Touch sensor, display device with touch sensor, and method of generating location data

• US 8,395,595 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• 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: Miyamoto, Saburo, Nakano, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M
• Application Number:
  US13/222,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-166, 345169-182, 345/204, 345/214, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• 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 device with a touch sensor according to the present invention includes an active matrix substrate and a transparent counter electrode. On a first surface of the active matrix substrate, multiple pixel electrodes are arranged in matrix. The transparent counter electrode is opposed to the first surface of the active matrix substrate. The display device further includes a first circuit, a second circuit and a switching circuit. The first circuit supplies a voltage or a current to the transparent counter electrode for display purposes. The second circuit detects currents flowing from a number of points on the transparent counter electrode. And the switching circuit selectively connects electrically one of the first and second circuits to the transparent counter electrode.

Claims

1. A touch sensor for locating an external input point on an operating plane, which expands in an X direction and in a Y direction, by an electrostatic capacitive coupling technique, the touch sensor comprising:

a first location sensing transparent conductive film having electrical conductivity, which is provided parallel to the operating plane and which is electrically connected to a Y coordinate detecting conductive portion for detecting a coordinate of the input point in the Y direction;

a second location sensing transparent conductive film having electrical conductivity, which is provided so as to face the first location sensing transparent conductive film and which is electrically connected to an X coordinate detecting conductive portion for detecting a coordinate of the input point in the X direction;

a dielectric layer, which is provided between the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films; and

a switching circuit for selectively applying a predetermined voltage to one of the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films, wherein

a display panel, of which the display plane is provided with the touch sensor, is provided for a display device, wherein

the display panel includes;

a display medium layer;

an electrode, which is provided closer to a viewer than the display medium layer is and which drives the display medium layer; and

an insulating layer, which is provided even closer to the viewer than the electrode is,

wherein a selected one of the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films is provided so as to face the electrode with the insulating layer interposed between them,

wherein by applying a periodically changing oscillating voltage to the electrode, an induced voltage, and eventually an electric field, are generated in the selected location sensing transparent conductive film, and

wherein in accordance with a variation in the current to be produced by forming a point of contact on the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films, location data is generated for the point of contact.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein

the switching circuit makes one of the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films electrically continuous alternately.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a detector circuit for calculating the coordinate of the input point in the Y direction based on the amount of current flowing between the input point and the Y coordinate detecting conductive portion and the coordinate of the input point in the X direction based on the amount of current flowing between the input point and the X coordinate detecting conductive portion, respectively.

4. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein

the Y coordinate detecting conductive portion is provided on the first location sensing transparent conductive film and includes at least two conductive portions, which are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, and wherein the X coordinate detecting conductive portion is provided on the second location sensing transparent conductive film and includes at least two conductive portions, which are spaced apart from each other in the X direction.

5. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein

the dielectric layer is made of polyethylene terephthalate.

6. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein

the dielectric layer is made of glass.

7. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein

glass is provided on a principal surface of the first or second location sensing transparent conductive film, the principal surface being opposite from the dielectric layer, and wherein the input point is defined by way of the glass.

8. A display device comprising:

a touch sensor for locating an external input point on an operating plane, which expands in an X direction and in a Y direction, by an electrostatic capacitive coupling technique, the touch sensor comprising;

a first location sensing transparent conductive film having electrical conductivity, which is provided parallel to the operating plane and which is electrically connected to a Y coordinate detecting conductive portion for detecting a coordinate of the input point in the Y direction;

a second location sensing transparent conductive film having electrical conductivity, which is provided so as to face the first location sensing transparent conductive film and which is electrically connected to an X coordinate detecting conductive portion for detecting a coordinate of the input point in the X direction;

a dielectric layer, which is provided between the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films; and

a switching circuit for selectively applying a predetermined voltage to one of the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films;

an active-matrix substrate, which is provided so as to face a selected one of the first and second location sensing transparent conductive films with the display medium layer interposed between them;

a display circuit for supplying a voltage or current to the selected location sensing transparent conductive film for display purposes while the predetermined voltage is not applied thereto;

a detector circuit for detecting currents flowing from multiple points on the selected location sensing transparent conductive film; and

another switching circuit for selectively connecting one of the display and detector circuits electrically to the selected location sensing transparent conductive film.