Array substrate and display panel

• US 9,983,743 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited, Xiamen Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited, Xiamen Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yan, Huasheng
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US14/829,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• 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 3/0445 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

Abstract

An array substrate and a display panel. The array substrate includes: a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scan lines; at least one sub-pixel unit defined by the data lines and the scan lines; and a plurality of touch electrodes, comprising drive electrodes and touch sensing electrodes intersecting the drive electrodes; wherein, in a touch phase, at least one of the touch electrodes is electrically connected with the corresponding data line, so that a driving signal is transmitted to or a sense signal is received from the at least one of the touch electrodes via the corresponding data line electrically connected with the at least one of the touch electrodes.

Claims

1. An array substrate, comprising:

a plurality of data lines;

a plurality of scan lines;

at least one sub-pixel unit defined by the data lines and the scan lines;

a plurality of touch electrodes, comprising drive electrodes and touch sensing electrodes intersecting the drive electrodes;

a first thin film transistor; and

a control signal line,

wherein each of the at least one sub-pixel unit is provided with a second thin film transistor, a gate electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to a respective one of the plurality of scan lines, and a source electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to a respective one of the plurality of data lines,

wherein a gate electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with the control signal line, a source electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with the respective one of the plurality of data lines which is connected to the second thin film transistor, and a drain electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with a respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes,

wherein the first thin film transistor is turned on to conduct signals between the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes and the respective one of the plurality of data lines in a touch phase, and the first thin film transistor is turned off to prevent conducting signals between the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes and the respective one of the plurality of data lines in a display phase,

wherein, in the touch phase, the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes is connected with the respective one of the plurality of data lines, such that a driving signal is transmitted to or a sense signal is received from the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes via the respective one of the plurality of data lines.

2. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes is the touch sensing electrode, and an extending direction of the drive electrodes is parallel to that of the data lines.

3. The array substrate of claim 2, wherein, an extending direction of the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes which is directly connected to the first thin film transistor is perpendicular to that of the data lines.

4. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes is the drive electrode, and an extending direction of the touch sensing electrodes is parallel to that of the data lines.

5. The array substrate of claim 4, wherein, an extending direction of the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes which is directly connected to the first thin film transistor is perpendicular to that of the data lines.

6. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the first thin film transistor and the control signal line is disposed in a non-display region of the array substrate.

7. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, a display region of the array substrate is circular.

8. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, a display region of the array substrate has a polygonal shape, and at least one edge of the polygonal shape forms an angle β

relative to an extending direction of the data lines, and β

is unequal to 0°

, 90°

or 180°

.

9. The array substrate of claim 8, wherein, the polygonal shape is a triangular, diamond, pentagonal or hexagonal shape.

10. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, the touch electrode is connected with the drain electrode of the first thin film transistor by a via.

11. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, the drive electrodes are disposed at the same layer as the touch sensing electrodes or at a layer different from the touch sensing electrodes.

12. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, the drive electrodes are disposed at the same layer as the touch sensing electrodes, and the drive electrodes each are continuously extended across the touch sensing electrodes by bridges;

or

the touch sensing electrodes each are continuously extended across the drive electrodes by bridges.

13. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, each of the at least one sub-pixel unit is further provided with a pixel electrode, and a drain electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to the pixel electrode.

14. The array substrate of claim 1, wherein, each of the at least one sub-pixel unit is further provided with an organic light emitting unit, and a drain electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to the organic light emitting unit.

15. A display panel, comprising an array substrate comprising:

a plurality of data lines;

a plurality of scan lines;

at least one sub-pixel unit defined by the data lines and the scan lines;

a plurality of touch electrodes, comprising drive electrodes and touch sensing electrodes intersecting the drive electrodes;

a first thin film transistor; and

a control signal line,

wherein each of the at least one sub-pixel unit is provided with a second thin film transistor, a gate electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to a respective one of the plurality of scan lines, and a source electrode of the second thin film transistor is directly connected to a respective one of the plurality of data lines,

wherein a gate electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with the control signal line, a source electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with the respective one of the plurality of data lines which is connected to the second thin film transistor, and a drain electrode of the first thin film transistor is directly connected with a respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes,

wherein the first thin film transistor is turned on to conduct signals between the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes and the respective one of the plurality of data lines in a touch phase, and the first thin film transistor is turned off to prevent conducting signals between the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes and the respective one of the plurality of data lines in a display phase,

wherein, in the touch phase, the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes is connected with the respective one of the plurality of data lines, such that a driving signal is transmitted to or a sense signal is received from the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes via the respective one of the plurality of data lines.

16. The display panel of claim 15, wherein, a non-display region of the array substrate is provided with an integrated circuit, the respective one of the plurality of touch electrodes is connected to the integrated circuit by the respective one of the plurality of data lines, and the control signal line is connected with the integrated circuit.

17. An array substrate, comprising:

a data line;

a scan line;

an integrated circuit;

a sub-pixel unit comprising a first thin film transistor and a function unit; and

a touch electrode;

wherein a first terminal of the data line is electrically connected to the integrated circuit, a second terminal of the data line is directly connected to the function unit via the first thin film transistor, and the second terminal of the data line is further directly connected to the touch electrode via a first switch, and

wherein in a display phase, the first switch is turned off and the first thin film transistor is turned on, such that the data line is disconnected from the touch electrode and a display signal is transmitted to the function unit via the first thin film transistor and the data line;

in a touch phase, the first switch is turned on and the first thin film transistor is turned off, such that the data line is disconnected from the function unit and a driving signal is transmitted to the touch electrode via the first switch and the data line, or a sensing signal is received from the touch electrode via the first switch and the data line.

18. The array substrate according to claim 17, wherein the function unit is a pixel electrode.

19. The array substrate according to claim 17, wherein the function unit is an organic light emitting unit.