Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11567619-B2
Application number	US-202117228437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2021
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device, includes: a sensor layer detecting a touch input and an input-device input; and a sensor control circuit providing the sensor layer with a signal and receiving a detection signal from the sensor layer, wherein the sensor layer includes: a first electrode extending along a first direction; a second electrode extending along the first direction; a first cross electrode extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a second cross electrode extending along the second direction, wherein the sensor control circuit detects the touch input based on a variation in mutual capacitance between the first electrode and the first cross electrode, and the sensor control circuit detects the input-device input based on a variation in capacitance of at least one selected from the first electrode, the second electrode, the first cross electrode, and the second cross electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a display layer;
a sensor layer on the display layer and configured to detect a touch input and an input-device input; and
a sensor control circuit configured to provide the sensor layer with a signal and to receive a detection signal from the sensor layer,
wherein the sensor layer includes:
a first electrode that extends along a first direction;
a second electrode that extends along the first direction;
a first cross electrode that extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction; and
a second cross electrode that extends along the second direction,

wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to detect the touch input based on a variation in mutual capacitance between the first electrode and the first cross electrode, and
wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to detect the input-device input based on a variation in capacitance of at least one selected from the first electrode and the second electrode and a variation in capacitance of at least one selected from the first cross electrode and the second cross electrode; and
wherein the sensor control circuit includes a signal generation circuit configured to provide the sensor layer with the signal and a touch detection circuit configured to obtain a touch coordinate based on the detection signal provided from the sensor layer,
wherein the signal generation circuit is configured to concurrently provide a same signal to the first electrode and the second electrode, and
wherein the touch detection circuit is configured to obtain the touch coordinate by merging a first detection signal received from the first cross electrode with a second detection signal received from the second cross electrode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor control circuit further includes:
an input-device detection circuit configured to obtain an input-device coordinate based on the detection signal provided from the sensor layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the input-device detection circuit is configured to obtain the input-device coordinate based on a first detection signal received from the first electrode, a second detection signal received from the second electrode, a third detection signal received from the first cross electrode, and a fourth detection signal received from the second cross electrode.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein
the first electrode includes a first opening and a second opening that is spaced apart in the first direction from the first opening, and
the second electrode includes a first sensing pattern in the first opening, a second sensing pattern in the second opening, and a bridge pattern electrically connected to the first sensing pattern and the second sensing pattern.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein
the first sensing pattern and the second sensing pattern are on a same layer as the first electrode, and
each of the first sensing pattern and the second sensing pattern is surrounded by the first electrode.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein
the signal generation circuit is configured to provide the first electrode with the signal,
the touch detection circuit is configured to obtain the touch coordinate based on a detection signal received from the first cross electrode, and
the input-device detection circuit is configured to obtain the input-device coordinate based on a first detection signal received from the second electrode and a second detection signal received from the first cross electrode.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the second electrode is electrically floated or grounded in response to the touch detection circuit operating.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the first electrode is electrically floated or grounded in response to the input-device detection circuit operating.

9. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein
a plurality of openings are defined in each of the first cross electrode and the second cross electrode, and
a dummy pattern is in each of the plurality of openings, and the dummy pattern is electrically floated.

10. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein
the first cross electrode includes a first cross opening and a second cross opening that is spaced apart in the second direction from the first cross opening, and
the second cross electrode includes a first cross sensing pattern in the first cross opening, a second cross sensing pattern in the second cross opening, and a cross bridge pattern electrically connected to the first cross sensing pattern and the second cross sensing pattern.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein
the signal generation circuit is configured to provide the first electrode with the signal,
the touch detection circuit is configured to obtain the touch coordinate based on a detection signal received from the first cross electrode, and
the input-device detection circuit is configured to obtain the input-device coordinate based on a first detection signal received from the second electrode and a second detection signal received from the second cross electrode.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein
in response to the touch detection circuit operating, each of the second electrode and the second cross electrode is electrically floated or grounded, and
in response to the input-device detection circuit operating, each of the first electrode and the first cross electrode is electrically floated or grounded.

13. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein
the first cross electrode includes a first cross opening and a second cross opening that is spaced apart in the second direction from the first cross opening, and
the second cross electrode includes a first cross sensing pattern in the first cross opening, a second cross sensing pattern in the second cross opening, and a cross bridge pattern electrically connected to the first cross sensing pattern and the second cross sensing pattern.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein
the signal generation circuit is configured to provide the first electrode with the signal,
the touch detection circuit is configured to obtain the touch coordinate based on a detection signal received from the first cross electrode, and
the input-device detection circuit is configured to obtain the input-device coordinate based on a first detection signal received from the first electrode and a second detection signal received from the second cross electrode.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein
in response to the touch detection circuit operating, the second cross electrode is electrically floated or grounded, and
in response to the input-device detection circuit operating, the first cross electrode is electrically floated or grounded.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the first electrode and the second electrode are symmetrical with each other about a first reference line that extends along the first direction, and
the first cross electrode and the second cross electrode are symmetrical with each other about a second reference line that extends along the second direction.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in a thickness direction of the sensor layer,
the second electrode is surrounded by the first electrode, and
the second cross electrode is surrounded by the first cross electrode.

18. An electronic device, comprising:
a display layer;
a sensor layer on the display layer and including a first electrode th

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Suyul
• Ku Jaseung
• Kim Suin
• Baek Jongin
• Yoo Gi-Na
• Lim Jaeik

Classifications

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F2203/04111

  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 title

• G06F3/0443

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0446 Primary

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title