Force sensor and display device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320925-B2
Application number	US-202017035850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel and a force sensor. The force sensor is disposed adjacent to a first edge of the display panel and extends along the first edge. The force sensor includes a first sensing region, a second sensing region, a first force concentration bump, and a second force concentration bump. The second sensing region is located on a side of the first sensing region and has a larger area than the first sensing region. The first force concentration bump overlaps the first sensing region. The second force concentration bump overlaps the second sensing region and is spaced apart from the first force concentration bump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel; and
a first force sensor disposed adjacent to a first edge of the display panel, the first force sensor extending along the first edge, wherein the first force sensor comprises:
a first sensing region;
a second sensing region located on a side of the first sensing region;
a first force concentration bump overlapping the first sensing region; and
a second force concentration bump overlapping the second sensing region and spaced apart from the first force concentration bump,
wherein the first force sensor comprises a first electrode and a plurality of second electrodes separated from the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is disposed over the first sensing region and the second sensing region, and the second electrodes are disposed separately in each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second force concentration bump is greater than a length of the first force concentration bump.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the second force concentration bump is one of a plurality of second force concentration bumps spaced apart from each other and arranged along a first direction.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein an occupied area of the first sensing region is different from an occupied area of the second sensing region.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first force sensor further comprises a force sensing layer comprising a force sensitive material having a resistance that varies according to a force, wherein the force sensing layer overlaps the first force concentration bump, the first electrode and the second electrodes in the first sensing region and wherein the force sensing layer overlaps the second force concentration bump, the first electrode and the second electrodes in the second sensing region.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the first sensing region is one of a plurality of first sensing regions arranged from a first end of the first force sensor toward a second end of the first force sensor, the second sensing region is located closer to the second end among the first and second ends, and the first force concentration bump is one of a plurality of first force concentration bumps arranged to overlap the first sensing regions, respectively.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein at least two neighboring first sensing regions among the first sensing regions form a sensing region group configured to execute a preset operation in response to a physical force applied to the sensing region group.

8. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrodes are located at a same level, the force sensing layer is located on the first electrode and the second electrodes, and the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are located on the force sensing layer.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are made of a same material as the force sensing layer.

10. The display device of claim 8 , wherein the first force sensor further comprises a first base and a second base facing the first base, the first electrode and the second electrodes are located on a surface of the first base which faces the second base, the force sensing layer is located on a surface of the second base which faces the first base, and the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are located on the other surface of the second base.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the first force sensor further comprises a third force concentration bump and a fourth force concentration bump which are located on the other surface of the first base and are spaced apart from each other, wherein the third force concentration bump overlaps the first sensing region, the fourth force concentration bump overlaps the second sensing region, and the third force concentration bump and the fourth force concentration bump are made of a same material as the first electrode and the second electrodes.

12. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrodes are located at a same level, the force sensing layer is located on the first electrode and the second electrodes, and the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are located below the first electrode and the second electrodes.

13. The display device of claim 12 , wherein the first force sensor further comprises a first base and a second base facing the first base, the first electrode and the second electrodes are located on a surface of the first base which faces the second base, the force sensing layer is located on a surface of the second base which faces the first base, and the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are located on the other surface of the first base.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein the first force concentration bump and the second force concentration bump are made of a same material as the first electrode and the second electrodes.

15. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the first electrode comprises a first stem electrode and a plurality of first branch electrodes branching from the first stem electrode, and each of the second electrodes comprises a second stem electrode and a plurality of second branch electrodes branching from the second stem electrode, wherein the first branch electrodes and the second branch electrodes are arranged alternately with each other.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein the first electrode is a driving electrode, and each of the second electrodes is a sensing electrode.

17. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the force sensing layer is disposed separately in each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region.

18. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrodes are located at different levels, and the force sensing layer is located between the first electrode and the second electrodes.

19. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a second force sensor disposed adjacent to a second edge facing the first edge of the display panel, and the second force sensor extending along the second edge, wherein the second force sensor comprises:
a plurality of third sensing regions arranged from a first end of the second force sensor toward a second end of the second force sensor;
a fourth sensing region located closer to the second end among the first and second ends;
a third force concentration bump overlapping each of the third sensing regions; and
a fourth force concentration bump overlapping the fourth sensing region, the fourth concentration bump spaced apart from the third force concentration bump.

20. The display device of claim 19 , comprising a flat portion, a first curved portion disposed at the first edge of the flat portion, and a second curved portion disposed at the second edge of the flat portion, wherein the first force sensor is disposed in the first curved portion, and the second force sensor is disposed in the second curved portion.

21. The display device of claim 20 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor are attached to a lower surface of the display panel.

22. The display device of claim 21 , further comprising a bracket which houses the display panel, the first

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Won Ki
• Park Sung Kook
• Seomoon Hee
• Lee Tae Hee

Classifications

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• G06F3/04164

  Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads · CPC title

• G06F1/169

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/04142 Primary

  the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate · CPC title