FLEXIBLE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY

• US 20100295812A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlexEnable Limited (Plastic Logic JSC)
• Original Assignee: Plastic Logic Limited (Plastic Logic JSC)
• Inventors: Jones, Simon, Siddique, Sharjil, Burns, Seamus
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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

Abstract

A touch sensitive active matrix display device is provided. The device includes a display fabricated on a first flexible substrate, said display having a viewing surface. The device further includes a touch sensitive sensor including a second flexible substrate, under said display. The touch sensor is operated by touching said viewing surface of said display, and said combined display and touch sensitive sensor is flexible.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive active matrix display device, the device comprising:

a display fabricated on a first flexible substrate, said display having a viewing surface; and

a touch sensitive sensor comprising a second flexible substrate, under said display; and

wherein

said touch sensor is operated by touching said viewing surface of said display; and

said combined display and touch sensitive sensor is flexible.

2. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second flexible substrates comprise a shared flexible substrate.

3. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said shared flexible substrate comprises a backplane of said display.

4. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 3 wherein a conductive layer of said touch sensor is fabricated on said backplane.

5. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said shared flexible substrate comprises a touch screen laminate, and wherein a backplane of said display is fabricated on said laminate.

6. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive sensor and said display each have a layered structure, and wherein said display comprises at least one layer of said touch sensitive sensor, whereby said display and said sensor have at least one of said layers in common.

7. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first flexible substrate of said display comprises said second flexible substrate of said touch sensitive sensor.

8. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first flexible substrate is positioned directly over a conductor layer of said touch sensitive sensor.

9. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first flexible substrate of said display comprises a backplane fabricated on a conductor layer of said touch sensitive sensor.

10. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive sensor includes a layer comprising a substantially non-transparent conductor.

11. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display includes a backplane comprising an array of thin-film transistors, and wherein said backplane is located substantially on a neutral surface of said device.

12. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display comprises a pixellated display.

13. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive display device is pixellated.

14. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display device comprises a reflective display medium.

15. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said reflective display medium comprises an electrophoretic display medium.

16. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive sensor comprises a mechanical sensor including first and second conducting layers separated by an insulating spacer layer and configured to bring said first and second conducting layers into contact with one another to electrically connect said first and second conducting layers of conductors in response to mechanical pressure.

17. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display includes a multilayer electronic structure adapted to solution deposition.

18. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 17 wherein said multilayer electronic structure comprises an active matrix backplane of said display.

19. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said active matrix comprises an array of field-effect transistors comprising an organic semiconductor.

20. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said organic semiconductor is a solution-processed polymer semiconductor.

21. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said field-effect transistor comprises an organic gate dielectric.

22. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said organic gate dielectric is a solution-processed polymer dielectric.

23. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said organic gate dielectric is deposited by chemical vapour deposition.

24. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 23, where said organic gate dielectric is parylene.

25. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said organic gate dielectric has a thickness between 200 nm and 1 μ

m.

26. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive sensor is a resistive touch sensor.

27. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of said first and second flexible substrates has a thickness in the range of 10 μ

m to 250 μ

m.

28. A touch sensitive display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of said first and second flexible substrates has a thickness in the range 20 μ

m to 200 μ

m.

29. A touch sensitive active matrix display device, said device comprising:

a display fabricated on a flexible substrate, said display having a viewing surface; and

a touch sensitive sensor under said display; and

wherein

said touch sensor is operated by touching said viewing surface of said display; and

said active matrix display includes a multilayer electronic structure adapted to solution deposition.

30. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said active matrix comprises an array of field-effect transistors comprising an organic semiconductor.

31. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 30, wherein said organic semiconductor is a solution-processed polymer semiconductor.

32. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said field-effect transistor comprises an organic gate dielectric.

33. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 32, wherein said organic gate dielectric is a solution-processed polymer dielectric.

34. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 32, wherein said organic gate dielectric is deposited by chemical vapour deposition.

35. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 34, where said organic gate dielectric is parylene.

36. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 32, wherein said organic gate dielectric has a thickness between 200 μ

m and 1 μ

m.

37. A touch sensitive active matrix display device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said touch sensitive sensor is a resistive touch sensor.

38. A touch sensitive display device, said device comprising:

a display fabricated on a flexible substrate, said displaying having a viewing surface; and

a touch sensitive sensor under said display; and

wherein

said touch sensor is operated by touching said viewing surface of said display; and

said touch sensitive sensor is pixellated.