Smartphone capable of detecting touch position and pressure

• US 9,578,148 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Original Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Bonkee, Kim, Seyeob, Yoon, Sangsic, Kwon, Sunyoung, Moon, Hojun, Kim, Taehoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERMANN, KIRK W
• Application Number:
  US14/791,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A smartphone may be provided that includes: a cover layer; an LCD panel; a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel; a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit; a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode; and a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a capacitance change amount outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal. A magnitude of a touch pressure is detected from the digital signal.

Claims

1. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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 from a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of a touch pressure is detected from the digital signal,

wherein a reference potential layer is located within a display module comprising the LCD panel and the backlight unit,

and wherein the capacitance change amount changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

2. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

6. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

19. The smartphone of claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer located between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

3. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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 from a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of a touch pressure is detected from the digital signal,

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 remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

4. The smartphone of claim 3, wherein the shielding member is a reference potential layer, and wherein the change amount of the capacitance changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

5. The smartphone of claim 3, further comprising a spacer layer located in at least one place among a place between the pressure electrode and the shielding member and a place between the pressure electrode and a display module comprising the LCD panel and the backlight unit.

20. The smartphone of claim 3, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

7. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel and comprises a light source and a reflection plate;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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

and further comprising;

a drive unit which applies a driving signal to the touch sensor;

a sensing unit which receives a sensing signal from the touch sensor and detects a touch position; and

a pressure detector which detects a magnitude of a touch pressure from the digital signal,

wherein the converter and the pressure detector are provided as separate components,

wherein a reference potential layer is located within a display module comprising the LCD panel and the backlight unit,

and wherein the capacitance change amount changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

8. The smartphone of claim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

12. The smartphone of claim 7, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

21. The smartphone of claim 7, further comprising a spacer layer located between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

9. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel and comprises a light source and a reflection plate;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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

and further comprising;

a drive unit which applies a driving signal to the touch sensor;

a sensing unit which receives a sensing signal from the touch sensor and detects a touch position; and

a pressure detector which detects a magnitude of a touch pressure from the digital signal,

wherein the converter and the pressure detector are provided as separate components,

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 remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

10. The smartphone of claim 9, wherein the shielding member is a reference potential layer, and wherein the change amount of the capacitance changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

11. The smartphone of claim 9, further comprising a spacer layer located in at least one place among a place between the pressure electrode and the shielding member and a place between the pressure electrode and a display module comprising the LCD panel and the backlight unit.

22. The smartphone of claim 9, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

13. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a reference potential layer spaced from the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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 from a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of a touch pressure is detected from the digital signal,

and wherein the change amount of the capacitance changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer,

and wherein the reference potential layer is located within a display module comprising the LCD panel and the backlight unit.

14. The smartphone of claim 13, wherein the at least a portion of the touch sensor located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is at least one of the drive electrode and the receiving electrode.

17. The smartphone of claim 13, further comprising a spacer layer located between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

18. The smartphone of claim 13, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.

23. The smartphone of claim 13, further comprising a spacer layer located between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer.

15. A smartphone comprising:

a cover layer;

an LCD panel which is located under the 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 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;

a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel;

a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit;

a reference potential layer spaced from the pressure electrode; and

a converter which converts a signal comprising information for a change amount of capacitance outputted from the pressure electrode to a digital signal,

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 from a sensing signal which is outputted from the touch sensor,

wherein a magnitude of a touch pressure is detected from the digital signal,

wherein the change amount of the capacitance changes depending on a distance between the pressure electrode and the reference potential layer,

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 remaining portion other than the at least a portion of the touch sensor is located between the first glass layer and the first polarizer layer.

16. The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the reference potential layer is located under the pressure electrode.

24. The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the pressure electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes constituting a plurality of channels.