Display device with capacitive touch sensor with slit formed in a surface of a detecting electrode opposed to a scanning electrode to realize detection with high accuracy

• US 9,092,095 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Takayuki, Noguchi, Koji, Ishizaki, Koji, Teranishi, Yasuyuki, Takeuchi, Takeya
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIYABU, KARIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/759,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/121 common or background
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/01 transmissive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12

Abstract

An information input device includes a touch panel configured to be provided with a touch sensor that detects a position at which a sensing object is brought close to a sensing surface. In this information input device, the touch sensor has a scanning electrode and a detecting electrode that is opposed to the scanning electrode with the intermediary of a dielectric substance, and is a capacitive sensor whose electrostatic capacitance changes if the sensing object is brought close to the detecting electrode. Furthermore, a slit is formed in a surface of the detecting electrode opposed to the scanning electrode.

Claims

1. An information input device comprising:

a touch panel having a touch sensor that detects a position at which a sensing object is in proximity to a sensing surface, the touch sensor including (i) a scanning electrode, (ii) a detecting electrode opposed to the scanning electrode, and (iii) a dielectric substance between the scanning electrode and the detecting electrode, the touch sensor being a capacitive sensor with an electrostatic capacitance that changes when the sensing object is in proximity to the detecting electrode; and

a plurality of slits formed within the detecting electrode,

wherein,

all ends of the slits are closed by the detecting electrode,

the detecting electrode has a substantially elongated rectangular shape with a length greater than a width and a constant width in a first direction orthogonal to a second direction along which the length of the detecting electrode extends,

each slit extends most of the length of the detecting electrode, and

the scanning electrode has a substantially elongated rectangular shape with a length greater than a width.

2. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting electrode is a transparent electrode that transmits visible light.

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

the touch panel includes a plurality of scanning electrodes, the length of each scanning electrode extending along the first direction, the scanning electrodes arranged at intervals along the second direction; and

the touch panel includes a plurality of detecting electrodes, the length of each detecting electrode extending along the second direction, the detecting electrodes arranged at intervals in the first direction.

4. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the slits in the detecting electrode extend along the second direction.

5. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the slits in the detecting electrode are arranged along at least the first direction or the second direction.

6. The information input device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of scanning electrodes, wherein each slit extends across all of the scanning electrodes.

7. A display device comprising:

a display panel having a touch sensor that detects a position to which a sensing object is in proximity with respect to a display surface for displaying an image, the touch sensor including (i) a scanning electrode, (ii) a detecting electrode opposed to the scanning electrode, and (iii) a dielectric substance between the scanning electrode and the detecting electrode, the touch sensor being a capacitive sensor with an electrostatic capacitance that changes when the sensing object is in proximity to the detecting electrode; and

a plurality of slits formed within the detecting electrode,

wherein,

all ends of the slits are closed by the detecting electrode,

the detecting electrode has a substantially elongated rectangular shape with a length greater than a width and a constant width in a first direction orthogonal to a second direction along which the length of the detecting electrode extends,

each slit extends most of the length of the detecting electrode, and

the scanning electrode has a substantially elongated rectangular shape with a length greater than a width.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel that includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein:

the detecting electrode is provided on a surface of the first substrate on an opposite side to a surface of the first substrate opposed to the second substrate; and

the scanning electrode is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate in such a manner as to be opposed to the detecting electrode with the first substrate between the detecting electrode and the scanning electrode.

10. The display device according to claim 9 wherein:

the display device includes a plurality of scanning electrodes, the length of each scanning electrode extending along the first direction on a surface across which the first substrate is opposed to the second substrate, the scanning electrodes arranged at intervals in the second direction; and

the display device includes a plurality of detecting electrodes, the length of each detecting electrode extending along the second direction, the detecting electrodes arranged at intervals along the first direction.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein:

the display panel includes (a) a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a display area, and (b) a common electrode provided at an interval from the plurality of pixel electrodes in the display area; and

the plurality of scanning electrodes are used as the common electrode.

12. The display device of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of scanning electrodes, wherein each slit extends across all of the scanning electrodes.