Smartphone

• US 9,501,195 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Original Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Young ho, Kim, Seyeob, Kim, Bonkee, Yoon, Sangsic
• Primary Examiner(s): Mummalaneni, Nalini
• Application Number:
  US14/820,942
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/121 common or background
• 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 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 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 3/0445 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: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers

Abstract

A smartphone may be provided that includes: a cover layer; an LCD panel which is located under the cover layer and includes a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, wherein at least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer; and a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel and includes an optical film, a light source, a reflective sheet and a cover. The backlight unit further includes a pressure sensor attached on the cover between the reflective sheet and the cover.

Claims

1. A smartphone comprising:

a first cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the first cover layer and comprises a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, wherein a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is at least partially located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer; and

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel and comprises an optical film, a light source, a reflective sheet and a second cover layer,

wherein the backlight unit further comprises a pressure sensor and a spacer layer, the pressure sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes formed in a single layer attached on the second cover layer and spaced apart from the reflective sheet, between the reflective sheet and the second cover layer, only the spacer layer and the pressure sensor being between the reflective sheet and the second cover layer,

wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of receiving electrodes,

wherein a driving signal is applied to the touch sensor and a touch position is detected by a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of a touch pressure is detected based on a change amount of capacitance which is outputted from the pressure sensor,

wherein the LCD panel is bent according to the touch,

and wherein the change amount of the capacitance output from the pressure sensor changes as the LCD panel bends.

2. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein a reference potential layer is located within the LCD panel, and wherein the change amount of the capacitance is changed according to a distance between the pressure sensor and the reference potential layer.

3. The smartphone of claim 2, wherein the reference potential layer is a potential layer of a common electrode within the LCD panel.

4. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein at least one of the drive electrodes and the receiving electrodes of the touch sensor are located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

5. The smartphone of claim 1,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the touch sensor is partially located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

6. The smartphone of claim 1, further comprising an air gap between the LCD panel and the optical film.

7. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes constitute a plurality of channels.

8. The smartphone of claim 2, wherein at least one of the drive electrodes and the receiving electrodes of the touch sensor are located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

9. The smartphone of claim 3, wherein at least one of the drive electrodes and the receiving electrodes of the touch sensor are located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

10. The smartphone of claim 2,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the touch sensor is partially located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

11. The smartphone of claim 3,

wherein the LCD panel further comprises a first polarizer layer and a second polarizer layer between which the first glass layer, the liquid crystal layer and the second glass layer are placed,

and wherein the touch sensor is partially located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

12. The smartphone of claim 2, further comprising an air gap between the LCD panel and the optical film.

13. The smartphone of claim 3, further comprising an air gap between the LCD panel and the optical film.

14. The smartphone of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrodes constitute a plurality of channels.

15. The smartphone of claim 3, wherein the plurality of electrodes constitute a plurality of channels.