Electrode sheet and touch input device

• US 9,563,309 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Original Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Inventors: Moon, Hojun, Kim, Bonkee, Kim, Seyeob, Yoon, Sangsic, Kwon, Sunyoung, Kim, Taehoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US14/992,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04166 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe

Abstract

A touch input device capable of detecting a pressure of a touch on a touch surface may be provided that includes: a display panel; and an electrode disposed under the display panel. When a pressure is applied to the touch surface, a distance between the electrode and a reference potential layer is changed. A capacitance which is detected at the electrode is changed according to the distance change. The display panel includes a first area and a second area. Under a same distance change condition, a capacitance change amount detected at the electrode disposed under the second area is greater than a capacitance change amount detected at the electrode disposed under the first area.

Claims

1. A touch input device capable of detecting a pressure of a touch on a touch surface, the touch input device comprising:

a display panel; and

an electrode disposed under the display panel;

wherein, when a pressure is applied to the touch surface, a distance between the electrode and a reference potential layer is changed;

wherein a capacitance which is detected at the electrode is changed according to the distance change;

wherein the display panel comprises a first area and a second area;

wherein a change of the distance between the electrode disposed under the second area and the reference potential layer when a pressure is applied to the second area is less than a change of the distance between the electrode disposed under the first area and the reference potential layer when the same amount of the pressure is applied to the first area; and

wherein, under a same distance change condition for the distance between the electrode and the reference potential layer, a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed under the second area is greater than a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed under the first area.

2. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises at least one single electrode, and wherein a self-capacitance of the single electrode is changed by applying the pressure to the touch surface.

3. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises at least one pair of a first electrode and a second electrode, and wherein a mutual capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed by applying the pressure to the touch surface.

4. The touch input device of claim 3, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on a substrate spaced apart from the display panel, or wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on the display panel, or wherein any one of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed on the substrate and the other is formed on the display panel.

5. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein a width of the electrode disposed under the first area is less than a width of the electrode disposed under the second area.

6. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein a distance between the electrode disposed under the first area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed under the first area is greater than a distance between the electrode disposed under the second area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed under the second area.

7. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein a distance between the electrode disposed under the first area and the reference potential layer is greater than a distance between the electrode disposed under the second area and the reference potential layer.

8. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein material composition constituting the electrode disposed under the first area is different from material composition constituting the electrode disposed under the second area.

9. The touch input device of claim 1;

wherein the electrode is formed in the form of an electrode sheet;

wherein the electrode sheet comprises a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer; and

wherein at least one of the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer is made of any one of polyimide and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).

10. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the electrode is made of at least one of copper, aluminum (Al), and silver (Ag).

11. An electrode sheet comprising:

a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer; and

an electrode located between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer;

wherein a capacitance which is detected at the electrode is changed according to a relative distance change between the electrode sheet and a reference potential layer which is disposed apart from the electrode sheet;

wherein the electrode sheet comprises a first area and a second area;

wherein a change of the distance between the electrode disposed in the second area and the reference potential layer when a pressure is applied to the second area is less than a change of the distance between the electrode disposed in the first area and the reference potential layer when the same amount of the pressure is applied to the first area; and

wherein, under a same distance change condition for the distance between the electrode and the reference potential layer, a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed in the second area is greater than a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed in the first area.

12. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein the electrode comprises at least one single electrode, and wherein a self-capacitance of the single electrode is changed according to the distance change.

13. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein the electrode comprises at least one pair of a first electrode and a second electrode, and wherein a mutual capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed according to the distance change.

14. The electrode sheet of claim 11:

wherein the electrode sheet is attached to a touch input device comprising a substrate and a display panel; and

wherein the electrode sheet is formed on the substrate or on the display panel.

15. The electrode sheet of claim 14, wherein the reference potential layer is the substrate or the display panel to which the electrode sheet is attached.

16. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein a width of the electrode disposed in the first area is less than a width of the electrode disposed in the second area.

17. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein a distance between the electrode disposed in the first area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed in the first area is greater than a distance between the electrode disposed in the second area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed in the second area.

18. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein a distance between the electrode disposed in the first area and the reference potential layer is greater than a distance between the electrode disposed in the second area and the reference potential layer.

19. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein material composition constituting the electrode disposed in the first area is different from material composition constituting the electrode disposed in the second area.

20. The electrode sheet of claim 11, wherein the electrode is made of at least one of copper, aluminum (Al), and silver (Ag).

21. A touch input device capable of detecting a pressure of a touch on a touch surface,

the touch input device comprising:

a display panel; and

an electrode disposed under the display panel, the electrode comprising a first electrode and a second electrode;

wherein, when a pressure is applied to the touch surface, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed;

wherein a capacitance which is detected at the electrode is changed according to the distance change;

wherein the display panel comprises a first area and a second area;

wherein a change of the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode under the second area when a pressure is applied to the second area is less than a change of the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode under the first area when the same amount of the pressure is applied to the first area; and

wherein, under a same distance change condition for the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode, a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed under the second area is greater than a change amount of the capacitance detected at the electrode disposed under the first area.

22. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein a mutual capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed by applying the pressure to the touch surface.

23. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on a substrate spaced apart from the display panel, or wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on the display panel, or wherein any one of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed on the substrate and the other is formed on the display panel.

24. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein a width of the electrode disposed under the first area is less than a width of the electrode disposed under the second area.

25. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein a distance between the electrode disposed under the first area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed under the first area is greater than a distance between the electrode disposed under the second area and an electrode adjacent to the electrode disposed under the second area.

26. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode disposed under the first area is greater than a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode disposed under the second area.

27. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein material composition constituting the electrode disposed under the first area is different from material composition constituting the electrode disposed under the second area.

28. The touch input device of claim 21:

wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed in the form of an electrode sheet;

wherein the electrode sheet comprises a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer; and

wherein at least one of the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer is made of any one of polyimide and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).

29. The touch input device of claim 21, wherein the electrode is made of at least one of copper, aluminum (Al), and silver (Ag).