LIQUID CRYSTAL ELECTRONIC CURTAIN AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160178949A1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Company Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited), Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Company Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited), Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited
• Inventors: SUN, Xiaoping, SHE, Xiaofei, WANG, Lihua, MA, Conghua
• Granted Patent: US 9,709,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• 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
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing 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

A liquid crystal electronic curtain is disclosed. The liquid crystal electronic curtain includes a liquid crystal layer between first and second substrates. The curtain also includes a polarizer on one of a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate. The curtain also includes a first electrode layer on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate. The first electrode layer includes touch display units, and first electrode leads, each connected with one of the touch display units. The touch display units are connected with detection circuits via the first electrode leads. The curtain also includes a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, a driving circuit, and a second electrode lead, where the driving circuit is connected with the second electrode lead.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal electronic curtain, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a polarizer disposed on one of;

a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and

a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate;

a first electrode layer disposed on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, wherein the first electrode layer comprises;

a plurality of touch display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of first electrode leads, wherein each of the first electrode leads is connected with one of the touch display units, and wherein the touch display units are connected with a plurality of detection circuits via the plurality of first electrode leads leading out from an edge of the first substrate;

a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate;

a driving circuit; and

a second electrode lead, wherein the driving circuit is connected with the second electrode lead, and wherein the second electrode lead is connected to the second electrode layer.

2. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises a planar second electrode and the second electrode lead, and the planar second electrode is connected with the driving circuit through the second electrode lead.

3. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 2, wherein at least one of:

the touch display unit comprises at least one block first electrode, and

the touch display unit comprises a plurality of block first electrodes connected with each other by the first electrode leads, and the plurality of touch display units are arranged as an array.

4. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 2, wherein:

the touch display unit comprises a plurality of block first electrodes arranged along a first direction and connected with each other by the first electrode leads, and

the plurality of touch display units are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 2, wherein:

the touch display unit comprises a strip first electrode extending along a first direction, and

the plurality of the touch display units are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrode layer further comprises;

a plurality of drive display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of second electrode leads,

the plurality of drive display units are connected with a plurality of the driving circuits via a plurality of the second electrode leads which lead out from the edge of the first substrate,

the drive display units are electrically insulated from the touch display units, the second electrode layer comprises;

a planar common electrode, and

a common electrode lead, and

the common electrode is connected with the common electrode driving circuit by the common electrode lead.

7. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 1, wherein:

the second electrode layer further comprises;

a plurality of drive display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of second electrode leads, wherein each of the second electrode leads is connected with one of the drive display units.

8. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 7, wherein:

at least one of;

the touch display unit comprises a strip first electrode extending along a first direction,

the touch display unit comprises a plurality of block first electrodes arranged

along the first direction and connected with each other by the first electrode lead; and

the plurality of touch display units are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 7, wherein the drive display unit comprises:

at least one of;

a strip second electrode extending along a second direction, and

a plurality of block second electrodes arranged along the second direction and connected with each other by the second electrode lead; and

the plurality of drive display units are arranged along a first direction perpendicular to the second direction.

10. The liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 1, wherein the touch display units are respectively connected with a plurality of driving circuits via the first electrode leads leading out from the edge of the first substrate.

11. A method of driving a liquid crystal electronic curtain, the liquid crystal electronic curtain comprises:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a polarizer disposed on one of;

a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and

a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate;

a first electrode layer disposed on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, wherein the first electrode layer comprises;

a plurality of touch display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of first electrode leads, wherein each of the first electrode leads is connected with one of the touch display units, and wherein the touch display units are connected with a plurality of detection circuits via the plurality of first electrode leads leading out from an edge of the first substrate;

a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate;

a driving circuit; and

a second electrode lead, wherein the driving circuit is connected with the second electrode lead, and wherein the second electrode lead is connected to the second electrode layer,

wherein the driving method comprises;

applying a common electrode signal to the second electrode layer,

applying different voltage signals to the plurality of touch display units according to a preset condition to control rotation of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer,

detecting changes of current signals flowing through the touch display units by the detection circuits,

determining a touched region according to the changes of the current signals,

at least one of;

applying a voltage signal to the touch display unit corresponding to the touched region, and

stop applying the voltage signal to the touch display unit corresponding to the touched region,

to switch the touched region of the liquid crystal electronic curtain to a transparent state or to a foggy state.

12. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 11, wherein:

the second electrode layer comprises;

a planar second electrode, and

the second electrode lead,

wherein the planar second electrode is connected with the driving circuit through the second electrode lead, and

the driving method comprises;

applying a common electrode signal and a touch scanning signal to the planar second electrode of the second electrode layer,

applying different voltage signals to the plurality of touch display units according to a preset condition to control rotation of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, and

detecting the changes of the current signals flowing through the plurality of touch display units by the detection circuits.

13. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 12, wherein:

the common electrode signal and the touch scanning signal are alternate current voltage signals, and

an alternate current frequency of the common electrode signal is less than an alternate current frequency of the touch scanning signal.

14. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 11, wherein:

the first electrode layer comprises;

a plurality of drive display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of second electrode leads,

wherein the plurality of drive display units are respectively connected with a plurality of the driving circuits via the plurality of second electrode leads leading out from the edge of the first substrate, and wherein the drive display units are electrically insulated from the touch display units,

wherein the driving method comprises;

dividing a time period of each frame displayed by the liquid crystal electronic curtain into a display time period and a touch time period;

during the display time period, applying a common electrode signal to the second electrode layer, and applying different voltage signals to the plurality of touch display units and the plurality of drive display units according to a preset condition to control rotation of liquid crystal molecules,

during the touch time period;

applying a driving signal to the drive display unit, and

detecting the changes of the current signals flowing through the plurality of touch display units by the detection circuits when a touch occurs.

15. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 11, wherein:

the second electrode layer comprises;

a plurality of drive display units disposed separately from each other, and

a plurality of second electrode leads,

wherein each of the second electrode leads is connected with one of the drive display units, and

the driving method comprises;

dividing a time period of each frame displayed by the liquid crystal electronic curtain into a display time period and a touch time period;

during the display time period;

applying a common electrode signal to the plurality of drive display units, and

applying different voltage signals to the plurality of touch display units according to a preset condition to control rotation of liquid crystal molecules, and during the touch time period;

applying touch scanning signals to the plurality of drive display units sequentially,

coupling current signals of the touch scanning signals by the plurality of touch display units,

outputting the coupled current signals, and

detecting the change of the current signal flowing through each of the plurality of touch display units by the detection circuit.

16. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of the touch display units are respectively connected with a plurality of driving circuits via the second electrode leads leading out from the edge of the first substrate, and

the driving method comprises;

dividing a time period of each frame displayed by the liquid crystal electronic curtain into a display time period and a touch time period;

during the display time period;

applying a common electrode signal to the second electrode layer, and

applying different voltage signals to the plurality of touch display units according to a preset condition to control rotation of liquid crystal molecules, and during the touch time period;

applying a touch scanning signal to the plurality of touch display units, and

detecting the change of the current signal flowing through each of the plurality of touch display units by the detection circuit when a touch occurs.

17. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 14, wherein the common electrode signal and the touch scanning signal are alternate current voltage signals.

18. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 15, wherein the common electrode signal and the touch scanning signal are alternate current voltage signals.

19. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 16, wherein the common electrode signal and the touch scanning signal are alternate current voltage signals.

20. The driving method of the liquid crystal electronic curtain of claim 11, wherein in response to the detection circuits detecting that at least a preset number of the current signals flowing through the touch display units change, the whole liquid crystal electronic curtain is switched to a transparent state or to a foggy state.