Electronic device including a sensor for an active pen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11599228-B2
Application number	US-202117249720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2021
Priority date	May 27, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a display layer; and a sensor layer on the display layer, the sensor layer including: a first sensing electrode having a first sub-sensing electrode and a second sub-sensing electrode electrically separated from the first sub-sensing electrode; and a second sensing electrode intersecting the first sensing electrode, wherein the sensor layer is configured to sense an external input through a change in mutual capacitance between the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, and the sensor layer is further configured to sense an input by an active pen through a change in capacitance of each of the first sub-sensing electrode, the second sub-sensing electrode, and the second sensing electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display layer;
a sensor layer on the display layer; and
a sensor driving circuit configured to drive the sensor layer,
wherein the sensor layer includes:
a first sensing electrode having a first sub-sensing electrode and a second sub-sensing electrode electrically separated from the first sub-sensing electrode; and

a second sensing electrode having a third sub-sensing electrode and a fourth sub-sensing electrode, and intersecting the first sensing electrode,
wherein the sensor driving circuit is configured to simultaneously provide a same signal to the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode to sense an external input and to sum a sensing signal received from the third sub-sensing electrode and a sensing signal received from the fourth sub-sensing electrode, and
the sensor driving circuit is further configured to receive sensing signals from the first sub-sensing electrode, the second sub-sensing electrode, the third sub-sensing electrode, and the fourth sub-sensing electrode, respectively, to sense an input by an active pen.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode extends along a first direction;
the second sensing electrode extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction;
the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode are spaced apart from each other along the second direction; and
each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode intersects the second sensing electrode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
a first opening and a second opening spaced apart from the first opening are in the first sub-sensing electrode; and
the second sub-sensing electrode comprises a first sub-sensing pattern in the first opening and electrically insulated from the first sub-sensing electrode, a second sub-sensing pattern in the second opening and electrically insulated from the first sub-sensing electrode, and a sub-bridge pattern connecting the first sub-sensing pattern and the second sub-sensing pattern.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first sub-sensing electrode is equal to or greater than a length of the second sub-sensing electrode.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode extends along a first direction;
each of the third sub-sensing electrode and the fourth sub-sensing electrode extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction; and
each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode intersects the third sub-sensing electrode and the fourth sub-sensing electrode.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display layer comprises:
a base layer;
a circuit layer on the base layer;
a light emitting element layer on the circuit layer and the light emitting element layer including a first electrode, an emission layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the emission layer; and
an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer, wherein the sensor layer is directly on the encapsulation layer.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor layer has a sensing region in which the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are located and a peripheral region adjacent to the sensing region; and
the sensor layer further comprises a first sensing line electrically connected to the first sub-sensing electrode, a second sensing line electrically connected to the second sub-sensing electrode, and a third sensing line electrically connected to the second sensing electrode, wherein each of the first sensing line, the second sensing line, and the third sensing line is in the peripheral region.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode extends along a first direction, and a width of the sensing region in the first direction is equal to or greater than a length of the first sub-sensing electrode in the first direction.

9. An electronic device comprising:
a display layer comprising:
a base layer;
a circuit layer on the base layer;
a light emitting element layer on the circuit layer; and
an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer; and

a sensor layer on the display layer, the sensor layer having a sensing region and a peripheral region, and the sensor layer comprising:
a first sensing electrode in the sensing region and having a first sub-sensing electrode and a second sub-sensing electrode; and
a second sensing electrode in the sensing region and intersecting the first sensing electrode,
wherein each of the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode extends along a first direction;
the second sensing electrode extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction;
the first sub-sensing electrode and the second sub-sensing electrode are spaced apart along the first direction;
the second sensing electrode is provided plural, the first sub-sensing electrode intersects at least one of the second sensing electrodes, and the second sub-sensing electrode is spaced apart from the at least one of the second sensing electrodes, and
the sensor layer is configured to sense an external input through a change in mutual capacitance between the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode and the sensor layer is further configured to sense an input by an active pen through a change in capacitance of each of the first sub-sensing electrode, the second sub-sensing electrode, and the second sensing electrode.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a width of the sensing region in the first direction is equal to or greater than a sum of a length of the first sub-sensing electrode in the first direction and a length of the second sub-sensing electrode in the first direction.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a length of the first sub-sensing electrode in the first direction is equal to or greater than a length of the second sub-sensing electrode in the first direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first sensing line electrically connected to the first sub-sensing electrode and in the peripheral region;
a second sensing line electrically connected to the second sub-sensing electrode and in the peripheral region; and
a third sensing line electrically connected to the second sensing electrode and in the peripheral region.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seongjun
• Kim Suin
• Ku Jaseung
• Seo Suyul
• Yoo Gi-Na
• Lee Dong-Hwan
• Lim Jaeik

Classifications

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• G06F3/0443 Primary

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0442 Primary

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser · CPC title

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title