# US 10,481,724 B2 · Touch screen controller, system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,724 B2 - Document ID: US10481724B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/815,130 - Filed: 2017-11-16 - Published: 2018-09-13 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-09 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yoon-kyung Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481724B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes} - G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)} - G06F 3/04164: {Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads} - G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract In one embodiment, the touch screen controller includes a sensing circuit configured to generate touch data and force data by processing a single output signal from a touch panel. The touch data indicates whether a touch input is detected, and the force data indicates an amount of force of the touch input. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A touch screen controller, comprising: a sensing circuit configured to generate touch data and force data by processing a single output signal from a touch panel, the touch data indicating whether a touch input is detected, and the force data indicating an amount of force of the touch input; and a driving circuit configured to generate a first modulated signal and a second modulated signal for supply to a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode, respectively, of the touch panel, the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal having different modulated characteristics, wherein the sensing circuit is further configured receive the single output signal from the first sensing electrode, generate a composite sensing signal from the single output signal, generate a first sensing signal corresponding to the first modulated signal from the composite sensing signal, generate a second sensing signal corresponding to the second modulated signal from the composite sensing signal, and determine the touch data and the force data from the first sensing signal and second sensing signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the first modulated signal and second modulated signal have different phases. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The touch screen controller of claim 2, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to demodulate the composite sensing signal using the first modulated signal to generate the first sensing signal; and the sensing circuit is configured to demodulate the composite sensing signal using the second modulated signal to generate the second sensing signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal have different frequencies. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The touch screen controller of claim 4, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to perform a fast Fourier transform operation and at least one filter operation on the composite sensing signal to generate the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal are differently encoded versions of a same carrier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The touch screen controller of claim 6, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to demodulate the composite sensing signal using the same carrier and integrate over a first period to generate the first sensing signal; and the sensing circuit is configured to demodulate the composite sensing signal using the same carrier and integrate over a second period to generate the second sensing signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to convert the first sensing signal to first digital data, convert the second sensing signal to second digital data, generate the force data based on the second digital data, and generate the touch data based on a difference between the first digital data and the second digital data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the first and second modulated signals are AC signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit comprises: an operational amplifier configured to generate the composite sensing signal from the single output signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The touch screen controller of claim 10, wherein a first input of the operational amplifier is configured to receive the single output signal, and a second input of the operation amplifier is configured to receive the first modulated signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The touch screen controller of claim 1, wherein the composite sensing signal includes a first signal component and a second signal component, the first signal component representative of a touch indicative capacitance and a force indicative capacitance, and the second signal component representative of the force indicative capacitance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The touch screen controller of claim 12, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to generate the first sensing signal corresponding to the first signal component, generate the second sensing signal corresponding to the second signal component, generate the force data based on the second sensing signal, and generate the touch data based on the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal. ### Claim 14 A system, comprising: a first sensing electrode at a first layer; a second sensing electrode at a second layer, the second layer spaced from the first layer, and the second sensing electrode facing the first sensing electrode; a supply circuit configured to selectively provide a first modulated signal to the first sensing electrode, and selectively provide a second modulated signal to the second sensing electrode, the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal having different modulated characteristics; and a sensing circuit configured to generate touch data and force data by processing a single output signal from the first sensing electrode, the touch data indicating whether a touch input is detected, and the force data indicating an amount of force of the touch input. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising: a driving circuit configured to generate the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein a first plurality of the first sensing electrodes are at the first layer; and the second sensing electrode faces the first plurality of the first sensing electrodes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the supply circuit selectively connects one of the first plurality of the first sensing electrodes to the sensing circuit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the supply circuit is configured to supply a common voltage to the first and second sensing electrodes during a display operation, and to supply the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal to the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, respectively, during a combined touch and force sensing operation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, further comprising: control logic configured to control the supply circuit to control timing of the combined touch and force sensing operation.