In-cell touch-sensitive panel

• US 8,487,890 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Hsu Ho, JUAN, Yi Chung, YU, CHIA HUA, Lin, Sung Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US12/705,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

An in-cell touch-sensitive panel includes TFT and CF substrates. The TFT substrate includes a net-shaped readout circuit and conductive pads arranged in array manner. The net-shaped readout circuit includes widthwise and lengthwise readout lines. The widthwise readout lines are electrically connected to the lengthwise readout lines. The conductive pads are electrically connected to the net-shaped readout circuit. Spacers are adapted to keep a first gap between the TFT and CF substrates. Protrudent portions are arranged to be corresponding to the conductive pads, and there is a second gap between the protrudent portion and the conductive pad. A transparent electrode covers the spacers and the protrudent portion.

Claims

1. An in-cell touch-sensitive panel comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate comprising;

a net-shaped readout circuit comprising a plurality of widthwise and lengthwise readout lines, wherein the widthwise readout lines are electrically connected to the lengthwise readout lines; and

a plurality of conductive pads arranged in array manner and electrically connected to the net-shaped readout circuit; and

a color filter (CF) substrate opposite to the TFT substrate and comprising;

a plurality of spacers adapted to keep a first gap between the TFT and CF substrates;

a plurality of protrudent portions corresponding to the conductive pads, wherein there is a second gap between the protrudent portion and the conductive pad; and

a transparent electrode adapted to cover the spacers and the protrudent portion.

2. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the net-shaped readout circuit further comprises a plurality of connections constituted by crosses of the widthwise and lengthwise readout lines, and the conductive pads are adjacent to the connections respectively.

3. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the net-shaped readout circuit is net-shaped readout metallic lines, and the widthwise readout line and the lengthwise readout line are metallic lines.

4. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of scan lines and data lines, wherein the widthwise readout lines are parallel to the scan lines, and the lengthwise readout lines are parallel to the data lines.

5. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the widthwise readout lines and the scan lines are located the same level, and the lengthwise readout lines and the data lines are located the same level.

6. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of plated through holes adapted to electrically connected the conductive pads to the net-shaped readout circuit.

7. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of metallic extension layers adapted to be electrically connected to the plated through holes.

8. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the metallic extension layers are made of transparent metal.

9. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a first transparent substrate, wherein the widthwise and lengthwise readout lines are located between the scan lines and the first transparent substrate.

10. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of plated through holes adapted to electrically connected the conductive pads to the net-shaped readout circuit.

11. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the TFT substrate further comprises a pad layer, which is formed between the first transparent substrate and the spacers.

12. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes, wherein the widthwise readout lines and the lengthwise readout lines are located on the same level.

13. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the conductive pads are directly electrically connected to the net-shaped readout circuit.

14. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein conductive pads are directly disposed at connections between the widthwise readout lines and the lengthwise readout lines.

15. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the CF substrate further comprises:

a second transparent substrate;

a plurality of black matrixes disposed on the second transparent substrate; and

a plurality of color filters disposed on the second transparent substrate and the black matrixes, wherein the color filter located on the black matrix is formed to a protrusion;

wherein;

the spacers are disposed on the protrusions of the color filter,

the protrudent portions are disposed on the black matrixes, and

the transparent electrode also covers the second transparent substrate, the black matrixes and the color filters.

16. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein the spacers and the protrudent portions are made by the same material.

17. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the protrudent portions are made of nonconductive material.

18. The in-cell touch-sensitive panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is a height difference defined between top surfaces of the spacers and top surfaces of the protrudent portions.

19. A method for calculating a coordinate of a touch position of an in-cell touch-sensitive panel comprising the following steps of:

providing a TFT substrate, wherein the TFT substrate comprises a net-shaped readout circuit and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in array manner, the net-shaped readout circuit comprises a plurality of widthwise readout lines, lengthwise readout lines and connections constituted by crosses of the widthwise readout lines and the lengthwise readout lines, and the conductive pads are electrically connected to the net-shaped readout circuit;

providing a CF substrate, wherein the CF substrate is opposite to the TFT substrate, the CF substrate comprises a plurality of spacers, a plurality of protrudent portions and a transparent electrode, the spacers are adapted to keep the first predetermined gap between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate, there is the second predetermined gap between each protrudent portion and the corresponding conductive pad, and the transparent electrode covers the spacers and the protrudent portions;

electrically contacting the transparent electrode located on the protrudent portion with the corresponding conductive pad according to a touch position, wherein the touch position divides the widthwise readout lines into the first and second widthwise resistance lines, and divides the lengthwise readout lines into the first and second lengthwise resistance lines; and

calculating a coordinate of the touch position by voltages of the divided resistance lines being proportional to lengths of the divided resistance lines.