Foldable display device and operation method of electronic device

• US 10,642,313 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Yuan-Lin, Lee, Kuan-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US16/218,488
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A foldable display device includes a first display region, a second display region, and a foldable region connecting the first display region and the second display region. The foldable display device includes a flexible substrate, a display layer disposed on the flexible substrate, and a biometric sensing structure disposed in the first display region, the second display region, and the foldable region. The biometric sensing structure has a biometric sensing region. A ratio of an area of the biometric sensing region to an area of the flexible substrate is in a range from 0.6 to 1.

Claims

1. A foldable display device including a first display region, a second display region, and a foldable region connecting the first display region and the second display region, the foldable display device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a display layer disposed on the flexible substrate; and

a biometric sensing structure disposed in the first display region, the second display region, and the foldable region, and having a biometric sensing region,

wherein a ratio of an area of the biometric sensing region to an area of the flexible substrate is in a range from 0.6 to 1.

2. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure is disposed between the flexible substrate and the display layer.

3. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display layer is disposed between the flexible substrate and the biometric sensing structure.

4. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first supporting film disposed in the first display region; and

a second supporting film disposed in the second display region, wherein the first supporting film and the second supporting film are attached to the flexible substrate and opposite to the display layer.

5. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a ratio of an area of the biometric sensing region to a sum of an area of the first supporting film and an area of the second supporting film is in a range from 1 to 1.5.

6. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a supporting film disposed in the first display region, the second display region, and the foldable region, wherein the supporting film is attached to the flexible substrate and opposite to the display layer.

7. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supporting film includes a recess portion in the foldable region.

8. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area of the display layer is less than the area of the biometric sensing region.

9. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a minimum distance between a boundary of a display region of the display layer and an edge of the flexible substrate is greater than a minimum distance between a boundary of the biometric sensing structure and the edge of the flexible substrate.

10. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a curvature portion positioned near an edge of the flexible substrate, and the biometric sensing structure covers at least a portion of the curvature portion.

11. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure comprises a plurality of sensing units, and an area of one of the plurality of sensing units disposed in the first display region is greater than an area of one of the plurality of sensing units disposed in the foldable region.

12. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure comprises a plurality of sensing units, and a first width of one of the plurality of sensing units disposed in the first display region is greater than a second width of one of the plurality of sensing units disposed in the foldable region, and wherein the first width and the second width are measured along the same direction.

13. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure comprises a plurality of sensing units, and a spacing between two adjacent sensing units of the plurality of sensing units in the first display region is less than a spacing between two adjacent sensing units of the plurality of sensing units in the foldable region.

14. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure comprises a plurality of sensing units, and a distribution density of the plurality of sensing units in the first display region is greater than a distribution density of the plurality of sensing units in the foldable region.

15. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biometric sensing structure includes a capacitive-type sensing structure, an optical-type sensing structure, an ultrasonic type sensing structure, or a combination thereof.

16. An operation method of an electronic device comprising following steps:

(a) providing an electronic device with a standby state, wherein the electronic device comprises a foldable display device including a flexible substrate, a display layer disposed on the flexible substrate, and a biometric sensing structure disposed on the flexible substrate;

(b) when a touch signal is provided to the foldable display device, performing a detection procedure to verify if the touch signal meets a predetermined condition; and

(c) turning on a biometric sensing mode when the touch signal meets the predetermined condition,

wherein a ratio of an area of a biometric sensing region of the biometric sensing structure to an area of the flexible substrate is in a range from 0.6 to 1.

17. The operation method of an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition includes that a touching duration is equal to or greater than 0.3 seconds and equal to or less than 3 seconds.

18. The operation method of an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition includes that a touching area is greater than 50 mm².

19. A foldable electronic device including a first region, a second region, and a foldable region connecting the first region and the second region, the foldable electronic device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

an electronic layer disposed on the flexible substrate; and

a biometric sensing structure disposed in the first region, the second region, and the foldable region, and having a biometric sensing region,

wherein a ratio of an area of the biometric sensing region to an area of the flexible substrate is in a range from 0.6 to 1.