Touch sensor arrangements for organic light-emitting diode displays

• US 9,400,576 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wei, Hotelling, Steven P., Zhong, John Z., Chang, Shih-Chang, Poon, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US13/186,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 345 76- 82, 345/905
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 Tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 : Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 : Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8792 : comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers

Abstract

Displays such as organic light-emitting diode displays may be provided with touch sensing capabilities. A touch sensor may be formed from electrodes located on a thin-film encapsulation layer or one or more sides of a polarizer. A single-sided or double-sided touch sensor panel may be attached to the upper or lower surface of a polarizer. Control circuitry may be used to provide control signals to light-emitting diodes in the display using a grid of control lines. The control lines and transparent electrode structures such as indium tin oxide structures formed on a thin-film encapsulation layer or polarizer may be used as electrodes for a touch sensor. Displays may have active regions and inactive peripheral portions. The displays may have edge portions that are bent along a bend axis that is within the active region to form a borderless display. Virtual buttons may be formed on the bent edge portions.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

an array of organic light-emitting diodes;

a thin-film encapsulation layer that encapsulates the organic light-emitting diodes;

capacitive touch sensor electrodes on the thin-film encapsulation layer;

control lines that convey touch sensor signals, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer is interposed between the capacitive touch sensor electrodes and the control lines; and

a patterned black masking layer having clear openings that are aligned with the array of organic light-emitting diodes, wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise a grid of conductive lines and wherein the conductive lines are covered by the patterned black masking layer.

2. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the conductive lines are patterned to form diamond-shaped electrode pads, wherein at least some of the diamond-shaped electrode paths are connected together to form the capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

3. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the conductive lines comprise metal lines.

4. The display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a polarizer; and

a layer of adhesive between the polarizer and the capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

5. The display defined in claim 4 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise patterned transparent conductive structures on the thin-film encapsulation layer that are covered by the layer of adhesive.

6. The display defined in claim 5 wherein the control lines are coupled to the organic light-emitting diodes, the display further comprising:

display and touch sensor control circuitry that is configured to generate control signals that are conveyed over the control lines to the light-emitting diodes and that is configured to gather touch sensor capacitance signals from the patterned transparent conductive structures on the thin-film encapsulation layer and from at least some of the control lines.

7. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are deposited directly on a surface of the thin-film encapsulation layer.

9. The display defined in claim 6 wherein the control lines and the array of organic light-emitting diodes are formed on a common substrate.

10. The display defined in claim 4 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are interposed between and in contact with the layer of adhesive and the thin-film encapsulation layer.

11. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise indium tin oxide.

12. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise square electrode pads.

13. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise diamond-shaped electrode pads.

14. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are interposed between the array of organic light-emitting diodes and the patterned black masking layer.

8. A display, comprising:

an array of organic light-emitting diodes;

a thin-film encapsulation layer that encapsulates the organic light-emitting diodes;

capacitive touch sensor electrodes on the thin-film encapsulation layer;

a polarizer;

a layer of adhesive between the polarizer and the capacitive touch sensor electrodes, wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise patterned transparent conductive structures on the thin-film encapsulation layer that are covered by the layer of adhesive;

control lines that are coupled to the organic light-emitting diodes; and

display and touch sensor control circuitry that is configured to generate control signals that are conveyed over the control lines to the light-emitting diodes and that is configured to gather touch sensor capacitance signals from the patterned transparent conductive structures on the thin-film encapsulation layer and from at least some of the control lines, wherein at least some of the thin-film encapsulation layer is interposed between the control lines and the patterned transparent conductive structures.