Information input device including a detection electrode with an aperture

• US 9,013,415 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Teranishi, Yasuyuki, Noguchi, Kouji, Ishizaki, Koji, Nakanishi, Takayuki, Takeuchi, Takeya
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Long D
• Application Number:
  US12/796,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

An information input device includes a touch panel which is provided with a touch sensor capable of sensing a position in which a sensing target body is close to a sensing surface thereof. The touch sensor includes a scanning electrode and a detection electrode which faces and is spaced from the scanning electrode with a dielectric body being interposed therebetween, the touch sensor being configured so that electrostatic capacitance which is formed between the scanning electrode and the detection electrode is varied when the sensing target body is close to the detection electrode. The detection electrode is formed with a slit in a surface thereof which faces the scanning electrode, and a floating electrode is installed in the slit.

Claims

1. An information input device comprising a touch panel which is provided with a touch sensor capable of sensing a position in which a sensing target body is close to a sensing surface thereof, wherein:

the touch sensor includes (a) scanning electrodes each of which extends in a first direction, (b) detection electrodes each of which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the detection electrodes facing and spaced from the scanning electrodes, the detection electrodes arranged in one plane, the scanning electrodes arranged in another plane and (c) a dielectric body interposed between the scanning and detection electrodes;

each detection electrode is formed with a plurality of apertures contained therewithin, each aperture overlapping a scanning electrode;

a plurality of floating electrodes are within a same plane as the detection electrodes and each is contained within a respective aperture;

each scan electrode extends longitudinally farther in the first direction than laterally in the second direction;

each detection electrode extends longitudinally farther in the second direction than laterally in the first direction; and

electrostatic capacitance between each detection electrode and one of the floating electrodes within one of the apertures of the detection electrode varies when the sensing target body is close to the detection electrode.

2. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the detection electrodes and the floating electrodes are transparent electrodes which transmit visible light.

3. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein each aperture is a slit.

4. The information input device according to claim 1 wherein:

each detection electrode includes a protrusion section that protrudes in the first direction from a side edge which extends in the second direction, and

the protrusion sections are spaced from each other in the second direction.

5. The information input device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of protrusion sections are formed so that end parts of the plurality of protrusion sections in the first direction are positioned in a random way.

6. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein each aperture has a circular shape.

7. The information input device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller which selects a specific scanning electrode among the plurality of scanning electrodes and repeatedly performs a touch sensor driving operation for supplying a driving signal to the selected scanning electrode to drive the touch sensor,

wherein the controller selects, when performing the touch sensor driving operation, the plurality (m items) of the scanning electrodes which is continuously aligned in the second direction among the plurality (n items, 2<

m<

n) of scanning electrodes, as a scanning electrode group, and shifts the scanning electrode group in the second direction for the selection so that the different scanning electrode and the common scanning electrode are included between the continuous touch sensor driving operations.

8. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein each aperture has a rectangular shape.

9. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein each aperture has a square shape.

10. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein:

each detection electrode has a stripe shape that extends in the first direction,

the plurality of detection electrodes are arranged in a stripe pattern,

each scanning electrode has a stripe shape that extends in the second direction, and

the plurality of the scanning electrodes are arranged in a stripe pattern.

11. A display device comprising a display panel which is provided with a touch sensor capable of sensing a position, where a sensing target body is close, in a display surface on which an image is displayed, wherein:

the touch sensor includes (a) scanning electrodes each of which extends in a first direction, (b) detection electrodes each of which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the detection electrodes facing and spaced from the scanning electrodes, the detection electrodes arranged in one plane, the scanning electrodes arranged in another plane and (c) a dielectric body interposed between the scanning and detection electrodes;

each detection electrode is formed with a plurality of apertures contained therewithin, each aperture overlapping a scanning electrode;

a plurality of floating electrodes are within a same plane as the detection electrodes and each is contained within a respective aperture;

each scan electrode extends longitudinally farther in the first direction than laterally in the second direction;

each detection electrode extends longitudinally farther in the second direction than laterally in the first direction; and

electrostatic capacitance between each detection electrode and one of the floating electrodes within one of the apertures of the detection electrode varies when the sensing target body is close to the detection electrode.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel, the liquid crystal display panel including:

a first substrate;

a second substrate which faces and is spaced from the first substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

13. The display device according to claim 12, wherein:

the detection electrodes are on a surface of the first substrate which is opposite to a surface of the first substrate which faces the second substrate, and

the scanning electrodes are between the first substrate and the second substrate facing the detection with the first substrate being disposed therebetween.

14. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display panel includes a plurality of pixels which are aligned in a display area, wherein the plurality of scanning electrodes are used as a common electrode and are spaced from the plurality of pixels in the display area,

wherein the plurality of scanning electrodes is commonly used as the common electrode.

15. An information input device comprising a touch panel which is provided with a touch sensor capable of sensing a position in which a sensing target body is close to a sensing surface thereof, wherein:

the touch sensor includes (a) scanning electrodes each of which extends in a first direction, (b) detection electrodes each of which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the detection electrodes facing and spaced from the scanning electrodes, the detection electrodes arranged in one plane, the scanning electrodes arranged in another plane and (c) a dielectric body interposed between the scanning and detection electrodes;

each detection electrode is formed with a plurality of apertures contained therewithin, each aperture overlapping a scanning electrode;

a plurality of floating electrodes are within a same plane as the detection electrodes and each is contained within a respective aperture;

each scan electrode extends longitudinally farther in the first direction than laterally in the second direction;

each detection electrode extends longitudinally farther in the second direction than laterally in the first direction; and

electrostatic capacitance between each detection electrode and one of the floating electrodes within one of the apertures of the detection electrode varies when the sensing target body is close to the detection electrode.