# US 12,111,996 B2 · Driving apparatus and operation method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,996 B2 - Document ID: US12111996B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/891,149 - Filed: 2022-08-19 - Published: 2022-12-22 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-09 - Assignees: Novatek Microelectronics Corp. - Applicants: Novatek Microelectronics Corp. - Inventors: Wei-Lun Shih; Tsen-Wei Chang; Cho-Hsuan Jhang; Chih-Peng Hsia; Cheng-Yu Chiang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111996B2 ## CPC - 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)} - G06V 40/13: Sensors therefor - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A driving apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. The driving apparatus includes a first driving circuit and a second driving circuit. The first driving circuit suspends performing at least one of a display driving operation and a touch sensing operation during a skip period under a driving mode, and the first driving circuit performs the at least one of the display driving operation and the touch sensing operation outside the skip period under the driving mode. The second driving circuit is coupled to the first driving circuit. The second driving circuit performs a fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driving apparatus, configured to drive a panel, the driving apparatus comprising: a first driving circuit, configured to suspends performing at least one of a display driving operation and a touch sensing operation during a skip period under a driving mode, and the first driving circuit performs the at least one of the display driving operation and the touch sensing operation outside the skip period under the driving mode; and a second driving circuit, coupled to the first driving circuit, and configured to perform a fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period, wherein a length of the skip period comprises a length more than one frame period, under the driving mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit performs the driving mode in response to receiving a command from a core control processor, wherein the command indicates it is ready to sense a fingerprint and the first driving circuit reports a detected touch position to the core control processor before receiving the command. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit is configured to output a first timing control signal associated with the fingerprint sensing operation to the second driving circuit, and the second driving circuit is configured to perform the fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period under the driving mode according to first timing control signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first timing control signal further carries information of a frame polarity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit is configured to perform an operating period in the driving mode, and wherein the operating period comprises M consecutive frame periods taken as the skip period and N consecutive frame periods during which the first driving circuit performs at least the touch sensing operation, wherein N and M are integer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein N is an odd number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The driving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first driving circuit is configured to perform the driving mode to control a frame polarity that the panel retains during a first skip period to be opposite to a frame polarity that the panel retains during a second skip period under the driving mode, wherein the first skip period and the second skip period are two neighboring skip periods, and the first skip period is before the second skip period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit and the second driving circuit performs another driving mode before the first driving circuit and the second driving circuit enter the driving mode, and in the another driving mode, the first driving circuit performs at least the touch sensing operation and the second driving circuit does not perform the fingerprint sensing operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The driving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first driving circuit is configured to perform the display driving operation to realize a first display frame rate under the another driving mode and perform the display driving operation to realize a second display frame rate lower than the first display frame rate under the driving mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein under a condition that the length of the skip period comprises the length of at least one frame period, the second driving circuit is configured to perform the fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period only when a frame polarity that the panel retains during the skip period conforms to a first frame polarity and configured to not to perform the fingerprint sensing operation during other skip periods when the frame polarity that the panel retains during the other skip periods conforms to a frame polarity different from the first frame polarity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during the skip period the fingerprint sensing operation comprises at least one of a reset operation and a readout operation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit suspends performing the touch sensing operation and keeps performing the display driving operation during the skip period, wherein display driving operation and the fingerprint sensing operation are time-divisionally operated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein under a condition that the length of the skip period comprises the length of at least one frame period, the first driving circuit is configured to determine whether a frame polarity of a current displayed frame conforms to the preconfigured frame polarity in response to receiving a fingerprint sensing operation request from a core control processor during a current frame period, wherein the second driving circuit is configured to start performing the fingerprint sensing operation right after the current displayed frame is completely displayed, when the frame polarity of the current displayed frame is determined to conform to the preconfigured frame polarity; and the first driving circuit is configured to performing at least the display driving operation for one frame period immediately after the current frame period, when the frame polarity of the current displayed frame is determined to not conform to the preconfigured frame polarity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driving circuit is configured to perform at least the display driving operation to display one more frame having a preconfigured frame polarity right before the fingerprint sensing operation starts, regardless of the frame polarity of a current displayed frame. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first timing control signal has a first logic level indicating the fingerprint sensing operation is enabled and a second logic level indicating the fingerprint sensing operation is disabled. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first driving circuit is further configured to output a second timing control signal indicating time intervals for performing the touch sensing operation and the second driving circuit is configured to perform the fingerprint sensing operation according to the first timing control signal and the second timing control signal. ### Claim 17 An operation method of a driving apparatus configured to drive a panel, comprising: suspending, by a first driving circuit, performing at least one of a display driving operation and a touch sensing operation during a skip period under a driving mode; performing, by the first driving circuit, the at least one of the display driving operation and the touch sensing operation outside the skip period under the driving mode; and performing, by a second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period, wherein a length of the skip period comprises a length more than one frame period, under the driving mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: performing, by the first driving circuit, the driving mode in response to receiving a command from a core control processor, wherein the command indicates it is ready to sense a fingerprint and the first driving circuit reports a detected touch position to the core control processor before receiving the command. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: outputting, by the first driving circuit, a first timing control signal associated with a fingerprint sensing operation to the second driving circuit; and performing, by the second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period under the driving mode according to first timing control signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The operation method according to claim 19, wherein the first timing control signal further carries information of a frame polarity. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: performing, by the first driving circuit, an operating period in the driving mode, wherein the operating period comprises M consecutive frame periods taken as the skip period and N consecutive frame periods during which the first driving circuit performs at least the touch sensing operation, wherein N and M are integer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The operation method according to claim 21, wherein N is an odd number. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The operation method according to claim 22, further comprising: performing, by the first driving circuit, the driving mode to control a frame polarity that the panel retains during a first skip period to be opposite to a frame polarity that the panel retains during a second skip period under the driving mode, wherein the first skip period and the second skip period are two neighboring skip periods, and the first skip period is before the second skip period. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: performing another driving mode, by the first driving circuit and the second driving circuit, before the first driving circuit and the second driving circuit enter the driving mode, wherein in the another driving mode, the first driving circuit performs at least the touch sensing operation and the second driving circuit does not perform the fingerprint sensing operation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The operation method according to claim 24, further comprising: performing, by the first driving circuit, the display driving operation to realize a first display frame rate under the another driving mode; and performing, by the first driving circuit, the display driving operation to realize a second display frame rate lower than the first display frame rate under the driving mode. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: under a condition that the length of the skip period comprises the length of at least one frame period, performing, by the second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation during the skip period only when a frame polarity that the panel retains during the skip period conforms to a first frame polarity; and not to perform, by the second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation during other skip periods when the frame polarity that the panel retains during the other skip periods conforms to a frame polarity different from the first frame polarity. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, wherein during the skip period the fingerprint sensing operation comprises at least one of a reset operation and a readout operation. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: suspending, by the first driving circuit, performing the touch sensing operation; and keeping performing, by the first driving circuit, the display driving operation during the skip period, wherein display driving operation and the fingerprint sensing operation are time-divisionally operated. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: under a condition that the length of the skip period comprises a length of at least one frame period, determining, by the first driving circuit, whether a frame polarity of a current displayed frame conforms to the preconfigured frame polarity in response to receiving a fingerprint sensing operation request from a core control processor during a current frame period; starting performing, by the second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation right after the current displayed frame is completely displayed, when the frame polarity of the current displayed frame is determined to conform to the preconfigured frame polarity; and performing, by the first driving circuit, at least the display driving operation for one frame period immediately after the current frame period, when the frame polarity of the current displayed frame is determined to not conform to the preconfigured frame polarity. ### Claim 30 (depends on 17) The operation method according to claim 17, further comprising: performing, by the first driving circuit, at least the display driving operation to display one more frame having a preconfigured frame polarity right before the fingerprint sensing operation starts, regardless of the frame polarity of a current displayed frame. ### Claim 31 (depends on 19) The operation method according to claim 19, wherein the first timing control signal has a first logic level indicating the fingerprint sensing operation is enabled and a second logic level indicating the fingerprint sensing operation is disabled. ### Claim 32 (depends on 19) The operation method according to claim 19, further comprising: outputting, by the first driving circuit, a second timing control signal indicating time intervals for performing the touch sensing operation; and performing, by the second driving circuit, the fingerprint sensing operation according to the first timing control signal and the second timing control signal.