Electronic device with a flexible panel and method for manufacturing a flexible panel

• US 9,215,301 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creator Technology BV
• Inventors: van Aerle, Nicolaas Aldegonda Jan Maria, Somers, Michel Josephus Marie, van Lieshout, Petrus Johannes Gerardus, Hamers, Johannes Cornelis Adriaan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Yuk
• Application Number:
  US12/747,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 405/15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The electronic device comprises a data processing facility (8), a flexible panel (3), and a facility (4,5) for arranging the panel at least into an extended shape (FIG. 1A) and into a compact shape (FIG. 1B). The flexible panel includes—a display structure (20) responsive to output signals (Sout) from the data processing facility (8), —a touch sensitive structure (22) arranged for providing input signals 10 (Sin) to the data processing facility (8) indicative for a change of capacitance at a position where a pointing device approaches the panel (3).

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a data processing facility, a flexible panel, and a facility for arranging the flexible panel at least into an extended shape and into a compact shape, the flexible panel including:

a flexible substrate;

a display structure responsive to output signals from the data processing facility, wherein the display structure covers a display portion of the substrate and leaves an extending portion of the substrate uncovered, and wherein the display structure comprises a plurality of electrodes driven by thin film transistors in a thin film transistor layer;

a touch sensitive structure arranged over the display structure for providing input signals to the data processing facility indicative of a change of capacitance at a position where a pointing device approaches the panel, wherein the touch sensitive structure comprises a first layer, an electrically conductive structure formed in the first layer, and a second electrically isolating layer, the first layer being arranged between the second electrically isolating layer and the display structure, wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises at least a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor, the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor being mutually capacitively coupled, wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises a plurality of contact portions in the first layer; and

a plurality of contacts disposed at an edge of the extending portion of the substrate; and

wherein the extending portion of the substrate includes a plurality of electrically conducting elements respectively extending across the extending portion of the substrate to the display structure and up to the first layer of the touch sensitive structure to respectively physically connect and electrically couple one of the contacts to a respective one of the contact portions.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible panel in its compacted shape at least has a portion that is curved to a radius of at most 20 mm.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display structure is reflection based.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display structure applies a multi-stable based display effect.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the display structure comprises a layer of electrophoretic elements.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display structure comprises a layer of LEDs.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display structure comprises a color filter layer.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are mutually interlaced.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are part of a larger plurality of electrical conductors.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical conductors are formed out of a transparent, electrically conductive material.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the transparent, electrically conductive material comprises electrically conducting nanotubes.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer of the touch sensitive structure is coupled by an adhesive layer to the display structure.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive structure is covered with an optically functional, mechanically protective or chemical protective coating.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a first and a second portion of the electrically conductive structure is arranged opposite and electrically coupled to a portion of a respective electrically conducting element of the extending portion of the substrate.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the portions of the electrically conductive structure and the portion of a respective electrically conductive element of the electrically conductive structure are coupled by an electrically conductive adhesive.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the extending portion of the substrate is provided with address decoding elements for addressing the display structure.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive structure only covers a portion of the display structure.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the panel includes an additional support structure to support said portion of the display structure.

19. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display structure comprises a layer of display elements that are controlled by individual electrodes and a fixed electrode, and wherein the fixed electrode additionally serves as the first layer of the touch sensitive structure.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the common electrode is alternately coupled to a display driver and a touch screen driver via a switching element.

21. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the common electrode is simultaneously coupled to a display driver and a touch screen driver via a superposition element.