Touch type liquid-crystal display device and input detecting method

• US 20010022632A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyma, Tadayuki, Sugawara, Hideo, Umemoto, Seiji, Noguchi, Tomonori, Andou, Hidehiko, Shimodaira, Kiichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,982,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels

Abstract

A touch type liquid-crystal display device has a liquid-crystal display panel having flexibility, a touch panel provided to adhere closely to a back side, opposite to a visual side, of the liquid-crystal display panel, and electrodes disposed to be opposite to each other through a gap. The electrodes are capable of coming into partial contact with each other by a pressing force to thereby detect an input position.

Claims

1. A touch type liquid-crystal display device comprising:

a liquid-crystal display panel having flexibility;

a touch panel provided to adhere closely to a back side, opposite to a visual side, of said liquid-crystal display panel; and

electrodes disposed to be opposite to each other through a gap, said electrodes being adapted for coming into partial contact with each other by a pressing force to thereby detect an input position.

2. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein a substrate is disposed in said liquid-crystal display panel on the touch panel side and has either a light absorbing layer or a light reflection layer.

3. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein a substrate is disposed in said liquid-crystal display panel on the touch panel side and is made of a colored substrate, and said electrodes are disposed on a back side, opposite to a visual side, of said substrate.

4. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 2

, wherein said light reflection layer is located in the inner or outer side of said touch-panel-side substrate of said liquid-crystal display panel.

5. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said device comprises a film which has one of said electrodes on one surface of said film while said film is bonded through an adhesive layer , on the other surface, to the back side opposite to the visual side of said touch-panel-side substrate of said liquid-crystal display panel.

6. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 5

, wherein said film has said light absorbing layer on said other surface on which no electrode is provided or said film has said light reflection layer in an inner side of said electrode provided on an electrode-side surface of said film.

7. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 2

, wherein said light reflection layer serves also as said electrode in an inner side of said touch-panel-side substrate of said liquid-crystal display panel.

8. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 2

, wherein said light reflection layer is made of a film for forming a light reflection means.

9. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 2

, further comprising an illuminator disposed on a back side, opposite to a visual side, of said touch panel, wherein said light reflection layer is of a semi-transmission type.

10. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein a substrate of said liquid-crystal display panel is made of a resin substrate.

11. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said liquid-crystal display panel is of a macromolecular dispersion type.

12. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said liquid-crystal display panel is of the type using a cholesteric liquid crystal.

13. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein at least one substrate disposed in said liquid-crystal display panel has a protrusion in an inner side of said substrate.

14. A touch type liquid-crystal display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said touch-panel-side substrate of said liquid-crystal display panel serves also as a substrate for supporting one of said electrodes in said touch panel.

15. An input detecting method comprising steps of:

disposing a touch panel having electrodes opposite to each other through a gap on a back side, opposite to a visual side, of a liquid-crystal display panel; and

partially bending said liquid-crystal display panel by a pressing force to bring said electrodes of said touch panel into partial contact with each other to thereby detect a position of said pressing.