Display panel, driving method and manufacturing method thereof, display device

• US 10,495,913 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhao, Jiayang
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Peijie
• Application Number:
  US15/534,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1343 Electrodes reflective electrodes G02F1/133553
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate

Abstract

A display panel including a display area and a non-display area around the display area, and one or more pressure sensors arranged in the non-display area is provided. The pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure input on the display panel. A display device, a method for driving a display panel, and a method of manufacturing a display panel are also provided.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising a display area, a non-display area around the display area, wherein the display panel comprises

an array substrate;

an opposite substrate opposite to the array substrate;

a display area array stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the display area;

an array driving stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the non-display area;

one or more pressure sensors between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, in the non-display area, and between the display area array stack and the array driving stack; and

a spacer between the array substrate and the opposite substrate for supporting the array substrate and the opposite substrate,

wherein

the pressure sensors are configured to sense a pressure input on the display panel,

each pressure sensor comprises a first electrode arranged on the opposite substrate, a second electrode arranged on the array substrate, and an elastic material layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the spacer being disposed between the first electrode and the array driving stack, and

the elastic material layer and the spacer are set to be in a same layer, have a same material and a same height.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein in the display area, the opposite substrate comprises a common electrode on a side close to the array substrate, the first electrode and the common electrode being set to be in a same layer and have a same material.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein in the display area, the array substrate comprises an electrode layer on a side close to the opposite substrate, the second electrode and the electrode layer being set to be in a same layer and have a same material.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein the electrode layer comprises one of a gate electrode layer, a source/drain electrode layer, and a pixel electrode layer.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor further comprises a pressure sensor control circuit, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to the pressure sensor control circuit via a corresponding signal line.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein the display panel comprises an integrated control circuit, the pressure sensor control circuit and a control circuit of the display panel are integrated on the integrated control circuit.

7. A display device comprising the display panel according to claim 1.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising a touch panel disposed on a light exit side of the display panel.

14. The display device according to claim 7, wherein in the display area, the opposite substrate comprises a common electrode on a side close to the array substrate, the first electrode and the common electrode being set to be in a same layer and have a same material.

15. The display device according to claim 7, wherein in the display area, the array substrate comprises an electrode layer on a side close to the opposite substrate, the second electrode and the electrode layer being set to be in a same layer and have a same material.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the electrode layer comprises one of a gate electrode layer, a source/drain electrode layer, and a pixel electrode layer.

9. A method for driving a display panel comprising:

providing the display panel, comprising

providing an array substrate;

providing an opposite substrate opposite to the array substrate;

providing a display area array stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the display area;

providing an array driving stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the non-display area;

providing one or more pressure sensors between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, in the non-display area, and between the display area array stack and the array driving stack, to sense a pressure input on the display panel; and

providing a spacer between the array substrate and the opposite substrate for supporting the array substrate and the opposite substrate,

in a pressure sensing phase, sensing a pressure input on the display panel using the one or more pressure sensors integrated in the non-display area of the display panel; and

in a display phase, displaying an image,

wherein

each pressure sensor comprises a first electrode arranged on the opposite substrate, a second electrode arranged on the array substrate, and an elastic material layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the spacer being disposed between the first electrode and the array driving stack, and

the elastic material layer and the spacer are set to be in a same layer, have a same material and a same height.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pressure sensing phase and the display phase are alternate and do not overlap.

11. A method of manufacturing a display panel, the display panel comprising a display area and a non-display area around the display area, the method comprising:

providing an array substrate;

providing an opposite substrate opposite to the array substrate;

aligning and attaching the array substrate and the opposite substrate;

providing a display area array stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the display area;

providing an array driving stack between the array substrate and the opposite substrate and in the non-display area;

providing one or more pressure sensors between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, in the non-display area, and between the display area array stack and the array driving stack, to sense a pressure input on the display panel; and

providing a spacer between the array substrate and the opposite substrate for supporting the array substrate and the opposite substrate,

wherein said providing one or more pressure sensors comprises

providing a first electrode on the opposite substrate;

providing a second electrode on the array substrate; and

providing an elastic material layer between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the elastic material layer and the spacer are formed by one patterning process and have a same height and wherein the spacer is disposed between the first electrode and the array driving stack.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the display area, the opposite substrate comprises a common electrode on a side close to the array substrate, the method further comprising forming the first electrode and the common electrode by one patterning process.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the display area, the array substrate comprises an electrode layer on a side close to the opposite substrate, the method further comprising forming the second electrode and the electrode layer by one patterning process.