Transparent display device with touch sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12405688-B2
Application number	US-202418611469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2024
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A transparent display device with a touch sensor is provided, which may minimize or reduce loss of light transmittance due to a touch sensor and a touch line and may detect a defective touch sensor among a plurality of touch sensors provided in a touch block. The transparent display device comprises a substrate provided with a transmissive area and a non-transmissive area, a touch sensor provided in the transmissive area over the substrate, including a touch sensor electrode, a pixel provided in the non-transmissive area over the substrate, including a plurality of light emitting elements comprised of an anode electrode, a light emitting layer and a cathode electrode, a reference line provided in the non-transmissive area, a plurality of switching transistors connecting the reference line with each of the plurality of light emitting elements, and a touch transistor connecting the reference line with the touch sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transparent display device, comprising:
a substrate including a transmissive area and a non-transmissive area, the transmissive area structured to allow externally incident light to pass through;
a touch sensor in the transmissive area over the substrate, the touch sensor including a first touch sensor electrode;
a first pixel in the non-transmissive area over the substrate, the first pixel including a plurality of light emitting elements, each of the plurality of light emitting elements including an anode electrode, a light emitting layer and a cathode electrode;
a reference line in the non-transmissive area; and
a plurality of touch lines in the non-transmissive area, between the reference line and the first touch sensor electrode.

2. The transparent display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a scan line in the non-transmissive area, configured to receive a scan signal; and
a plurality of switching transistors each connecting the reference line with one of the plurality of light emitting elements,
wherein each of the plurality of switching transistors has a gate electrode connected to the scan line, and is turned on to connect the reference line with the light emitting element when the scan signal is applied through the scan line.

3. The transparent display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gate-on voltage line in the non-transmissive area, configured to receive a gate-on voltage; and
a touch transistor connecting the reference line with the touch sensor,
wherein the touch transistor has a gate electrode connected to the gate-on voltage line, and is turned on to connect the reference line with the touch sensor when the gate-on voltage is applied through the gate-on voltage line.

4. The transparent display device of claim 3 , wherein the touch transistor includes:
a gate electrode connected to a gate-on voltage line;
an active layer at least partially overlapping with the gate electrode;
a source electrode having a first end connected to the reference line and a second end connected to the active layer; and
a drain electrode having a first end connected to the active layer and a second end electrically connected to the first touch sensor electrode.

5. The transparent display device of claim 3 , wherein the touch transistor overlaps at least part of the touch sensor.

6. The transparent display device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of touch sensors and a plurality of pixels,
wherein the plurality of touch sensors correspond to the plurality of pixels one-to-one.

7. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein the cathode electrode of the light emitting element is in the same layer as the first touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor.

8. The transparent display device of claim 7 , further comprising a first undercut structure in the transmissive area, the first undercut structure having a planar closed shape,
wherein the cathode electrode and the first touch sensor electrode are separated from each other by the first undercut structure.

9. The transparent display device of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of touch sensors and a plurality of pixels,
wherein the plurality of touch sensors correspond to the plurality of pixels one-to-one.

10. The transparent display device of claim 9 , further comprising a common power line coupled to the cathode electrode,
wherein in operation a defective touch sensor, in which a short-circuit is present between a respective cathode electrode and a respective first touch sensor electrode, among the plurality of touch sensors is detected based on a current flowing to the plurality of light emitting elements when a different voltage is applied to each of the reference line and the common power line.

11. The transparent display device of claim 10 , wherein a current flowing from the reference line to the common power line includes a first current flowing from the reference line to the plurality of light emitting elements by passing through the switching transistor and a second current flowing from the reference line to the first touch sensor electrode by passing through the touch transistor when the short-circuit is present between the cathode electrode and the first touch sensor electrode.

12. The transparent display device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of light emitting elements included in a pixel corresponding to the defective touch sensor have a smaller amount of current than the plurality of light emitting elements included in a pixel corresponding to a normal touch sensor.

13. The transparent display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch bridge line connected to one of the plurality of touch lines; and
a touch connection portion connecting the touch bridge line with a touch sensor,
wherein a touch sensing voltage is applied to the plurality of touch lines.

14. The transparent display device of claim 13 , wherein the touch connection portion connected to the touch sensor, in which a short-circuit is present between the cathode electrode and the first touch sensor electrode, is cut by a laser.

15. The transparent display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch transistor under the first touch sensor electrode,
a first touch contact electrode in contact with the touch transistor and the first touch sensor electrode; and
a first organic pattern that overlaps the first touch contact electrode,
wherein the first touch sensor electrode extends beneath the first organic pattern and is in contact with the first touch contact electrode, and
wherein the touch transistor is under the first touch sensor electrode.

16. The transparent display device of claim 15 , wherein the reference line includes a reference connection line that overlaps the cathode electrode and the first touch sensor electrode.

17. The transparent display device of claim 8 , further comprising an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer extends into the first undercut structure and is underneath the cathode electrode.

18. The transparent display device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second touch sensor electrode;
a second undercut structure;
a second pixel including a second cathode electrode, the second cathode electrode and the second touch electrode being a continuous layer that overlaps the second undercut structure;
a touch bridge line associated with the second touch sensor electrode; and
a touch connection portion associated with the touch bridge line and the second touch sensor electrode, the touch connection portion being cut so that the second touch sensor electrode and the touch bridge line are electrically separated from each other.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jaehee
• Lee Mireum

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04112

  Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material · 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

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

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