TOUCH SENSOR FUNCTION-EQUIPPED DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100231551A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: SAITO, Hiromi, TAKANO, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,554 B2
• 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: 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

A touch sensor function-equipped display device includes: a first substrate that has a common electrode; a second substrate that is disposed to face the first substrate; a display unit that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a touch sensor that detects a touch position on a touch surface disposed on the first substrate side or the second substrate side. The second substrate includes: a plurality of data lines that are aligned in a row direction; a plurality of gate lines that are aligned in a column direction approximately perpendicular to the data lines; a plurality of pixel electrodes that are disposed in each pixel area that is surrounded by a pair of adjacent data lines and a pair of adjacent gate lines; a plurality of capacitance lines that form capacitance with each of the pixel electrodes therebetween; and a plurality of thin film transistors that are disposed for each of the plurality of pixel electrodes and are electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, the data lines, and the gate lines. The touch sensor includes an electric-potential rise rate detecting unit that detects a rise rate of an electric potential of each pixel area at the time of charging by applying a charge signal to the capacitance line and detects a position of the pixel area in which the rise rate of the electric potential detected by the electric-potential rise rate detecting unit is out of a predetermined range as the touch position.

Claims

1. A touch sensor function-equipped display device comprising:

a first substrate that has a common electrode;

a second substrate that is disposed to face the first substrate;

a display unit that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a touch sensor that detects a touch position on a touch surface disposed on the first substrate side or the second substrate side,

wherein the second substrate includes;

a plurality of data lines that are aligned in a row direction;

a plurality of gate lines that are aligned in a column direction approximately perpendicular to the data lines;

a plurality of pixel electrodes that are disposed in each pixel area that is surrounded by a pair of adjacent data lines and a pair of adjacent gate lines;

a plurality of capacitance lines that form capacitance with each of the pixel electrodes therebetween; and

a plurality of thin film transistors that are disposed for each of the plurality of pixel electrodes and are electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, the data lines, and the gate lines, and

wherein the touch sensor includes an electric-potential rise rate detecting unit that detects a rise rate of an electric potential of each pixel area at the time of charging by applying a charge signal to the capacitance line and detects a position of the pixel area in which the rise rate of the electric potential detected by the electric-potential rise rate detecting unit is out of a predetermined range as the touch position.

2. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitance lines are aligned in the column direction in correspondence with the plurality of scanning lines.

3. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 1, wherein the electric-potential rise rate detecting unit detects the rise rate of the electric potential of each pixel area through the plurality of data lines.

4. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor charges each pixel area by sequentially applying voltages to the plurality of gate lines and applying a charge signal to the capacitance line corresponding to the gate line to which the voltage is applied and detects the rise rate of the electric potential of the each pixel area at that time by using the electric-potential rise rate detecting unit.

5. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 1, wherein the applying of the charge signal to the capacitance line for electrical charging is performed in a time period in which an image signal is not applied to the plurality of data lines.

6. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 5, wherein the time period in which the image signal is not applied is a retrace period.

7. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 6, wherein the touch sensor detects the rise rates of the electric potentials of all the pixel areas at the time of charging in a plurality of the retrace periods in a divisional manner.

8. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 6, wherein the touch sensor detects the rise rates of the electric potentials of all the pixel areas at the time of charging in one retrace period.

9. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 6, wherein the touch sensor detects the rise rate of the electric potential of the pixel area at the time of charging at the ratio of one to several retrace periods.

10. The touch sensor function-equipped display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a liquid crystal layer.