Touch panel device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11928302-B2
Application number	US-201917636376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A touch panel device includes a cover panel having a front surface including an operation region on which a touch operation is performed and a back surface as a surface on a side opposite to the front surface, a first adhesive material provided on the back surface, a touch panel unit that includes a base substrate and a plurality of touch sensor electrodes provided on a region of the base substrate corresponding to the operation region and is arranged to face the back surface via the first adhesive material, a first displacement detection electrode provided on a part of the back surface outside a region of the back surface corresponding to the operation region, and a second displacement detection electrode provided on a part of the base substrate outside the region of the base substrate corresponding to the operation region to face the first displacement detection electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch panel device comprising:
a cover panel having a front surface including an operation region on which a touch operation is to be performed and a back surface as a surface on a side opposite to the front surface;
a first adhesive material on the back surface:
a touch panel including a base substrate and a plurality of touch sensor electrodes on a region of the base substrate corresponding to the operation region and facing the back surface via the first adhesive, material;
a first displacement detection electrode on a part of the back surface outside a region of the back surface corresponding to the operation region;
a plurality of second displacement detection electrodes on a part of the base substrate outside the region of the base substrate corresponding to the operation region and facing the first displacement detection electrode; and
a pressing force detector to detect pressing force based on capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and each of the plurality of second displacement detection electrodes, wherein
when the pressing force is applied to the operation region, the capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and each of the plurality of second displacement detection electrodes changes based on a difference between displacement of the cover panel and displacement of the base substrate,
the plurality of the second displacement detection electrodes include a third displacement detection electrode and a fourth displacement detection electrode that are electrically independent of each other,
the pressing force detector detects the pressing force based on a difference between first capacitance and second capacitance, the first capacitance being capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the third displacement detection electrode, the second capacitance being capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the fourth displacement detection electrode,
the base substrate has a first surface with the second displacement detection electrode,
the first surface is in a shape having a plurality of corners in a plan view, and
the third displacement detection electrode includes corner electrode parts in vicinal regions of the corners.

2. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein capacitance of the plurality of touch sensor electrodes changes when the touch operation is performed on the operation region with an electric conductor.

3. The touch panel device according to claim 2 , further comprising a touch position detector to detect a touch position of the touch operation based on the capacitance of the plurality of touch sensor electrodes.

4. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the first displacement detection electrode covers a whole of the plurality of second displacement detection electrodes when the front surface is viewed from a front.

5. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein an air layer is between the first displacement detection electrode and the plurality of second displacement detection electrodes.

6. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth displacement detection electrode includes side electrode parts in vicinal regions of sides of the first surface.

7. The touch panel device according to claim 6 , wherein when pressing force is applied to the operation region, the first displacement detection electrode is displaced and capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the side electrode parts changes.

8. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein when pressing force is applied to the operation region, the first displacement detection electrode is displaced and capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the corner electrode parts changes.

9. The touch panel device according to claim 8 , wherein the pressing force detector detects the pressing force based on a difference which is a value obtained by subtracting change amount of third capacitance from change amount of fourth capacitance, the third capacitance being capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the side electrode parts, the fourth capacitance being capacitance between the first displacement detection electrode and the corner electrode parts.

10. The touch panel device according to claim 9 , wherein the pressing force detector includes a charge detector to input a drive signal to each second displacement detection electrode of the plurality of second displacement detection electrodes and to detect an electric charge induced in the each second displacement detection electrode.

11. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display panel to display an, image that is visible through the touch panel, the first adhesive material and the cover panel.

12. The touch panel device according to claim 11 , wherein the display panel includes the base substrate of the touch panel.

13. The touch panel device according to claim 11 , further comprising a housing that supports the cover panel, the first adhesive material, the touch panel, and the display panel.

14. The touch panel device according to claim 6 , wherein the housing supports the first adhesive material, the touch panel and the display panel by supporting the cover panel.

15. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of column electrodes; and
a plurality of row electrodes,
wherein the second displacement detection electrodes and respective lead wires are electronically separate from the column and row electrodes of the touch panel device.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ono Takeshi
• Orita Tae
• Mori Seiichiro
• Shimasaki Yusuke
• Sasaki Yuichi
• NIDAIRA Masaya

Classifications

• G06F3/0447 Primary

  Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells · CPC title

• G06F3/04164

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

• G06F3/0445

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

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title