TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20110261009A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: INAGAKI, Yoshinori, ANNO, Kouichi, NISHITANI, Shigeyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

Provided is an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel, wherein lead lines are connected to respective end portions of at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively, the touch panel further comprises an inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, and a voltage for inspection is supplied to the inspection electrode during an inspection time and a voltage at the same phase as the drive voltage supplied to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes is supplied to the inspection electrode during a usual operation time.

Claims

1. An electrostatic capacitance type touch panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of X electrodes which are formed over the substrate, the plurality of X electrodes extending in a second direction and being arranged in a first direction which intersects with the second direction; and

a plurality of Y electrodes which are formed over the substrate, the plurality of Y electrodes extending in the first direction while intersecting with the X electrodes and being arranged in the second direction;

a drive voltage being supplied to the plurality of Y electrodes from one side of the plurality of Y electrodes, wherein

lead lines are connected to respective one-end portions of at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively,

the touch panel further comprises an inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, and

a voltage for inspection is supplied to the inspection electrode during an inspection time and a voltage at the same phase as the drive voltage supplied to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes is supplied to the inspection electrode during a usual operation time.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are formed over the respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes on the side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively, and

the inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are laminated to the inspection electrode with the insulation film sandwiched therebetween.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the respective inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, and the inspection electrode are formed outside an effective touch region.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the pad portions and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed over the same layer,

the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed below the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes, and are connected to the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes via contact holes formed in an insulation film interposed between the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes, and

the inspection electrode is formed over the same layer over which the fine line portions of the Y electrodes are formed.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the pad portions and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed over the same layer,

the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed above the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes, and are connected to the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes via contact holes formed in an insulation film interposed between the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes, and

the inspection electrode is formed over the same layer over which the fine line portions of the Y electrodes are formed.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are formed over different layers with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween, and the X electrodes are formed below the Y electrodes, and

the inspection electrode is formed between the layer over which the Y electrodes are formed and the layer over which the X electrodes are formed.

7. A display device comprising:

a display panel; and

a touch panel which is arranged on a viewer'"'"'s side of the display panel, wherein

the touch panel is the touch panel according to claim 1.

8. An electrostatic capacitance type touch panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of X electrodes which are formed over the substrate, the plurality of X electrodes extending in a second direction and being arranged in a first direction which intersects with the second direction; and

a plurality of Y electrodes which are formed over the substrate, the plurality of Y electrodes extending in the first direction while intersecting with the X electrodes and being arranged in the second direction;

a drive voltage being supplied to the plurality of Y electrodes from one side of the plurality of Y electrodes, wherein

lead lines are connected to respective one-end portions of at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively,

the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes is divided into first and second groups, and the lead lines which are connected to the respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the first group and the lead lines which are connected to the respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the second group are led out in directions different from each other,

the touch panel further comprises a first inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the first group on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween, and a second inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the second group on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween, and

a voltage for inspection is supplied to the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode during an inspection time and a voltage at the same phase as the drive voltage supplied to the Y electrodes is supplied to the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode during a usual operation time.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are formed over the respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes on the side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the first group and the respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes on the side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the second group respectively, and

the respective inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the first group and the second group are laminated to the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode with the insulation film sandwiched therebetween.

10. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein, the respective inspection portions which are connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes in the first group and the second group, the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode are formed outside an effective touch region.

11. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the pad portions and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed over the same layer,

the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed below the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes, and are connected to the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes via contact holes formed in an insulation film interposed between the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes, and

the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode are formed over the same layer over which the fine line portions of the Y electrodes are formed.

12. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the pad portions and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed over the same layer,

the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are formed above the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes, and are connected to the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes via contact holes formed in an insulation film interposed between the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes, and

the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode are formed over the same layer over which the fine line portions of the Y electrodes are formed.

13. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the respective X electrodes and the respective Y electrodes are formed by alternately arranging pad portions and fine line portions in an extending direction thereof respectively,

the pad portions of the respective X electrodes and the pad portions of the respective Y electrodes are arranged without overlapping with each other as viewed in a plan view, and the fine line portions of the respective X electrodes and the fine line portions of the respective Y electrodes are intersect with each other three-dimensionally,

the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are formed over different layers with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween, and the X electrodes are formed below the Y electrodes, and

the first inspection electrode and the second inspection electrode are formed between the layer over which the Y electrodes are formed and the layer over which the X electrodes are formed.

14. A display device comprising:

a display panel; and

a touch panel which is arranged on a viewer'"'"'s side of the display panel, wherein

the touch panel is the touch panel according to claim 8.