ELECTRONIC INK TOUCH SENSITIVE DISPLAY

• US 20120044190A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: QRG Limited
• Inventors: YILMAZ, Esat
• Granted Patent: US 10,831,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/0023 Images formed with electrophoretic technology, e.g. by charged pigment particles rearranged by applied electric field, e.g. electronic paper or e-paper, active ink

Abstract

An electronic ink display incorporating a touch sensitive screen which does not significantly increase the thickness of the electronic ink display as compared to conventional touch screen displays. The touch screen has a first and second electrode layers each having electrodes arranged to form nodes where the electrodes overlap. The electronic ink display contains microcapsules having different positively and negatively charged inks of different colors which are attracted the oppositely charged electrode to form an image.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive display, the display comprising:

a first electrode layer;

an electronic ink layer provided adjacent the first electrode layer;

a second electrode layer provided adjacent the electronic ink layer; and

control circuitry configured to apply image voltage across the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer to cause the electronic ink layer to display an image, wherein;

the first electrode layer is patterned to form a plurality of sense electrodes,

the second electrode layer forms a plurality of drive electrodes,

the plurality of sense electrodes and the plurality of drive electrodes are arranged to create nodes where the drive and sense electrodes overlap, and

the control circuitry is further configured to apply a voltage for capacitive sensing to the plurality of drive electrodes and sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes in order to determine the position of a touch at the display.

2. The touch sensitive display of claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is comprised of a mesh of narrow conducting lines.

3. The touch sensitive display of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer is a pixel drive electrode layer forming a plurality of pixel drive electrodes.

4. The touch sensitive display of claim 3, wherein the pixel drive electrodes of the pixel drive electrode layer are grouped together in a plurality of rows to form the plurality of drive electrodes.

5. The touch sensitive display of claim 1, wherein the patterned first electrode layer covers substantially the entire electronic ink layer.

6. The touch sensitive display of claim 5, wherein control circuitry is further configured to hold the image voltage across the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, such that the same voltage is applied to the entire first electrode layer.

7. The touch sensitive display of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to individually drive the pixel elements of the pixel drive electrode layer when the control circuitry applies the image voltage across the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

8. The touch sensitive display of claim 1, wherein the voltage for capacitive sensing is applied to the drive electrodes and sensed at the sense electrodes.

9. The touch sensitive display of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to interleave application of the image voltage and the sensing voltage.

10. A touch sensitive display comprising:

a first electrode layer;

an electronic ink layer provided adjacent the first electrode layer;

a pixel electrode layer provided adjacent the electronic ink layer; and

control circuitry configured to apply image voltage across the first electrode layer and selected pixel elements of the pixel electrode layer to cause the electronic ink layer to display an image, wherein;

the first electrode layer is patterned to form a plurality of sense electrodes and a plurality of drive electrodes,

the plurality of sense electrodes and the plurality of drive electrodes are arranged to create sensing nodes at the intersections of the drive and sense electrodes, and

the control circuitry is further configured to apply a voltage for capacitive sensing to the plurality of drive electrodes and sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes in order to determine the position of a touch at the display.

11. The touch sensitive display of claim 10, wherein the first electrode layer is comprised of ITO.

14. The touch sensitive display of claim 10, wherein the image voltage applied across the first electrode layer and selected pixel elements of the pixel electrode layer is greater than the voltage for capacitive sensing to the plurality of drive electrodes and sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes.

16. The touch sensitive display of claim 10, wherein the first electrode layer is comprised of a mesh of conducting lines.

12. A touch sensitive display comprising:

a first electrode layer patterned to form a plurality of sense electrodes,

a dielectric layer;

a second electrode layer provided adjacent the dielectric layer;

an electronic ink layer provided adjacent the second electrode layer;

a pixel electrode layer provided adjacent the electronic ink layer; and

control circuitry configured to apply image voltage across the second electrode layer and selected pixels elements of the pixel electrode layer in order to cause the electronic ink to display an image, wherein;

the second electrode layer is patterned to form a plurality of drive electrodes,

the plurality of sense electrodes and the plurality of drive electrodes are arranged to create nodes at the intersections of the drive and sense electrodes, and

the control circuitry is further configured to apply a voltage for capacitive sensing to the plurality of drive electrodes and sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes in order to determine the position of a touch at the display.

13. The touch sensitive display of claim 12, wherein the first electrode layer is comprised of a mesh of conducting lines.

15. The touch sensitive display of claim 12, wherein the image voltage applied across the second electrode layer and selected pixels elements of the pixel electrode layer is greater than the voltage for capacitive sensing to the plurality of drive electrodes and sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes.