JPH11134105A - Electromagnetic induction type tablet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate formation of a loop-shaped conductor pattern and to reduce the cost for a tablet which is unified with a liquid crystal display device and inputs the coordinate information to a personal computer, etc., via a cordless input pen. SOLUTION: A 1st conductor pattern group 41 includes the 1st electrode pads 44 and 45 at its both ends and plural 1st conductor patterns 46 arrayed in the X direction. A 2nd conductor pattern group 42 includes the 2nd electrode pads 47 and 48 at its both ends and plural 2nd conductor patterns 49 arrayed in the Y direction which are crossing the X direction. The patterns 49 are bent in the X direction before they cross the pattern 46 and then detour around the pads 44 and 45 via an electromagnetic induction type tablet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tablet integrated with a liquid crystal display device for inputting coordinate information to a personal computer or the like via a cordless input pen, and more particularly to a tablet for easily forming a loop for detecting coordinate information on a substrate. The present invention relates to an electromagnetic induction type tablet that enables cost reduction.

In a portable personal computer or the like, a tablet integrated with a liquid crystal display device is used as a means for inputting coordinate information. Among them, an electromagnetic induction type tablet has a relatively simple panel configuration and high accuracy can be obtained. It is widely used because of its long life.

However, in the electromagnetic induction type tablet, a plurality of loop-shaped conductor patterns arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are formed on a substrate, and the plurality of loop-shaped conductor patterns are arranged by being shifted by a half pitch. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to form a conductor pattern.

Therefore, there is a demand for the development of an electromagnetic induction type tablet which facilitates formation of a loop for detecting coordinate information and enables cost reduction.

[0005]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the principle of an electromagnetic induction type tablet, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tablet integrated with a liquid crystal display, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a conventional conductor pattern forming process, FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a conventional conductive pattern forming step, and FIG. 9 is a view showing a cross section of a conventional tablet.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the electromagnetic induction type tablet has a pair of loop-shaped conductor patterns A and B which are shifted by a half pitch and one of the conductor patterns A and B has a voltage output terminal. Out and the other is connected to the ground terminal Gnd.

When an input pen P that emits an electromagnetic wave crosses the conductor patterns A and B as indicated by broken lines in the figure, an electromotive force is generated in each of the conductor patterns A and B by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, and FIG. A voltage corresponding to the position of the input pen P is output as shown in FIG.

However, the output voltages of the conductor patterns A and B are equal in two places as shown in the figure, and it is difficult to detect a fine position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5C, the differential output voltages of the conductor patterns A and B are obtained, and the fine position of the pen is calculated on a one-to-one basis from the values.

A pair of conductor patterns A and B superposed with a half pitch shift in this way are arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the coordinate system, and the differential output voltage of the conductor patterns A and B is obtained. This makes it possible to detect the coordinate position of the input pen P in detail.

On the other hand, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device has at least a TFT substrate 1 and a common substrate 2 as shown in FIG.
A liquid crystal 3 containing liquid crystal molecules is sealed between the FT substrate 1 and the common substrate 2.

The TFT substrate 1 has a plurality of TFTs on a glass substrate 11.
The pixel electrodes 13 connected to the FT 12 and the TFT 12 are arranged in a matrix. The TFT 12 is connected to a gate bus line 14 and a data bus line 15 which are orthogonally formed in addition to the pixel electrode 13.

The common substrate 2 has a common electrode 22 formed on a glass substrate 21 and an alignment film 23 formed so as to cover the common electrode 22. In a liquid crystal display device integrated with a tablet, the common substrate 2 has a glass substrate. Loop-shaped conductor patterns 24 and 25 are provided between 21 and the common electrode 22.

A conventional electromagnetic induction type tablet has an X on a substrate.
It has a plurality of loop-shaped conductor patterns arranged in the axial direction and the Y-axis direction.
As shown in FIG. 9, a common substrate is formed on a glass substrate through a number of steps.

That is, by the metal preparation, mask patterning, metal etching, and resist stripping steps shown in the first half of FIG. 7, the conductor pattern 24 having the electrode pads 26 on the glass substrate 21 as shown in FIG. And conductor pattern
25 connecting portions 27 are formed.

For example, in a conventional tablet, FIG.
As shown in (a), C in the area where two conductor patterns intersect
Looking at the section taken along the line -C ', the connecting portions 27 of the conductor patterns 24 and 25 are formed on the glass substrate 21 as shown in FIG.

7 (b) and 9 (c), by forming an insulating film, mask patterning, etching the insulating film, and stripping the resist subsequent to the resist stripping in the first half of FIG. On insulating film 27, connection window 29 for connecting a conductor pattern to insulating film 28 is formed.

Further, by the metal preparation, mask patterning, metal etching, and resist stripping processes shown in the latter half of FIG. 7, a conductor pattern having electrode pads 30 on the insulating film 28 as shown in FIG. 25 and conductor pattern 24
Is formed.

The connection between the connecting portion 27 formed on the glass substrate 21 together with the conductor pattern 24 and the conductor pattern 25 formed on the insulating film 28 is formed on the insulating film 28 as shown in FIG. A connection is made through a connection window 29 by forming a metal and forming a conductor pattern 25.

In the latter half of FIG. 7, the process from the formation of the insulating film to the removal of the resist following the removal of the resist is performed by using the common electrode 22 of the liquid crystal display device.
The insulating film 32 and the common electrode 22 which cover the conductor pattern 25 and the connecting portion 31 are formed as shown in FIGS. 8 (d) and 9 (e).

[0020]

However, the conventional electromagnetic induction type tablet has a plurality of loop-shaped conductor patterns arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and each of the loop-shaped conductor patterns has a half pitch. Since the conductor patterns are shifted and formed on the overlapping substrate, the conductor patterns intersect.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to insulate the conductor patterns in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by interposing an insulating film between the intersections, and to shift the conductor patterns by a half pitch by forming the connecting portions in different layers. It becomes necessary to insulate between the superposed conductor patterns.

As a result, a number of steps are required to form a conductor pattern on a substrate as described above, which leads to an increase in manufacturing cost, and a connection between the conductor pattern and the connection portion through a connection window of the insulating film. Therefore, there is a problem that a disconnection failure or the like occurs at the connection portion.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic induction type tablet which facilitates formation of a loop-shaped conductor pattern and enables cost reduction.

[0024]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a tablet according to the present invention. The same object is denoted by the same symbol throughout the drawings.

The above problem has a first conductor pattern group 41 and a second conductor pattern group 42 formed in a lattice shape.
Are provided with first electrode pads 44 and 45 at both ends, and a plurality of first conductive patterns 46 arranged in the X direction.
The second conductor pattern group includes second electrode pads 47 and 48 at both ends, and has a plurality of second conductor patterns 49 arranged in the Y direction crossing the X direction. The conductor pattern 49 of the present invention is achieved by the electromagnetic induction type tablet of the present invention which is bent in the X direction just before crossing the first conductor pattern 46 and is formed so as to bypass around the first electrode pads 44 and 45.

The first conductor pattern group and the second conductor pattern group thus formed in a lattice shape have the first electrode pads at both ends, and are arranged in the X direction. Having a plurality of first conductor patterns arranged in
Conductor pattern group includes second electrode pads at both ends,
It has a plurality of second conductor patterns arranged in a direction intersecting with the X direction, and the second conductor pattern is bent in the X direction just before intersecting with the first conductor pattern, and the periphery of the first electrode pad is formed. By forming so as to detour, there is no point where the conductor patterns arranged in the X-axis direction and the conductor patterns arranged in the Y-axis direction intersect, and moreover, the electrode pads at both ends of the conductor pattern are connected to the electrode pads. By looping the conductor pattern through a wire or the like, the connection part in the conventional tablet can be eliminated.

As a result, the first step is repeated twice.
And the step of forming an insulating layer in the middle of the group of conductive patterns is omitted, and the number of steps is greatly reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. become.

That is, it is possible to realize an electromagnetic induction type tablet in which the formation of the loop-shaped conductor pattern is facilitated and the cost is reduced.

[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a switching circuit connected to the tablet, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a tablet incorporated in the liquid crystal display device, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a conductor pattern forming step.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnetic induction type tablet according to the present invention has a first conductor pattern group 41 and a second conductor pattern group.
42, the first conductor pattern group 41 and the second
The conductor pattern group 42 is a substrate 43 made of glass or the like.
Is formed directly on

The first conductor pattern group has a plurality of conductor patterns 46 arranged at both ends in the X-axis direction with electrode pads 44 and 45, respectively. The second conductor pattern group has electrode pads 47 at both ends. And a plurality of conductor patterns 49 arranged in the Y-axis direction.

For example, the conductor pattern 49 of the second conductor pattern group is formed on either side of the intersection with the conductor pattern 46 of the first conductor pattern group by any of the electrode pads 44 and 45 provided on the conductor pattern 46 bent at 90 degrees. It is formed so as to detour around one or the other.

The conductor patterns 46 of the first conductor pattern group 41
Alternatively, as means for looping the conductor pattern 49 of the second conductor pattern group 42, eight switching circuits 5xa, 5xb, 5xc, 5xd, 5ya, 5y are provided around the substrate 43 as shown in FIG.
b, 5yc, 5yd.

Switching circuits 5xa, 5xb, 5xc, 5xd, 5ya,
Each of 5yb, 5yc, and 5yd has a plurality of (four in the figure) contact portions 51. By operating the switching circuit, two conductor patterns that jump one from the conductor pattern groups 41 and 42 are selected, and the loop is formed. Be composed.

That is, the contact portions 51 of the switching circuits 5xa and 5xb are connected to the electrode pads 44, the contact portions 51 of the switching circuits 5xc and 5xd are connected to the electrode pads 45, and the contact portions 51 of the switching circuits 5ya and 5yb are connected to the electrode pads. 47, the contact portions 51 of the switching circuits 5yc and 5yd are connected to the electrode pads 48.

FIG. 2B shows that the electrode pads 44 and 45 are numbered from 1 to 6 from left to right, and the electrode pads 47 and 48 are numbered from 1 to 6 from top to bottom. It is a figure which shows the switching procedure at the time of selecting two skipped conductor patterns and forming a loop.

A liquid crystal display device integrated with a conventional tablet which does not require a switching circuit differs only in the common substrate as shown in FIG. 6, while a liquid crystal display device integrated with the tablet of the present invention is shown in FIG. Thus, both the TFT substrate 1 and the common substrate 2 are different.

That is, the TFT substrate 1 has the above eight switching circuits 5 formed of, for example, shift registers or multiplexers mounted around it, and the common substrate 2 has a first conductive pattern group 41 between the glass substrate 21 and the common electrode 22. And a second conductor pattern group 42 are formed.

Wires 50 are provided between the electrode pads (not shown) of the conductor pattern groups 41 and 42 and the switching circuit 5, respectively.
For example, a flexible printed board, a flexible flat cable, or the like is used as the connection wire 50.

In the tablet of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the conductor patterns 46 and the conductor patterns 49 arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction do not intersect, and wires and the like connected to electrode pads provided at both ends are used. No connection is required because the conductor pattern is looped through.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
X-axis and X-axis by passing once through mask patterning, metal etching, and resist stripping processes
An insulating layer forming step between the formation of the conductor pattern group arranged in the Y-axis direction can be omitted.

As described above, the conductor pattern of the first conductor pattern group or the second conductor pattern group is bent 90 degrees on both sides of the intersection with the conductor pattern of the other conductor pattern group, and the conductor pattern of the other conductor pattern group is formed. Is formed so as to bypass the periphery of the electrode pad of the semiconductor device, it is possible to eliminate the point where the conductor patterns arranged in the X-axis direction and the conductor patterns arranged in the Y-axis direction intersect. In addition, by connecting the conductor pattern to a loop through the electrode pads at both ends of the conductor pattern and wires connected to the electrode pads, it is possible to eliminate the connection part in the conventional tablet.

As a result, the first step was repeated twice.
And the step of forming an insulating layer in the middle of the group of conductive patterns is omitted, and the number of steps is greatly reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. become.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electromagnetic induction type tablet in which the formation of the loop-shaped conductor pattern is facilitated and the cost is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a tablet according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a switching circuit connected to a tablet.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a tablet incorporated in the liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a conductor pattern forming step.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the principle of an electromagnetic induction tablet.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tablet integrated with the liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a conventional conductor pattern forming process.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a conventional conductive pattern forming step.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cross section of a conventional tablet.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 TFT substrate 2 Common substrate 5, 5xa, 5xb, 5xc, 5xd, 5ya, 5yb, 5yc, 5yd
Switching circuit 21 Glass substrate 22 Common electrode 41, 42 Conductor pattern group 43 Substrate 44, 45, 47, 48 Electrode pad 46, 49 Conductor pattern 50 Wire 51 Contact point

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor device comprising: a first conductor pattern group and a second conductor pattern group formed in a lattice shape, wherein the first conductor pattern group includes first electrode pads at both ends, and is provided in an X direction. The second conductor pattern group includes second electrode pads on both ends, and a plurality of second conductor patterns arranged in a Y direction intersecting the X direction.
Wherein the second conductor pattern is formed so as to bend in the X direction just before intersecting with the first conductor pattern and to bypass the periphery of the first electrode pad. And an electromagnetic induction type tablet. 2. A semiconductor device comprising: a plurality of switching circuits connectable to each of the first and second conductor patterns, wherein the switching circuits are adjacent to each other with the first or second one therebetween. 2. The electromagnetic induction type tablet according to claim 1, wherein one end of the two conductor patterns is connected, and one of the other ends of the conductor patterns is connected to an output terminal and the other is connected to a ground terminal. 3. The tablet according to claim 1, wherein a shift register or a multiplexer is used as the switching circuit. 4. A liquid crystal display device integrated with a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device having a common substrate on which a common electrode is formed and a TFT substrate on which a TFT is formed, wherein the first conductive pattern group and the first 2 are formed on the common substrate, and the switching circuit
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is mounted on a substrate.
An electromagnetic induction tablet according to any one of claims 2 and 3.