Electronic device having a sensing electrode including a trunk portion and a branch portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809668-B2
Application number	US-202217582890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display panel and an input sensor disposed on the display panel and having a first sensing electrode extending in a first direction. The first sensing electrode includes a first trunk portion extending in the first direction and a first branch portion extending from the first trunk portion in a second direction crossing the first direction. The first branch portion includes a plurality of first branches and a plurality of second branches. The first branches extend in a direction opposite to a direction in which the second branches extend in the second direction, and the number of the first branches is equal to the number of the second branches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display panel; and
an input sensor disposed on the display panel and having a first sensing electrode extending in a first direction, the first sensing electrode including:
a first trunk portion extending in the first direction; and
a first branch portion extending from the first trunk portion in a second direction crossing the first direction,
wherein the first branch portion includes a plurality of first branches and a plurality of second branches,
wherein each of the first branches extends downward from one end of the first trunk portion in the second direction, and each of the second branches extends upward from an other end of the first trunk portion in the second direction, and a number of the first branches is equal to a number of the second branches,
wherein the input sensor includes an active area in which the first sensing electrode is disposed, the active area of the input sensor includes a plurality of unit areas each having a first pitch, and at least one of the first branches and at least one of the second branches cross over each of the unit areas,
wherein the first branches and the second branches include a first portion that is adjacent to the first trunk portion and a second portion that is not adjacent to the first trunk portion, and the second portion has a width greater than a width of the first portion,
wherein the input sensor includes an active area in which the first sensing electrode is disposed and a peripheral area defined adjacent to the active area, and the active area includes a first unit area and a second unit area adjacent to the first unit area, and
wherein the first trunk portion and at least some portions of the first portion are disposed in the first unit area, and an entirety of the second portion is disposed in the second unit area.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input sensor further includes a peripheral area in which signal lines connected to the first sensing electrode are disposed, and the peripheral area is defined adjacent to the active area.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first branch portion is disposed in the active area.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first branches and at least one of the second branches are disposed in each of the unit areas.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein a straight distance from one end of the first branch to one end of the second branch in the second direction is larger than the first pitch.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing electrode is provided in plural, and the first sensing electrodes are arranged in the second direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first branches and the second branches are substantially perpendicular to the first trunk portion.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input sensor further includes a second sensing electrode substantially perpendicular to the first sensing electrode and extending in the second direction, and
wherein the second sensing electrode includes:
a second trunk portion extending in the second direction; and
a second branch portion extending from the second trunk portion in the first direction, the second branch portion includes a plurality of third branches and a plurality of fourth branches, the third branches extend in a direction opposite to a direction in which the fourth branches extend, and a number of the third branches is equal to a number of the fourth branches.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first trunk portion includes:
a plurality of first sensing portions; and
a plurality of first connection portions disposed between the first sensing portions and connecting adjacent first sensing portions, the first sensing portions are disposed on a layer different from a layer on which the first connection portions are disposed, and
wherein the second trunk portion includes:
a plurality of second sensing portions; and
a plurality of second connection portions disposed between the second sensing portions and connecting adjacent second sensing portions, and the second sensing portions are disposed on a same layer as the second connection portions.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first branch portion extends from the first sensing portion in the second direction, and the second branch portion extends from the second sensing portion in the first direction.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a sensor controller,
wherein the input sensor further includes:
a first signal line connected to the first sensing electrode; and
a second signal line connected to the second sensing electrode, and the first signal line and the second signal line are connected to the sensor controller.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first trunk portion and the first branch portion is provided in plural.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a length of the first branches is different from a length of the second branches.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein first branches different from each other and respectively included in the first branch portions different from each other and adjacent to each other among the first branch portions face each other, and second branches different from each other and respectively included in the first branch portions different from each other and adjacent to each other among the first branch portions extend in opposite directions to each other.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first branch portions are electrically connected to each other.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the first branches has a shape different from a shape of the second portion of the second branches.

17. An electronic device comprising:
a display panel; and
an input sensor disposed on the display panel, including an active area defined therein and comprising a plurality of unit areas each having a first pitch, and including a plurality of unit sensing electrodes respectively disposed in the unit areas,
wherein a length in a first direction of each of the unit areas is smaller than a minimum length of a straight line of each of the unit sensing electrodes in a second direction,
wherein each of the unit sensing electrodes includes a first trunk portion extending in the first direction and a first branch portion extending from the first trunk portion in the second direction crossing the first direction, and the first branch portion includes a plurality of first branches and a plurality of second branches extending in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first branches extend in the second direction, wherein at least one of the first branches and at least one of the second branches cross over each of the unit areas,
wherein the first branches and the second branches include a first portion that is adjacent to the first trunk portion and a second portion that is not adjacent to the first trunk portion, and the second portion has a width greater than a width of the first portion,
wherein the input sensor includes an active area in which a first sensing electrode is disposed and a peripheral area defined adjacent to the active area, and the active area includes a first unit area and a second unit area adjacent to the first unit area, and
wherein the first trunk portion and at least some portions of the first portion are disposed in the first unit area, and an entirety of the second portion i

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Sanghyun
• Kim Gayoung
• Park Youngmin
• Jeon Hyunjee

Classifications

• G06F3/0446 Primary

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

• H04M1/0266 Primary

  for a display module assembly · CPC title

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title

• H04M2250/22

  including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector · CPC title

• G06F3/0445 Primary

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title