DETECTION DEVICE AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20160266709A1
• Filed: 03/08/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: KURASAWA, Hayato
• Granted Patent: US 10,082,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04166 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

A detection device is capable of detecting an external proximity object, and includes a substrate and a plurality of detection electrodes. The detection electrodes are each provided with a plurality of thin conductive wires having a plurality of first thin wire pieces and a plurality of second thin wire pieces which are electrically conducted with one another. Angles each of which is formed by an intersection between the first thin wire piece extending in a first direction and the second thin wire piece extending in a second direction different from the first direction included in the thin conductive wire, are constant, and a distance between the first thin wire pieces of different thin conductive wires is not constant.

Claims

1. A detection device capable of detecting an external proximity object, the detection device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of detection electrodes that extend in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate, and that include a plurality of thin conductive wires each of which has a plurality of first thin wire pieces and second thin wire pieces made of a metal material and each formed by connecting a first end portion and a second end portion with a straight line, at least one of the first thin wire pieces and at least one of the second thin wire pieces being coupled to each other at a coupling portion such that the first thin wire pieces and the second thin wire pieces are electrically conducted with one another,

wherein an angle formed between one of the first thin wire pieces extending in a first direction and one of the second thin wire pieces extending in a second direction different from the first direction, which are included in each of the thin conductive wires, is constant, and

a distance between the first thin wire pieces of different thin conductive wires is not constant.

2. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

all angles formed by intersections between the respective first thin wire pieces and the respective second thin wire pieces, which are included in the thin conductive wires included in each of the detection electrodes, are constant.

3. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

a distance, between adjacent first thin wire pieces of different thin conductive wires among the thin conductive wires included in each of the detection electrodes, is random.

4. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein,

in adjacent first thin wire pieces on different straight lines, a length obtained by connecting the first end portion of each of the first thin wire pieces and the second end portion of each of the first thin wire pieces with a straight line is not constant.

5. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the thin conductive wires include the first thin wire pieces and the second thin wire pieces which are electrically conducted with one another,

in adjacent first thin conductive wire and second thin conductive wire among the thin conductive wires, one of the first thin wire pieces of the first thin conductive wire and one of the first thin wire pieces of the second thin conductive wire each have a different length obtained by connecting the first end portion and the second end portion with a straight line, and

the other first thin wire pieces of the first thin conductive wire and the other first thin wire pieces of the second thin conductive wire have a same length which is obtained by connecting the first end portion and the second end portion with a straight line.

6. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

a distance between adjacent second thin wire pieces of different thin conductive wires is not constant.

7. The detection device according to claim 6, wherein,

in the adjacent second thin wire pieces of the different thin conductive wires, a length obtained by connecting the first end portion of each of the second thin wire pieces and the second end portion of each of the second thin wire pieces with a straight line is not constant.

8. The detection device according to claim 6, wherein

the thin conductive wires include the first thin wire pieces and the second thin wire pieces which are electrically conducted with one another,

in adjacent first thin conductive wire and second thin conductive wire among the thin conductive wires, one of the second thin wire pieces of the first thin conductive wire and one of the second thin wire pieces of the second thin conductive wire each have a different length obtained by connecting the first end portion and the second end portion with a straight line, and

the other second thin wire pieces of the first thin conductive wire and the other second thin wire pieces of the second thin conductive wire have a same length which is obtained by connecting the first end portion and the second end portion with a straight line.

9. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling portion is a bent portion between each of the first thin wire pieces and each of the second thin wire pieces.

10. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling portion is an intersection between each of the first thin wire pieces and each of the second thin wire pieces, and the detection electrodes are shaped like a mesh.

11. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the detection electrode includes a plurality of third thin wire pieces made of a metal material and each formed by connecting a first end portion and a second end portion with a straight line, and

each of the third thin wire pieces extends in a direction different from the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to and electrically conducted with at least one of the first thin wire pieces or the second thin wire pieces at a coupling portion.

12. The detection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of drive electrodes that form capacitance with the detection electrodes and apply a drive signal.

13. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

a change in self-capacitance only in the detection electrode is detected.

14. A display device comprising:

a detection device which is capable of detecting an external proximity object,

the detection device including

a substrate, and

a plurality of detection electrodes that extend in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate, and that include a plurality of thin conductive wires each of which has a plurality of first thin wire pieces and second thin wire pieces made of a metal material and each formed by connecting a first end portion and a second end portion with a straight line, at least one of the first thin wire pieces and at least one of the second thin wire pieces being coupled to each other at a coupling portion such that the first thin wire pieces and the second thin wire pieces are electrically conducted with one another, wherein an angle formed between one of the first thin wire pieces extending in a first direction and one of the second thin wire pieces extending in a second direction different from the first direction, which are included in each of the thin conductive wires, is constant, and a distance between the first thin wire pieces of different thin conductive wires is not constant; and

a display area in which a plurality of pixels each of which is configured of a plurality of color areas are arranged in a matrix on a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,

wherein the display area and the detection electrode overlap with each other in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein,

when a direction in which a color area with a highest human visibility among the color areas is arranged is set as a pixel array direction, a maximum length of a single pixel in a pixel orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the pixel array direction on the plane parallel to the surface of the substrate is set as a first unit length, and a maximum length of the single pixel in a direction parallel to the pixel array direction is set as a second unit length,

each of the first thin wire pieces or each of the second thin wire pieces extends in a direction so as to have an angle with respect to the pixel array direction, a tangent of the angle is in a range of values larger than a value obtained by dividing the first unit length by twice the second unit length, and smaller than a value obtained by dividing twice the first unit length by the second unit length, and is different from a value obtained by dividing the first unit length by the second unit length.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein

a value of an integer multiple of the first unit length and a value of an integer multiple of the second unit length are 3 or larger.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein

a difference between the value of the integer multiple of the first unit length and the value of the integer multiple of the second unit length is 1.

18. The display device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes that are provided in the display area;

a plurality of drive electrodes that are provided to oppose the pixel electrodes;

a control device that applies a display drive voltage between the pixel electrodes and the drive electrodes based on an image signal;

the detection electrodes that oppose the drive electrodes; and

a detection unit coupled to the detection electrodes,

wherein the control device selects and scans a drive electrode to supply a drive signal among the drive electrodes, and enables the detection unit to detect the external proximity object using a change in capacitance of the detection electrode.