Electronic Device

• US 20170177160A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: OH, JunSeok, HWANG, JongHee, HEO, JongGu
• Granted Patent: US 10,474,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 2203/04111 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 2203/04113 Peripheral electrode pattern in resistive digitisers, i.e. electrodes at the periphery of the resistive sheet are shaped in patterns enhancing linearity of induced field
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An electronic device is capable of having a minimum sensing pressure with a low value through a resistive type force touch sensing method, wherein the electronic device may include a force sensing panel having a force sensor member whose shape is changed according to a touch pressure applied to a cover window so as to electrically connect first and second electrodes prepared on the same plane and provided in parallel.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a receiving space;

a display module in the receiving space of the housing;

a cover window covering the receiving space; and

a force sensing panel, which is supported by the housing, for sensing a touch force corresponding to a touch pressure applied to the cover window,

wherein the force sensing panel includes;

an electrode part having first and second electrodes disposed in a plane and being parallel to each other; and

a force sensor member arranged to change shape on the basis of the touch pressure, and which overlaps the electrode part so as to electrically connect the first and second electrodes when the touch pressure is applied to the cover window.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the force sensing panel includes:

a first substrate upon which the electrode part is disposed;

a second substrate upon which the force sensor member is disposed, wherein the second substrate is disposed on the first substrate; and

a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate wherein the force sensor member and the electrode part are spaced apart from each other by the spacer.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode comprises a curved element.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the first electrode includes a first line pattern disposed along one side of the first substrate, and a plurality of first branch patterns projecting from the first line pattern, and

wherein the second electrode includes a second line pattern disposed along the other side of the first substrate, and a plurality of second branch patterns projecting from the second line pattern.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of first branch patterns and each of the plurality of second branch patterns are disposed on the plane, and each of the plurality of first branch patterns alternates with each of the plurality of second branch patterns.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a bottom base and a sidewall defining the receiving space, the cover window supports the display module, and the force sensing panel is disposed between the bottom base of the housing and the display module.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display module includes:

a display panel connected to the force sensing panel; and

a position sensing panel disposed between the cover window and the display panel.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation axle vertically penetrating the bottom base of the housing, the force sensing panel, the display module and the cover window;

a hand which is arranged to rotate on the cover window in accordance with a rotation of the rotation axle;

an axle driver to rotate the rotation axle, the axle driver being disposed on a rear surface of the housing;

a rear cover covering the rear surface of the housing; and

a front transparent cover connected with a front surface of the housing and covering the hand.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the force sensing panel has a ring shape and the force sensing panel is at a periphery of the display module.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the housing includes a bottom base and a sidewall defining the receiving space, the cover window supports the display module, and the force sensing panel is disposed between the sidewall of the housing and an edge of the cover window, the force sensing panel surrounding the display module.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10,

wherein the first electrode includes N first electrode pattern groups disposed on the first substrate and symmetrically provided with respect to a central line of the first substrate, and a first line pattern connecting the N first electrode pattern groups,

wherein the second electrode includes N second electrode pattern groups that are parallel to the N first electrode pattern groups on the first substrate, and a second line pattern connecting the N second electrode pattern groups, and

wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first substrate upon which the electrode part is disposed;

a second substrate upon which the force sensor member is disposed, wherein the second substrate is disposed on the first substrate; and

a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate wherein the force sensor member and the electrode part are spaced apart from each other by the spacer.

wherein the spacer includes N adhesive patterns disposed between each of the N first electrode pattern groups, and

the force sensor member has a pattern that overlaps each of the N first electrode pattern groups and the N second electrode pattern groups.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the spacer includes:

N insulator patterns disposed between each of the N first electrode pattern groups; and

N adhesive patterns overlapping the N insulator patterns,

wherein the force sensor member has a pattern overlapping each of the N first electrode pattern groups and the N second electrode pattern groups.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein each of the N first electrode pattern groups includes a plurality of first branch patterns projecting from the first line pattern, wherein the plurality of first branch patterns are spaced apart from each other, and

wherein each of the N second electrode pattern groups includes a plurality of second branch patterns projecting from the second line pattern, wherein the plurality of second branch patterns are spaced apart from each other.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of first branch patterns and each of the plurality of second branch patterns are on the same plane, and each of the plurality of first branch patterns alternates with each of the plurality of second branch patterns.

16. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a rotation axle vertically penetrating the bottom base of the housing, the display module and the cover window;

a hand which is arranged to rotate on the cover window in accordance with a rotation of the rotation axle;

an axle driver to rotate the rotation axle, the axle driver being disposed on a rear surface of the housing;

a rear cover covering the rear surface of the housing; and

a front transparent cover connected to a front surface of the housing, the front transparent cover covering the hand.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display module;

a cover window over the display module; and

a force sensing panel supported by the housing, the force sensing panel including;

a first electrode;

a second electrode disposed in a plane with the first electrode; and

a force sensor member overlapping with and separated from the first electrode and the second electrode by a gap, the force sensor member changing shape so as to electrically connect the first electrode and the second electrode when touch pressure is applied to the cover window.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17,

wherein the first electrode includes a first line pattern disposed along one side of the first substrate, and a plurality of first branch patterns projecting from the first line pattern toward the second electrode, and

wherein the second electrode includes a second line pattern disposed along the other side of the first substrate, and a plurality of second branch patterns projecting from the second line pattern toward the first electrode.

19. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the housing includes a bottom and the force sensing panel is disposed between the bottom of the housing and the display module.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the force sensing panel has a ring shape and the force sensing panel is at a periphery of and surrounds the display module.