JP2011053738A - Coordinate input device, and display device and electronic device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coordinate input device in which even if a camera, a sensor or the like is arranged in an area of a decorative printing layer, favorable optical performance can be achieved, and a display device and an electronic device having the same. <P>SOLUTION: A first translucent substrate 10 and a second translucent substrate 20 having one side surface as an operation surface side and having flexibility are oppositely arranged via an insulating layer 40, and the inner surface sides of the respective translucent substrates are formed with transparent conductive films 11, 21. In a peripheral area on an opposite side surface to a surface formed with the transparent conductive film 21 of the second translucent substrate 20, a decorative printing layer 23 is formed via an adhesive layer 25, and the decorative printing layer 23 has a space part 27 at a predetermined position. At the position of the space part 27 of the second translucent substrate 20, the transparent conductive film 21 and the adhesive layer 25, a continuous space part 28 communicated with the space part 27 is formed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coordinate input device that includes a planar input unit and can output a pressed coordinate position of the input unit, a display device including the coordinate input device, and an electronic device, and more particularly, decorative printing around the input unit. The present invention relates to a coordinate input device including a layer, a display device including the layer, and an electronic apparatus.

  Information terminals such as mobile phones, PDAs, and PCs have a display screen such as a liquid crystal display panel so that menus can be selected and data can be input by pressing the surface with a touch pen or a finger. A coordinate input device may be provided to cover the surface of the display screen. Devices equipped with a coordinate input device have recently spread to digital cameras and portable game machines.

  Since the coordinate input device is provided on the surface of the display screen, the coordinate input device itself needs to be transparent. As a coordinate input device provided with a transparent input unit, a resistance film type is known. The resistance film type coordinate input device includes a first translucent substrate made of a resin plate or a glass plate on the surface of which a transparent conductive film made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is formed. A second transparent substrate made of a transparent film having a transparent conductive film formed on the operation side, and an insulating layer interposed between the transparent conductive films of the transparent substrate so as to face each other. It is provided and configured. The second light-transmitting substrate has flexibility and is bent by being pressed with a touch pen or a finger, so that the transparent conductive films facing each other come into contact with each other. A printed circuit is formed on each outer peripheral portion of the translucent substrate, and by measuring the voltage division ratio due to the resistance of the transparent conductive film when pressed, the X direction and the Y direction orthogonal to each other, The pressing position in the input unit can be specified.

  When the coordinate input device is used for a mobile phone or the like, a decorative print layer is formed on the operation surface side of the second light-transmitting substrate via an adhesive layer. The decorative print layer constitutes a part of the design of the device as a frame surrounding the display screen. As such a coordinate input device provided with a decorative print layer, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

International Publication No. 2008/111505

  A mobile phone or the like provided with a coordinate input device often includes a camera unit and an optical sensor. The camera unit and optical sensor may be placed directly under the area where the decorative print layer of the coordinate input device is formed. In this case, the decorative print layer is not formed only at the position of the camera unit or optical sensor. The space part is made to transmit light. However, under the decorative print layer, there are an adhesive layer and a translucent substrate, which transmit light, but part of the light is absorbed or reflected. For this reason, it has become a factor that deteriorates optical performance.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is a coordinate input device capable of improving optical performance even when a camera unit, an optical sensor, or the like is disposed in the region of a decorative print layer. Another object is to provide a display device and an electronic apparatus including the same.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the coordinate input device according to the present invention provides an insulation between a first light-transmitting substrate and a flexible second light-transmitting substrate whose one surface is the operation surface side. In the coordinate input device in which the transparent conductive film is formed on the inner surface side of each translucent substrate, facing each other through the layers,
In the outer peripheral region on the side opposite to the surface on which the transparent conductive film of the second translucent substrate is formed, a decorative print layer is formed via an adhesive layer,
The decorative print layer includes a space portion at a predetermined position, and a continuous space portion that communicates with the space portion is formed at the position of the space portion of the second translucent substrate, the transparent conductive film, and the adhesive layer. It is configured as a feature.

  In the coordinate input device according to the present invention, the space portion and the continuous space portion of the first translucent substrate are formed with opposing space portions communicating with the space portion and the continuous space portion. It is configured as a feature.

  Furthermore, the coordinate input device according to the present invention is characterized in that an insulating layer space portion communicating with the space portion and the continuous space portion is formed at the position of the space portion and the continuous space portion of the insulating layer. It is configured.

  Furthermore, the display device according to the present invention is configured by providing any one of the coordinate input devices on the surface of the display panel.

  And the electronic device which concerns on this invention is provided with the said display apparatus as a display part, and is provided with the camera part or the optical sensor in the position directly under the said space part and continuous space part.

  According to the coordinate input device of the present invention, the decorative print layer has a space portion at a predetermined position, and the space portion of the second translucent substrate, the transparent conductive film, and the adhesive layer communicates with the space portion. By forming the continuous space portion, the absorption and reflection of light by the translucent substrate, the transparent conductive film, and the adhesive layer can be eliminated when the camera portion and the optical sensor are disposed immediately below the space portion. Therefore, the optical performance can be improved.

  Further, according to the coordinate input device of the present invention, the opposing space portion that communicates with the space portion and the continuous space portion is formed at the position of the space portion and the continuous space portion of the first translucent substrate. As a result, light absorption and reflection can be eliminated also for the first light-transmitting substrate, so that further improvement in optical performance can be achieved.

  Furthermore, according to the coordinate input device according to the present invention, the insulating layer space portion that communicates with the space portion and the continuous space portion is formed at the position of the space portion and the continuous space portion of the insulating layer. Even when the camera unit and the optical sensor are arranged at the positions, it is possible to reliably transmit light.

It is a notional exploded perspective view of the coordinate input device in this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the principle of operation of a coordinate input device. It is sectional drawing of the display apparatus to which the coordinate input device was attached. It is a perspective view of the mobile telephone in which the coordinate input device was used.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual exploded perspective view of the coordinate input device according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the coordinate input device 1 includes a first translucent substrate 10 that is roughly formed in a planar shape, and a first planar substrate that is substantially the same shape as the first translucent substrate 10. The two light-transmitting substrates 20 are arranged to face each other with the insulating layer 40 interposed therebetween, and an output electrode portion 31 is provided on the side surface of the first light-transmitting substrate 10 opposite to the second light-transmitting substrate 20 side. A flexible substrate 30 is attached.

  The first translucent substrate 10 is formed of a transparent resin plate, and the transparent conductive film 11 is formed on the surface facing the second translucent substrate 20. The second light transmissive substrate 20 is formed of a flexible transparent film, and a transparent conductive film 21 is formed on the surface facing the first light transmissive substrate 10. The transparent conductive films 11 and 21 are made of, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or ZnO as a transparent inorganic material, and a transparent conductive material such as a resin film containing carbon nanotubes as a transparent organic material. It has a uniform resistance value. Further, for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin or the like is used for the film constituting the second light-transmitting substrate 20. As a result, the side opposite to the first translucent substrate 10 side of the second translucent substrate 20 serves as an input unit 1a capable of performing a pressing operation.

  Moreover, the electrode part 12a is formed in the outer peripheral part of the surface in which the transparent conductive film 11 of the 1st translucent board | substrate 10 was formed along two sides which oppose in a Y direction in the figure. On the other hand, the electrode part 22a is formed in the outer peripheral part of the surface in which the transparent conductive film 21 of the 2nd translucent board | substrate 20 was formed along two sides which oppose in the X direction in the figure orthogonal to a Y direction. Yes. These electrode portions 12 a and 22 a are electrically connected to the output electrode portion 31 of the flexible substrate 30.

  On the outer peripheral portion of the second light-transmissive substrate 20, a decorative print layer 23 is formed in a frame shape over the entire periphery, and surrounds the input portion 1a. The area of the input unit 1a is transparent, and characters and images displayed on a display device disposed below the input unit 1a can be seen through, whereas the decorative print layer 23 is colored and transmits light. Without configuring, a part of the design in the electronic apparatus to which the coordinate input device 1 is attached as a frame of the display device is configured. Moreover, a pattern, a character, a mark, a picture, etc. can be added to the decorative printing layer 23 in addition to coloring.

  The decorative print layer 23 is formed such that one short side of the coordinate input device 1 having a rectangular shape is wider than the other side, and the decorative print layer is formed in three places on the wide side. A space 27 where no 23 is provided is formed, and light can be transmitted through the space 27. Of the three space portions 27, the central space portion 27 has a circular shape, and a camera portion is disposed directly below the mobile phone in which the coordinate input device 1 is used. Further, the remaining two space portions 27 are formed in a rectangular shape, and an optical sensor is disposed directly below the mobile phone in which the coordinate input device 1 is used.

  Next, the operation principle of the coordinate input device 1 will be described. In FIG. 2, the schematic diagram showing the operation principle of the coordinate input device 1 is shown. In the coordinate input device 1, at the time of a pressing operation from the input unit 1a, an operation for specifying a pressing coordinate position in each of the X direction and the Y direction is performed. FIG. 2A shows the operation principle when the pressed coordinate position is specified in the X direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, for example, when the point S of the second light transmitting substrate 20 is pressed with a touch pen or the like, the second light transmitting substrate 20 having flexibility is bent. At the point S, the transparent conductive film 21 of the second light-transmitting substrate 20 and the transparent conductive film 11 of the first light-transmitting substrate 10 come into contact with each other and become conductive.

  When detecting coordinates in the X direction, a voltage is applied between the electrode portions 22 a and 22 a of the second light-transmissive substrate 20. As a result, the transparent conductive film 21 formed on the surface of the second translucent substrate 20 has resistance values RX1 and RX2 corresponding to the respective distances between the point S and each electrode 22a in the X direction. A potential gradient is formed. By extracting the potential at the point S from the electrode 12a formed on the first light-transmitting substrate 10 and performing A / D conversion, the coordinate in the X direction can be detected.

  When the coordinates in the Y direction are detected, a voltage is applied between the electrode portions 12a and 12a of the first translucent substrate 10 as shown in FIG. As a result, the transparent conductive film 11 formed on the surface of the first translucent substrate 10 has a resistance value RY1, RY2 corresponding to the distance between the point S and each electrode 12a in the Y direction. A potential gradient is formed. And the coordinate in a Y direction is detectable by taking out the electric potential in the point S from the electrode 22a formed in the 2nd translucent board | substrate 20, and A / D-converting.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the display device 2 to which the coordinate input device 1 is attached. As will be described later, the display device 2 is provided in a mobile phone as an electronic device, and is configured as a liquid crystal display unit having a liquid crystal screen. The coordinate input device 1 is attached to the surface of the display device 2 in order to enable input with a touch pen or a finger.

  The display device 2 is configured such that a liquid crystal layer 52 sealed with a sealing material 53 is sandwiched between an upper substrate 50 and a lower substrate 51 that are arranged to face each other. The display device 2 is of a reflective type, and external light incident from the outside is reflected by a reflective layer in the liquid crystal layer 52 for display.

  In the coordinate input device 1, as described above, the first light-transmitting substrate 10 and the second light-transmitting substrate 20 are disposed to face each other with the insulating layer 40 interposed therebetween. A transparent conductive film 11 is formed on the surface of the first light-transmitting substrate 10 on the side facing the second light-transmitting substrate 20, and electrodes constituting the printed circuit unit 12. A portion 12a is formed.

  The second light-transmitting substrate 20 is formed with an electrode portion 22a constituting the transparent conductive film 21 and the printed circuit portion 22 on the surface facing the first light-transmitting substrate 10, and on the opposite side thereof. Is an input unit 1a that is pressed by the touch pen 4 or the like. A decorative print layer 23 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the second translucent substrate 20 on the operation surface side via an adhesive layer 25. A transparent thickened layer 24 made of a transparent resin material is formed in the inner peripheral side region of the decorative print layer 23. Further, a transparent coating film 26 is provided on the outermost surface so as to cover the decorative printing layer 23 and the transparent thickening layer 24. The transparent conductive film 21 formed on the second translucent substrate 20 is formed to extend outward from the region of the input portion 1a shown in FIG. Thereby, the laminated structure of the 2nd translucent board | substrate 20 can be closely approached, and generation | occurrence | production of the curvature by a lamination stress can be reduced.

  With respect to the display device 2 shown in FIG. 3, the camera unit 60 provided in the mobile phone is arranged at a position indicated by a broken line in the drawing. In the coordinate input device 1 facing the camera unit 60, the space 27 is formed at the position of the decorative print layer 23 as described above. In addition, a continuous continuous space portion 28 is formed at the position of the space portion 27 across the second translucent substrate 20, the transparent conductive film 21, and the adhesive layer 25, and communicates with the space portion 27. Is forming.

  In addition, since the insulating layer 40 is also formed at the position of the space portion 27, the insulating layer space portion 41 is also formed for this insulating layer 40, and is continuous with the space portion 27 and the continuous space portion 28. Create a space. Furthermore, a penetrating hole is also formed at the position of the first light-transmitting substrate 10 facing the second light-transmitting substrate 20 to constitute the facing space portion 16. The opposing space 16 also penetrates the transparent conductive film 11 formed on the first light transmissive substrate 10.

  That is, at the position where the camera unit 60 is disposed immediately below the coordinate input device 1, the decorative print layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25, the second translucent substrate 20, the transparent conductive film 21, the insulating layer 40, the first A penetrating space extending over the transparent substrate 10 and the transparent conductive film 11 is formed, and only the transparent coating film 26 is disposed between the camera unit 60 and the outside.

  The adhesive layer 25, the second translucent substrate 20 and the transparent conductive film 21 are all made of a transparent material and can transmit light. However, as shown in FIG. By forming the continuous space portion 28 that is continuous with the space portion 27 of the decorative print layer 23 at a position where light is absorbed, the light absorption and reflection can be reduced, and the optical performance can be enhanced. Moreover, also about the 1st translucent board | substrate 10 and the transparent conductive film 11, by forming the opposing space part 16, light transmittance can be made further favorable and performance can be made high.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the space portion 27 formed in the decorative print layer 23 where the camera portion 60 is disposed, but also in the position of the space portion 27 where the optical sensor is disposed directly below. Similarly, the optical performance can be improved by forming the continuous space portion 28 and the opposed space portion 16. Further, the camera unit 60 may be a camera module including a lens and an image sensor, or may be a flash device.

  In addition, the space part continuous with the space part 27 should just form the continuous space part 28 over the adhesive layer 25, the 2nd translucent board | substrate 20, and the transparent conductive film 21 at least. When the positions of the space portion 27 and the continuous space portion 28 are in the region where the insulating layer 40 is disposed, the insulating layer space portion 41 is also required. The facing space 16 is not necessarily required, but it can be contributed to the performance improvement if it is formed.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mobile phone 3 that is an example of an electronic apparatus in which the coordinate input device 1 of the present embodiment is used. As shown in this figure, the coordinate input device 1 of the present embodiment is used in a mobile phone 3 as a component constituting the surface of the display device 2. Further, the decorative print layer 23 formed on the second translucent substrate 20 of the coordinate input device 1 can be viewed from the outside through the transparent second translucent substrate 20, and A part of the design of the mobile phone 3 is configured as a frame bordering the display unit.

  Further, the space 27 of the decorative print layer 23 formed corresponding to the camera unit and the optical sensor is disposed on the upper end side of the mobile phone 3. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a camera unit or an optical sensor is arranged immediately below each space 27. The optical sensor provided in the mobile phone 3 detects infrared rays or the like, and is used, for example, to detect whether or not the user is approaching his face to make a phone call.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the application of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be applied in various ways within the scope of its technical idea. In the present embodiment, the mobile phone 3 has been exemplified as an electronic device in which the coordinate input device 1 is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a digital camera, a PDA, a portable game machine, a car navigation device, etc. The present invention can be applied to various electronic devices that are arranged.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coordinate input device 1a Input part 2 Display apparatus 3 Mobile phone 10 1st translucent board | substrate 11 Transparent conductive film 12 Printed circuit part 16 Opposite space part 20 2nd translucent board | substrate 21 Transparent conductive film 22 Printed circuit part 23 Decorative printing layer 24 Transparent thickened layer 25 Adhesive layer 26 Coating film 27 Space portion 28 Continuous space portion 30 Flexible cable 40 Insulating layer 41 Insulating layer space portion 60 Camera portion

Claims (5)

A first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate having one surface on the operation surface side and having flexibility are arranged to face each other via an insulating layer, and the inner surface side of each light-transmitting substrate In a coordinate input device in which a transparent conductive film is formed on
In the outer peripheral region on the side opposite to the surface on which the transparent conductive film of the second translucent substrate is formed, a decorative print layer is formed via an adhesive layer,
The decorative print layer includes a space portion at a predetermined position, and a continuous space portion that communicates with the space portion is formed at the position of the space portion of the second translucent substrate, the transparent conductive film, and the adhesive layer. Coordinate input device characterized by comprising.   2. The coordinates according to claim 1, wherein an opposing space that communicates with the space and the continuous space is formed at a position of the space and the continuous space of the first translucent substrate. Input device.   The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein an insulating layer space portion communicating with the space portion and the continuous space portion is formed at the position of the space portion and the continuous space portion of the insulating layer. .   The display apparatus by which the coordinate input device of any one of Claims 1-3 is provided in the surface of a display panel.   An electronic apparatus comprising the display device according to claim 4 as a display unit, and comprising a camera unit or an optical sensor immediately below the space part and the continuous space part.

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