JP6919453B2 - Pressure-sensitive sensor device and pressure-sensitive sensor unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pressure-sensitive sensor device and a pressure-sensitive sensor unit, and more particularly to a pressure-sensitive sensor device having a plurality of detection cells arranged in a matrix and a pressure-sensitive sensor unit.

In recent years, pressure-sensitive sensor devices have been used in various fields. For example, by installing the pressure sensor device on the floor, it is possible to grasp the number of people passing over the pressure sensor device, the moving direction, and the like.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to a fingerprint sensor using an active matrix type TFT substrate. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of pressure-sensitive cells are arranged in a matrix on an integrated circuit chip. The pressure-sensitive cell includes a contact electrode, and a conductive sheet arranged on the upper side of the integrated circuit chip comes into contact with the contact electrode to detect a fingerprint.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-145318

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a conductive sheet is provided at a position facing the integrated circuit chip. This conductive sheet can be formed by depositing a conductive film on the entire back surface of the insulating film. Here, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technique relating to a fingerprint sensor having a small size, the area of the conductive film is small, and the conductive film can be easily formed by using vapor deposition on the entire back surface of the insulating film. can.

However, in the case of a pressure-sensitive sensor device (for example, a pressure-sensitive sensor device installed on the floor), which is larger in size than the fingerprint sensor, the area of the pressure-sensitive sensor is large, so vapor deposition is used to form a conductive film on the film. That is difficult. Further, in a pressure-sensitive sensor device having a large size, when forming an electrode on a film, there is a problem that it is difficult to form an electrode by positioning it at a position corresponding to a plurality of detection cells arranged in a matrix. be.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure-sensitive sensor device and a pressure-sensitive sensor unit having a structure that facilitates positioning of electrodes when forming electrodes on a film.

The pressure-sensitive sensor device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a detection cell including first and second electrodes arranged so as to be close to each other, and a transistor capable of supplying a driving voltage to the first electrode. A film having a plurality of detection cells and having a substrate in which the plurality of detection cells are arranged in a matrix in a row direction and a column direction, and a third electrode arranged so as to face the first and second electrodes. A spacer for arranging the substrate and the film apart from each other is provided. In each of the detection cells, when the transistor supplies a driving voltage to the first electrode, the film is displaced in a direction approaching the substrate, and the third electrode is moved to the first and second electrodes. The pressure is detected when the first electrode and the second electrode are brought into a conductive state in contact with the electrodes of the above, and each of the transistors is a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction. The transistors are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the row direction are driven in order, and the third electrode is a plurality of detection cells arranged in the row direction. It is arranged so as to extend in a line over the area.

The pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a pressure-sensitive sensor unit to which a plurality of the above-mentioned pressure-sensitive sensor devices are connected. The pressure-sensitive sensor unit includes a first pressure-sensitive sensor device and a second pressure-sensitive sensor device, and each of the transistors included in the first pressure-sensitive sensor device is arranged in the same row direction. The transistors are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the row direction are driven in order, and the respective transistors included in the second pressure-sensitive sensor device are the first. After the driving of each of the transistors included in the pressure-sensitive sensor device is completed, a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the column direction are sequentially arranged. It is configured to drive.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pressure-sensitive sensor device and a pressure-sensitive sensor unit having a structure that facilitates positioning of electrodes when forming electrodes on a film.

It is a top view which shows the pressure-sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a detection cell included in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which pressure was applied to the detection cell shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the lower electrode included in the pressure sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example in which a protective substrate is provided on the back surface of the pressure sensitive sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example in which a protective substrate is provided on the back surface of the pressure sensitive sensor device according to the first embodiment. It is a circuit diagram of the pressure sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a timing chart which shows the drive waveform of the pressure-sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the detection operation of the pressure-sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the system configuration of the pressure-sensitive sensor device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a top view which shows the pressure-sensitive sensor unit which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the system configuration of the pressure-sensitive sensor unit which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a timing chart which shows the drive waveform of the pressure-sensitive sensor unit which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a top view which shows the other configuration example of the pressure-sensitive sensor unit which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a top view showing the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a detection cell included in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of detection cells 10 are arranged in a matrix in the row direction and the column direction. FIG. 1 shows an example including detection cells 10 having 8 rows × 10 columns, but in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the number of detection cells 10 provided in the row direction and the column direction is arbitrary. Can be decided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the detection cell 10 is formed on the substrate 11. The substrate 11 can be configured by using a rigid substrate such as a printed wiring board. Lower electrodes 12 and 13 (first and second electrodes) arranged so as to be close to each other are arranged on the upper surface of the substrate 11. As the materials of the lower electrodes 12 and 13, for example, a metal material such as copper or aluminum or a carbon-based material such as carbon black or graphite can be used. The lower electrodes 12 and 13 may be formed on the substrate 11 by using, for example, a printing process. Further, for example, a film on which the lower electrodes 12 and 13 are printed may be attached to the substrate 11 to form the film. A drive voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 12 via a transistor (see FIG. 7).

A film 15 is arranged on the upper part of the substrate 11. A spacer 17 is provided between the substrate 11 and the film 15. The spacers 17 are arranged on both sides of the detection cell 10 in the row direction (in other words, both sides of the lower electrodes 12 and 13). By providing the spacer 17, the substrate 11 and the film 15 can be arranged apart from each other. Further, an upper electrode 14 (third electrode) is formed on the lower surface of the film 15. The upper electrode 14 is arranged so as to face the lower electrodes 12 and 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the film 15 is arranged so as to cover the plurality of detection cells 10 formed on the substrate 11. Further, the upper electrode 14 is arranged so as to extend in a line shape over a plurality of detection cells 10 arranged in the row direction. For example, the upper electrode 14 can be formed by attaching a conductive tape to the lower surface of the film 15. For example, aluminum tape or copper tape can be used for the upper electrode 14. Further, the upper electrode 14 may be formed on the film 15 by using a printing process. Similarly, the spacer 17 may be arranged so as to extend in a line across a plurality of detection cells 10 arranged in the row direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the stress F1 is applied to the upper surface of each detection cell 10, the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13. Is configured to detect pressure. That is, in each detection cell 10, when the transistor supplies the driving voltage to the lower electrode 12, the film 15 is displaced in the direction approaching the substrate 11, and the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13. The lower electrodes 12 and 13 are configured to detect the pressure when they are in a conductive state.

Further, when manufacturing the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a substrate 11 on which the lower electrodes 12 and 13 are formed and a film 15 on which the upper electrodes 14 are formed are prepared. .. Then, the substrate 11 and the film 15 are bonded together via the spacer 17. As described above, the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment can be manufactured by laminating the substrate 11 and the film 15 via the spacer 17, so that a large-area pressure-sensitive sensor device can be inexpensively and efficiently manufactured. Can be made into.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing a configuration example of a lower electrode included in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. In the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the lower electrodes 12 and 13 may be configured by using comb-shaped electrodes as shown in FIG. When the comb-shaped electrode is used in this way, even when the upper electrode 14 and the lower electrodes 12 and 13 are partially in contact with each other, the lower electrode 12 and the lower electrode 13 are electrically connected, so that the pressure-sensitive sensor device is used. Sensitivity can be increased.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example in which a protective substrate is provided on the back surface of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, the transistor 25 included in each detection cell 10_1 is on the back surface of the substrate 11 (the surface on the side where the lower electrodes 12 and 13 of the substrate 11 are arranged). It is provided on the opposite side). By providing the transistor 25 on the back surface of the substrate 11 in this way, the surface of the substrate 11 can be flattened. Therefore, when the film 15 is bonded to the substrate 11, the bonding process becomes easy. Further, by providing the transistor 25 on the back surface of the substrate 11, it is possible to suppress the application of the stress to the transistor when the stress is applied to the film 15. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transistor from being damaged.

As shown in FIG. 5, a protective substrate 26 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 11. The protective substrate 26 is made of a material softer than the substrate 11. Therefore, when the protective substrate 26 is attached to the substrate 11, the protective substrate 26 is deformed according to the shape of the transistor 25 around the transistor 25, so that the protective substrate 26 can be arranged so as to surround the transistor 25. .. Therefore, the protective substrate 26 can be used to protect the transistor 25.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, the recess 28 may be formed at a position corresponding to the transistor 25 of the protective substrate 27. In other words, when the protective substrate 27 is viewed in a plan view, the recess 28 may be formed at a position overlapping the position where the transistor 25 of the protective substrate 27 is arranged. By forming the recess 28 in the protective substrate 27 in this way, it is possible to prevent the transistor 25 and the protective substrate 27 from interfering with each other. In this case as well, the protective substrate 27 may be configured by using a material softer than the substrate 11. Further, since the recess 28 is formed in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the protective substrate 27 may be configured with a hard material like the substrate 11.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, each detection cell 10 includes a transistor Tr and lower electrodes 12 and 13. In addition, in this specification, when a transistor is generically shown, it is described as a transistor Tr.

For example, the transistor Tr11 is connected between the power supply line DL1 and the lower electrode 12, and the gate is connected to the gate wiring GL1. The same applies to the connection of other transistors. The power supply lines DL1 to DL10 supply a drive voltage to the lower electrode 12 of each detection cell 10. Each power supply line DL1 to DL10 is connected to a voltage supply source (not shown).

Further, each of the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 connects the lower electrodes 13 of the detection cells 10 arranged in the same row direction to each other. Each detection wiring SL1 to SL10 is connected to the detection circuit 22.

The gate wirings GL1 to GL8 are connected to the gates of a plurality of transistors Tr arranged in the same row direction. For example, the gate wiring GL1 is connected to the gates of the transistors Tr11 to Tr110 arranged in the first row. Further, the gate wiring GL2 is connected to the gates of the transistors Tr21 to Tr210 arranged in the second row. The same applies to other gate wiring. The gate wirings GL1 to GL8 are connected to the shift register 21. The shift register 21 supplies a gate drive signal to the respective gate wirings GL1 to GL8.

The shift register 21 sends a gate drive signal to each of the gate wirings GL1 to GL8 so that a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction are driven at the same timing and the plurality of transistors are driven in order in the column direction. Supply.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing a drive waveform of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. A clock signal CLK is supplied to the shift register 21, and a high-level gate drive signal is sequentially supplied to the respective gate wirings GL1 to GL8 in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a high-level gate drive signal is supplied from the shift register 21 to the gate wiring GL1 at the timing t1. As a result, the transistors Tr11 to Tr110 in the first row are turned on, and the drive voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 12 of the detection cell 10 in the first row. As a result, the detection cell 10 in the first row becomes active. In this state, when stress F1 is applied to the detection cell 10 (see FIG. 3) and the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13, the lower electrode 12 and the lower electrode 13 become conductive, and the pressure is detected. A drive voltage is supplied to the detection wires SL1 to SL10 corresponding to the cell 10, and the voltage of the detection wires SL1 to SL10 rises.

The detection circuit 22 detects the pressure based on the voltage of the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 and the information about the transistor Tr in which the shift register 21 is driven. That is, the detection circuit 22 can specify the position of the row of the detection cells 10 in which the pressure is detected by specifying the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 in which the voltage has risen. Further, the detection circuit 22 identifies the row position of the detection cell 10 in which the pressure is detected by acquiring the information of the gate wirings GL1 to GL8 to which the shift register 21 supplies the high-level gate drive signal at this time. can do. At the timing t1, since the high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL1, the detection cell 10 in the first row is specified. In this way, the detection circuit 22 can identify the position of the detection cell 10 that has detected the pressure.

After that, at the timing t2 shown in FIG. 8, the shift register 21 supplies a high-level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL2. As a result, the transistors Tr21 to Tr210 in the second row are turned on, and the drive voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 12 of the detection cell 10 in the second row. As a result, the detection cell 10 in the second row becomes active.

After that, similarly, at the timings t3 to t8, high-level gate drive signals are sequentially supplied to the gate wirings GL3 to GL8, and the detection cells 10 in the 3rd to 8th rows are activated at each timing.

The shift register 21 supplies the high-level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL1 again at the timing t9 after supplying the high-level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL8. As a result, the detection cell 10 in the first row becomes active again. After that, similarly, the shift register 21 supplies a high-level gate drive signal to each of the gate wirings GL1 to GL8 in order in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the detection operation of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 shows an example in which each detection cell 10 detects human feet 19_1 and 19_2. Further, in FIG. 9, the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is shown by hatching. Hereinafter, the detection operation of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL1, all the detection cells 10 in the first row are activated. In the case shown in FIG. 9, since the pressure is not applied to all the detection cells 10 in the first row, the detection cells 10 in the first row do not detect the pressure. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL2, all the detection cells 10 in the second row are activated. At this time, since pressure is applied to the two detection cells 10, the voltages of the detection wires SL6 and SL7 increase, and the pressure is detected. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL3, all the detection cells 10 in the third row are activated. At this time, since pressure is applied to the two detection cells 10, the voltages of the detection wirings SL6 and SL7 increase, and the pressure is detected.

Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL4, all the detection cells 10 in the fourth row are activated. At this time, since the pressure is applied to the three detection cells 10, the voltages of the detection wirings SL2, SL3, and SL7 increase, and the pressure is detected. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL5, all the detection cells 10 in the fifth row are activated. At this time, since pressure is applied to the four detection cells 10, the voltages of the detection wirings SL2, SL3, SL6, and SL7 increase, and the pressure is detected. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL6, all the detection cells 10 in the sixth row are activated. At this time, since the pressure is applied to one detection cell 10, the voltage of the detection wiring SL2 rises and the pressure is detected. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL7, all the detection cells 10 in the 7th row are activated. At this time, since the pressure is applied to the two detection cells 10, the voltage of the detection wirings SL2 and SL3 rises, and the pressure is detected. Next, when a high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL8, all the detection cells 10 in the eighth row are activated. In the case shown in FIG. 9, since the pressure is not applied to the detection cell 10 in the 8th row, the detection cell 10 in the 8th row does not detect the pressure.

By the above operation, the human feet 19_1 and 19_2 can be detected by using the pressure sensor device.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. In the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the sensor panel 100 is provided with a detection cell array 50 including a plurality of detection cells 10 and a shift register 21. The plurality of detection cells 10 and the shift register 21 may be formed on the same substrate, or may be formed separately.

A drive circuit 31 and a detection circuit 22 are connected to the sensor panel 100. The drive circuit 31 supplies the clock signal CLK to the shift register 21. Further, the detection circuit 22 is connected to the detection wirings SL1 to SL10, and information about the voltage of the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 and the transistor Tr driven by the shift register 21 (that is, the drive information acquired from the drive circuit 31). ) And, the pressure is detected based on. For example, the drive circuit 31 and the detection circuit 22 can be configured by using an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) 33.

The processing circuit 34 performs a predetermined process using the detection result detected by the detection circuit 22. For example, the processing circuit 34 can determine the direction in which a person is walking and the number of people by using the detection result detected by the detection circuit 22. The information processed by the processing circuit 34 is output to another electronic device via the input / output port. For example, by connecting the processing circuit 34 to the display, the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 can be displayed on the display.

Further, the processing circuit 34 can rewrite the program of the FPGA (33). For example, the user can issue a program rewriting instruction to the processing circuit via the input / output port. The processing circuit 34 can be configured by using, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Although FIG. 10 shows a configuration example in which the drive circuit 31, the detection circuit 22, and the processing circuit 34 are provided separately from the sensor panel 100, the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment shows the sensor panel 100. May be provided with a drive circuit 31, a detection circuit 22, and a processing circuit 34.

As described in "Problems to be Solved by the Invention", in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a conductive sheet is provided at a position facing the integrated circuit chip. This conductive sheet can be formed by depositing a conductive film on the entire back surface of the insulating film. Here, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technique relating to a fingerprint sensor having a small size, the area of the conductive film is small, and the conductive film can be easily formed by using vapor deposition on the entire back surface of the insulating film. can.

However, in the case of a pressure-sensitive sensor device (for example, a pressure-sensitive sensor device installed on the floor), which is larger in size than the fingerprint sensor, the area of the pressure-sensitive sensor is large, so vapor deposition is used to form a conductive film on the film. That is difficult. Further, in a pressure-sensitive sensor device having a large size, when forming an electrode on a film, there is a problem that it is difficult to form an electrode by positioning it at a position corresponding to a plurality of detection cells arranged in a matrix. there were.

In order to solve such a problem, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the upper electrodes 14 are arranged on the film 15, a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensor devices arranged in the row direction are arranged. The upper electrode 14 is arranged so as to extend in a line over the detection cell 10. Therefore, since it is not necessary to individually arrange the upper electrodes in each of the plurality of detection cells 10, positioning when arranging the upper electrodes 14 on the film 15 becomes easy.

That is, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, since the upper electrode 14 is configured to extend in the row direction, when the upper electrode 14 is arranged on the film 15, the upper electrode 14 is positioned in the row direction. Is no longer needed. Therefore, positioning when arranging the upper electrode 14 on the film 15 becomes easy.

Further, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment, the direction in which the upper electrode 14 extends in a line shape is the same as the direction in which the plurality of transistors are sequentially driven. In other words, the direction in which the upper electrode 14 extends in a line and the direction in which the plurality of transistors are driven at the same timing intersect. As a result, the upper electrodes 14 can be configured to be physically separated from each other when viewed from the detection cells 10 which are in the active state at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence on the adjacent detection cells 10 caused by forming the upper electrode 14 into a line shape.

Further, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the spacer 17 is similarly extended in a line shape over a plurality of detection cells 10 arranged in the row direction. It is arranged. By arranging the spacers 17 in this way, positioning of the spacers 17 in the row direction becomes unnecessary. Therefore, positioning when arranging the spacer 17 becomes easy.

According to the invention according to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a pressure-sensitive sensor device having a structure in which the electrodes can be easily positioned when forming the electrodes on the film.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, a pressure-sensitive sensor unit in which a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensor devices described in the first embodiment are connected will be described. FIG. 11 is a top view showing the pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the pressure-sensitive sensor unit 2 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9 are connected by using a connecting member 38. In the example shown in FIG. 11, nine sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9 are connected to form a rectangular unit as a whole, but the number of sensor panels to be used and the arrangement method are arbitrarily determined. can do. For example, nine sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9 may be connected as shown in FIG. 14 to form the pressure-sensitive sensor unit 3. The connecting member 38 electrically connects the shift registers 21 of the respective sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9 and the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 (see FIG. 12).

Each sensor panel 100_1 to 100_9 is connected in series using a connecting member 38 in the order of sensor panel 100_1, sensor panel 100_2, ..., Sensor panel 100_9. The sensor panel 100_1 is connected to an FPGA 33 (drive circuit 31 and detection circuit 22, see FIG. 10). The FPGA 33 is connected to the processing circuit 34. The FPGA 33 drives each of the sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9, and also detects the pressure in each of the sensor panels 100_1 to 100_9.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to the present embodiment. Note that FIG. 12 shows a case where two sensor panels 100_1 and 100_2 are connected, but the same applies when three or more sensor panels are connected.

As shown in FIG. 12, the two sensor panels 100_1 and 100_2 are connected in series with each other. Specifically, the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 and the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 are connected in series with each other. Further, the same clock signal CLK is supplied from the drive circuit 31 to the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 and the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2.

Further, the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 of the sensor panel 100_1 and the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 of the sensor panel 100_1 are connected in series so as to correspond to each other. Further, the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 of the sensor panel 100_1 are connected to the detection circuit 22.

As described above, the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 and the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 are connected in series with each other. Therefore, the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 drives the transistors included in the respective detection cells 10_1 in synchronization with the clock signal CLK. After that, the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 drives the transistor included in each detection cell 10_2 in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the drive waveform of the pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to the present embodiment. A clock signal CLK is supplied to the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2, and high-level gate drive signals are sequentially supplied to the respective gate wirings GL11 to GL18 and GL21 to GL28 in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, at the timing t21, the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 supplies a high-level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL11. As a result, the transistors in the first row of the sensor panel 100_1 shown in FIG. 12 are turned on, and all the detection cells 10_1 in the first row are activated. In this state, when stress F1 is applied to the arbitrary detection cell 10_1 (see FIG. 3) and the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13, the lower electrode 12 and the lower electrode 13 become conductive and are pressed. A drive voltage is supplied to the detection wires SL1 to SL10 corresponding to the detection cells 10_1, and the voltage of the detection wires SL1 to SL10 rises.

The detection circuit 22 shown in FIG. 12 detects the pressure based on the voltage of the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 and the information about the transistor Tr in which the shift register 21_1 is driven. That is, the detection circuit 22 can specify the position of the row of the detection cells 10_1 in which the pressure is detected by specifying the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 in which the voltage has risen. Further, the detection circuit 22 obtains the information of the gate wiring to which the shift register 21_1 supplies the high-level gate drive signal at this time, so that the position of the row of the detection cell 10_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 that has detected the pressure can be determined. Can be identified. At the timing t21, since the high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL11, the detection cell 10_1 in the first row is specified. In this way, the detection circuit 22 can identify the position of the detection cell 10_1 that has detected the pressure.

After that, similarly, the shift register 21_1 sequentially supplies high-level gate drive signals to the gate wirings GL12 to GL18. As a result, the detection cells 10_1 in the 2nd to 8th rows of the sensor panel 100_1 are activated at each timing.

As shown in FIG. 13, at the timing t22 after the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 supplies the high-level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL18, the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 has a high level to the gate wiring GL21. Supply a gate drive signal. As a result, the transistor in the first row of the sensor panel 100_2 shown in FIG. 12 is turned on, and the detection cell 10_2 in the first row is activated. In this state, when stress F1 is applied to the detection cell 10_2 (see FIG. 3) and the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13, the lower electrode 12 and the lower electrode 13 become conductive, and the detection wiring SL1 to SL1 to the lower electrode 13 become conductive. A drive voltage is supplied to SL10, and the voltage of the detection wires SL1 to SL10 rises.

The detection circuit 22 shown in FIG. 12 detects the pressure based on the voltage of the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 and the information about the transistor Tr in which the shift register 21_2 is driven. That is, the detection circuit 22 can specify the position of the row of the detection cells 10_2 in which the pressure is detected by specifying the detection wirings SL1 to SL10 in which the voltage has risen. Further, the detection circuit 22 obtains the information of the gate wiring to which the shift register 21_2 supplies the high-level gate drive signal at this time, so that the position of the row of the detection cell 10_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 that has detected the pressure can be determined. Can be identified. At the timing t22, since the high-level gate drive signal is supplied to the gate wiring GL21, the detection cell 10_2 in the first row is specified. In this way, the detection circuit 22 can identify the position of the detection cell 10_2 that has detected the pressure.

After that, similarly, the shift register 21_2 sequentially supplies high-level gate drive signals to the gate wirings GL22 to GL28. As a result, the detection cells 10_2 in the 2nd to 8th rows of the sensor panel 100_2 are activated at each timing.

As shown in FIG. 13, at the timing t23 after the shift register 21_2 of the sensor panel 100_2 supplies the high level gate drive signal to the gate wiring GL28, the shift register 21_1 of the sensor panel 100_1 again has a high level to the gate wiring GL11. It supplies the gate drive signal of. As a result, the detection cell 10_1 in the first row of the sensor panel 100_1 shown in FIG. 12 becomes active again. After that, similarly, the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 supply high-level gate drive signals to the respective gate wirings GL11 to GL18 and GL21 to GL28 in order in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

Here, the timing at which the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 supply high-level gate drive signals to the respective gate wirings GL11 to GL18 and GL21 to GL28, in other words, the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 are the respective gate wirings GL11 to GL18. , The speed at which GL21 to GL28 are scanned in the column direction can be changed by adjusting the clock frequency of the clock signal CLK supplied to the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2. For example, by increasing the clock frequency, the speed at which the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 scan the gate wirings GL11 to GL18 and GL21 to GL28 in the column direction can be increased. On the contrary, by lowering the clock frequency, the speed at which the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 scan the gate wirings GL11 to GL18 and GL21 to GL28 in the column direction can be reduced.

In the pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to the present embodiment, since a plurality of sensor panels 100_1 and 100_2 are connected in series, only the detection cells 10 arranged in one row in one sensor panel are available. Becomes active at the same time. Therefore, the timing at which the detection cells 10_1 and 10_2 of the plurality of sensor panels 100_1 and 100_2 are activated is shifted in the column direction, but the clock frequency of the clock signal CLK supplied to the shift registers 21_1 and 21_2 is increased. As a result, it is possible to reduce the timing shift in which each detection cell in the column direction becomes active. On the other hand, if the clock frequency is set too high, the period during which the respective detection cells 10_1 and 10_2 are in the active state becomes short, and the detection accuracy of the respective detection cells 10_1 and 10_2 may decrease.

Therefore, in the pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to the present embodiment, the clock frequency of the clock signal supplied to the shift register 21 included in each sensor panel 100 is the number of sensor panels constituting the pressure-sensitive sensor unit (sensor panel area). It is necessary to determine the detection accuracy of each detection cell 10 in consideration of the detection accuracy. For example, when the number of sensor panels (area of the sensor panel) constituting the pressure-sensitive sensor unit is large, the clock frequency is increased to suppress the timing shift of each detection cell 10 in the column direction into the active state. can do.

Although the present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and is within the scope of the claimed invention within the scope of the claims of the present application. Of course, it includes various modifications, modifications, and combinations that can be made by a person skilled in the art.

1 Pressure-sensitive sensor devices 2, 3 Pressure-sensitive sensor unit 10 Detection cell 11 Substrate 12 Lower electrode (first electrode)
13 Lower electrode (second electrode)
14 Upper electrode (third electrode)
15 Film 17 Spacer 21 Shift register 22 Detection circuit 25 Transistors 26, 27 Protective board 28 Recess 31 Drive circuit 33 FPGA
34 Processing circuit 50 Detection cell array 100 Sensor panel

Claims (9)

A plurality of detection cells including first and second electrodes arranged so as to be close to each other and a transistor capable of supplying a driving voltage to the first electrode are provided, and the plurality of detection cells are arranged in the row direction and in the row direction. Substrates arranged in a matrix in the row direction and
A film having a third electrode arranged so as to face the first and second electrodes, and a film.
A spacer for arranging the substrate and the film apart from each other is provided.
In each of the detection cells, when the transistor supplies a driving voltage to the first electrode, the film is displaced in a direction approaching the substrate, and the third electrode causes the first and second electrodes. The pressure is detected when the first electrode and the second electrode are brought into a conductive state in contact with the electrodes of the above.
Each of the transistors is configured such that a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the column direction are driven in order.
The third electrode is arranged so as to extend in a line over a plurality of detection cells arranged in the row direction.
Pressure sensor device. The first aspect of the present invention, wherein the spacers are arranged on both sides of the detection cell in the row direction and are arranged so as to extend in a line across a plurality of detection cells arranged in the column direction. Pressure-sensitive sensor device. The gate wiring connected to each gate of the plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction,
A shift register connected to the gate wiring, driving the plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction at the same timing, and sequentially driving the plurality of transistors in the column direction is further provided.
The pressure sensitive sensor device according to claim 1 or 2. The detection wiring that connects the second electrodes of the detection cells arranged in the same row direction to each other, and the detection wiring.
A detection circuit that detects pressure based on the voltage of the detection wiring, information about the transistor driving the shift register, and the like.
The pressure-sensitive sensor device according to claim 3. The feeling according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of transistors are arranged on a surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the first and second electrodes are arranged. Pressure sensor device. A protective substrate is provided on the surface of the substrate on which the plurality of transistors are arranged.
When the protective substrate is viewed in a plan view, a recess is formed at a position of the protective substrate that overlaps with the position where the plurality of transistors are arranged.
The pressure-sensitive sensor device according to claim 5. A pressure sensor unit to which a plurality of pressure sensor devices according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are connected.
The pressure-sensitive sensor unit includes a first pressure-sensitive sensor device and a second pressure-sensitive sensor device.
As for each of the transistors included in the first pressure-sensitive sensor device, a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the column direction are sequentially driven. Is composed of
Each of the transistors included in the second pressure sensor device has the same plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction after the driving of each transistor included in the first pressure sensor device is completed. It is configured to be driven at the timing and to drive a plurality of transistors arranged in the row direction in order.
Pressure sensor unit. Each of the first and second pressure-sensitive sensor devices includes first and second shift registers that drive a plurality of transistors included in the first and second pressure-sensitive sensor devices, respectively.
The first and second shift registers are connected in series with each other, and the same clock signal is supplied.
The first shift register drives the plurality of transistors of the first pressure sensor device.
The second shift register drives the plurality of transistors of the second pressure-sensitive sensor device after the driving of the plurality of transistors of the first pressure-sensitive sensor device by the first shift register is completed. do,
The pressure-sensitive sensor unit according to claim 7. A pressure sensor unit in which a plurality of pressure sensor devices according to claim 4 are connected.
The pressure-sensitive sensor unit includes a first pressure-sensitive sensor device and a second pressure-sensitive sensor device.
Each of the transistors included in the first pressure-sensitive sensor device is such that a plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction are driven at the same timing, and a plurality of transistors arranged in the column direction are driven in order. Is composed of
Each of the transistors included in the second pressure sensor device has the same plurality of transistors arranged in the same row direction after the driving of each transistor included in the first pressure sensor device is completed. It is configured so that it is driven at the timing and a plurality of transistors arranged in the row direction are driven in order.
Each of the first and second pressure-sensitive sensor devices includes first and second shift registers that drive a plurality of transistors included in the first and second pressure-sensitive sensor devices, respectively.
The first and second shift registers are connected in series with each other, and the same clock signal is supplied.
The first shift register drives the plurality of transistors of the first pressure sensor device.
The second shift register drives the plurality of transistors of the second pressure-sensitive sensor device after the driving of the plurality of transistors of the first pressure-sensitive sensor device by the first shift register is completed. death,
The detection wiring included in the first pressure sensor device and the detection wiring included in the second pressure sensor device are connected in series so as to correspond to each other.
The detection circuit detects the pressure based on the voltage of the detection wiring and the information about the transistor in which the first and second shift registers are driven.
Pressure sensor unit.

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