Touch sensitive displays

• US 9,939,978 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• 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 D
• Application Number:
  US15/195,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 345 76- 82
• 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 polarizer having opposing upper and lower surfaces, wherein the lower surface is closer to the array of organic light-emitting diodes than the upper surface;

capacitive touch sensor electrodes attached to the upper surface of the polarizer, wherein the upper surface is interposed between the lower surface and the capacitive touch sensor electrodes; and

one or more additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes attached to the lower surface of the polarizer, wherein the polarizer is interposed between the capacitive touch sensor electrodes and the additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

2. The display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

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

a layer of adhesive interposed between the one or more additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes and the thin-film encapsulation layer.

3. The display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

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 organic light-emitting diodes and that is configured to gather touch sensor capacitance signals from the capacitive touch sensor electrodes on the upper surface of the polarizer and from at least some of the control lines.

4. The display defined in claim 3 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprise transparent conductive material and wherein the control lines comprise metal.

5. The display defined in claim 1 further comprising a cover glass layer and a layer of adhesive interposed between the capacitive touch sensor electrodes on the upper surface of the polarizer and the cover glass layer.

6. A display, comprising:

an array of organic light-emitting diodes;

a polarizer having opposing upper and lower surfaces, wherein the lower surface is closer to the array than the upper surface;

a touch sensor panel having capacitive touch sensor electrodes formed on a planar dielectric substrate;

a layer of adhesive with which the touch sensor panel is attached to the polarizer, wherein the upper surface of the polarizer is interposed between the lower surface of the polarizer and the capacitive touch sensor electrodes; and

one or more additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes attached to the lower surface of the polarizer, wherein the polarizer is interposed between the capacitive touch sensor electrodes and the additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

7. The display defined in claim 6 wherein the layer of adhesive is interposed between the upper surface of the polarizer and the touch senor panel.

8. The display defined in claim 7 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed on a single surface of the planar dielectric substrate in the touch sensor panel.

9. The display defined in claim 6 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed on a single surface of the planar dielectric substrate in the touch sensor panel.

10. A display, comprising:

an array of light-emitting diodes;

an encapsulation layer that encapsulates the light-emitting diodes;

a transparent cover layer;

a polarizer having opposing upper and lower surfaces;

first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the polarizer, respectively, wherein the polarizer is interposed between the first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes;

a first layer of adhesive that attaches the polarizer and the first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes to the transparent cover layer; and

a second layer of adhesive that attaches the polarizer layer and the first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes to the encapsulation layer.

11. The display defined in claim 10 further comprising:

control lines that provide control signals to the light-emitting diodes and that gather capacitive touch sensor measurements from the first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

12. The display defined in claim 11 further comprising:

black masking material interposed between the transparent cover layer and the first and second capacitive touch sensor electrodes on the polarizer layer, wherein the black masking material comprises openings that are aligned with the light-emitting diodes.