Touch panel having a speaker function

• US 7,903,091 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Deuk-Soo, Lee, Dong-Won, Lee, Kun-Bin, Jung, Myung-Sook
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema; Benyam
• Application Number:
  US11/437,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 178 1801- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/005 using a piezoelectric polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/00 Loudspeakers

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first supporting substrate, a second supporting substrate that faces the first supporting substrate, a first transparent electrode formed on the first supporting substrate, a second transparent electrode formed on the second supporting substrate, a third transparent electrode formed between the first and second transparent electrodes, a medium layer formed between the first and third transparent electrodes, and a piezoelectric layer formed between the second and third transparent electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first supporting substrate;

a second supporting substrate that faces the first supporting substrate;

a first transparent electrode formed on the first supporting substrate;

a second transparent electrode formed on the second supporting substrate;

a third transparent electrode formed between the first and second transparent electrodes;

a medium layer formed between the first and third transparent electrodes; and

a piezoelectric layer formed between the second and third transparent electrodes, wherein a first surface of the piezoelectric layer is in direct contact with the second transparent electrode, and a second surface of the piezoelectric layer opposing the first surface is in direct contact with the third transparent electrode.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second supporting substrates comprises a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, an optical film or a polarizer.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a poly vinylidene fluoride, a poly-a-methyl-l-glutamate, a poly vinyl chloride or a poly tri-fluoro ethylene.

4. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the medium layer is substantially equal to or more than about 20 μ

m.

5. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the medium layer includes air.

6. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the medium layer further comprises a supporting member disposed between the first and third transparent electrodes.

7. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the supporting member is formed through a spacer scattering method.

8. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the supporting member is formed through irradiating ultraviolet light after applying a photosensitive film.

9. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the supporting member is formed using a mold after applying a photosensitive film.

10. A touch panel comprising:

a speaker section comprising;

a first supporting substrate;

a second supporting substrate that faces the first supporting substrate;

a first medium layer formed on the first supporting substrate, the first medium layer having a first supporting member;

a first transparent electrode formed adjacent to the first medium layer and opposite to the first supporting substrate;

a second transparent electrode formed adjacent to the second supporting substrate; and

a piezoelectric layer formed between the first and second transparent electrodes, wherein the first medium layer converts an oscillation received from the piezoelectric layer into a sound through resonance and amplification of the oscillation; and

a touch panel section comprising;

the second supporting substrate;

a third supporting substrate formed opposite to the second supporting substrate;

a third transparent electrode formed adjacent to the second supporting substrate and opposite to the second transparent electrode;

a fourth transparent electrode formed adjacent to the third transparent electrode; and

a second medium layer formed between the third and the fourth transparent electrodes.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein each of the first supporting substrate, the second supporting substrate and the third supporting substrate comprises a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, an optical film or a polarizer.

12. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a poly vinylidene fluoride, a poly-a-methyl-l-glutamate, a poly vinyl chloride or a poly tri-fluoro ethylene.

13. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein a thickness of the first medium layer is equal to or more than about 20 μ

m.

14. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the first medium layer and the second medium layer include air.

15. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the second medium layer further includes a second supporting member formed on the third transparent electrode.

16. The touch panel of claim 15, wherein the first supporting member and the second supporting member are formed through a spacer scattering method.

17. The touch panel of claim 15, wherein the first supporting member and the second supporting member are formed through irradiating ultraviolet light after applying a photosensitive film.

18. The touch panel of claim 15, wherein the first supporting member and the second supporting member are formed using a mold after applying a photosensitive film.

19. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel;

a driving circuit member applying an image signal to the display panel; and

a touch panel, comprising;

a first supporting substrate;

a second supporting substrate that faces the first supporting substrate;

a first transparent electrode formed on the first supporting substrate;

a second transparent electrode formed on the second supporting substrate;

a third transparent electrode formed between the first and second transparent electrodes;

a medium layer formed between the first and third transparent electrodes; and

a piezoelectric layer formed between the second and third transparent electrodes, wherein a first surface of the piezoelectric layer is in direct contact with the second transparent electrode, and a second surface of the piezoelectric layer opposing the first surface is in direct contact with the third transparent electrode.

20. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first supporting substrate and the second supporting substrate comprises a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, an optical film, or a polarizer.

21. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a poly vinylidene fluoride, a poly-a-methyl-l-glutamate, a poly vinyl chloride or a poly tri-fluoro ethylene.

22. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the medium layer includes air.