Touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel with built-in touch mechanism and method for driving same

• US 20080122800A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Innocom Technology Limited, Innolux Display Corporation (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: Meng, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

An exemplary touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate (21), a second substrate (22) disposed opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer (20) interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Scan lines (212) and data lines (213) are formed at the first substrate. The scan lines and the data lines cross each other thereby defining pixel regions. Conductive pads (203) are arranged corresponding to and electrically coupled to the scan lines. A conductive layer (280) is arranged between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer. Conductive protrusions (202) are arranged on the conductive layer, each of the conductive protrusions is opposite to a corresponding conductive pad with a predetermined gap.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed parallel to the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines formed at the first substrate, the scan lines and the data lines crossing each other thereby defining a plurality of pixel regions;

a plurality of conductive pads arranged corresponding to and electrically coupled to the scan lines;

a conductive layer arranged between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer; and

a plurality of conductive protrusions arranged on the conductive layer, each of the conductive protrusions being generally opposite to and spaced a predetermined distance from a corresponding conductive pad.

2. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein when corresponding opposite conductive protrusion and conductive pad are electrically connected, a scanning signal of corresponding scan line transmits to the conductive layer.

3. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the scanning signal comprises a scanning voltage and a scanning time sequence of corresponding scan line.

4. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each conductive protrusion and opposite conductive pad are arranged corresponding to one pixel region, respectively.

5. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first insulating layer covered the data lines and the scan lines.

6. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of contact holes formed through the first insulating layer, each of the conductive pads being electrically connected to one of the scan lines via a corresponding contact hole.

7. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive layer comprises a plurality of parallel resistance lines, the plurality of conductive protrusions are arranged on the plurality of parallel resistance lines.

8. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a black matrix, a color filter, a common electrode layer, and a second insulating layer arranged between the second substrate and the resistance lines in that order from top to bottom, the plurality of resistance lines being arranged above the black matrix.

9. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the resistance lines are parallel and opposite to the scan lines, respectively.

10. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein a resistance of each resistance line is proportional to a length of that part of the resistance line.

11. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the conductive layer further comprises two electrode bars, the two electrode bars are arranged at two ends of the resistance lines to transmit electric signals on the resistance lines.

12. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two electrode bars are made of silver.

13. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the resistance lines are parallel and opposite to the data lines, respectively, each of the resistance lines defines a coordinate in a direction along the scan lines.

14. The touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistance lines are made of indium tin oxide.

15. A method for driving a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate;

providing a second substrate parallel to the first substrate;

providing a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

providing a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines formed at the first substrate, the scan lines and the data lines crossing each other thereby defining a plurality of pixel regions;

providing a plurality of conductive pads arranged corresponding to and electrically coupled to the scan lines;

providing a plurality of parallel resistance lines arranged between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, each resistance line being parallel and generally opposite to a corresponding scan line, respectively; and

providing a plurality of conductive protrusions connecting with the resistance lines, each of the conductive protrusions being generally opposite to and spaced a predetermined distance from a corresponding conductive pad;

electrically connecting a conductive protrusion to a corresponding opposite conductive pad at a touch point, a corresponding resistance line connecting with the conductive protrusion obtaining a scanning signal of a scan line connected to the conductive pad, the scanning signal comprising a scanning voltage and a scanning time of the scan line, the touch point dividing the resistance line into two parts, each part of the resistance line receiving part of the scanning voltage, the voltage on each part of the resistance line being proportional to a length of that part of the resistance line;

obtaining a first Cartesian coordinate of the touch point in a first direction perpendicular to each of the scan lines according to the scanning time of the scan line; and

calculating a second Cartesian coordinate of the touch point in a second direction parallel to each of the scan lines according to the voltages of the two parts of the resistance line.

16. The method for driving a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 15, further providing two electrode bars arranged at two ends of the resistance lines to transmit electric signals of the resistance lines.

17. The method for driving a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein a resistance of each resistance line is proportional to a length of that part of the resistance line.

18. A method for driving a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate;

providing a second substrate parallel to the first substrate;

providing a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

providing a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines formed at the first substrate, the scan lines and the data lines crossing each other thereby defining a plurality of pixel regions;

providing a plurality of conductive pads arranged corresponding to and electrically coupled to the scan lines;

providing a plurality of parallel resistance lines arranged between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the resistance lines being parallel and generally diagonally opposite to the data lines, each of the resistance lines defining a coordinate in a second direction, the second direction being parallel to the scan lines; and

providing a plurality of conductive protrusions arranged on the conductive layer, each of the conductive protrusions being generally opposite to and spaced a predetermined distance from a corresponding conductive pad;

electrically connecting a conductive protrusion to a corresponding opposite conductive pad at a touch point, a resistance line connected to the conductive protrusion detecting a scanning signal of a scan line connected to the conductive pad, the scanning signal comprising a scanning voltage and a scanning time;

checking the scanning time to confirm a first coordinate of the touch point in a first direction perpendicular to the scan lines; and

continuously measuring a voltage on each of the resistance lines, a change in voltage on a resistance line indicating the touch point is over the resistance line, the coordinate defined by the resistance line being a second coordinate of the touch point in the second direction parallel to the scan lines.

19. A touch-sensitive display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed parallel to the first substrate;

a voltage being provided between the first and the second substrates for realizing an image display;

a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines formed at the first substrate, the scan lines and the data lines crossing each other thereby defining a plurality of pixel regions;

a plurality of conductive pads arranged corresponding to and electrically coupled to the scan lines;

a conductive layer arranged on an inner surface of the second substrate;

a plurality of conductive protrusions arranged on the conductive layer, each of the conductive protrusions being generally opposite to and spaced a predetermined distance from a corresponding conductive pad.