# US 10,503,300 B2 · Pressure-sensing circuit, method for driving pressure-sensing circuit, and display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,300 B2 - Document ID: US10503300B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/957,294 - Filed: 2018-04-19 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31 - Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Chihjen Cheng; Haisheng Wang; Xiaoliang Ding; Yingming Liu; Yuzhen Guo; Pengpeng Wang; Xueyou Cao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503300B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G01L 9/0052: {of piezoresistive elements (circuits therefor G01L9/06)} - G06F 3/04144: {using an array of force sensing means (position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447)} - G06F 3/045: using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract A pressure-sensing circuit, a method for driving the pressure-sensing circuit and a display device are provided. The pressure-sensing circuit includes pressure-sensing gating lines arranged in rows, pressure-sensing reading lines arranged in columns, piezoresistance sensing circuits arranged in N rows and M columns, a pressure-sensing sub-circuit, a current input control circuit, and a current supply circuit for supplying a pressure-sensing current, where each of N and M is an integer greater than 1. The current input control circuit includes N current input control sub-circuits. The pressure-sensing sub-circuit is connected to each of the pressure-sensing reading lines and configured to perform a pressure-sensing operation in accordance with a voltage signal acquired from each of the pressure-sensing reading lines. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pressure-sensing circuit, comprising pressure-sensing gating lines arranged in rows, pressure-sensing reading lines arranged in columns, piezoresistance sensing circuits arranged in N rows and M columns, a pressure-sensing sub-circuit, a current input control circuit, and a current supply circuit for supplying a pressure-sensing current, where each of N and M is an integer greater than 1; a piezoresistance sensing circuit in an nth row and an mth column comprises a piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column and a switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column, where n is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and m+1 is a positive integer smaller than or equal to M; a first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing reading line in the mth column, a control end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column is connected to a second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column, and a second end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column is connected to a pressure-sensing reading line in a (m+1)th column; the piezoresistance sensing circuit in the nth row and an Mth column comprises a piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column and a switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column; a first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to a pressure-sensing reading line in the Mth column, a control end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to a second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column, and a second end of the switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to a first level end, wherein the first level end is the ground; the current input control circuit comprises N current input control sub-circuits; a first end of an nth current input control sub-circuit is connected to the current supply circuit, a first end of a piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and a first column is further connected to a second end of the nth current input control sub-circuit, and a control end of the nth current input control sub-circuit is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row; and the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is connected to each of the pressure-sensing reading lines, and configured to perform a pressure-sensing operation in accordance with a voltage signal acquired from the pressure-sensing reading line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column comprises a switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, a gate terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column, and a second terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing reading line in the (m+1)th column; and the switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column comprises a switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column, a gate terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column, and a second terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the first level end. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 2, wherein the nth current input control sub-circuit comprises an nth current input control transistor, a gate terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the current supply circuit, and a second terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the first column. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 3, wherein the nth current input control transistor, the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, and the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column are n-type transistors; or the nth current input control transistor, the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, and the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column are p-type transistors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 1, wherein the current supply circuit comprises a current source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage amplification circuit, wherein the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is connected to each of the pressure-sensing reading lines via the voltage amplification circuit; the voltage amplification circuit comprises a plurality of voltage amplifiers; an input end of each of the voltage amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the pressure-sensing reading lines, and an output end of the voltage amplifier is connected to the pressure-sensing sub-circuit; the voltage amplifier is configured to amplify the voltage signal acquired from the pressure-sensing reading line, and transmit the amplified voltage signal to the pressure-sensing sub-circuit; and the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is further configured to perform the pressure-sensing operation in accordance with the amplified voltage signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method for driving the pressure-sensing circuit according to claim 1, comprising: providing, by the current supply circuit, the pressure-sensing current; applying a second current to the pressure-sensing gating lines in N rows in a time-division manner; in the case that the second current is applied to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, controlling, by the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column, the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column to be electrically connected to the pressure-sensing reading line in the (m+1)th column, and controlling, by the switching circuit in the nth row and an Mth column, the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column to be electrically connected to the first level end to enable the piezoresistance sensors in the nth row to be connected in series with each other, and controlling, by an nth input control circuit, the current supply circuit to be electrically connected to the first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the first column to enable the pressure-sensing current supplied by the current supply circuit to flow to the first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the first column, to enable the pressure-sensing current to flow to the first level end through the piezoresistance sensors in the nth row connected in series with each other, where each of the N and M is the integer greater than 1, n is the positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and m+1 is the positive integer smaller than or equal to M; and acquiring, by the pressure-sensing sub-circuit, the voltage signal from each of the pressure-sensing reading lines, and performing the pressure-sensing operation in accordance with the voltage signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the pressure-sensing circuit comprises a voltage amplification circuit, wherein the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is connected to each of the pressure-sensing reading lines via the voltage amplification circuit; the voltage amplification circuit comprises a plurality of voltage amplifiers; an input end of each of the voltage amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the pressure-sensing reading lines, and an output end of the voltage amplifier is connected to the pressure-sensing sub-circuit, wherein acquiring, by the pressure sensing sub-circuit, the voltage signal from each of the pressure sensing reading lines and performing the pressure sensing operation in accordance with the voltage signal comprises: acquiring, by the voltage amplifier, the voltage signal from the pressure sensing reading line connected to the voltage amplifier, amplifying, by the voltage amplifier, the voltage signal, and transmitting, by the voltage amplifier, the amplified voltage signal to the pressure sensing sub-circuit; and performing, by the pressure sensing sub-circuit, the pressure sensing operation in accordance with the amplified voltage signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A display device, comprising one or more pressure-sensing circuits each according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The display device according to claim 9, further comprising a display panel and a driving Integrated Circuit (IC), wherein the pressure-sensing gating lines, the pressure-sensing reading lines, the piezoresistance sensing circuits arranged in N rows and M columns, and the current input control circuit of the pressure-sensing circuit are arranged on the display panel, where each of N and M is an integer greater than 1; and the pressure-sensing sub-circuit and the current supply circuit for supplying the pressure-sensing current of the pressure-sensing circuit are arranged on the driving IC. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein the pressure-sensing circuit comprises a voltage amplification circuit which is arranged on the driving IC. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The display device according to claim 9, wherein the display device comprises at least two pressure-sensing circuits, and each of the at least two pressure-sensing circuits comprises identical N pressure-sensing gating lines. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The display device according to claim 12, wherein each of the pressure-sensing gating lines is a gate line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The display device according to claim 9, wherein the switching circuit in the nth row and the mth column comprises a switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, a gate terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the mth column, and a second terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing reading line in the (m+1)th column; and the switching circuit in the nth row and the Mth column comprises a switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column, a gate terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the second end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the Mth column, and a second terminal of the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column is connected to the first level end. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The display device according to claim 14, wherein the nth current input control sub-circuit comprises an nth current input control transistor, a gate terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the pressure-sensing gating line in the nth row, a first terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the current supply circuit, and a second terminal of the nth current input control transistor is connected to the first end of the piezoresistance sensor in the nth row and the first column. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The display device according to claim 15, wherein the nth current input control transistor, the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, and the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column are n-type transistors; or the nth current input control transistor, the switching transistor in the nth row and the mth column, and the switching transistor in the nth row and the Mth column are p-type transistors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The display device according to claim 9, wherein the current supply circuit comprises a current source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The display device according to claim 9, wherein the pressure-sensing circuit further comprises a voltage amplification circuit, wherein the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is connected to each of the pressure-sensing reading lines via the voltage amplification circuit; the voltage amplification circuit comprises a plurality of voltage amplifiers; an input end of each of the voltage amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the pressure-sensing reading lines, and an output end of the voltage amplifier is connected to the pressure-sensing sub-circuit; the voltage amplifier is configured to amplify the voltage signal acquired from the pressure-sensing reading line, and transmit the amplified voltage signal to the pressure-sensing sub-circuit; and the pressure-sensing sub-circuit is further configured to perform the pressure-sensing operation in accordance with the amplified voltage signal.