TOUCH PANEL AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20100321330A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Sung-hyuk, LEE, Sung-hee, LIM, Seong-taek
• Granted Patent: US 8,847,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A touch panel which is used as an input device for an electronic device, etc., and an electronic device including the touch panel are provided. A touch panel includes a first substrate, and a second substrate spaced from the first substrate by a distance and having a contact surface. A fluid is filled in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an input button area is delimited due to movement of the fluid when a driving voltage is applied. If a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness value in the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate which is spaced from the first substrate by a distance, the second substrate comprising a contact surface thereon; and

a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein an input button area of the contact surface is delimited due to movement of the fluid when a driving voltage is applied, and

if a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness value in the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the movement of the fluid occurs when the second substrate is deformed so that a thickness of the gap is locally increased and decreased.

3. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the second substrate is deformed when electrostatic force arises locally between the first substrate and the second substrate.

4. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the input button area is a first area which is surrounded by a second area in which a thickness of the gap is reduced.

5. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the thickness of the gap is reduced below the threshold thickness value by measuring a variation in capacitance that occurs in the input button area.

6. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein it is determined that an input has occurred in the input button area when the driving voltage is cut off.

7. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the gap is divided into a plurality of levels to provide a multi-level input.

8. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a transparent index matching oil.

9. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate which is spaced from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a deformable contact surface thereon;

a plurality of driving electrodes comprising at least one first electrode formed on the first substrate, and at least one second electrode formed on the second substrate; and

an elastic layer including fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate.

10. The touch panel of claim 9, wherein an input button area is formed on a part of the contact surface of the second substrate by a driving voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the input button area is formed due to an electrostatic force applied locally across the gap to increase or decrease the gap thickness in the input button area.

12. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein if a thickness of the gap is reduced below a threshold thickness value by a pressure applied to the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein it is determined whether the thickness of the gap is reduced below the threshold thickness by sensing a variation in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode in the input button area.

14. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein whether an input has occurred in the input button area is determined as corresponding to a time at which the driving voltage is cut off.

15. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the input button area is a first area which is surrounded by a second area in which a thickness of the gap is reduced due to the electrostatic force.

16. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the input button area is varied by changing combinations of driving electrodes, to which the driving voltage is applied, among the plurality of driving electrodes.

17. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate which is deformable and spaced a distance from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a contact surface thereon; and

a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein the contact surface includes a first area in which a thickness of the gap is reduced by a force locally applied to the fluid when a driving voltage is applied to the first area, and a second area to which a part of the fluid flows and in which a thickness of the gap increases, and

an input button area is delimited on the contact surface using the first area and the second area.

18. The touch panel of claim 17, wherein the second area is the input button area.

19. The touch panel of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of driving electrodes comprising at least one first electrode formed on the first substrate and at least one second electrode formed on the second substrate,

wherein the force is generated when the driving voltage is applied to an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes.

20. The touch panel of claim 17, wherein when a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area while the driving voltage continues to be applied, the driving voltage is cut off.

21. The touch panel of claim 17, wherein the input button area is delimited to correspond to an input button which is displayed on a display.

22. A touch panel comprising:

a hard first substrate;

a second substrate which is deformable and spaced a distance from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a user contact surface thereon; and

a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate;

wherein when electrostatic force is applied locally between the first substrate and the second substrate, the second substrate is protruded in a peripheral area of an area to which the electrostatic force is applied and the protruded area of the second substrate is delimited as an input button area, and

if a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area, the electrostatic force is removed.

23. The touch panel of claim 22, wherein it is determined that a user input occurs on the input button area when the electrostatic force is removed.

24. An electronic device comprising:

a rigid, transparent lower substrate;

a deformable, transparent upper substrate which is spaced apart from the lower substrate;

a plurality of driving electrodes comprising at least one first electrode formed on the first substrate and at least one second electrode formed on the second substrate; and

an elastic layer comprising a plurality of elastic spacers dispersed in a gap between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and fluid filled in the gap,

wherein when a driving voltage is applied to an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes, the upper substrate locally presses the fluid by electrostatic force which arises across driving electrodes to which the driving voltage is applied, so that the upper substrate is protruded upward in an area where the electrostatic force is exerted.

25. The touch panel of claim 24, wherein the protruded area of the upper substrate delimits an input button area.

26. The touch panel of claim 25, wherein when a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.

27. An electronic device comprising:

a pair of substrates comprising a first substrate, and a second substrate spaced from the first substrate and comprising a deformable user contact surface;

a plurality of driving electrodes comprising a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first substrate and a plurality of second electrodes formed on the second substrate, wherein a driving voltage is applied to an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes; and

an elastic layer comprising fluid filled in a gap between the pair of substrates.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the input button area is delimited by an electrostatic force that arises in an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes to locally increase or decrease the gap in the entire area or the partial area.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein if a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness due to a force applied on the input button area by the user, the driving voltage is cut off.

30. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the pair of substrates, the plurality of driving electrodes and the fluid are each made of a transparent material.