sa is small, and a relatively small value (e.g., a value close to 0) is calculated as a weight if the sum (or average) of the signal magnitudes of Sa is large. In this case, the weight calculated by f(Sa) in the cases that the touch area by another touch object 30 is large at a position adjacent to the touch point of the stylus pen 10 , the magnitude of the sensing signal is greatly changed (for example, the touch signal is mostly synchronized by the touch object 30 ), or the like, may be smaller than the weight otherwise in comparison to the above cases.

In addition, f(Sa) may be a function that yields a weight based on a distance (minimum distance or average distance) between a sensing channel of a sensing signal having a signal magnitude greater than or equal to a predetermined value among the selected sensing signals Sa, and a touch point of the stylus pen 10 . That is, f(Sa) may be a function that produces a relatively large value (e.g., a value close to 1) as a weight if the distance (minimum distance or average distance) between the sensing channel of the sensing signal having a signal magnitude greater than or equal to a predetermined value among the selected sensing signals Sa, and the touch point of the stylus pen 10 is long, and produces a relatively small value (e.g., a value close to 0) as a weight if the distance (minimum distance or average distance) between the sensing channel of the sensing signal having a signal magnitude greater than or equal to a predetermined value among the selected sensing signals Sa, and the touch point of the stylus pen 10 is short. Accordingly, the weight calculated by f(Sa) may have a smaller value as the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point of another touch object 30 become adjacent to each other.

In Equation 12 above, Sb represents all sensing signals received from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the sensing channels during the first period T 1 in which the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the first mode (refer to the step S 10 in FIG. 114 ).

In Equation 12 above, f(Sb) may be a function for calculating a weight based on the touch area of the touch object 30 (or the number of touch electrodes touched by the touch object 30 ). In the first period T 1 , as the touch area by the touch object 30 (or the number of touch electrodes touched by the touch object 30 ) increases, the sum (or average) of the signal magnitudes of the sensing signals Sb increases. Based on these characteristics, f(Sb) may be configured such that a relatively large value (e.g., a value close to 1) is calculated as a weight if the sum (or average) of the signal magnitudes of Sb is small, and a relatively small value (e.g., a value close to 0) is calculated as a weight if the sum (or average) of the signal magnitudes of Sb is large. In this case, the weight calculated by f(Sb) may have a smaller value as the area touched by the touch object 30 (or the number of touch electrodes touched by the touch object 30 ) increases.

In addition, for example, f(Sb) may be a function in which a weight is calculated differently according to a touch shape of the touch object 30 . In this case, f(Sb) may be a function for estimating a touch shape according to a signal magnitude distribution pattern of the sensing signals Sb and calculating a weight corresponding thereto.

On the other hand, although only the case where the weight calculated by f(Sa, Sb) is changed in response to the distance between the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point of the touch object 30 , or the touch pattern (touch area or touch shape) was described as an example in the above, the weight calculated by f(Sa, Sb) may be also changed in response to various other touch properties. For example, f(Sa, Sb) may be a function by which other different weights are computed according to a positional relationship between the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point of another touch object 30 (e.g., the distance between the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point by another touch object 30 , the number of sensing channels interposed between the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point by another touch objects 30 , whether the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point by another touch object 30 are located on the same sensing channels, whether the touch point of the stylus pen 10 and the touch point by another touch object 30 are located on sensing channels diagonal to each other, etc.

In addition, f(Sa, Sb)) in Equation 12 above may be an arbitrary function that outputs a value greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1 using each sensing signal Sa, Sb. The weight calculation function f(Sa) may use variables corresponding to the properties (position, signal magnitude, etc.) of the sensing signal Sa, and may be an arbitrary function setting the second threshold value Tr to a value less than or equal to the default value Tp, that is, a function expressed as a logarithmic function, a transcendental function, or a combination thereof. For example, f(Sa) may output a value close to 1 as the distance between the position of the sensing signal Sa and the touch point (coordinate) of the stylus pen 10 increases, may output a value close to 0 as the distance between the position of the sensing signal Sa and the touch point (coordinate) of the stylus pen 10 decreases, may output a value close to 0 as the strength of the sensing signal Sa (e.g., voltage value, capacitance change amount, etc.) increases, or may output a value close to 1 as the strength of the sensing signal Sa decreases.

Similarly, f(Sb) may use variables corresponding to the properties (area, signal magnitude, etc.) of the sensing signal Sb, and may be an arbitrary function setting the second threshold value Tr to a value less than or equal to the default value Tp, that is, a function expressed as a logarithmic function, a transcendental function, or a combination thereof. For example, f(Sb) may output a value close to 1 as the area of the sensing signal Sb decreases, may output a value close to 0 as the area of the sensing signal Sb increases, may output a value close to 0 as the strength of the sensing signal Sb (e.g., voltage value, capacitance change amount, etc.) increases, or may output a value close to 1 as the strength of the sensing signal Sb decreases.

In Equation 12 above, the weight output by f(Sa, Sb) may have a value greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1, and may have a value greater than the third threshold value described above. Accordingly, the second threshold value Tr may be limited to a value equal to or less than the default value Tp of the second threshold value by the weight calculation functions f(Sa, Sb). For example, when a touch by another touch object 30 does not occur, the weights calculated by f(Sa, Sb) all may have a value of 1. Accordingly, the second threshold value Tr may be a default value Tp of the second threshold value. In addition, for example, when a touch by another touch object 30 occurs at a point adjacent to the touch point of the stylus pen 10 , f(Sa, Sb) may have a value less than 1, and the second threshold value Tr may be a value smaller than the default value Tp of the second threshold value. In addition, for example, when the touch area of another touch object 30 is large, f(Sa, Sb) may have a value less than 1, and the second threshold value Tr is smaller than the default value Tp of the second threshold value.

As described above, when a touch of another touch object 30 occurs at a point adjacent to the touch point of the stylus pen 10 , or a large-area touch occurs by another touch object 30 , the second threshold value is determined as a value lower than a default value. Therefore, it is possible to detect an effective touch signal corresponding to the stylus pen 10 even when the level of the sensing signal by the touch of the stylus pen 10 decreases due to the touch of another touch object 30 .

When the second threshold value is determined through the step S 22 , the control unit 2624 compares it with the sensing signal received in the second period T 2 , and determines a valid touch signal in the second period T 2 S 23 .

Meanwhile, although it has been described in the above that the second threshold value is determined according to the sensing signals in the first period T 1 when a detection signal exceeding the third threshold value is detected in the step S 21 (when a touch by the stylus pen 10 occurs), the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, the control unit 2624 may determine the second threshold value using Equation 12 above, regardless of whether the sensing signals received in the second period T 2 exceed the third threshold value.

In addition, for example, the second threshold value may be determined using Equation 12 above when the control unit 2624 determines that the sensing signals received in the first period T 1 are signals resulting from the touch by the touch object on the touch sensor 261 (when a touch by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 occurs). In this case, the control unit 2624 may determine that a touch by the touch object occurs on the touch panel 100 if a sensing signal exceeding a fourth threshold value (a threshold value equal to or smaller than the first threshold in FIG. 114 ) among sensing signals received in the first period T 1 is detected.

In addition, for example, the control unit 2624 may determine the second threshold value using Equation 12 above if the sensing signals received in the second period T 2 exceed the third threshold value, and the sensing signals received in the first period T 1 are determined to be signals by the touch of the touch object (when a touch by the stylus pen 10 and a touch by another touch object occur at the same time).

Meanwhile, in all cases except for the case where the second threshold value is determined through Equation 12, the second threshold value may be set as a default value Tp.

FIG. 126 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of determining a valid touch signal in the step S 14 of the touch detection method in FIG. 114 .

Referring to FIG. 126 , the control unit 2624 of the touch sensing unit 260 receives sensing signals from the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 during a second period T 2 in which the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the second mode (refer to the step S 13 in FIG. 3 ) S 30 , compares with the third threshold value, and determines whether there is a sensing signal exceeding the third threshold value S 31 .

The third threshold value is set to a value smaller than the second threshold to be described later, and is used to filter noise from the sensing signal and to roughly determine whether a touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred. That is, if a sensing signal exceeding the third threshold value among sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 is detected during the second period T 2 , the control unit 2624 may determine that a touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred.

As such, if it is determined that a touch has occurred by the stylus pen 10 , the control unit 2624 identifies whether the touch sensor 261 is simultaneously touched by a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 S 32 .

In the step S 32 , the control unit 2624 may identify a simultaneous touch situation based on the sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n through the sensing channels during the first period T 1 in FIG. 114 . For example, the control unit 2624 may detect a simultaneous touch situation by checking whether a valid touch signal is detected in the first period T 1 because it is already determined that a touch has occurred by the stylus pen 10 through the step S 31 .

The control unit 2624 amplifies the sensing signal received from the plurality of touch electrodes 111 - 3 to 111 - 5 , 121 - 4 to 121 - 6 in the step S 30 at a predetermined ratio S 33 , and then determines an effective touch signal in the second period T 2 by comparing the amplified sensing signal with the second threshold value S 34 .

In the step S 33 , an amplification ratio may vary depending on the touch position (relative to the stylus pen 10 ), the touch pattern (area, shape, etc.), etc. of the touch object other than the stylus pen 10 among simultaneously touched touch objects.

On the other hand, if it is identified that only the touch by the stylus pen 10 has occurred in the step S 32 , the controller 2624 compares the sensing signals received through the step S 30 with the second threshold value without amplification, and determines a valid touch signal in the second period T 2 S 34 . Accordingly, in a situation in which the touch sensor 261 is simultaneously touched by a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 , a sensing signal having a smaller signal size in comparison to a situation in which the touch sensor 261 is touched solely by the stylus pen 10 may also be determined as an effective touch signal. Accordingly, when a simultaneous touch of the stylus pen 10 and another touch object 30 occurs, it is possible to detect a valid touch signal corresponding to the stylus pen 10 even in a situation in which the level of the sensing signal by the touch of the stylus pen 10 decreases due to the touch of another touch object 30 .

Meanwhile, in FIG. 126 , a case in which a sensing signal is amplified only when a simultaneous touch is identified through the step S 32 is illustrated as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is also possible to amplify the sensing signal even in a situation where the touch sensor 261 is touched alone by the stylus pen 10 . In this case, the amplification ratio when a plurality of touch objects including the stylus pen 10 simultaneously touches the touch sensor 261 may be set to be greater than the amplification ratio when only the stylus pen 10 touches the touch sensor 261 .

According to the above-described embodiments, when the stylus pen makes simultaneous contact with another conductive object such as a human body, the performance of detecting touch data by the stylus pen may be improved.

Meanwhile, noise exists in the touch sensor 261 for various reasons, and such noise may act as a factor degrading the sensing performance of the touch sensor 261 . In particular, in the case of the stylus pen 10 , when noise in a frequency band similar to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 exists, the precision of touch sensing may be greatly reduced.

Next, a method of driving an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 127 .

FIG. 127 is a flow chart illustrating a method of driving an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

In the first period, the electronic device 2 is driven in the first mode S 10 . The first mode is a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by a touch object other than the stylus pen 10 is applied to the touch sensor 261 .

For example, in the first mode, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs driving signals to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives sensing signals according to a touch from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The control unit 2624 may determine whether the sensing signal is a valid touch signal based on whether the signal magnitude of the sensing signal obtained in the first period exceeds a first threshold value, and may obtain touch coordinate information using the valid touch signal.

For example, when the signal magnitude of the sensing signal obtained in the first period exceeds the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 calculates touch coordinates using the sensing signal. When the signal level of the sensing signal obtained in the first period is equal to or less than the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 may not calculate touch coordinates according to the sensing signal having the signal level equal to or less than the first threshold value. In addition, when the signal magnitude of the sensing signal obtained in the first period exceeds the first threshold value, the control unit 2624 may calculate the touch area using the sensing signal.

The sensing signal acquired in the first period includes at least one of a first sensing signal by a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.) and a second sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 or a passive stylus pen. The first threshold value may be set such that the first sensing signal is determined as a valid touch signal and the second sensing signal is filtered.

In the first sub-period of the second period, the electronic device 2 operates in the second mode S 12 . Here, the second mode may be a mode for applying a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 to the touch sensor 261 , or the second mode may be a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is applied to the loop coil 264 . As such, the second mode may be one of two types.

When the second mode is a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is applied to the touch sensor 261 , for example, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 simultaneously applies a driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m.

Although it has been described above that the first driving/receiving unit 2620 simultaneously applies the driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m in the first sub-period, it is not limited thereto. For example, in the first sub-period of the second period, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may apply a driving signal to at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . Alternatively, in the first sub-period of the second period, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may simultaneously apply the driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . Alternatively, in the first sub-period of the second period, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may apply the driving signal to at least one of the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . Alternatively, in the first sub-period of the second period, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may simultaneously apply the driving signal to all of the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . Alternatively, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may simultaneously apply at least one of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may apply the driving signal to all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and to all of the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . When the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 applies the driving signal all of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , the phases of the driving signal applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the driving signal applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n may be the same, and may be different from each other.

It is assumed that the frequency of the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 in the first period is less than or equal to the frequency of the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 in the first sub-period. In addition, the frequency of the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 in the first sub-period may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal of the signal control unit 220 of the display unit 250 .

For example, the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 resonates with the driving signal, generates a resonance signal thereby, and transmits it to the touch sensor 261 through the conductive tip 11 .

Meanwhile, when the second mode is a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is applied to the loop coil 264 , the coil driver 263 simultaneously applies a driving signal to the loop coil 264 .

In the second sub-period of the second period, the electronic device 2 receives the sensing signal resonant based on the driving signal at least once S 14 .

In one embodiment, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 receives the sensing signal transmitted from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m at least once, and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 also receives the sensing signal transmitted from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n at least once. In this case, the timing at which the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receive the sensing signal may be the same. In addition, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may process the received sensing signal and transmit it to the control unit 2624 .

Although it has been described in the above that, in the second sub-period, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 receives the sensing signal transmitted from a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 also receives the sensing signal transmitted from a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive the sensing signal transmitted from at least one of the touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may also receive the sensing signal transmitted from at least one of a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the second sub-period of the second period. Alternatively, only the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive the sensing signal transmitted from at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m in the second sub-period of the second period. Alternatively, only the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive the sensing signal transmitted from at least one of a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in the second sub-period of the second period. The sensing signal receiving operations of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 are not limited to the above.

In addition, in the second sub-period, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive the sensing signal from at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , or may receive the sensing signal from all of a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m . Similarly, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive the sensing signal from at least one of a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n , or may receive the sensing signal from all of a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The control unit 2624 generates touch information by using some sensing signals received at least once by the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 in the period determined in response to the horizontal synchronization signal.

In another embodiment, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 receives the sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal, and the second driving/receiving unit 2620 2622 is also synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal and receives the sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . In addition, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may process the received sensing signal and transmit it to the control unit 2624 .

The control unit 2624 generates touch information by using the sensing signals received by the first driving/receiving unit 2622 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal.

The control unit 2624 may determine whether the sensing signal is a valid touch signal based on whether the signal magnitude of the sensing signal obtained in the second sub-period exceeds the second threshold value, and may obtain touch coordinate information on the point where a touch by the stylus pen 10 occurred by using the effective touch signal.

For example, when the signal magnitude of the sensing signal obtained in the second sub-period exceeds the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 calculates the touch coordinates by using the sensing signal. When the signal level of the sensing signal obtained in the second sub-period is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 does not calculate touch coordinates according to the sensing signal. In addition, when the signal magnitude of the detection signal obtained in the second sub-period exceeds the second threshold value, the control unit 2624 may calculate the touch area by using the sensing signal.

Next, a driving signal applied in the first and second periods, a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 , and a sensing signal will be described with reference to FIGS. 128 and 129 .

FIG. 128 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and a driving signal according to the driving method in FIG. 127 , and FIG. 129 is a timing diagram showing a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and an example of a driving signal according to the driving method in FIG. 127 .

FIG. 128 is a view when the second mode is a mode in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is applied to the touch sensor 261 , and FIG. 129 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a driving signal for detecting a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is applied to the loop coil 264 in the second mode.

One touch report frame period according to a touch report rate includes a first period T 1 and a second period T 2 . The touch report rate refers to a speed or frequency (Hz) at which the touch sensing unit 260 reports touch data obtained by driving the touch electrodes to an external host system or outputs them to the control unit 270 .

In the first period T 1 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs a driving signal to at least one type of touch electrodes among the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

When the first driving/receiving unit 2620 outputs a driving signal to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . The control unit 2624 may obtain touch coordinate information based on the signal level of the sensing signal.

In FIG. 128 , in the first sub-period T 21 in the second period T 2 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 simultaneously applies driving signals to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , the second driving/receiving unit 2622 simultaneously applies driving signals to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

In the first sub-period T 21 , the frequency of the driving signal applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n corresponds to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . For example, frequencies of driving signals output to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n during the first sub-period T 21 may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

In contrast, in the first period T 1 , frequencies of the driving signals output to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m are different from the resonance frequencies of the stylus pen 10 .

Meanwhile, in FIG. 129 , in the first sub-period T 21 in the second period T 2 , the coil driver 263 applies a driving signal to the loop coil 264 . The frequency of the driving signal applied to the loop coil 264 in the first sub-period T 21 corresponds to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 . For example, the frequency of the driving signal output to the loop coil 264 during the first sub-period T 21 may be an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal.

The frequency setting of such a driving signal is merely an example, and may be set to a value different from the above. Specifically, the control unit 2624 may receive a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a scan driving control signal, a data driving control signal, and the like, from the signal control unit 220 of the display unit 250 . Then, the control unit 2624 sets the frequency of the driving signal provided to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 based on the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, and may synchronize the driving signal with the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

For example, the control unit 2624 may set the frequency of the driving signal of the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 as an integer multiple of 2 or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync. Then, the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 may be designed to have an integer multiple of two or more of the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync. The control unit 2624 may synchronize the driving signal to pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

FIGS. 128 and 129 , in the second sub-period T 22 in the second period T 2 , in synchronization with each pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 receives sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . In addition, in the second sub-period T 22 , each of the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may receive a sensing signal at least once.

In the second sub-period T 22 to which the driving signal is not applied any more, the resonance signal output by the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 may be received by at least one of a plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and a plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The period of the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is one horizontal period (1H) required to write data into the pixels PXs in one row. After each pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is generated, a data signal may be written into the pixel PX during a data writing period TA. The data writing period refers to a period in which a data signal is applied to a data line, and a scan signal is applied to a scan line in order to write a data signal to a pixel PX. Since the data line and the scan line form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrode, a voltage applied to the data line and the scan line during the data writing period TA causes noise in the sensing signal transmitted to the touch electrode.

In an embodiment, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may generate touch information by using the sensing signal received in the noise-free period TB excluding the data writing period TA. The data writing period TA and the noise-free period TB may be set differently according to a display device and a driving method of the display device.

Specifically, at each of the plurality of sampling points during the second sub-period T 22 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 receives sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receive sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

The control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 generates a reception signal by using the sensing signal received at a sampling point in the noise-free period TB. Alternatively, the touch controller 262 generates a reception signal by using the sensing signal received at a sampling point in the noise-free period TB.

As an example, when the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives only the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine the period from the first preset time to the second preset time after the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is generated, as the data writing period TA. The second preset time exceeds the first preset time. This may be variously set according to the driving method of the display unit 250 , and it is not limited thereto. Then, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 generates a reception signal by using the remaining signals except for the sensing signal sampled during the data writing period TA.

As another example, when the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives the scan driving control signal, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine a period in which a scan signal has a disable level from the scan driving control signal as the data writing period TA. Then, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 generates a reception signal by using the remaining signals except for the sensing signal sampled during the data writing period TA.

As another example, when the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives the data driving control signal, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine the period during which the data signal is applied to the data line from the data driving control signal as the data writing period TA. Then, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 generates a reception signal by using the remaining signals except for the sensing signal sampled during the data writing period TA.

In another embodiment, it is preferable that the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receive sensing signals during a noise-free period TB excluding the data writing period TA.

Specifically, the first driver/receiver 2620 receives sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m during the noise-free period TB excluding the data writing period TA. Similarly, the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

That is, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives a sensing signal from the touch sensor 261 for a period in which the scan signal has a disabled level based on at least one of a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and a scan driving control signal. When the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives the scan driving control signal, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine a period in which the scan signal has a disable level from the scan driving control signal. When the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives only the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine a period from the third preset time to the fourth preset time after the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is generated, as the period during which the scan signal has a disabled level. The fourth preset time exceeds the third preset time. This may be variously set according to a driving method of the display device 10 , and it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may receive a sensing signal from the touch sensor 261 for a period excluding a period in which the data signal is applied to the data line of the display panel 251 , based on at least one of a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and a data driving control signal. When the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives a data driving control signal, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine a period during which the data signal is applied to the data line from the data driving control signal. When the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 receives only the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine a period from the fifth preset time to the sixth preset time after the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is generated, as the period during which the data signal is applied to the data line. The fifth preset time exceeds the sixth preset time. This may be variously set according to a driving method of the display unit 10 , and it is not limited thereto.

The second period T 2 includes a plurality of first sub-period T 21 and second sub-period T 22 . For example, in the second period T 2 , the combination of the first sub period T 21 and the second sub period T 22 may be repeated eight times.

Although it has been described above that the second period T 2 exists after the first period T 1 , the first period T 1 may exist after the second period T 2 . The time length of the first period T 1 and the second period T 2 may be changed during each of a plurality of touch report frames, and the driving method of the electronic device 2 according to the present embodiment is not limited thereto.

In addition, although it has been described that the 1-2 sub-period T 21 b and the 2-2 sub-period T 22 b exist after the 1-1 sub-period T 21 a and the 2-1 sub-period T 21 a in the second period T 2 , their order may be changed, and it is not limited to the above description.

An operation of the touch sensor 261 coupled to the display panel 251 of the display unit 250 will be described with reference to FIGS. 130 to 133 .

FIGS. 130 to 133 are timing diagrams illustrating a timing at which a touch device according to an exemplary embodiment receives a sensing signal in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal of the display unit 250 in FIG. 5 according to the driving method in FIG. 127 .

As shown in FIG. 130 , the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 and D_ 121 in the first sub-period T 21 may be twice the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

As shown in FIG. 132 , the frequency of the driving signal D_ 264 in the first sub-period T 21 may be twice the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

In response to the frequencies of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 applied in the first sub-period T 21 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 in the second sub-period T 22 may sample sensing signals. For example, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may sample sensing signals at at least one sampling time point s 00 , s 01 , s 02 , s 03 , s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , and so on according to a clock signal having a predetermined frequency. As shown in FIGS. 130 and 132 , the clock signal for sampling the sensing signals has a frequency four times the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 . At least one sampling time point s 00 , s 01 , s 02 , s 03 , s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , and so on in the present disclosure may be any timing to be periodically set in relation to the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 . After the driving signal is synchronized with the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, when the period of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is changed by an interface delay, etc. between the signal control unit 220 and the touch controller 262 , Inconsistencies may arise between a sampling point periodically set according to the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 (e.g., the clock signal for sampling the sensing signal has a frequency of four times the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 ), and one horizontal period 1H according to the period-changed horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

For example, if the period of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is changed after being synchronized with the first pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, the timing of sampling points within one horizontal period 1H is changed since the clock signal for sampling the sensing signal is synchronized with the first pulse. Then, it is difficult to distinguish between whether the sensing signals sampled within one horizontal period 1H are the sensing signals sampled within the period dwp and the period sp or the sensing signals sampled within the period other than the period dwp and the period sp.

Accordingly, the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be synchronized by at least one of pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and pulses of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync. That is, the timing of the driving signal may be refreshed every horizontal period of a predetermined period or every frame of a predetermined period.

For example, the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be synchronized with pulses of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync of a predetermined period. For example, the pulses of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be initiated in synchronization with the first pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, and then the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be initiated in synchronization with the i-th pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal. Accordingly, the sampling time periodically set according to the frequencies of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be a desired time within one horizontal period 1H even if the period of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is changed.

As another example, the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be synchronized with a pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync every frame of a predetermined period. As illustrated in FIGS. 128 and 129 , the pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync may be changed to the enable level H at the same timing as the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync of one horizontal period 1H. Accordingly, by synchronizing the pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync and the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 in every frame, it is possible to prevent a shift between the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync and the sampling time in the corresponding frame. For example, the pulses of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be initiated in synchronization with the pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync of the first frame, and then the pulses of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be initiated in synchronization with the pulse of the vertical synchronization signal Vsync of the second frame. Accordingly, the sampling time periodically set according to the frequencies of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 may be any desired time point in one horizontal period 1H within a frame synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal Vsync, even if the period of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync is changed.

In addition, in the present disclosure, at least one sampling time point s 00 , s 01 , s 02 , s 03 , s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , . . . may include at least two time points of which phases are opposite to each other within one period of the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 . It is not limited to the above description.

In addition, in the present disclosure, at least one sampling time point s 00 , s 01 , s 02 , s 03 , s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , . . . may include at least two time points of which phases change within one period of the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 . It is not limited to the above description. It is not limited to the above description.

The control unit 2624 generates touch information by using a sensing signal sampled in periods other than the periods dwp and sp within one horizontal period 1H. That is, the control unit 2624 may generate touch information indicating touch coordinates, touch intensity, etc. by using the sensing signal sampled by the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 at at least one sampling time point s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , and so on.

Here, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may use a difference value between the signal value sampled at the first sampling time point s 10 and the signal value sampled at the third sampling time point s 12 , and may obtain the signal level of the sensing signal, that is, an amplitude. In addition, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may use a difference value between the signal value received at the second sampling time point s 11 and the signal value received at the fourth sampling time point s 13 , and may obtain the signal level of the sensing signal. The control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may determine whether to touch, touch coordinates, etc. according to the signal level of the sensing signal.

Alternatively, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 may control the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second the driving/receiving unit 2622 so as to sample the sensing signal in a period other than the period dwp and the period sp within one horizontal period 1H.

As shown in FIGS. 129 and 131 , the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 in the first sub-period T 21 may be three times the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 selects some of the sensing signals sampled at least once within the second sub-period T 22 based on the horizontal synchronization signal, and generates touch information by using the selected sensing signals. That is, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 uses, as the touch information, the sensing signal sampled in the period other than the period dwp and the period sp within one horizontal period 1H in the second sub-period T 22 .

The sensing signals sampled during the time period excluding the period dwp in which the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 applies the data signal to the data line and the period sp in which the scan signal is the low-level voltage L in one horizontal period 1H, are used here. Thereby, there occurs an effect that the SNR can be improved by not using, as touch information, the sensing signal that generates noise according to the signal applied to the data line and the scan line that can form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrodes.

According to another exemplary embodiment, within one horizontal period 1H in the second sub-period T 22 , the first driver/receiver 2620 receives the sensing signal from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives the sensing signal from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in periods other than the periods dwp and sp.

Within one horizontal period 1H, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 samples the sensing signal during a period excluding the period dwp in which the data signal is applied to the data line and the period sp in which the scan signal is a low-level voltage L, thereby preventing noise of the sensing signal according to the signals applied to the data line and the scan line that may form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrodes.

A driving operation of the pixel PX_ab and an operation of receiving a sensing signal by the touch device according to the timing diagrams in FIGS. 134 and 135 will be described based on the circuit diagram of the pixel PX_ab in FIG. 30 .

As shown in FIGS. 134 and 135 , the frequency of the driving signals D_ 111 , D_ 121 , D_ 264 in the first sub-period T 21 may be twice the frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync.

First, a driving operation of the pixel PX_ab will be described.

The seventh transistor TR 7 together with the fourth transistor TR 4 is turned on by the low-level voltage L of the a−1th scan signal S[a−1] transmitted through the a−1th scan line Sa−1. Then, the initialization voltage VINT for initializing the gate electrode voltage of the driving transistor TR 1 is transmitted to the first node N 1 through the fourth transistor TR 4 .

During the period sp, the third transistor TR 3 together with the second transistor TR 2 is turned on by the low-level voltage L of the a-th scan signal S[a] transmitted through the a-th scan line Sa. Then, the corresponding data signal DATA[a] is transmitted to the first node N 1 through the turned-on second transistor TR 2 and the turned-on third transistor TR 3 .

At t 31 , the fifth transistor TR 5 and the sixth transistor TR 6 are turned on by the light emission control signal Ej of the low-level voltage L. Then, the driving current by the voltage stored in the storage capacitor Cst is transmitted to the organic light emitting diode OLED, and the organic light emitting diode OLED emits light.

Next, an operation in which the electronic device receives the sensing signal will be described.

Within one horizontal period 1H, that is, one period of the pulse of the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, there are the period dwp for applying the data signal to the data line and the period sp during which the scan signal is a low-level voltage L, and the light emission control signal is changed to the low-level voltage L within one horizontal period 1H.

At at least one sampling time point s 00 , s 01 , s 02 , s 03 , s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , and so on in the second sub-period T 22 , the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may sample the sensing signals from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 may sample the sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 selects some of the sensing signals sampled at least once within the second sub-period T 22 based on the horizontal synchronization signal, and generates touch information using the selected sensing signals. That is, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 uses the sensing signals sampled in the period other than the period dwp and the period sp within one horizontal period 1H in the second sub-period T 22 as touch information.

The sensing signals sampled during the time period excluding the period dwp for applying the data signal to the data line and the period sp in which the scan signal is the low-level voltage L in one horizontal period 1H, are used here. Thereby, there occurs an effect that the SNR can be improved by not using, as touch information, the sensing signal that generates noise according to the signal applied to the data line and the scan line that can form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrodes.

According to another exemplary embodiment, within one horizontal period 1H in the second sub-period T 22 , the first driver/receiver unit 2620 receives the sensing signal from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driving/receiving unit 2622 receives the sensing signal from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n in periods other than the period dwp and the period sp.

The sensing signals sampled during the time period excluding the period dwp for applying the data signal to the data line and the period sp in which the scan signal is the low-level voltage L in one horizontal period 1H, are used here. Thereby, there is an effect of preventing noise of the sensing signal according to the signal applied to the data line and the scan line that can form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrodes.

Additionally, at least one time point s 10 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , and so on is within a period excluding a time point t 31 at which the light emission control signal E[a] is changed to the low-level voltage L within one horizontal period 1H in the second sub-period T 22 .

That is, by using the sampled sensing signal during the period excluding the time t 31 at which the emission control signal E[a] is changed to the low-level voltage L within one horizontal period 1H, or by sampling the sensing signal during the period excluding the time t 31 at which the light emission control signal E[a] is changed to the low-level voltage L within one horizontal period 1H, there is an effect of preventing noise of the sensing signal according to the signal applied to the light emission control line that can form a parasitic capacitance with the touch electrodes.

FIG. 136 is a diagram schematically illustrating a driving timing of a touch sensor according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 136 , the touch sensor 261 may operate in a first mode IN 1 and a second mode IN 2 .

The first mode IN 1 is a mode in which a touch by a user's body part (finger, palm, etc.) is mainly input. During the first mode IN 1 , a driving signal may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 FTX, and a sensing signal according to the driving signal may be received by the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 FRX.

During the first mode IN 1 , the period STX for applying the driving signal for resonating the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 to the loop coil 264 may be repeated at a predetermined period (e.g., 60 Hz, 120 Hz, etc.). Here, the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 may receive the sensing signal SRX. In addition, the first mode IN 1 may be a mode in which only an input by a user's body part is received, and in this case, the period STX for applying the driving signal to the loop coil 264 may not be required.

When a signal output from the stylus pen 10 is sensed by the touch sensor 261 due to the resonance of the resonance circuit unit 12 of the stylus pen 10 , the touch sensor 261 operates in the second mode IN 2 . In addition, the touch sensor 261 may be entered into the second mode IN 2 and operated by an external controller. For example, the touch sensor 261 may be entered into the second mode IN 2 and operated when an application program configured to receive a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is executed, or a touch input by the stylus pen 10 is expected to be received by another sensor.

The second mode IN 2 is a mode in which a touch by the stylus pen 10 is mainly received. During the second mode IN 2 , a driving signal may be applied to the loop coil 264 STX, and a signal outputted from the stylus pen 10 may be transmitted to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 SRX. According to the waveform of the sensing signal output from the stylus pen 10 , the touch sensor 261 may identify the stylus pen 10 a in FIG. 30 A and the stylus pen 10 b in FIG. 30 B . In addition, the stylus pens 10 c , 10 d , 10 e in FIGS. 30 B, 30 C, and 30 E may also be identified.

A period FTX/FRX for receiving a touch input by a body part during the second mode IN 2 may be repeated at a predetermined cycle (e.g., 60 Hz, 120 Hz, etc.). In this case, a driving signal may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 FTX, and a sensing signal according to the driving signal may be received by the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 FRX. When identified as the stylus pen 10 a in FIG. 30 A , a driving signal may not be applied to the loop coil 264 during this period in order to reduce power consumption according to the application of the driving signal. When identified as the stylus pen 10 b in FIG. 30 B , a driving signal may be applied to the loop coil 264 during this period. Then, power may be charged to the stylus pen 10 b even during a period in which a touch by a body part is received. In addition, the second mode IN 2 may be a mode in which only an input by the stylus pen 10 is received, and in this case, a period FTX/FRX for receiving a touch input by a body part may not be required.

FIGS. 137 A to 140 B are diagrams illustrating driving timings of touch sensors according to embodiments.

FIGS. 137 A, 137 B, 138 A, and 138 B show the timing when the touch sensor 261 operates in a mutual capacitance method, and FIGS. 139 A, 139 B, 140 A and 140 B show the timing when the touch sensor 261 operates in a self-capacitance method.

Although FIGS. 137 A, 138 B, 139 A and 140 A depict the signals therein as if the frequencies of the driving signal D_ 111 applied to the first touch electrode 111 , the driving signal D_ 121 applied to the second touch electrode 121 , and the driving signal D_ 264 applied to the loop coil 264 have the same frequency, actual frequencies are not reflected in the drawings. For example, as shown in FIGS. 137 B, 138 B, 139 B and 140 B , the frequency of the driving signal D_ 111 applied to the first touch electrode 111 and/or the driving signal D_ 121 applied to the second touch electrode 121 may be different from the frequency of the driving signal D_ 264 applied to the loop coil 264 .

Here, as shown in FIGS. 137 B, 138 B, 139 B and 140 B , the frequency of the driving signal D_ 111 applied to the first touch electrode 111 and/or the driving signal D_ 121 applied to the second touch electrode 121 may be less than the frequency of the driving signal D_ 264 applied to the loop coil 264 . This is not limited thereto, and the frequency of the driving signal D_ 111 applied to the first touch electrode 111 and/or the driving signal D_ 121 applied to the second touch electrode 121 may be greater than the frequency of the driving signal D_ 264 applied to the loop coil 264 .

As shown in FIGS. 137 B and 137 B , the driving signal D_ 111 may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 during the first period T 1 , and the sensing signal according to the driving signal D_ 111 may be received from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 . In this case, the driving signal D_ 121 is not applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 .

Next, the driving signal D_ 264 may be applied to the loop coil 264 during the second period T 2 . Then, the signal resonant in the resonance circuit unit 12 increases with time, and becomes saturated after a certain period of time has elapsed. A sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 may be received from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 .

As illustrated in FIGS. 138 A and 138 B , during the first period T 1 , the driving signal D_ 111 is applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 , and the sensing signal according to the driving signal D_ 111 may be received from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 . In this case, the driving signal D_ 121 may not be applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 , but the driving signal D_ 264 may be applied to the loop coil 264 . The resonance signal in the resonance circuit unit 12 increases with time and becomes saturated after a predetermined time elapses.

Since the sampling frequency of the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 corresponds to the driving signal D_ 111 , the touch sensor 261 may receive a touch by a body part during the first period T 1 .

The driving signal D_ 264 may be applied only to the loop coil 264 during the second period T 2 . A sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 may be received from the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 .

As shown in FIGS. 139 A and 139 B , during the first to second periods T 1 to T 2 , the driving signal D_ 111 may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 , the driving signal D_ 121 may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 121 , and the driving signal D_ 264 may be applied to the loop coil 264 .

In this case, the sampling frequency of the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 may be set to a frequency corresponding to the driving signal D_ 111 to receive a touch by a body part, or it may be set to a frequency corresponding to the signal output from the stylus pen 10 to receive a touch by the stylus pen 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 140 A and 140 B , a driving signal D_ 111 may be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 during a first period T 1 to receive a touch by a body part, and a sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 may be received by the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 . In this case, the driving signal D_ 121 may not be applied to the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 , but the driving signal D_ 264 may be applied to the loop coil 264 . The resonance signal resonant in the resonance circuit unit 12 increases with time and becomes saturated after a predetermined time elapses.

During the second period T 2 , the driving signal D_ 121 is applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 121 to receive a touch by a body part, and the sensing signal by the stylus pen 10 may be received by the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 . In this case, the driving signal D_ 111 may not be applied to the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 , but the driving signal D_ 264 may be applied to the loop coil 264 . The resonance signal resonant in the resonant circuit unit 12 is maintained.

As described above, in the touch sensor according to the present disclosure, the touch electrodes 111 , 121 receive a resonance signal from the stylus pen 10 while the loop coil 264 transmits an electromagnetic signal to the stylus pen 10 . In the case of the EMR and ECR methods, since the resonance signal is received from the stylus pen after stopping the transmission of the electromagnetic signal, there is a problem in that the resonance signal in the stylus pen is attenuated. Since the touch input is determined based on the attenuated resonance signal, the touch input is incorrectly recognized, and thus the touch sensitivity is deteriorated.

In the touch sensor according to the present disclosure, a signal transmission is performed by the loop coil 264 and a signal reception is performed by the touch electrodes 111 , 121 . That is, since the touch electrodes 111 , 121 receive the resonance signal while the signal is transmitted by the loop coil 264 , the resonance signal from the stylus pen 10 is not attenuated and is received by the touch electrodes 111 , 121 . This improves the SNR of a signal and improves the reception sensitivity of a touch input.

On the other hand, noise exists in the touch sensor 261 for various reasons, and such noise may act as a factor degrading the sensing performance of the touch sensor 261 . In particular, in the case of the stylus pen 10 , when noise in a frequency band similar to the resonant frequency of the stylus pen 10 exists, the precision of touch sensing may be greatly reduced.

A phenomenon in which noise affects touch sensing will be described with reference to FIG. 141 .

FIG. 141 is a diagram for explaining the effect of noise on the touch sensing performance of an electronic device. This indicates a case in which a noise signal having the same frequency as a driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 for resonance of the stylus pen 10 or having a frequency of 2 times or 3 times is generated.

Referring to FIG. 141 , the touch sensing unit 260 of the electronic device samples the signal value of the sensing signal at a plurality of sampling points s 0 to s 7 in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency of n times the frequency of the drive signal, for example 4 times the frequency of the drive signal in order to obtain the signal level, that is, the amplitude of the sensing signal. Taking FIG. 141 as an example, the signal level of the sensing signal is obtained using the difference value ΔI between the signal value 1 sampled at the point s 0 and the signal value −1 sampled at the point s 2 .

As shown in FIG. 141 , when the touch sensor 261 is touched by the stylus pen 10 , the amplitude ΔI of the sensing signal output from the touched touch electrode becomes 2.

Likewise, in the noise signal 1 having the same frequency as the frequency f 1 of the driving signal, a signal value sampled at sampling time s 0 is 1, and a signal value sampled at sampling time s 2 is −1. Thus, the difference between the two signal values ΔI becomes 2. In addition, in the noise signal 3 having a frequency that is three times the frequency f 1 of the driving signal, a signal value sampled at sampling time s 0 is −1, and a signal value sampled at sampling time s 2 is 1. Thus, the difference between the two signal values ΔI becomes −2.

Therefore, when the noise signal 1 or the noise signal 3 is temporally synchronized with the driving signal, the signal value of the noise signal 1 or the noise signal 3 affects the acquisition of the amplitude of the sensing signal, thereby acting as a factor reducing the touch sensing performance.

Therefore, in an embodiment to be described later, in order to solve this problem, driving signals output to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 in the second touch driving mode in FIGS. 113 and 114 are configured to include two types of driving signals having different phases from each other, and different codes are applied depending on the phase of the corresponding driving signal in the process of acquiring the amplitude of the sensing signal. Thereby, the influence of the noise signal from the sensing signal can be removed.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 142 to 145 , a touch detection method (refer to the steps S 12 and S 13 in FIG. 113 ) while the touch sensing unit 260 operates in the second touch driving mode will be described in more detail.

FIG. 142 is a flow chart illustrating a touch detection method while the touch sensing unit operates in a second touch driving mode according to an embodiment, and FIG. 143 is a diagram for explaining a method of filtering noise in the touch detection method in FIG. 142 .

Referring to FIG. 15 , as the touch controller 264 of the touch sensing unit 260 enters the second touch driving mode for sensing a touch by the stylus pen 10 by the touch sensing unit 260 S 20 , the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 are controlled to output a driving signal for generating a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 to the touch sensor 261 .

Alternatively, as the touch sensing unit 260 enters the touch driving mode for sensing a touch by the stylus pen 10 S 20 , the touch controller 262 of the touch sensing unit 260 controls the coil driver 263 so that it outputs a driving signal for generating a resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 to the loop coil 264 .

Accordingly, the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 selectively applies one of the first and second driving signals having a frequency similar to the resonance frequency of the stylus pen 10 and having different phases to the touch sensor 261 S 21 . That is, the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 select one of the first and second driving signals having different phases, that is, opposite in phase to each other, according to a predetermined order or pattern, and output it to both the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n during a predetermined period (refer to the first sub-period T 21 in FIG. 144 ).

Alternatively, the coil driver 263 applies one of the first and second driving signals having a frequency similar to the resonant frequency of the stylus pen 10 and having different phases to the loop coil 264 S 21 . That is, the coil driver 263 selects one of the first and second driving signals having different phases, that is, opposite in phase to each other, according to a predetermined order or pattern, and outputs it to the coil driver 263 during a predetermined period (refer to the first sub-period T 21 in FIG. 144 ).

In addition, the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 receives the sensing signals from the touch sensor 261 , that is, the plurality of first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m and the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n S 22 , and transmits them to the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 . For example, in a predetermined period (refer to the second sub-period T 22 in FIG. 144 ) after the driving signal application in the step S 21 is finished, the first driving/receiving unit 2620 may receive sensing signals from the first touch electrodes 111 - 1 to 111 - m , and the second driver/receiver 2622 may receive the sensing signals from the plurality of second touch electrodes 121 - 1 to 121 - n . In this case, the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 differentially amplify the sensing signals received from the respective touch electrodes, convert them into sensing data, which is a digital signal and transmits them to the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 .

In addition, the touch controller 262 receives sensing signals from the touch sensor 261 S 22 . For example, in a predetermined period (refer to the second sub-period T 22 in FIG. 144 ) after the driving signal application in the step S 21 is finished, the touch controller 262 may receive sensing signals from the touch panel 261 . In this case, the touch controller 262 differentially amplifies the sensing signals received from the respective touch electrodes, and converts them into sensing data that is a digital signal.

Here, the sensing data are data obtained by sampling signal values of the sensing signal through the ADC units 115 , 125 of the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 . Taking FIG. 143 as an example, the ADC units 115 , 125 of the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 may sample the sensing signal at a plurality of time points s 0 to s 3 , s 10 to s 13 in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency of n times the frequency f 1 of the driving signal, for example, a frequency of 4 times f 1 4×f 1 . At least one sampling time point s 0 to s 3 , s 10 to s 13 in the present disclosure may be any timing that may be periodically set in relation to the frequency of the driving signal.

Alternatively, the sensing data are data obtained by sampling signal values of the sensing signal through the ADC unit (not shown therein) of the touch controller 262 . Taking FIG. 143 as an example, the ADC unit of the touch controller 262 may sample the sensing signal at a plurality of time points s 0 to s 3 , s 10 to s 13 in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency that is n times the frequency f 1 of the driving signal, for example, a frequency of 4 times f 1 4×f 1 . At least one sampling time point s 0 to s 3 , s 10 to s 13 in the present disclosure may be any timing that is periodically set in relation to the frequency of the driving signal.

When the sensing data corresponding to the sensing signal received from each touch electrode is transmitted from the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 , the control unit 2624 uses them and acquires the signal level, that is, the amplitude of each sensing signal S 23 .

Taking FIG. 143 as an example, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 uses at least some of the signal values sampled by the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 , and calculates the signal level of the corresponding sensing signal, that is, the amplitude. For example, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 uses the difference between the signal values sampled at the sampling points s 0 , s 2 and the difference between the signal values sampled at the sampling points s 4 , s 6 , and calculates the signal level of the sensing signal. Accordingly, the amplitude of the sensing signal received in response to the in-phase driving signal becomes +2, which is a difference value between the signal value 1 sampled at time s 0 and the signal value −1 sampled at time s 2 . On the other hand, the amplitude of the sensing signal received in response to the out-of-phase driving signal becomes −2, which is the difference between the signal value −1 sampled at time s 4 and the signal value 1 sampled at time s 6 .

While the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the second touch driving mode, the first and second driving/receiving units 2620 , 2622 apply a driving signal to the touch sensor 261 S 21 , or the coil driver 263 applies the driving signal to the loop coil 264 S 21 . Next, an operation of receiving the sensing signals from the touch sensor 261 S 22 and obtaining the signal level of the sensing signal S 23 is repeatedly performed N times S 24 in response to the above. That is, during the second period T 2 in which the touch sensing unit 260 is driven in the second touch driving mode, the combination of the first sub-period T 21 to which the driving signal is applied and the second sub-period T 22 to which the sensing signal is received may be repeated N times (e.g., 8 times).

After repeating the steps S 21 to S 23 N times, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 obtains the final signal level, that is, the final amplitude of each sensing signal, through Equation 13 below S 25 .

In Equation 13 above, i corresponds to the number of times the steps S 21 to S 23 are performed, ΔIi means the signal amplitude obtained by the i-th performed steps S 21 to S 23 , and “# of samples” corresponds to the number of times (the number of sampling times) that the signal amplitude is obtained from the sensing signal while the second touch driving mode is performed once, that is, the number of times that the steps S 21 to S 23 are performed.

Referring to Equation 13 above, the final signal amplitude of the sensing signal corresponding to each touch electrode corresponds to the value obtained by multiplying ΔIi by the corresponding code and dividing the sum thereof Σ i=1 N (ΔI i ×code) by the number of sampling times # of samples, where the amplitude ΔIi of the sensing signal is obtained by applying the driving signal several times while the second touch driving mode is performed. Here, the code has one of the first value and the second value having the same absolute value and different signs. For example, the code has one of 1 and −1 and may be applied differently depending on the phase of a corresponding driving signal. Taking FIG. 143 as an example, the signal level of the sensing signal obtained by applying the in-phase driving signal (the first driving signal) to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 is multiplied by code 1, and the signal level of the sensing signal obtained by applying the out-of-phase signal (the second driving signal) to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 may be multiplied by code −1.

When the final signal level of the sensing signal corresponding to each touch electrode is obtained through the above-described method, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 compares the value with a predetermined threshold value, and detect a valid touch signal from among the sensing signals. Then, second touch data including the touch coordinates of the stylus pen 10 are acquired in response to the touch electrodes from which the valid touch signal is detected S 26 .

The phase of the resonance signal generated by the stylus pen 10 is changed according to the phase of the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 . Accordingly, the phase of the sensing signal of the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 that senses and outputs the resonance signal of the stylus pen 10 may be also changed in response to the phase of the driving signal applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 .

Taking FIG. 143 as an example, a sensing signal generated when an in-phase driving signal is applied and a sensing signal generated when an out-of-phase driving signal is applied appear different from each other in phase. Accordingly, the amplitude of the sensing signal received by applying the in-phase driving signal (e.g., the difference value ΔI between the sensing data sampled at the sampling points s 0 , s 2 ) becomes +2, and the amplitude of the sensing signal received by applying the out-of-phase driving signal (e.g., the difference value ΔI between sensing data sampled at sampling points s 4 , s 6 ) becomes −2. When the amplitude values obtained in this way are substituted into Equation 13 above, the final signal amplitude value may be reduced through the cancellation between the amplitude values. That is, since the amplitude value of the sensing signal generated by the application of the in-phase driving signal is +2 and the amplitude value of the sensing signal generated by the application of the out-of-phase driving signal is −2, the final signal amplitude obtained when the code is not applied becomes (2+(−2))/2=0.

Therefore, the control unit 2624 or the touch controller 262 multiplies the amplitude of the sensing signal obtained by applying the in-phase driving signal by code 1, and multiplies the amplitude of the sensing signal obtained by applying the out-of-phase driving signal by code −1. Thereby, cancellation between the amplitude values is prevented. That is, when the code according to the phase of the driving signal is applied, the final signal amplitude of the sensing signal becomes ((2×1)+((−2)×(−1))/2=2.

Meanwhile, since the noise signal is a signal that is not affected by the driving signal, as shown in FIG. 16 , the phase thereof is maintained regardless of the phase change of the driving signal. Accordingly, when obtaining the signal amplitude of the noise signal by substituting it into the above Equation 13, the amplitude values multiplied by the code are canceled. Taking the noise signal 1 as an example, the final signal magnitude obtained by Equation 13 above becomes ((2×1)+((2×(−1))/2=0, thereby being filtered. In addition, taking the noise signal 3 as an example, the final signal amplitude obtained by Equation 13 above becomes (((−2)×1)+((−2)×(−1))/2=0, thereby being filtered.

On the other hand, in FIG. 143 , the driving signal of the in-phase and the driving signal of the out-of-phase are continuously applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 , but this is for convenience of explanation. Only one of the in-phase or out-of-phase driving signals is applied to the touch sensor 261 or the loop coil 264 in one first sub-period T 21 . Accordingly, at least one second sub-period T 21 may be disposed between the period to which the in-phase driving signal is applied and the period to whic