TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH TOUCH PANEL

• US 20130181921A1
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display East Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: TANABE, Shinji, ISHII, Sakae, KUWAJIMA, Yuka
• Application Number:
  US13/733,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads

Abstract

A touch panel includes a transparent electrode for sensing and a metal mark that overlaps with the transparent electrode in a sensing enable area, and a metal line that extends along a contour of the sensing enable area in a peripheral area. The transparent electrode is electrically connected to the metal line. A light shielding area of a cover substrate includes a first portion that overlaps with the peripheral area, and a second portion that partially overlaps with the sensing enable area so as to cover the transparent electrode and the metal mark.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel having a display area;

a touch panel having a sensing enable area overlapping with the display area, and a peripheral area outside of the sensing enable area; and

a cover substrate including a light transmission area overlapping with the display area and the sensing enable area, and a light shielding area surrounding the light transmission area,

wherein the touch panel has a transparent electrode and a metal layer that overlaps with the transparent electrode in the sensing enable area, and has a metal line in the peripheral area, and the transparent electrode is electrically connected to the metal line, and

wherein the light shielding area of the cover substrate covers the metal line of the touch panel and the metal layer formed in the sensing enable area.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the light shielding area of the cover substrate includes a first portion that overlaps with the peripheral area so as to cover the metal line of the touch panel, and a second portion that overlaps with a part of the sensing enable area so as to cover the transparent electrode and the metal layer, an edge of the first portion adjacent to the light transmission area is located adjacent to the metal line, and an edge of the second portion adjacent to the light transmission area is located adjacent to the metal layer.

3. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the light transmission area is square,

wherein the first portion of the light shielding area is adjacent to three sides of the light transmission area, and

wherein the second portion of the light shielding area is adjacent to a remaining side of the light transmission area except for the three sides.

4. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the light shielding area is formed into a frame shape having an opening,

wherein the opening is displaced from a center of a contour of the light shielding area toward any direction, and

wherein the second portion is adjacent to the opening on a side opposite to the direction toward which the opening is displaced.

5. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the cover substrate is made of a light transmission material, and a light shielding film is formed in the light shielding area.

6. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the cover substrate has a mark indicative of a touch button in the second portion of the light shielding area so as to overlap with the transparent electrode.

7. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the transparent electrode includes a first electrode extending in a first direction, and a second electrode extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,

wherein the first electrode includes a plurality of first pad parts which are aligned in the first direction, and first connection parts that are thinner than the respective first pad parts, and connect the adjacent first pad parts in the first direction,

wherein the second electrode includes a plurality of second pad parts which are aligned in the second direction, and second connection parts that are thinner than the respective second pad parts, and connect the adjacent second pad parts in the second direction, and

wherein the metal layer overlaps with the second pad parts so as to prevent from overlapping with the first electrode and the second connection parts.

8. The display device according to claim 7,

wherein the first pad parts, the second pad parts, and the second connection parts are formed in the same layer position,

wherein the first pad parts and the first connection parts are formed in different layer positions and electrically connected to each other, and

wherein the first connection parts and the second connection parts sterically intersect with each other through an insulating film.

9. The display device according to claim 7,

wherein the second pad parts are larger in area than the first pad parts.

10. The display device according to claim 9,

wherein the second pad parts each have a width in the first direction larger than a width in the second direction, and

wherein the metal layer extends to be longer in the first direction.

11. A touch panel comprising:

a cover substrate having a light transmission area and a light shielding area surrounding the light transmission area,

wherein the touch panel has a sensing enable area and a peripheral area surrounding the sensing enable area,

wherein a transparent electrode and a metal layer are formed in the sensing enable area,

wherein the transparent electrode includes a first electrode extending in a first direction and a second electrode extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

wherein the metal layer overlaps with the transparent electrode,

wherein a metal line which is connected to the transparent electrode is formed in the peripheral area, and

wherein the cover substrate has the light transmission area arranged opposite to the sensing enable area of the touch panel, and the light shielding area arranged opposite to the peripheral area and the metal layer formed in the sensing enable area.