Flexible display device having touch and bending sensing function

• US 9,304,348 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jang, Hyoung-Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Rude, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US13/927,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A flexible display device having a touch and bending sensing function includes a plurality of pixels on a display area of a first substrate, and a pressure sensor portion between the first substrate and the plurality of pixels, the pressure sensor portion including a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes above the first electrodes and arranged in a second direction.

Claims

1. A flexible display device having a touch and bending sensing function, comprising:

a plurality of pixels on a display area of a first substrate, that is a lower substrate; and

a pressure sensor portion between the first substrate and the plurality of pixels, the pressure sensor portion including a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes above the first electrodes and arranged in a second direction.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor portion further comprises:

the plurality of first electrodes patterned a surface of the first substrate;

an insulation layer on the entire surface of the first substrate and on the first electrodes;

the plurality of second electrodes on the insulation layer, the second electrodes being arranged in the second direction intersecting the first electrodes; and

a buffer layer on the second electrodes, the buffer layer being configured to planarize the surface of the first substrate, and the first electrodes, the insulation layer, the second electrodes, and the buffer layer being sequentially stacked in the stated order.

3. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the pressure sensor portion further comprises spacers in the insulation layer, the spacers being configured to maintain an interval between the first and second electrodes.

4. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the insulation layer includes a pressure conductivity changeable material.

5. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of pixels are on the buffer layer.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein some of the plurality of first and second electrodes are strain sensors.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6, wherein the strain sensors are bending patterns.

8. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes a transparent material exhibiting flexibility.

9. The flexible display device of claim 8, wherein the first substrate includes polyimide.

10. A flexible display device having a touch and bending sensing function, comprising:

a plurality of pixels on a display area of a first substrate, that is a lower substrate;

signal lines arranged on a non-display area positioned outside the display area, the signal lines being connected to the plurality of pixels; and

a pressure sensor portion between an upper surface of the first substrate and a lower surface of the plurality of pixels, the pressure sensor portion including a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes above the first electrodes and arranged in a second direction;

a driving pad portion at a first end of the non-display area, the driving pad portion being electrically connected to the signal lines; and

a pressure sensor pad portion adjacent to and on a same plane as the driving pad portion, the pressure sensor pad portion being electrically connected to the pressure sensor portion.

11. The flexible display device of claim 10, wherein the driving pad portion and the pressure sensor pad portion are electrically connected to a same flexible printed circuit board.

12. The flexible display device of claim 10, wherein the pressure sensor portion includes:

the plurality of first electrodes patterned on a surface of the first substrate;

an insulation layer on the entire surface of the first substrate including the first electrodes;

the plurality of second electrodes on the insulation layer and arranged in the second direction intersecting with the first electrodes; and

a buffer layer on the second electrodes sand configured to planarize the surface of the first substrate, the plurality of first electrodes, the insulation layer, the second electrodes, and the buffer layer being sequentially stacked in the stated order.

13. The flexible display device of claim 12, further comprising first and second lines respectively connected to ends of the first and second electrodes.

14. The flexible display device of claim 13, wherein the first and second lines connected to the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to pads of the pressure sensor pad portion through contact holes in the first substrate, respectively.