LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20080278458A1
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kanda, Eiji, Masuzawa, Akinori
• Application Number:
  US12/115,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278458A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

Provided a liquid crystal device including a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates, the liquid crystal device including: pixel electrodes which are arranged in an image display area, for displaying an image; sensor electrodes which detect a variation in capacitance of the liquid crystal layer; and cylindrical structures which maintain a gap between the pair of substrates and are arranged so as not to two-dimensionally overlap each other.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device including a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates, the liquid crystal device comprising:

pixel electrodes which are arranged in an image display area, for displaying an image;

sensor electrodes which detect a variation in capacitance of the liquid crystal layer; and

cylindrical structures which maintain a gap between the pair of substrates and are arranged so as not to two-dimensionally overlap each other.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein, in a unit area of the image display area, the number of cylindrical structures is equal to the number of sensor electrodes and the sensor electrodes are at the same distance from at least two cylindrical structures nearest to the sensor electrodes.

3. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein, in a unit area of the image display area, the number of sensor electrodes is larger than the number of cylindrical structures and the cylindrical structures are at the same distance from at least two sensor electrodes nearest to the cylindrical structures.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein protrusions having a height lower than that of the cylindrical structures are provided in the image display area and the protrusion, the pixel electrodes, the sensor electrodes and the cylindrical structure are arranged so as not to two-dimensionally overlap one another.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein, in a unit area of the image display area, the protrusions are at the same distance from at least two cylindrical structures nearest to the protrusions.

6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein the cylindrical structures and the protrusions are formed of the same material.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein a planarization film is provided on any one of the pair of substrates, the cylindrical structures are arranged on the planarization film, and the protrusions are arranged in concave portions provided in the planarization film.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor electrodes, the cylindrical structures and the protrusions are regularly and selectively arranged in an arrangement direction of pixels.

9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 8, wherein an interval between the sensor electrodes and an interval between the cylindrical structures are equal to or greater than a pixel pitch.

10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 8, wherein the sensor electrodes and the cylindrical structures are alternately arranged in a row direction and a column direction of pixels.

11. The liquid crystal device according to claim 8, wherein:

the sensor electrodes and the cylindrical structures are alternately arranged in any one of a row direction and a column direction of pixels, and

the sensor electrodes and the protrusions are alternately arranged in the other one of the row direction and the column direction of the pixels.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal device according to claim 1.