DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20180069053A1
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: BOK, Seung-lyong
• Granted Patent: US 10,770,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/814 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/818 Reflective anodes, e.g. ITO combined with thick metallic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/826 Multilayers, e.g. opaque multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/878 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates

Abstract

A display device includes a flexible display module and provides a display surface on which an image is displayed. The flexible display module includes a display panel including a light-emitting device and a sensor unit disposed on the display panel. The sensor unit senses pressure applied to the flexible display module in a folded-in mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that a portion of the display surface faces another portion of the display surface.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a flexible display module,

wherein the display device further comprises a display surface on which an image is displayed,

wherein the flexible display module further comprises;

a display panel further comprises a light-emitting device; and

a sensor unit disposed on the display panel,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to sense a first pressure applied to the flexible display module in a folded-in mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that a portion of the display surface faces another portion of the display surface.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises:

a plurality of first touch sensors transmitting an electric field; and

a plurality of second touch sensors receiving the electric field, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of first touch sensors overlaps with at least one of the plurality of second touch sensors in the folded-in mode.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the first pressure is sensed by sensing a variation in capacitance between the at least one of the plurality of first touch sensors and the at least one of the plurality of second touch sensors in the folded-in mode.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises:

a plurality of first touch sensors; and

a plurality of second touch sensors capacitively coupled to the plurality of first touch sensors, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of first touch sensors overlaps with at least another of the plurality of first touch sensors in the folded-in mode.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the first pressure is sensed by sensing a variation in capacitance between the at least one of the plurality of first touch sensors and the at least one of the other plurality of first touch sensors in the folded-in mode.

6. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a force sensor disposed under the display panel,

wherein the display device further comprises a back side which is opposite to the side of the display surface where the image is displayed, the flexible display module having a folded-outward mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that a portion of the back side of the display device faces another portion of the back side of the display device, and

wherein the force sensor senses a second pressure applied to the flexible display module when the flexible display module is in the folded-outward mode.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the second pressure is sensed by sensing a variation in capacitance in the folded-outward mode.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the force sensor further comprises a strain gauge.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device further comprises a front surface light emitting area and a back surface light emitting area, and

wherein the display panel emits light from both of the front surface light emitting area and the back surface light emitting area.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the light-emitting device comprises:

a first reflection layer disposed on a base layer and overlapping with the front surface light emitting area;

a first anode disposed on the first reflection layer and overlapping with the front surface light emitting area;

a second anode disposed on the base layer and overlapping with the back surface light emitting area;

a light-emitting layer disposed on the first anode and the second anode and overlapping with the front surface light emitting area and the back surface light emitting area;

a cathode disposed on the light-emitting layer and overlapping with the front surface light emitting area and the back surface light emitting area; and

a second reflection layer disposed on the cathode and overlapping with the back surface light emitting area.

11. The display device of claim 10, further comprising:

a first force sensor disposed between the second reflection layer and the sensor unit and sensing the first pressure.

12. The display device of claim 11, further comprising:

a second force sensor disposed under the display panel,

wherein the display device further comprises a back side which is opposite to the side of the display surface where the image is displayed, the flexible display module having a folded-outward mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that a portion of the back side of the display device faces another portion of the back side of the display device, and

wherein the second force sensor senses a second pressure applied to the flexible display module when the flexible display module is in the folded-outward mode.

13. The display device of claim 10, further comprising:

a first force sensor disposed on the second reflection layer to sense the first pressure; and

a reflection member disposed on the first force sensor and overlapping with the front surface light emitting area and the back surface light emitting area.

14. A display device comprising:

a flexible display module; and

a force sensor,

wherein the display device further comprises a display surface on which an image is displayed,

wherein the flexible display module further comprises;

a first display panel further comprises a light-emitting device; and

a sensor unit disposed on the first display panel,

wherein the force sensor is disposed under the first display panel,

wherein the display device further comprises a back side which is opposite to the side of the display surface where the image is displayed, the flexible display module having a folded-outward mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that a portion of the back side of the display device faces another portion of the back side of the display device, and

wherein the force sensor senses pressure applied to the flexible display module when the flexible display module is in the folded-outward mode.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the pressure is sensed by sensing a variation in capacitance in the folded-outward mode.

16. The display device of claim 14, wherein the force sensor includes a strain gauge.

17. The display device of claim 14, further comprising:

a second display panel comprises a light-emitting device, wherein the second display panel is disposed under the force sensor.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein the force sensor comprises:

a first force-sensing electrode;

a second force-sensing electrode capacitively coupled to the first force-sensing electrode; and

a pressure cushion disposed between the first force-sensing electrode and the second force-sensing electrode.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first force-sensing electrode or the second force-sensing electrode is electrically connected to the sensor unit.

20. A display device comprising:

a flexible display module,

wherein the display device further comprises a display surface on which an image is displayed,

wherein the flexible display module further comprises;

a display panel further comprises a light-emitting device; and

a sensor unit disposed on the display panel,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to sense a capacitance between one portion of the display surface and another portion of the display surface in a folded-in mode in which the flexible display module is folded such that the one portion of the display surface faces the another portion of the display surface.