PROXIMITY-SENSING PANEL

• US 20110193818A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edamak Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edamak Corporation
• Inventors: Yeh, Jun-Hua, Chen, Yi-Ta
• Application Number:
  US13/019,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193818A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• 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 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A proximity-sensing panel and a proximity-sensing is provided. The proximity-sensing panel includes a substrate panel, one or more proximity-sensing unit and one or more sensing circuit. The proximity-sensing unit is formed on one or more perimeter of the substrate panel. The proximity-sensing unit senses an approaching operation of an object to generate a proximity-sensing signal. The sensing circuit receives the proximity-sensing signal and generates a control signal to initiate a proximity touch control.

Claims

1. A proximity-sensing panel, comprising:

a substrate panel, comprising a touch surface to receive a touch input;

at least one proximity-sensing unit formed on at least one perimeter of the substrate panel, the proximity-sensing unit sensing an approaching operation of an object and generating a proximity-sensing signal; and

at least one sensing circuit, electrically connecting the proximity-sensing unit to receive the proximity-sensing signal and generating a control signal accordingly to initiate a proximity control.

2. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit is selected from the group consisting of a self-capacitance proximity-sensing unit, a mutual-capacitance proximity-sensing unit, an inductive proximity-sensing unit, a photoelectric proximity-sensing unit and a magnetic proximity-sensing unit.

3. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 2, wherein the structure of two electrodes of the mutual-capacitance proximity-sensing unit is selected from a group consisting of Dual Parallel Rectangles, Concentric Circles, Arc Surrounding Circle, Concentric Rectangles and Concentric Rectangular Labyrinth.

4. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit is selected from the group consisting of round shape, rectangular shape, elliptic shape, star shape, heart shape, spiral shape, and hollow shape.

5. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit comprises:

a light transmitter, transmitting a light; and

a light receiver, receiving the transmitted light and generating the proximity-sensing signal according to a light intensity of the transmitted light.

6. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit comprises at least one magnetic sensing element to sense an eternal magnetic object, the proximity-sensing signal being generated when two switch contacts of the magnetic sensing element are contacted to connect with each other.

7. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel is selected from a group consisting of a projective capacitive touch panel, a surface capacitive touch panel, a resistive touch panel, an ultrasonic touch panel, an infrared touch panel, an OLED (Organic Electroluminescent Display) substrate panel, a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) substrate panel, an EPD (E-Paper Display) substrate panel, a glass substrate panel, a plastic substrate panel and an acrylic substrate panel, or any combination thereof.

8. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit is selectively formed on a top surface, a bottom surface, or a lateral surface of the substrate panel, or on both the top surface and bottom surface of the substrate panel.

9. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the proximity-sensing unit is formed inside or outside the substrate panel.

10. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel further comprises a function area adapted for non-proximity touch control and the proximity-sensing unit is formed on the perimeter outside the function area.

11. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 10, wherein the substrate panel is a non-proximity touch panel, or a display panel embedded with in-cell non-proximity touch control sensors.

12. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel further comprises a function area adapted to display images and the proximity-sensing unit is formed on the perimeter outside the function area.

13. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 12, wherein the substrate panel is a display panel without touch control sensors.

14. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel comprises a projective capacitive type touch panel with a substrate layer, a first electrode layer forming at a top side and a second electrode layer forming at a bottom side, the proximity-sensing units being selectively formed at the top surface of the first electrode layer, at the bottom surface of the second electrode layer or at both the top surface of the first electrode layer and the bottom surface of the second electrode layer.

15. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel comprises a resistive type touch panel with a first substrate layer, a spacer layer having at least one spacer and a second substrate layer, the proximity-sensing unit being formed on the inner surfaces of the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer.

16. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel comprises a cover lens with a touch panel under the cover lens, at least a portion of the touch panel with a display panel located under the touch panel being assembled inside a housing, the cover lens covering on at least one side of the housing, the proximity-sensing unit being formed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the cover lens.

17. The proximity-sensing panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate panel comprises a cover lens with an energy transmitter and an energy receiver located on an outer surface of the cover lens, the cover lens, the energy transmitter, the energy receiver and a display panel located underneath the cover lens being assembled inside a housing with the touch surface of the cover lens exposed outwardly, the proximity-sensing unit being formed on an inner surface or the outer surface of the cover lens.

18. A proximity-sensing method of a panel with a substrate panel, at least one proximity-sensing unit and at least one sensing circuit, wherein the substrate panel comprises a touch surface to receive a touch input and the sense circuits electrically connects with the proximity-sensing unit, the method comprising:

forming the proximity-sensing unit on at least one perimeter of the substrate panel;

sensing an approaching operation of an object and generating a proximity-sensing signal by the proximity-sensing unit; and

receiving the proximity-sensing signal from the proximity-sensing unit and generating a control signal accordingly to initiate a proximity control.

19. The proximity-sensing method according to claim 18, wherein the proximity-sensing unit is formed inside or outside the substrate panel.

20. The proximity-sensing method according to claim 18, wherein the substrate panel further comprises a function area adapted for non-proximity touch control and the proximity-sensing unit is formed on the perimeter outside the function area.

21. The proximity-sensing method according to claim 20, wherein the substrate panel is a display panel embedded with in-cell non-proximity touch control sensors or a non-proximity touch panel.

22. The proximity-sensing method according to claim 18, wherein the substrate panel further comprises a function area adapted to display images and the proximity-sensing unit is formed on the perimeter outside the function area.

23. The proximity-sensing method according to claim 22, wherein the substrate panel is a display panel without touch control sensors.