Electronic device comprising sensor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443240-B2
Application number	US-202418937655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2024
Priority date	May 27, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may include: a first housing; a second housing; a hinge structure; a display; and a sensor panel, wherein the sensor panel comprises: a support layer which comprises a polymer inclusive material and is in contact with an adhesive material arranged on at least one of a first surface of the first housing and a third surface of the second housing; a shielding layer arranged on the support layer; a first insulating layer arranged on the shielding layer; a first conductive pattern arranged on the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer arranged on the first conductive pattern; a second conductive pattern arranged on the second insulating layer; and a third insulating layer arranged on the second conductive pattern and facing one surface of the display, wherein the thickness of at least one of the first insulating layer and the third insulating layer is greater than the thickness of the second insulating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a second housing including a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface;
a hinge structure, comprising a hinge, capable of being switched between at least an unfolding state in which a direction in which the first surface faces and a direction in which the third surface faces are the same, and a folding state in which the first surface and the third surface face each other, by rotatably coupling the first housing and the second housing;
a display disposed above at least the first surface and the third surface across the hinge structure; and
a sensor panel, disposed between at least one of the first surface and the third surface, and the display, and configured to receive an input from an electronic pen, and
wherein the sensor panel includes:
a supporting layer, including a polymer inclusive material, and being in contact with an adhesive material disposed on at least one of the first surface and the third surface;
a shielding layer disposed on the supporting layer;
a first insulating layer disposed on the shielding layer;
a first conductive pattern disposed on the first insulating layer;
a second insulating layer disposed on the first conductive layer;
a second conductive pattern disposed on the second insulating layer; and
a third insulating layer, disposed on the second conductive pattern, and facing a surface of the display, and

wherein a thickness of at least one of the first insulating layer and the third insulating layer is greater than a thickness of the second insulating layer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein a thickness of the third insulating layer is greater than a thickness of the first insulating layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the polymer inclusive material includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

4. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes a conductive via penetrating the first conductive pattern, the second insulating layer, and the second conductive pattern.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel is configured to obtain, through electromagnetic interaction with the electronic pen, an induced current flowing in the first conductive pattern or the second conductive pattern.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes:
a first region disposed between at least the first surface and the display; and
a second region, spaced from the first region, and disposed between at least the third surface and the display.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
in the unfolding state, a direction in which a first side of the first region faces is opposite to a direction in which a second side of the second region faces; and
in the folding state, the direction in which the first side of the first region faces is the same as the direction in which the second side of the second region faces.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer includes at least one of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI).

9. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern includes at least one of copper, gold, silver, and platinum.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the shielding layer includes a magnetic metal powder (MMP).

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein a portion of the sensor panel overlaps the hinge structure when the sensor panel is viewed from above.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes a first adhesive layer interposed between at least the supporting layer and the shielding layer.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes a second adhesive layer interposed between at least the shielding layer and the second insulating layer.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes a third adhesive layer interposed between at least the first conductive pattern and the second insulating layer.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor panel further includes a fourth adhesive layer interposed between at least the second conductive pattern and the third insulating layer.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a second housing including a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface;
a hinge structure, comprising a hinge, configured to be switched between at least an unfolding state in which a direction in which the first surface faces and a direction in which the third surface faces are the same, and a folding state in which the first surface and the third surface face each other, by rotatably coupling the first housing and the second housing;
a display disposed above the first surface and the third surface across the hinge structure; and
a sensor panel that includes a first region disposed between at least the first surface and the display and a second region, spaced from the first region, and disposed between at least the third surface and the display, and is configured to receive an input from an electronic pen, and
wherein the sensor panel includes:
a supporting layer, including a polymer inclusive material, and being in contact with an adhesive material disposed on the first surface and the third surface;
a shielding layer disposed on the supporting layer;
a first insulating layer disposed on the shielding layer;
a first conductive pattern disposed on the first insulating layer;
a second insulating layer disposed on the first conductive layer;
a second conductive pattern disposed on the second insulating layer; and
a third insulating layer, disposed on the second conductive pattern, and facing a surface of the display, and

wherein thicknesses of the first insulating layer and the third insulating layer are greater than a thickness of the second insulating layer.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein the thickness of the third insulating layer is greater than the thickness of the first insulating layer.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein the polymer inclusive material includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

19. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein at least one of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer includes at least one of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI).

20. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
further comprising a conductive via penetrating the first conductive pattern, the second insulating layer, and the second conductive pattern.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Kyungho
• Lee Youngsun
• Kim Jiwon
• Ryu Kwanghee
• An Jungchul
• Yoon Chulhyo
• Choi Seungki

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/03545

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/046

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title