SMARTPHONE

• US 20160035290A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Original Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Seyeob, Yoon, Sangsic, Moon, Hojun, Kim, Taehoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,133,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• 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 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A smartphone includes: a cover layer; a display module, and comprises a component configured to cause the LCD panel to perform a display function; a pressure electrode which is located under the display module; and a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode. At least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located in the display module.

Claims

1. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

a display module which is located under the cover layer and comprises an LCD panel comprising a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, and comprises a component configured to cause the LCD panel to perform a display function, wherein a touch pressure bends the display module;

a pressure electrode which is located under the display module; and

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode,

wherein at least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer,

wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of receiving electrodes,

wherein a drive signal is applied to the touch sensor and a touch position is detected by a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of the touch pressure is detected based on a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode,

and wherein the change amount of the capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode changes as the display module bends.

2. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

3. The smartphone of claim 1,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

4. The smartphone of claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the shielding member.

5. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the shielding member is a reference potential layer and the change amount of the capacitance is changed according to a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

6. The smartphone of claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the display module.

7. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

22. The smartphone of claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer having a thickness defined by an inelastic material, wherein the pressure electrode is located within the spacer layer.

8. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

a display module which is located under the cover layer and comprises an LCD panel comprising a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, and comprises a component configured to cause the LCD panel to perform a display function, wherein a touch pressure bends the display module;

a pressure electrode which is located under the display module; and

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode,

wherein at least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer,

wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of receiving electrodes,

and further comprising;

a drive unit which applies a drive signal to the touch sensor;

a sensing unit which receives a sensing signal from the touch sensor and detects a touch position; and

a pressure detector which detects a magnitude of the touch pressure based on a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode,

wherein the change amount of the capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode changes as the display module bends.

9. The smartphone of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

10. The smartphone of claim 8,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

11. The smartphone of claim 8, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the shielding member.

12. The smartphone of claim 8, wherein the shielding member is a reference potential layer and the change amount of the capacitance is changed according to a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

13. The smartphone of claim 8, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the display module.

14. The smartphone of claim 8, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

23. The smartphone of claim 8, further comprising a spacer layer having a thickness defined by an inelastic material, wherein the pressure electrode is located within the spacer layer.

15. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

a display module which is located under the cover layer and comprises an LCD panel comprising a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, and comprises a component configured to cause the LCD panel to perform a display function, wherein a touch pressure bends the display module;

a pressure electrode which is located under the display module; and

a reference potential layer spaced from the pressure electrode,

wherein at least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer,

wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of receiving electrodes,

wherein a drive signal is applied to the touch sensor and a touch position is detected by a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of the touch pressure is detected based on a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode,

wherein the change amount of the capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode changes as the display module bends,

and wherein the change amount of the capacitance is changed according to a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

16. The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

17. The smartphone of claim 15,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

18. The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the reference potential layer is located under the pressure electrode.

19. The smartphone of claim 18, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

20. The smartphone of claim 15, further comprising a spacer layer which is located between the pressure electrode and the display module.

21. The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

24. The smartphone of claim 15, further comprising a spacer layer having a thickness defined by an inelastic material, wherein the pressure electrode is located within the spacer layer.