Touch panel, touch detection method thereof and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019004644-A1
Application number	US-201715742319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch panel, a touch detection method thereof, and a display device are provided. The touch panel includes an electrowetting substrate and a touch substrate which are disposed opposite to each other and a conductive fluid drop disposed between the electrowetting substrate and the touch substrate. The electrowetting substrate includes a first base substrate, a control electrode, and a first insulating layer; the conductive fluid drop is disposed at a side of the first insulating layer away from the control electrode, and corresponds to the control electrode; the touch substrate includes a second base substrate and a touch electrode unit disposed at a side of the second base substrate close to the electrowetting substrate; the touch electrode unit and the conductive fluid drop are disposed opposite to each other.

First claim

1 . A touch panel, comprising:
an electrowetting substrate, a conductive fluid drop and a touch substrate, wherein the touch substrate and the electrowetting substrate are disposed opposite to each other, the conductive fluid drop is disposed between the electrowetting substrate and the touch substrate; the electrowetting substrate comprises a first base substrate, a control electrode disposed at a side of the first base substrate close to the touch substrate, and a first insulating layer disposed at a side of the control electrode close to the touch substrate; the touch substrate comprises a second base substrate and a touch electrode unit disposed at a side of the second base substrate close to the electrowetting substrate; the conductive fluid drop is disposed at a side of the first insulating layer away from the control electrode, and corresponds to the control electrode; the touch electrode unit and the conductive fluid drop are disposed opposite to each other; the touch panel is configured to allow the conductive fluid drop to contact the touch electrode unit under the control of the control electrode to recognize a touch operation upon a touch occurring.

2 . The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the touch electrode unit comprises a touch sensing electrode, the touch sensing electrode comprises: a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode which are insulated with each other, and the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are disposed in a same layer.

3 . The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the first sensing electrode is a center electrode, and the second sensing electrode is a ringlike electrode surrounding the first sensing electrode.

4 . The touch panel according to claim 3 , wherein a shape of the ringlike electrode comprises a rectangle ring, an octagonal ring or a circular ring.

5 . The touch panel according to claim 3 , wherein, along a direction parallel to the second base substrate and passing through a center of the first sensing electrode, a width of the second sensing electrode is larger than that of the first sensing electrode.

6 . The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the touch sensing electrode further comprises:
a third sensing electrode, wherein the third sensing electrode is insulated with the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, and the third sensing electrode, the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are disposed in a same layer.

7 . The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the touch electrode structure further comprises at least one direction sensing electrode structure, the direction sensing electrode structure and the touch sensing electrode are disposed at intervals in a same layer and disposed in a periphery of the touch sensing electrode.

8 . The touch panel according to claim 7 , wherein the direction sensing electrode structure and the touch sensing electrode have a same structure.

9 . The touch panel according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one direction sensing electrode comprises:
a first direction sensing electrode structure; a second direction sensing electrode structure; a third direction sensing electrode structure; and a fourth direction sensing electrode structure, wherein the first direction sensing electrode structure and the third direction sensing electrode structure are arranged along a first direction and disposed at two sides of the touch sensing electrode, the second direction sensing electrode structure and the fourth direction sensing electrode structure are arranged along a second direction and disposed at two sides of the touch sensing electrode, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

10 . The touch panel according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulating fluid, disposed between the electrowetting substrate and the touch substrate.

11 . The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein a density of the conductive fluid drop is smaller than that of the insulating fluid.

12 . The touch panel according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first electrode lead, electrically connected with the first sensing electrode; and a second electrode lead, electrically connected with the second sensing electrode, wherein the first electrode lead is configured to input an electrical signal, the second electrode lead is configured to output an electrical signal, or the first electrode lead is configured to output an electrical signal, the second electrode lead is configured to input an electrical signal.

13 . A display device, comprising a display panel and a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises the touch panel according to claim 1 .

14 . A touch detection method for the touch panel according to claim 1 , comprising:
applying a voltage to the control electrode to control the conductive fluid drop to deform; detecting a contact state between the touch electrode unit and the conductive fluid drop, so as to judge whether there is a touch operation.

15 . The touch detection method according to claim 14 , wherein the touch electrode unit comprises a touch sensing electrode, the touch sensing electrode comprises: a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode which are insulated with each other, and the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are disposed in a same layer, the detecting a contact state between the touch electrode unit and the conductive fluid drop, so as to judge whether there is a touch operation comprises:
detecting whether the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are conducted or not to judge whether there is a touch operation.

16 . The touch detection method according to claim 15 , the detecting whether the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are conducted or not to judge whether there is a touch operation comprises:
applying an electrical signal to one of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode; and detecting whether the other one of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode outputs an electrical signal.

17 . The touch detection method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
applying an electrical signal to one of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode; and detecting a magnitude of an electrical signal on the other one of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode to judge a magnitude of the touch pressure.

18 . The touch detection method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
during a time period which the touch operation occurs, gradually increasing or decreasing a magnitude of the voltage applied to the control electrode; and upon detecting the touch electrode unit is conducted, recording the magnitude of the voltage applied on the control electrode.

19 . The touch detection method according to claim 15 , wherein the touch sensing electrode further comprises: a third sensing electrode, the third sensing electrode is insulated with the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, and the third sensing electrode, the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are disposed in a same layer, the touch detection method further comprises:
detecting whether the third sensing electrode outputs an electrical signal or not.

20 . The touch detection method according to claim 15 , wherein the touch electrode unit further comprises at least one direction sensing electrode structure, the direc

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Beijing Boe Display Tech Co

Inventors

• Yao Zhixiao
• Tian Ming
• Liu Jiarong
• Zheng Xiaoyi

Classifications

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · 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

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title