TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20090096764A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: YOU, Bong-hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A display device includes a first insulating substrate, a plurality of sensing lines extending in a first direction on the first insulating substrate and disposed at predetermined intervals thereon, a second insulating substrate facing the first insulating substrate, a plurality of sensing spacers disposed on the second insulating substrate and operable to make electrical contact with corresponding sensing lines in response to an external pressure applied thereto, and a sensing controller that detects the resistance of a contact closed loop formed by at least two sensor contacts making contact with a pair of corresponding sensing lines and determines the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction from the resistance detected.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a first insulating substrate;

a plurality of sensing lines extending in a first direction on the first insulating substrate and disposed at predetermined intervals thereon;

a second insulating substrate facing the first insulating substrate;

a plurality of sensing spacers formed on the second insulating substrate and operable to make electrical contact with corresponding sensing lines in response to an external pressure applied thereto; and

,

a sensing controller operable to detect the resistance of a contact closed loop formed by the contact between at least two sensing spacers and a corresponding pair of sensing lines and to determine the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction from the resistance detected.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a first part of each sensing line is connected to the sensing controller, and a second part of each sensing line is connected to the second parts of the other sensing lines.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the sensing controller determines the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction by comparing the resistance of the contact closed loop with the resistance of a reference closed loop formed by the corresponding pair of sensing lines when they are not in contact with the at least two sensing spacers.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a first part of each sensing line is connected to the sensing controller, and a second part of each sensing line is not connected to the second parts of the other sensing lines, and,

the sensing controller detects the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction by comparing the resistance of the contact closed loop with the resistance of the pair of corresponding sensing lines when they are not in contact with the at least two sensing spacers.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a common electrode is disposed on the second insulating substrate and the sensing spacers are connected to the common electrode.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the sensing spacers comprise a spacer having a predetermined height and a contact electrode formed of a conductive material in an external part of the spacer and connected to the common electrode.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes respectively connected to the sensing lines, and wherein the sensing spacers are operable to make electrical contact with corresponding sensing lines in response to the external pressure applied thereto.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first insulating substrate; and

a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the first insulating substrate and respectively connected to the pixel electrodes,

wherein the sensing electrodes and the thin film transistors are formed in different regions.

9. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first insulating substrate; and

a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines formed on the first insulating substrate and intersecting each other;

wherein the first direction corresponds to a direction of the data lines or the gate lines.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensing lines are arranged at predetermined intervals in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

,

the sensing controller detects the sensing lines contacting the sensing spacers to detect a position of the contacted sensing lines in the second direction.

11. A method for controlling a display device having a first insulating substrate and a second insulating substrate facing the first insulating substrate, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of sensing lines extending in a first direction on the first insulating substrate and arranged at predetermined intervals thereon;

providing a plurality of sensing spacers on the second insulating substrate operable to make electrical contact with corresponding sensing lines in response to an external pressure applied thereto; and

,

detecting the resistance of a contact closed loop formed by the contact between at least two sensing spacers and a corresponding pair of sensing lines; and

,

determining the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction from the resistance detected.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

a first part of each sensing line is connected to a sensing controller operable to determine the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction from the resistance detected, and,

a second part of each sensing line is connected to the second parts of the other sensing lines.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising

detecting the resistance of a reference closed loop formed by the corresponding pair of sensing lines when they are not in contact with the at lest two sensing spacers, and

wherein the determining of the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction comprises comparing the resistance of the contact closed loop with the detected resistance of the reference closed loop.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

a first part of each sensing line is connected to a sensing controller operable to determine the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction from the resistance detected; and

,

a second part of each sensing line is not connected to the second parts of the other sensing lines.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting the resistance of a reference closed loop formed by the corresponding pair of sensing lines when they are not in contact with the at lest two sensing spacers, and

wherein the determining of the position of the contacted sensing lines in the first direction comprises comparing the resistance of the contact closed loop with the resistance of the reference closed loop.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the sensing lines are arranged at predetermined intervals in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and

the method further comprises detecting a position of the contacted sensing lines in the second direction by detecting the contacted sensing lines in contact with the at least two sensing spacers with the sensing controller.