TOUCH SENSOR DEVICE, DISPLAY DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

• US 20150378479A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: HAYASHI, Makoto, HARADA, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

The touch sensor device and the display device include: a panel unit having a touch detection area in which a plurality of drive electrodes extend in an X-direction, a plurality of detection electrodes extend in a Y-direction, and a plurality of detection units each composed of a pair of the drive electrode and the detection electrode are formed in a matrix pattern; the drive electrodes each having a width forming two detection units in the Y-direction; and regions each formed by the intersection between one drive electrode and first to fourth detection electrodes. In this region, detection regions having a first sensitivity in which first to fourth detection units are provided and non-detection regions having a second sensitivity are alternately disposed. For example, the detection electrodes have different shapes between the detection region and the non-detection region.

Claims

1. A touch sensor device comprising:

a panel unit including a touch detection area in which a plurality of drive electrodes extend in a first direction, a plurality of detection electrodes extend in a second direction, and a plurality of detection units each composed of a pair of the drive electrode and the detection electrode are formed in a matrix pattern, each of the plurality of drive electrodes having a width capable of forming two detection units in the second direction;

first to fourth detection electrodes of the plurality of detection electrodes;

a plurality of touch detection regions which are provided in the touch detection area, formed by respective intersections between the plurality of drive electrodes and the first to fourth detection electrodes, and repeatedly disposed in the first direction and the second direction;

first detection regions with a first sensitivity, which are provided in each of the plurality of touch detection regions and have first to fourth detection units; and

second detection regions with a second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity, which are provided in each of the plurality of touch detection regions,

wherein at least either the plurality of drive electrodes or the plurality of detection electrodes have different shapes between the first detection region and the second detection region,

the first detection regions and the second detection regions are alternately disposed in the first direction and the second direction, and

when a first input signal is applied to each of the plurality of drive electrodes, four output signals are obtained from the first to fourth detection electrodes through the first to fourth detection units in each of the plurality of touch detection regions.

2. The touch sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a first region and a second region in the second direction, the first region and the second region having a width capable of forming one detection unit,

the first detection unit is formed by an intersection between the first region of the drive electrode and the first detection electrode,

the second detection unit is formed by an intersection between the second region of the drive electrode and the second detection electrode,

the third detection unit is formed by an intersection between the first region of the drive electrode and the third detection electrode, and

the fourth detection unit is formed by an intersection between the second region of the drive electrode and the fourth detection electrode.

5. The touch sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of detection electrodes are disposed in the first direction at a constant pitch, and

each of the plurality of detection electrodes has a thin line portion extending in the second direction and protruding electrode portions which protrude from the thin line portion toward two sides thereof in the first direction so as to correspond to a position of the first detection region.

6. The touch sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of detection electrodes are alternately disposed at a first pitch and a second pitch in the first direction, and

each of the plurality of detection electrodes has a thin line portion extending in the second direction and a protruding electrode portion which protrudes from the thin line portion toward one side thereof in the first direction so as to correspond to a position of the first detection region.

7. The touch sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a thin line portion extending in the first direction and a protruding electrode portion which protrudes from the thin line portion toward at least one side thereof in the second direction so as to correspond to a position of the first detection region.

9. The touch sensor device according to claim 5,

wherein the protruding electrode portion of each of the plurality of detection electrodes has an opening in a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

11. The touch sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first circuit unit which is connected to the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area and drives the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area by applying an input signal thereto; and

a second circuit unit which is connected to the plurality of detection electrodes in the touch detection area and detects output signals from the plurality of detection electrodes in the touch detection area,

wherein the first circuit unit sequentially applies the first input signal to each of the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area.

17. A display device comprising:

the touch sensor device according to claim 1;

a display panel unit which includes a display area in which pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern and a display functional layer which is controlled by the pixels and is used for displaying an image on the display area, a surface of the panel unit of the touch sensor device being connected to one surface of the display panel unit; and

a display circuit unit which applies a signal for display driving to electrodes constituting the pixels in the display area.

18. The display device according to claim 17,

wherein the display functional layer is a liquid crystal layer.

3. A touch sensor device comprising:

a panel unit including a touch detection area in which a plurality of drive electrodes extend in a first direction, a plurality of detection electrodes extend in a second direction, and a plurality of detection units each composed of a pair of the drive electrode and the detection electrode are formed in a matrix pattern;

a first drive electrode and a second drive electrode of the plurality of drive electrodes, each having a width capable of forming one detection unit in the second direction;

first to fourth detection electrodes of the plurality of detection electrodes;

a plurality of touch detection regions which are provided in the touch detection area, formed by respective intersections between the first and second drive electrodes and the first to fourth detection electrodes, and repeatedly disposed in the first direction and the second direction;

first detection regions with a first sensitivity, which are provided in each of the plurality of touch detection regions and have first to fourth detection units; and

second detection regions with a second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity,

wherein at least either the plurality of drive electrodes or the plurality of detection electrodes have different shapes between the first detection region and the second detection region,

the first detection regions and the second detection regions are alternately disposed in the first direction and the second direction, and

when the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode in the plurality of drive electrodes are taken as one set and a first input signal is simultaneously applied to the one set, four output signals are obtained from the first to fourth detection electrodes through the first to fourth detection units in each of the plurality of touch detection regions.

4. The touch sensor device according to claim 3,

wherein the first detection unit is formed by an intersection between the first drive electrode and the first detection electrode,

the second detection unit is formed by an intersection between the second drive electrode and the second detection electrode,

the third detection unit is formed by an intersection between the first drive electrode and the third detection electrode, and

the fourth detection unit is formed by an intersection between the second drive electrode and the fourth detection electrode.

8. The touch sensor device according to claim 3,

wherein each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a thin line portion extending in the first direction and a protruding electrode portion which protrudes from the thin line portion toward at least one side thereof in the second direction so as to correspond to a position of the first detection region.

10. The touch sensor device according to claim 8,

wherein the protruding electrode portion of each of the plurality of detection electrodes has an opening, which is superposed on a plane of the protruding electrode portion of the drive electrode, in a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

12. The touch sensor device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first circuit unit which is connected to the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area and drives the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area by applying an input signal thereto; and

a second circuit unit which is connected to the plurality of detection electrodes in the touch detection area and detects output signals from the plurality of detection electrodes in the touch detection area,

wherein the first circuit unit sequentially applies the first input signal to each of the sets of the plurality of drive electrodes in the touch detection area.

13. The touch sensor device according to claim 12,

wherein the first circuit unit selects drive electrodes adjacent in the second direction as the set of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode.

14. The touch sensor device according to claim 12,

wherein the first circuit unit selects drive electrodes, which are apart from each other with one or more drive electrodes interposed therebetween in the second direction, as the set of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode.

15. The touch sensor device according to claim 12,

wherein the first circuit unit applies pulses with the same phase as the first input signal which is simultaneously applied to the set of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode.

16. The touch sensor device according to claim 12,

wherein the first circuit unit applies pulses with opposite phase as the first input signal which is simultaneously applied to the set of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode.