TOUCH PANEL AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A touch panel comprising:
- a first substrate;
a second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, the second substrate comprising a contact surface;
a plurality of driving electrodes that are formed on each of the first substrate and the second substrate; and
an electro-rheological fluid that fills the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate,wherein, when a driving voltage is applied between at least two opposing driving electrodes of the plurality of driving electrodes, a button area is delimited due to a variation in viscosity of a portion of the electro-rheological fluid between the at least two opposing driving electrodes, andwherein, when a thickness of the gap between the first and second substrates at the button area is reduced to a value equal to or less than a threshold due to a pressing force applied to the contact surface at the button area, the driving voltage is cut off.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch panel and an electronic device are provided. The touch panel includes a first substrate; a second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap and includes a contact surface; driving electrodes that are formed on each of the first substrate and the second substrate; and electro-rheological fluid that is disposed in the gap. When a driving voltage is applied between the driving electrodes, a button area is delimited due to a variation in viscosity of the electro-rheological fluid at the button area. When a thickness of the gap is reduced to a value equal to or less than a threshold due to a pressing force applied to the contact surface at the button area, the driving voltage is cut off.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, the second substrate comprising a contact surface; a plurality of driving electrodes that are formed on each of the first substrate and the second substrate; and an electro-rheological fluid that fills the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein, when a driving voltage is applied between at least two opposing driving electrodes of the plurality of driving electrodes, a button area is delimited due to a variation in viscosity of a portion of the electro-rheological fluid between the at least two opposing driving electrodes, and wherein, when a thickness of the gap between the first and second substrates at the button area is reduced to a value equal to or less than a threshold due to a pressing force applied to the contact surface at the button area, the driving voltage is cut off. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, the second substrate comprising a contact surface; a plurality of driving electrodes including a first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate and opposing the first electrode; and electro-rheological fluid that fills in the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the contact surface is divided into a first area in which a viscosity of electro- rheological fluid is increased, and a second area in which a viscosity of electro-rheological fluid does not vary, according to an electric field formed by all or some of the plurality of driving electrodes, and wherein the first area is delimited as a button area for inputting a signal on the user contact surface. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A touch panel comprising:
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a hard, transparent first substrate; a deformable, transparent second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap; a plurality of driving electrodes including a first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate opposing the first electrode; a plurality of spacers arranged in a dispersed manner in the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate; and electro-rheological fluid fills the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein an area in which a viscosity of the electro-rheological fluid increases locally due to an electric field formed between the first and second electrodes is delimited as a button area. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. An electronic device comprising:
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a first substrate; a deformable second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate; a plurality of driving electrodes including a first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate to which a driving voltage is selectively applied ; and electro-rheological fluid interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first substrate; a second substrate separated from the first substrate by a gap and comprising a contact surface; a plurality of second electrodes formed on the second substrate; and electro-rheological fluid that fills the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the contact surface includes a plurality of buttons areas delimited by the first and second electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate that is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, the second substrate comprising a contact surface; a plurality of driving electrodes formed on the first substrate and the second substrate; an electro-rheological fluid that is disposed in the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a driving circuit that is configured to apply a driving voltage between at least two opposing driving electrodes of the plurality of driving electrodes to thereby delimit a button area due to an change in viscosity of a portion of the electro-rheological fluid between the first and second substrates at the button area, and to cut off the driving voltage applied to the at least two opposing driving electrodes when a thickness of the gap between the first and second substrates at the button area is reduced to a value equal to or less than a threshold due to a pressing force applied to the contact surface at the button area. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification