Touch sensible display device

• US 20060109222A1
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Joo-Hyung, Pak, Sang-Jin, Uh, Kee-Han, Kim, Hyung-Guel
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display panel; a plurality of pixels disposed on the display panel; a plurality of sensor data lines disposed on the display panel and disposed between two adjacent pixels; and a plurality of sensing units disposed on the display panel and disposed between two adjacent pixels.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel;

a plurality of pixels disposed on the display panel;

a plurality of sensor data lines disposed on the display panel, each sensor data line being positioned between an associated pair of adjacent pixels; and

a plurality of sensing units disposed on the display panel, each sensing unit being positioned between first and second adjacent pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the pixels include red, green, and blue pixels.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein each of the sensing units are disposed between dots, each dot including one of the red pixels, one of the green pixels, and one of the blue pixels adjacent to each other.

4. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of image data lines connected to the pixels for providing image data signals, the image data lines including a first data line disposed adjacent to one of the sensing units and being curved around the one of the sensing units.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the pixels and the sensing units are arranged in rows and the sensing units are arranged symmetrically to a boundary of adjacent rows.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the pixels and the sensing units are arranged in rows and the sensing units in adjacent rows are positioned adjacent to each other.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing units comprise photo sensing units which generate an output signal in response to receipt of light and provide the output signal to the sensor data lines.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein each of the photo sensing units comprises:

a photo sensing element for receiving ambient light from an opening disposed on the photo sensing element and generating the output signal in response to receipt of the ambient light; and

a switching element coupled to the photosensing unit for receiving the output signal and outputting the output signal in response to a sensor scanning signal.

9. The display device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of input voltage lines for transmitting a sensor input voltage to the sensing elements, the input voltage lines being positioned between adjacent pixels.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the input voltage lines are positioned above the sensor data lines.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the sensor input voltage has a constant value.

12. The display device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of sensor scanning lines connected to the switching elements, wherein two adjacent sensor data lines are connected to each such that the output signals of the sensing units are superposed.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing units comprise pressure sensing units for generating an output signal in response to pressure exerted on the display panel and outputting the output signal to the sensor data lines.

14. The display device of claim 13, wherein each of the pressure sensing units comprises:

a switch for transmitting a predetermined voltage in response to a pressure;

a driving transistor coupled to the switch, the driving transistor generating an output signal in response to receipt of the predetermined voltage; and

a switching element coupled to the driving transistor for outputting the output signal in response to a sensor scanning signal.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the sensing units is comprised of amorphous silicon or polysilicon.

16. A display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a plurality of image scanning lines disposed on the second substrate;

a plurality of image data lines disposed on the second substrate and intersecting the image scanning lines;

a plurality of first thin film transistors connected to the image scanning lines and the image data lines;

a plurality of pixel electrodes coupled to the first thin film transistors;

a plurality of sensor scanning lines disposed on the second substrate;

a plurality of sensor data lines disposed on the second substrate and intersecting the sensor scanning lines; and

a plurality of second thin film transistors connected to the sensor scanning lines and the sensor data lines,

wherein the sensor data lines and the second thin film transistors are disposed between two adjacent pixel electrodes.

17. The display device of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of control voltage lines disposed on the second substrate;

a plurality of input voltage lines disposed on the second substrate; and

a plurality of third thin film transistors connected to the control voltage lines and the input voltage lines,

wherein the input voltage lines and the third thin film transistors are disposed between two adjacent pixel electrodes.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein the input voltage lines are positioned above the sensor data lines.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the input voltage lines and the pixel electrodes are constructed using a common layer of material.

20. The display device of claim 17, wherein the image data lines include first data lines adjacent to the second and the third thin film transistors and curve around the second and the third thin film transistors and the sensor data lines.

21. The display device of claim 17, wherein the two adjacent pixel electrodes have different shapes.

22. The display device of claim 16, wherein the first and second thin film transistors are comprised of amorphous silicon or polysilicon.

23. A display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed on the second substrate;

a plurality of sensor data lines disposed on the second substrate; and

a plurality of pressure sensing units, each of the pressure sensing units comprising a common electrode disposed on the first substrate and a switch electrode disposed on the second substrate,

wherein each of the pressure sensing units is disposed between two adjacent pixel electrodes and generate an output signal based on a pressure exerted on the display panel, wherein the pressure sensing units provide an output signal to the sensor data lines responsive to receipt of sensor scanning signals.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the common electrode is supplied with a common electrode voltage and the switch electrode is electrically connected to the common electrode in response to pressure being applied to the switch electrode.

25. The display device of claim 24, further comprising a first plurality of space members disposed on the first substrate and projecting toward the switch electrodes, wherein the common electrode is disposed on the spacer members.

26. The display device of claim 25, wherein a distance between the common electrode and the switch electrode is from about 0.1 microns to about 1.0 microns.

27. The display device of claim 25, wherein the common electrode is comprised of a first electrode and a second electrode and the spacer members are disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

28. The display device of claim 27, wherein the first electrode has a thickness of about 0.05-0.1 microns, the second electrode has a thickness of about 0.05□

0.2 microns.

29. The display device of claim 25, further comprising an organic insulating layer having depressions disposed under the switch electrodes and the pixel electrodes, wherein the switch electrodes are disposed on the depressions and the switch electrodes have a height lower than a height of the pixel electrodes.

30. The display device of claim 29, wherein the organic insulating layer has varying thicknesses, and the varying thicknesses and the depressions are simultaneously formed.

31. The display device of claim 25, further comprising second plurality of spacer members disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate thereby maintaining a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate.

32. The display device of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of light sensing units disposed on the second substrate, the light sensing units being disposed between two adjacent pixels, wherein each of the light sensing units generates an output signal in response to receipt of light and outputs the output signal to the sensor data lines.

33. The display device of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of image data lines connected to the pixel electrodes for providing image data signals to the pixel electrodes, wherein the image data lines include a first data line disposed adjacent to one of the pressure sensing units, the first data line including a portion curved around the one of the sensing units.

34. The display device of claim 33, wherein the image data lines are arranged symmetrically to a boundary of adjacent pixel electrodes in a row.

35. The display device of claim 25, wherein each of the pressure sensing units comprises a driving transistor including a control electrode, an input electrode, and an output electrode, wherein the input electrode is connected to the switch electrode.

36. The display device of claim 35, wherein each of the pressure sensing units further comprises a switching element connected to the output electrode of the driving transistor.

37. The display device according to claim 31, wherein the first plurality of spacers and the second plurality of spacers have a common thickness.