Display Device

• US 20100020032A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Furuhashi, Tsutomu, MAMBA, Norio, Anno, Kouichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A display device having an electrostatic capacity touch panel includes: X electrodes XP and Y electrodes YP which intersect each other via a first insulating layer; and a plurality of Z electrodes disposed in a floating state via a second insulating layer. For the second insulating layer, a material such as an elastic insulating material which changes in thickness by pressing of touch is used. The Z electrode is disposed so as to overlap both one of the X electrodes and one of the Y electrodes. A pad part of the X electrode has a largest area in the vicinity of a thin line part of the X electrode, and a smallest area in the vicinity of the thin line part of the adjacent X electrode. An area of the pad part is reduced as the pad part departs from the thin line part of the X electrode.

Claims

1. A display device having an electrostatic capacity touch panel that detects touch position coordinates in a display region by an electrostatic capacity coupling method, wherein

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises:

a plurality of X electrodes;

a plurality of Y electrodes; and

one of a plurality of Z electrodes and one Z electrode;

each of the plurality of X electrodes and each of the plurality of Y electrodes intersect each other via a first insulating layer, and are formed so as to alternately array pad parts and thin line parts in extending directions of the each of the plurality of X electrodes and the each of the plurality of Y electrodes, and the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes and the pad part of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes are disposed so as not to overlap each other in plan view;

when the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the plurality of Z electrodes, each of the plurality of Z electrodes is formed via a second insulating layer so as to overlap both one of the plurality of X electrodes and one of the plurality of Y electrodes which are adjacent to each other in plan view, and the plurality of Z electrodes are disposed in an electrically floating state; and

when the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the one Z electrode, the one Z electrode is formed via the second insulating layer so as to overlap both the plurality of X electrodes and the plurality of Y electrodes in plan view, and the one Z electrode is disposed in the electrically floating state.

2. A display device according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer changes in thickness by pressing of touch.

3. A display device according to claim 2, wherein the second insulating layer is formed of an elastic insulating material.

4. A display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes extends to a vicinity of the thin line part of one of the plurality of X electrodes adjacent to the each of the plurality of X electrodes;

in plan view, in a shape of the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes, an area is smallest in the vicinity of the thin line part of the adjacent one of the plurality of X electrodes and an area is largest in the vicinity of the thin line part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes; and

an area of the pad part is reduced from the vicinity of the thin line part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes to the vicinity of the thin line part of the adjacent one of the plurality of X electrodes.

5. A display device according to claim 4, wherein:

in plan view, a width of the pad part of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes in the extending direction of the each of the plurality of X electrodes is constant with respect to the extending direction of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes; and

in plan view, the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes and the pad part of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes are alternately disposed in the extending direction of the each of the plurality of X electrodes.

6. A display device according to claim 5, wherein, in pad parts of two adjacent X electrodes, a shape of one of the pad parts is convex, and a shape of another one of the pad parts is concave.

7. A display device according to claim 5, wherein, in pad parts of two adjacent X electrodes, shapes of both the pad parts are convex.

8. A display device according to claim 6, wherein:

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the plurality of Z electrodes; and

the each of the plurality of Z electrodes is divided by a plurality of slits in the extending direction of the each of the plurality of X electrodes, and by a plurality of slits in the extending direction of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes.

9. A display device according to claim 8, wherein, in plan view, one slit of the each of the plurality of Z electrodes in the extending direction of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes is formed one of above one of the each of the plurality of Y electrodes and the each of the plurality of X electrodes, and above both the each of the plurality of Y electrodes and the each of the plurality of X electrodes.

12. A display device according to claim 4, wherein:

the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes has the smallest area in the vicinity of the thin line part of the adjacent X electrode, and the largest area in the vicinity of the thin line part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes; and

the pad part of the each of the plurality of X electrodes has a predetermined width at a portion of the smallest area of the each of the plurality of X electrodes.

13. A display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the one Z electrode; and

the one Z electrode has a high resistance value so as to allow charging/discharging with respect to an electrostatic capacity generated in the vicinity of a portion of the electrostatic capacity touch panel, which is touched by a conductor, only at the plurality of X electrodes and the plurality of Y electrodes which are located in the vicinity of the touched portion.

14. A display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the one Z electrode; and

the one Z electrode is a solid electrode.

15. A display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the one of the plurality of Z electrodes and the one Z electrode; and

the second insulating layer is formed of a gas having a volume that changes depending on a pressure.

16. A display device according to claim 15, wherein the second insulating layer is an air.

10. A display device, comprising an electrostatic capacity touch panel,

wherein the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises:

a plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction;

a plurality of second electrodes extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;

insulating layers formed on the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and

one of a third electrode and a plurality of third electrodes formed on the insulating layers.

11. A display device according to claim 10, wherein:

the electrostatic capacity touch panel comprises the plurality of third electrodes; and

the plurality of third electrodes are disposed in an electrically floating state, and formed so as to overlap the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes in plan view.