DISPLAY PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100079381A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Muzuhashi, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Tsutomu, Koito, Takeo, Hayashi, Shuji, Yamauchi, Yuko
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A display panel includes: a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel; a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section; a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections; and a plurality of sensor sections, each of the sensor sections having two electrodes, one electrode disposed with a electrode-to-electrode gap from the other between the first and second substrate sections, the electrode-to-electrode gap being removed as a result of the deformation of the first substrate section under pressure so that the one electrode is brought into contact with the other electrode, the sensor sections being provided between the first and second substrate sections with one of a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths respectively.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections; and

a plurality of sensor sections, each of the sensor sections having two electrodes, one electrode disposed with a electrode-to-electrode gap from the other between the first and second substrate sections, the electrode-to-electrode gap being removed as a result of the deformation of the first substrate section under pressure so that the one electrode is brought into contact with the other electrode, the sensor sections being provided between the first and second substrate sections with one of a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths respectively.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the pixel sections are liquid crystal pixel sections.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein

the sensor sections are each formed for one of the liquid crystal pixel sections, and

a pixel electrode and common electrode adapted to drive the liquid crystal pixel section are used as the one and other electrodes.

4. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the one electrode of the sensor section is formed on the first substrate, and the other electrode thereof is formed on the second substrate.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of sensor sections having different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths are arranged with predetermined regularity between the first and second substrates.

6. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of sensor sections form projecting portions of different heights on the second substrate, and

the other electrodes are arranged on the projecting portions so as to form a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths.

7. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of sensor sections form projecting portions of different heights on the first substrate, and

the one electrodes are arranged on the projecting portions so as to form a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths.

8. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the second substrate, and

the other electrodes are arranged on the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths.

9. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the first substrate, and

the one electrodes are arranged on the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths.

10. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths are each set based on the relationship between a pressure applied to the first substrate section and deformation of the first substrate section.

11. A display device comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections;

a plurality of sensor sections, each of the sensor sections having two electrodes, one electrode disposed with a electrode-to electrode gap from the other between the first and second substrate sections, the electrode-to-electrode gap being removed as a result of the deformation of the first substrate section under pressure so that the one electrode is brought into contact with the other electrode, the sensor sections being provided between the first and second substrate sections with one of a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths;

a display drive section configured to drive the plurality of pixel sections to display an image; and

a sensor read section configured to determine the position of the first substrate section to which a pressure is applied and the amount of pressure applied thereto by detecting each electrode contact condition at a plurality of sensor sections.

12. A display device comprising:

first substrate means formed on the front side of the display panel;

second substrate means which is opposed to the first substrate means;

a plurality of pixel means formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate means;

a plurality of sensor means, each of the sensor means having two electrodes, one electrode disposed with a electrode-to electrode gap from the other between a first substrate and a second substrate, the electrode-to-electrode gap being removed as a result of the deformation of the first substrate means under pressure so that the one electrode is brought into contact with the other electrode, the sensor means being provided between the first and second substrate means with one of a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths;

display drive means for driving the plurality of pixel means to display an image; and

sensor read means for determining the position of the first substrate means to which a pressure is applied and the amount of pressure applied thereto by detecting each electrode contact condition at a plurality of sensor conditions.