Sensing circuit and display device having the same

• US 7,839,392 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Man-Seung, Lee, Joo-Hyung, Pak, Sang-Jin, Choi, Young-Jun, Lee, Myung-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Henry N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiby; Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US11/440,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A sensing circuit is provided that senses an externally provided pressure on a panel, and includes a sensing capacitor, a first switching element, a second switching element and a third switching element; where the sensing capacitor includes a sensing electrode on the first substrate, the insulating layer and the opposite electrode; the sensing capacitor varies a capacitance based on the externally provided pressure; the first switching element is electrically connected to the sensing electrode to charge the sensing capacitor based on a first switching signal; the second switching element outputs a current based on a second switching signal and a first voltage; the third switching element is electrically connected to the sensing electrode to control the current based on the variation of the capacitance of the sensing capacitor to generate a sensing signal; and where a thickness is decreased, and an image display quality is improved.

Claims

1. A sensing circuit for sensing an externally provided pressure on a panel including a first substrate, a second substrate corresponding to the first substrate to have an opposite electrode, and an insulating layer interposed between the first and second substrates, the sensing circuit comprising:

a sensing capacitor including a sensing electrode on the first substrate, the insulating layer and the opposite electrode, the sensing electrode being connected to a first node;

a first switching element comprising;

a first source electrode receiving a first voltage;

a first gate electrode receiving a first switching signal; and

a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first node;

a second switching element outputting a second current, the second switching element comprising;

a second source electrode receiving a second voltage;

a second gate electrode receiving a second switching signal; and

a second drain electrode electrically connected to a second node; and

a third switching element outputting a third current, the third switching element comprising;

a third source electrode receiving a third voltage;

a third gate electrode electrically connected to the sensing electrode at the first node; and

a third drain electrode electrically connected to the second switching element at the second node,

wherein a capacitance of the sensing capacitor is increased by the externally provided pressure, and a voltage level of the first node is decreased by the increased capacitance of the sensing capacitor, and

wherein an amount of the third current is decreased by the decreased voltage level of the first node.

2. The sensing circuit of claim 1, wherein the second switching signal has a substantially opposite phase to the first switching signal.

3. The sensing circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first voltage line electrically connected to the first switching element to transmit the first voltage;

a second voltage line electrically connected to the second switching element to transmit the second voltage;

a third voltage line electrically connected to the third switching element to transmit the third voltage;

a first switching line electrically connected to the first switching element to transmit the first switching signal; and

a second switching line electrically connected to the second switching element to transmit the second switching signal.

4. The sensing circuit of claim 1, further comprising an operational amplifier receiving a first current that corresponds to a difference between the second current and the third current, the operational amplifier amplifies the first current.

5. The sensing circuit of claim 1, wherein an amount of the second current is constant.

6. A display device comprising:

a display panel including;

an array substrate;

an opposite substrate corresponding to the array substrate to have a common electrode receiving a common voltage; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, the liquid crystal layer varying a thickness based on an externally provided pressure on the display panel;

a sensing array in the display panel to generate a sensing signal based on the variation of the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, the sensing array including;

a sensing capacitor including a sensing electrode on the array substrate, the liquid crystal layer and the common electrode, the sensing electrode being connected to a first node;

a first switching element comprising;

a first source electrode receiving a first voltage;

a first gate electrode receiving a first switching signal; and

a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first node;

a second switching element outputting a second current, the second switching element comprising;

a second source electrode receiving a second voltage;

a second gate electrode receiving a second switching signal; and

a second drain electrode electrically connected to a second node; and

a third switching element outputting a third current, the third switching element comprising;

a third source electrode receiving a third voltage;

a third gate electrode electrically connected to the sensing electrode at the first node; and

a third drain electrode electrically connected to the second switching element at the second node; and

a controlling part on the array substrate to generate location data based on a sensing signal corresponding to a difference between the second current and the third current,

wherein a capacitance of the sensing capacitor is increased by the externally provided pressure, and a voltage level of the first node is decreased by the increased capacitance of the sensing capacitor, and

wherein an amount of the third current is decreased by the decreased voltage level of the first node.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the second switching signal has a substantially opposite phase to the first switching signal.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the array substrate further comprises:

a substrate including a display region in which the sensing electrode is formed and a peripheral region adjacent to the display region, the first, second and third switching elements being formed in the peripheral region; and

a pixel array on the substrate corresponding to the display region.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the pixel array comprises:

a gate line;

a data line crossing the gate line, the data line being electrically insulated from the gate line;

a pixel switching element electrically connected to the gate and data lines; and

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the pixel switching element.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the sensing electrode comprise a substantially same material as the gate line or the data line.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the sensing electrode is substantially in parallel with the data line,

the first switching element is in a first region of the peripheral region adjacent to a first end portion of the data line, and

the second and third switching elements are in a second region of the peripheral region adjacent to a second end portion of the data line.

12. The display device of claim 9, wherein the sensing electrode comprises a substantially same material as the pixel electrode.

13. The display device of claim 6, wherein the sensing array further comprises:

a first voltage line electrically connected to the first switching element to transmit the first voltage;

a second voltage line electrically connected to the second switching element to transmit the second voltage;

a third voltage line electrically connected to the third switching element to transmit the third voltage;

a first switching line electrically connected to the first switching element to transmit the first switching signal; and

a second switching line electrically connected to the second switching element to transmit the second switching signal.

14. The display device of claim 6, further comprising an operational amplifier that amplifies a level of the sensing signal to apply the amplified sensing signal to the controlling part.