Display apparatus with input-functions

• US 5,774,107 A
• Filed: 10/17/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Inou, Ippei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doom
• Application Number:
  US08/733,188
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 345/104, 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 178/18, 178/19, 341/22, 341/32, 341/33, 341/34, 349/23, 349/12
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A display apparatus with input-functions which includes touch-panel spacers placed overlapping the area other than the pixels, to thereby enhance its contrast and to increase its input position-detection precision.

Claims

1. A display apparatus with input functions comprising:

a discrete liquid crystal display having a pair of spaced electrodes and liquid crystal material between said pair of electrodes patterned to define pixels in the liquid crystal display; and

a discrete touch panel overlying said liquid crystal display including a plurality of spacers spaced from one another, each said spacer of said touch panel superposing an area other than said pixels of said liquid crystal display when said touch panel overlies said liquid crystal display such that all pixels of the liquid crystal display and spacers of said touch panel are substantially out of alignment with one another.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said touch panel includes transparent electrodes.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a center of each spacer overlaps a center of a cross-shaped intersection of said area other than said pixels.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material is divided into discrete areas thereof surrounded by wall structures of a patterned configuration.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said touch panel has a resistance film-based input system forming an input detection system.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a center of each spacer overlaps an arbitrary point on a line in said area of the said pixels which is spaced equidistantly from adjacent pixels.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said touch panel includes transparent electrodes, a center of each spacer overlapping a center of a cross-shaped intersection of said area other than said pixels, said liquid crystal material being divided into discrete areas thereof surrounded by wall structures of a patterned configuration.

8. A display apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said touch panel has a resistance film-based input system forming an input detection system.

9. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal display and said discrete touch panel lie in planes generally parallel to one another when said touch panel overlies said liquid crystal display, said pixels of the liquid crystal display and said spacers of said touch panel being out of alignment relative to one another in a direction generally perpendicular to said planes.

10. A display apparatus with input functions comprising:

a discrete liquid crystal display having a pair of spaced electrodes, wall structures patterned to enclose liquid crystal material between the wall structures and the pair of electrodes to define pixels in the liquid crystal display and a reflecting panel; and

a discrete touch panel overlying said liquid crystal display including a plurality of spacers spaced from one another, said liquid crystal display and said discrete touch panel lying in planes generally parallel to one another when said touch panel overlies said liquid crystal display, each said spacer being superposed over intersections of said patterned wall structures when said touch panel overlies said liquid crystal display such that substantially all light entering said touch panel and said liquid crystal display in a direction normal to said planes is reflected by said reflecting panel as normal light leaving the display apparatus.