Integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display

• US 6,885,157 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S., Yokajty, Joseph E., Serbicki, Jeffrey P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Trinh Vo
• Application Number:
  US10/721,129
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: G09/G00.3/10, G09/G00.3/24, 315/169.3, 315/169.2, 313/501, 345/55, 345/76, 345/80, 345/206, 345/173, 345/174, 340/825
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

An integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display includes a touch screen having a touch screen substrate with electrical contacts for receiving touch screen signals and conductive vias through the substrate and electrically connected to the electrical contacts; an OLED flat-panel display having a display substrate with electrical contacts for receiving display signals and an exposed area on the display substrate for providing electrical connection to the electrical contacts of the display and the touch screen; and wherein the touch screen substrate is the cover or substrate of the OLED flat-panel display, the conductive vias are electrically connected to conductors and electrical contacts located on the display substrate, and the substrate of the OLED flat-panel display protrudes beyond the cover to provide electrical connection to the electrical contacts of the display and touch screen.

Claims

1. An integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display, comprising:

a) a touch screen having a touch screen substrate with electrical contacts for receiving touch screen signals and conductive vias through the substrate and electrically connected to the electrical contacts; and

b) an OLED flat-panel display having a display cover and a display substrate with electrical contacts located on the display substrate for receiving display signals and an exposed area on the display substrate for providing electrical connection to the electrical contacts of the display substrate and the electrical contacts of the touch screen substrate;

wherein the touch screen substrate forms the cover or substrate of the OLED flat-panel display, the conductive vias are electrically connected to the electrical contacts of the display substrate, and the substrate of the OLED flat-panel display protrudes beyond the display cover to provide electrical connection to the electrical contacts of the display and touch screen.

2. The integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display claimed in claim 1, further comprising processing circuitry located on the display substrate for processing the touch screen signals.

3. The integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display claimed in claim 1, further comprising a single electrical cable connected to the display substrate and connected to the electrical contacts of the display substrate and to the electrical contacts of the touch screen substrate.

4. The integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate of the OLED display is the substrate of the touch screen and the OLED flat-panel display is a bottom-emitting display.

5. The integrated touch screen and OLED flat-panel display claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover of the OLED display is the substrate of the touch screen and the OLED flat-panel display is a top-emitting display.