Display panel and display device

• US 9,223,435 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Hayashi, Shuji, Tanaka, Tsutomu, Koito, Takeo, Mizuhashi, Hiroshi, Yamauchi, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US14/554,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A display panel includes a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel, a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section, a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections, and a plurality of sensor sections, each of the sensor sections having two electrodes, one electrode disposed with a electrode-to-electrode gap from the other between the first and second substrate sections, the electrode-to-electrode gap being removed as a result of the deformation of the first substrate section under pressure so that the one electrode is brought into contact with the other electrode, the sensor sections being provided between the first and second substrate sections with one of a plurality of electrode-to-electrode gap lengths respectively.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a liquid crystal;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections, each pixel section including a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of sensor sections provided between the first substrate section and the second substrate section, each of the sensor sections having a first electrode and a second electrode configured so that an electrode-to-electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode is removed to bring the first electrode into contact with the second electrode as a result of a deformation of the first substrate section under pressure, the plurality of sensor sections including a first sensor section and a second sensor section, the first sensor section having a first electrode-to-electrode gap length, the second sensor section having a second electrode-to-electrode gap length, the first electrode-to-electrode gap length being different from the second electrode-to-electrode gap length and forming a smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length; and

a circuit for detecting the contact between the first electrode and the second electrode for each of the sensor sections such that the sensor sections turn on from the smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length as a pressure is applied, so as to detect an amount of the pressure in multiple levels,

wherein the first electrode is provided between the first substrate section and the liquid crystal and the second electrode is provided between the second substrate section and the liquid crystal,

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the first substrate, and

the first electrode is arranged on one of the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a liquid crystal;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections, each pixel section including a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of sensor sections provided between the first substrate section and the second substrate section, each of the sensor sections having a first electrode and a second electrode configured so that an electrode-to-electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode is removed to bring the first electrode into contact with the second electrode as a result of a deformation of the first substrate section under pressure, the plurality of sensor sections including a first sensor section and a second sensor section, the first sensor section having a first electrode-to-electrode gap length, the second sensor section having a second electrode-to-electrode gap length, the first electrode-to-electrode gap length being different from the second electrode-to-electrode gap length and forming a smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length; and

a circuit for detecting the contact between the first electrode and the second electrode for each of the sensor sections such that the sensor sections turn on from the smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length as a pressure is applied, so as to detect an amount of the pressure in multiple levels,

wherein the first electrode is provided between the first substrate section and the liquid crystal and the second electrode is provided between the second substrate section and the liquid crystal,

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the second substrate, and

the second electrode is arranged on one of the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. A display device comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections, each pixel section including a plurality of pixels;

a liquid crystal;

a plurality of sensor sections provided between the first substrate section and the second substrate section, each of the sensor sections having a first electrode and a second electrode configured so that an electrode-to-electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode is removed to bring the first electrode into contact with the second electrode as a result of a deformation of the first substrate section under pressure, the plurality of sensor sections including a first sensor section and a second sensor section, the first sensor section having a first electrode-to-electrode gap length, the second sensor section having a second electrode-to-electrode gap length, the first electrode-to-electrode gap length being different from the second electrode-to-electrode gap length and forming a smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length;

a display drive section configured to drive the plurality of pixel sections to display an image;

a sensor read section configured to determine the position of the first substrate section to which a pressure is applied and the amount of pressure applied thereto by detecting each electrode contact condition at a plurality of sensor sections; and

a circuit for detecting the contact between the first electrode and the second electrode for each of the sensor sections such that the sensor sections turn on from the smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length as a pressure is applied, so as to detect an amount of the pressure in multiple levels,

wherein the first electrode is provided between the first substrate section and the liquid crystal and the second electrode is provided between the second substrate section and the liquid crystal,

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the first substrate, and

the first electrode is arranged on one of the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths between the first electrode and the second electrode.

4. A display device comprising:

a first substrate section formed on the front side of the display panel;

a second substrate section which is opposed to the first substrate section;

a plurality of pixel sections formed in a matrix form between the first and second substrate sections, each pixel section including a plurality of pixels;

a liquid crystal;

a plurality of sensor sections provided between the first substrate section and the second substrate section, each of the sensor sections having a first electrode and a second electrode configured so that an electrode-to-electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode is removed to bring the first electrode into contact with the second electrode as a result of a deformation of the first substrate section under pressure, the plurality of sensor sections including a first sensor section and a second sensor section, the first sensor section having a first electrode-to-electrode gap length, the second sensor section having a second electrode-to-electrode gap length, the first electrode-to-electrode gap length being different from the second electrode-to-electrode gap length and forming a smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length;

a display drive section configured to drive the plurality of pixel sections to display an image;

a sensor read section configured to determine the position of the first substrate section to which a pressure is applied and the amount of pressure applied thereto by detecting each electrode contact condition at a plurality of sensor sections; and

a circuit for detecting the contact between the first electrode and the second electrode for each of the sensor sections such that the sensor sections turn on from the smallest to largest electrode-to-electrode gap length as a pressure is applied, so as to detect an amount of the pressure in multiple levels,

wherein the first electrode is provided between the first substrate section and the liquid crystal and the second electrode is provided between the second substrate section and the liquid crystal,

the plurality of sensor sections form depressed portions of different depths on the second substrate, and

the second electrode is arranged on one of the depressed portions so as to form a plurality of different electrode-to-electrode gap lengths between the first electrode and the second electrode.