Liquid crystal display panel and mobile terminal

• US 10,310,316 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Li, Guosheng, Liu, Anyu, Yang, Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/210,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a liquid crystal display panel that includes a glass substrate, a color filter, and a liquid crystal layer between the glass substrate and the color filter. The liquid crystal layer includes an array of supporting members at a first side of the liquid crystal layer, one or more transparent electrodes at a second side of the liquid crystal layer, and liquid crystals between the array of supporting members and the one or more transparent electrodes. The first side of the liquid crystal layer is adjacent to one of the glass substrate and the color filter. The second side of the liquid crystal layer is adjacent to the other one of the glass substrate and the color filter.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

a glass substrate;

a color filter; and

a liquid crystal layer between the glass substrate and the color filter, wherein

the liquid crystal layer comprises;

an array of supporting members at a first side of the liquid crystal layer, the first side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the color filter;

one or more transparent electrodes at a second side of the liquid crystal layer, the second side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the glass substrate; and

liquid crystals between the array of supporting members and the one or more transparent electrodes,

wherein

the color filter comprises;

a plurality of sub-pixel areas; and

a black matrix separating individual sub-pixel areas of the plurality of sub-pixel areas,

each supporting member of the array of supporting members is positioned under the black matrix such that each supporting member of the array of supporting members overlaps a respective portion of the black matrix of the color filter in a normal direction that is perpendicular to a horizontal direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel and perpendicular to a vertical direction with respect to the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel, and

each one of the one or more transparent electrodes overlaps a respective supporting member of the array of supporting members in the normal direction.

2. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display panel further comprises:

a first polarizer, the color filter being between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; and

a second polarizer, the glass substrate being between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal layer.

3. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of transparent electrodes is arranged in parallel with the horizontal direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel;

and

every two adjacent transparent electrodes of the plurality of transparent electrodes are separated by a predetermined distance.

4. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of transparent electrodes is arranged in parallel with the vertical direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel;

and

every two adjacent transparent electrodes of the plurality of transparent electrodes are separated by a predetermined distance.

5. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller electrically coupled with the one or more transparent electrodes and configured to determine a capacitance value between the array of supporting members and at least one of the one or more transparent electrodes.

6. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 5, wherein the controller comprises an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog signal from the at least one of the one or more transparent electrodes to a digital signal.

7. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a backlight assembly, the glass substrate being between the backlight assembly and the liquid crystal layer.

8. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

a liquid crystal display panel electrically coupled with the processor,

wherein

the liquid crystal display panel comprises;

a glass substrate;

a color filter; and

a liquid crystal layer between the glass substrate and the color filter,

the liquid crystal layer further comprises;

an array of supporting members at a first side of the liquid crystal layer, the first side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the color filter;

one or more transparent electrodes at a second side of the liquid crystal layer, the second side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the glass substrate; and

liquid crystals between the array of supporting members and the one or more transparent electrodes,

the processor is configured to;

obtain a capacitance value between the array of supporting members and at least one of the one or more transparent electrodes, and

determine a pressure value of a user operation applied on the liquid crystal display panel based on the detected capacitance value,

the color filter comprises;

a plurality of sub-pixel areas; and

a black matrix separating individual sub-pixel areas of the plurality of sub-pixel areas,

each supporting member of the array of supporting members overlaps a respective portion of the black matrix of the color filter in a normal direction that is perpendicular to a horizontal direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel and perpendicular to a vertical direction with respect to the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel, and

each one of the one or more transparent electrodes overlaps a respective supporting member of the array of supporting members in the normal direction.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the liquid crystal display panel further comprises:

a first polarizer, the color filter being between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; and

a second polarizer, the glass substrate being between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal layer.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein

the plurality of transparent electrodes is arranged in parallel with the horizontal direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel;

and

every two adjacent transparent electrodes of the plurality of transparent electrodes are separated by a predetermined distance.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein

the plurality of transparent electrodes is arranged in parallel with the vertical direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel;

and

every two adjacent transparent electrodes of the plurality of transparent electrodes are separated by a predetermined distance.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising:

a controller electrically coupled with the one or more transparent electrodes and configured to determine the capacitance value between the array of supporting members and the at least one of the one or more transparent electrodes.

13. A method of determining a pressure value of a user operation applied on a liquid crystal display panel that includes:

a glass substrate;

a color filter; and

a liquid crystal layer between the glass substrate and the color filter, the liquid crystal layer including;

an array of supporting members at a first side of the liquid crystal layer, the first side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the color filter;

one or more transparent electrodes at a second side of the liquid crystal layer, the second side of the liquid crystal layer being adjacent to the glass substrate; and

liquid crystals between the array of supporting members and the one or more transparent electrodes,

wherein

the color filter comprises;

a plurality of sub-pixel areas; and

a black matrix separating individual sub-pixel areas of the plurality of sub-pixel areas,

each supporting member of the array of supporting members overlaps a respective portion of the black matrix of the color filter in a normal direction that is perpendicular to a horizontal direction with respect to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel and perpendicular to a vertical direction with respect to the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel,

each one of the one or more transparent electrodes overlaps a respective supporting member of the array of supporting members in the normal direction, and

the method comprises;

detecting one or more voltage levels on one or more corresponding transparent electrodes;

determining one or more capacitance values between the one or more transparent electrodes and the array of supporting members based on the one or more voltage levels; and

determining the pressure value based on the one or more capacitance values.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining a position on the liquid crystal display panel upon which the user operation is applied based on the one or more capacitance values.