Electro-optic displays with touch sensors and/or tactile feedback

• US 9,778,500 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Gates, Holly G., Zehner, Robert W., Wilcox, Russell J., Aprea, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A
• Application Number:
  US14/306,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 359245, 359263, 359296, 359298, 359315, 359318, 345107, 345173, 345175, 345176, 250332, 2502272, 25022728, 25022731, 250573, 2504951, 25036301, 25036308, 250552, 250553, 2502081
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0018 Electro-optical materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16757 Microcapsules
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1676 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1681 having two or more microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. of microcup type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/04 Structural and physical details of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167

Abstract

An electro-optic display comprises, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer; a layer of a solid electro-optic material; and a backplane (162) bearing a plurality of pixel electrodes, a peripheral portion of the backplane extending outwardly beyond the layer of solid electro-optic material and bearing a plurality of radiation generating means (166) and a plurality of radiation detecting means (168), the radiation generating means and radiation detecting means together being arranged to act as a touch screen.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising, in order:

a first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer having a peripheral portion bearing a low sheet resistance material, the material having a conductivity higher than that of the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer;

a light-transmissive electrically insulating layer;

a second light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer;

a layer of a solid electro-optic material;

a layer of a lamination adhesive; and

a release sheet.

2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1, further comprising an electrophoretic material within the solid electro-optic material, the electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 2 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of capsules or microcells.

4. An article of manufacture according to claim 2 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are present as a plurality of discrete droplets surrounded by a continuous phase comprising a polymeric material.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 3 further comprising a circuit tail electrically connected to the first and second light-transmissive electrically-conductive layers.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 4 further comprising a protective sheet adjacent to the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, such that the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer is between the protective sheet and the light-transmissive electrically insulating layer.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 further comprising a second layer of lamination adhesive between the protective sheet and the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 further comprising a second layer of lamination adhesive between the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer and the light-transmissive electrically insulating layer.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the protective sheet includes at least one of an ultra violet barrier or a diffuse reflective hard coat.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 2, wherein the light-transmissive electrically insulating layer is configured to block direct current transmission between the first and second light-transmissive electrically-conductive layers.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the first light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer has a higher resistivity than the second light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer.