TOUCH SENSING ELECTROPHORETIC DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20110050642A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydis Technology Company Limited (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: LEE, Sang-Myoung, Jeon, Hyung-Il, Hwang, Tae-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16757 Microcapsules
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1677 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

An image display device has touch sensing sensor components integrally distributed amongst pixel components of the device. In one embodiment, the distribution is one sensor component per one pixel component. In one embodiment, the pixel component forms a pixel portion of an image by selectively reflecting light and the sensor component is composed of a material that reflects light. More specifically, in one embodiment the light reflecting pixel component is an electrophoretic unit and the sensor component includes a layer of titanium having a color filter layer disposed below it and thus protectively covering it. Reflection of light from the light reflecting sensor layer is reduced by providing an anti-reflection layer above it. The sensor component changes resistance in response to change of local temperature or of an amount of infrared radiation impinging on it. Its resistance is measured by way of two wires connected thereto and extending through contact holes provided in the color filter layer.

Claims

1. An electrophoretic display comprising:

a first light-passing substrate;

a sensing layer formed under the first substrate;

a sensing line electrically connected to the sensing layer;

a second substrate; and

an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

2. The electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein

the sensing layer is made of a material whose electrical resistance changes when exposed to changed levels of applied infrared (IR) rays or heat.

3. The electrophoretic display of claim 2, wherein

the sensing layer includes at least one of vanadium oxide, titanium, platinum, silicon germanium (SiGe), and amorphous silicon.

4. The electrophoretic display of claim 3, wherein

the sensing layer is made of a double layer including titanium and titanium oxide.

5. The electrophoretic display of claim 3, wherein

the sensing layer includes a reflection reducing layer disposed above the sensing layer.

6. The electrophoretic display of claim 5, wherein the reflection reducing layer includes a metal oxide or nitride.

7. The electrophoretic display of claim 1, further comprising

a thin film transistor positioned under the sensing layer, a gate line and a data line connected to the thin film transistor and formed under the sensing layer.

8. The electrophoretic display of claim 7, wherein

the sensing lines include a first sensing line extending parallel to the gate line and a second sensing line extending parallel to the data line.

9. The electrophoretic display of claim 7, further comprising:

a passivation layer covering the thin film transistor; and

a pixel electrode formed under the passivation layer,

wherein the passivation layer has a contact hole defined there through and wherein the pixel electrode is electrically connected to an output terminal of the thin film transistor by way of the contact hole in the passivation layer.

10. The electrophoretic display of claim 1, further comprising

a color filter encapsulating at least a lower part of the sensing layer and formed under the sensing layer.

11. The electrophoretic display of claim 10, wherein

the color filter has at least one contact hole defined there-through and exposing the sensing layer.

12. The electrophoretic display of claim 11, wherein

at least one of the sensing lines is electrically connected to the sensing layer by way of a corresponding at least one of the contact holes defined through the color filter.

13. The electrophoretic display of claim 10, wherein

the plural sensing lines include a first sensing line and a second sensing line,

the at least one contact hole of the color filter includes a first contact hole and a second contact hole,

the first sensing line is electrically connected to the sensing layer through the first contact hole, and

the second sensing line is electrically connected to the sensing layer through the second contact hole.

14. The electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein

the electrophoretic layer includes microcapsules each including electrophoretic particles.

15. The electrophoretic display of claim 14, wherein

the electrophoretic particles are divided into two types of electrophoretic particles having respective charges of opposed polarities.

16. The electrophoretic display of claim 15, wherein

one of the two types of electrophoretic particles includes a dark color imparting material such as carbon black, and

the other includes a light color imparting material such as titanium oxide or silica.

17. The electrophoretic display of claim 1, further comprising

a common electrode formed on the second substrate.

18. An electrophoretic display comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel components formed on the substrate, each including a thin film transistor and a plurality of electrophoretic particles; and

a plurality of sensor components formed on the substrate,

wherein one or more of the sensor components functions as a light blocking member that blocks external light from becoming incident upon an underlying one or more thin film transistors.

19. The electrophoretic display of claim 18, wherein

the substrate further includes color filters, and

the color filters cover the sensor components.

20. The electrophoretic display of claim 18, wherein

each sensor component is positioned in a region where a corresponding pixel component is formed.