Display device

• US 10,558,292 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takafumi, Teranishi, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Soto Lopez, Jose R
• Application Number:
  US15/913,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20180260069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• 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

A display device includes a substrate, pixel electrodes, first electrodes, gate lines, signal lines, switching elements, a conductor, and a driver. The pixel electrodes are arrayed in a display region of the substrate. The first electrodes are separated from the pixel electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. The gate lines are disposed between the substrate and the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and extend in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate. The signal lines intersect the gate lines in planar view. The switching elements are provided at the intersections of the gate lines and the signal lines. The conductor is provided opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a display region of the substrate;

first electrodes separated from the pixel electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the substrate;

gate lines disposed between the substrate and the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and extending in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate;

signal lines intersecting the gate lines in planar view;

switching elements provided at intersections of the gate lines and the signal lines;

a conductor provided opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

a driver configured to supply a first drive signal to at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines and supply a guard signal synchronized with the first drive signal to the first electrodes; and

a scanner configured to select the first electrodes, the signal lines, or the gate lines,

wherein

the first electrodes are arrayed in a first direction and extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the signal lines extend along a longitudinal direction of the first electrodes,

the driver supplies the guard signal to the first electrodes coupled to a first output terminal, and

the driver supplies the first drive signal to the signal lines coupled to a second output terminal different from the first output terminal,

the scanner includes

a first switch configured to couple ends of the signal lines on the same side,

a second switch configured to couple ends of the first electrodes on the same side, and

a third switch configured to couple the signal lines coupled to each other by the first switch to the driver.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the driver supplies the first drive signal to the gate lines and the signal lines simultaneously.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines output, to a detector, a detection signal based on a capacitance change caused by a change in a space between the conductor and at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the driver supplies a second drive signal to the first electrodes, and

the first electrodes output a detection signal based on a capacitance change in the first electrodes to the detector.

5. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

second electrodes disposed opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, wherein

the second electrodes generate capacitance between the first electrodes and the second electrodes.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein

the driver supplies a third drive signal to the second electrodes, and

the second electrodes output a detection signal based on a capacitance change in the second electrodes to the detector.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the driver supplies the third drive signal to the second electrodes in a detection period in which the driver supplies the first drive signal to at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines.

8. The display device according to claim 5, wherein

the driver supplies a fourth drive signal to the first electrodes, and

the second electrodes output a detection signal based on a capacitance change between the first electrodes and the second electrodes to the detector.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the second switch couples the first electrodes to the first output terminal and the second output terminal, and

the first switch and the third switch cut off coupling of the signal lines to the driver.

11. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control an operation of the first electrodes, the gate lines, and the signal lines; and

a control signal generator configured to generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the gate lines and the signal lines, wherein

the scanner includes shift registers provided corresponding to the respective first electrodes and a shift register provided corresponding to the control signal generator.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrodes are disposed in a matrix configuration in the display region.

13. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing configured to accommodate the substrate, wherein

the housing includes the conductor.

10. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a display region of the substrate;

first electrodes separated from the pixel electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the substrate;

gate lines disposed between the substrate and the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and extending in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate;

signal lines intersecting the gate lines in planar view;

switching elements provided at intersections of the gate lines and the signal lines;

a conductor provided opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

a driver configured to supply a first drive signal to at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines and supply a guard signal synchronized with the first drive signal to the first electrodes; and

a scanner configured to select the first electrodes, the signal lines, or the gate lines, wherein

the first electrodes extend in a first direction and are arrayed in a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the gate lines extend along a longitudinal direction of the first electrodes,

the driver supplies the guard signal to the first electrodes coupled to a first output terminal,

the driver supplies the first drive signal to the gate lines coupled to a second output terminal different from the first output terminal, and

the scanner includes a first switch configured to couple ends of the gate lines on the same side and a second switch configured to couple ends of the first electrodes on the same side.

14. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a display region of the substrate;

first electrodes separated from the pixel electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the substrate;

gate lines disposed between the substrate and the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and extending in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate;

signal lines intersecting the gate lines in planar view;

switching elements provided at intersections of the gate lines and the signal lines;

a conductor provided opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

a driver configured to supply a first drive signal to at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines and supply a guard signal synchronized with the first drive signal to the first electrodes; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the first electrodes, the gate lines, and the signal lines, wherein

the controller detects a position of a detected object based on a capacitance change between the conductor and at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines when the controller determines that water adheres to a detection surface based on a detection signal that is based on a capacitance change in the first electrodes.

15. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a display region of the substrate;

first electrodes separated from the pixel electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the substrate;

gate lines disposed between the substrate and the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and extending in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate;

signal lines intersecting the gate lines in planar view;

switching elements provided at intersections of the gate lines and the signal lines;

second electrodes disposed opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the first electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

a conductor provided opposite to the gate lines and the signal lines across the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

a driver configured to supply a first drive signal to at least one of the gate lines and the signal lines and supply a guard signal synchronized with the first drive signal to the first electrodes; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the first electrodes, the second electrodes, the gate lines, and the signal lines,

wherein

the controller has a first detection mode by a mutual capacitance method for detecting a detected object based on a capacitance change between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, a second detection mode by a self-capacitance method for detecting the detected object based on a capacitance change in the first electrodes or a capacitance change in the second electrodes, and a third detection mode by a self-capacitance method for detecting the detected object based on a capacitance change in the signal lines or a capacitance change in the gate lines, and

the controller detects a position of the detected object by the third detection mode when the controller performs the first detection mode and the second detection mode and determines that water adheres to a detection surface.