KR102174008B1 - Electrode sheet and touch input device - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrode sheet according to an embodiment includes: a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; And a first electrode and a second electrode positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, wherein the reference potential layer is spaced apart from the electrode sheet and positioned in the display module and the electrode sheet The capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, which changes according to the relative distance change of, can be detected, and the magnitude of the pressure causing the distance change can be detected according to the change of the capacitance. I can.

Description

Electrode sheet and touch input device {ELECTRODE SHEET AND TOUCH INPUT DEVICE}

The present invention relates to an electrode sheet and a touch input device, and more particularly, to an electrode sheet and a touch input device configured to detect the magnitude of a touch pressure.

Various types of input devices are used to manipulate a computing system. For example, input devices such as buttons, keys, joysticks, and touch screens are used. Due to the easy and simple operation of the touch screen, the use of the touch screen is increasing when operating a computing system.

The touch screen may constitute a touch surface of a touch input device including a touch sensor panel, which may be a transparent panel having a touch-sensitive surface. Such a touch sensor panel is attached to the front surface of the display screen so that the touch-sensitive surface can cover the visible surface of the display screen. The user can manipulate the computing system by simply touching the touch screen with a finger or the like. In general, the computing system recognizes the touch and the touch position on the touch screen and interprets the touch, thereby performing an operation accordingly.

At this time, there is a need for a touch input device capable of detecting not only a touch position according to a touch on a touch screen but also a pressure level of a touch without deteriorating the performance of the display module.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode sheet and a touch input device capable of detecting the magnitude of a touch pressure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode sheet and a touch input device configured to detect a pressure level of a touch without reducing the visibility and light transmittance of a display module.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode sheet and a touch input device configured to detect the pressure level of a touch using an existing air gap according to a manufacturing process without manufacturing a separate air gap. To provide.

An electrode sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; And a first electrode and a second electrode positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, wherein the reference potential layer is spaced apart from the electrode sheet and positioned in the display module and the electrode sheet The capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, which changes according to the relative distance change of, can be detected, and the magnitude of the pressure causing the distance change can be detected according to the change of the capacitance. I can.

An electrode sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; And an electrode positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the electrode sheet comprising: a reference potential layer spaced apart from the electrode sheet and positioned in a display module according to a relative distance change between the electrode sheet It may be configured such that a varying, capacitance between the electrode and the reference potential layer can be detected, and the magnitude of the pressure causing the distance change according to the variation of the capacitance can be detected.

A touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display module; An electrode sheet including a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; And a touch detection device for applying a driving signal to the first electrode and receiving a sensing signal including information on capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode from the second electrode, wherein the electrostatic charge The capacitance is spaced apart from the electrode sheet and changes according to a change in the relative distance between the reference potential layer and the electrode sheet located inside the display module, and the touch detection device is the magnitude of the pressure causing the distance change through the detection signal. Can be detected.

A touch input device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a display module; An electrode sheet including a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, and an electrode positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; And a touch detection device for applying a driving signal to the electrode and receiving a sensing signal from the electrode including information on a capacitance between the electrode and a reference potential layer spaced apart from the electrode sheet and located inside the display module. Including, the capacitance is changed according to a relative distance change between the reference potential layer and the electrode sheet, the touch detection device may detect the magnitude of the pressure causing the distance change through the sensing signal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrode sheet and a touch input device capable of detecting the magnitude of a touch pressure.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrode sheet and a touch input device configured to detect a pressure level of a touch without lowering the visibility and light transmittance of the display module.

In addition, according to the present invention, an electrode sheet and a touch input device configured to detect the pressure level of a touch using an existing air gap according to a manufacturing process without manufacturing a separate air gap. Can provide.

1 is a schematic diagram of a capacitive touch sensor panel and a configuration for operation thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A, 2B, and 2C are conceptual diagrams illustrating a relative position of a touch sensor panel with respect to a display module in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device configured to detect a touch position and a touch pressure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4B is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a display module that can be included in a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
6A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode pattern according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
6B is a cross-sectional view of a case in which pressure is applied to the touch input device shown in FIG. 6A.
6C is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode pattern according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
6D is a cross-sectional view of a case where a pressure is applied to the touch input device shown in FIG. 6C.
6E is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
6F illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
6G illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
6H and 6I illustrate a pressure electrode pattern applicable to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
7B illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates an attachment structure of a pressure electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9A and 9B illustrate a method of attaching a pressure electrode according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
10A to 10C illustrate a method of connecting a pressure electrode to a touch sensing circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
11A to 11C illustrate a case where a pressure electrode constitutes a plurality of channels according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a graph showing the amount of change in capacitance according to the gram weight of the object by performing an experiment of pressing the center of the touch surface of the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention with a non-conductive object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The detailed description of the present invention to be described below refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in detail sufficient to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different from each other, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention in relation to one embodiment. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the detailed description to be described below is not intended to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention, if properly described, is limited only by the appended claims, along with all scopes equivalent to those claimed by the claims. Like reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same or similar functions over several aspects.

Hereinafter, a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, the capacitive touch sensor panel 100 and the pressure detection module 400 are exemplified, but the touch sensor panel 100 and the pressure detection module 400 capable of detecting a touch position and/or a touch pressure in an arbitrary manner. ) May be applied.

1 is a schematic diagram of a capacitive touch sensor panel 100 and a configuration for its operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, the touch sensor panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of driving electrodes (TX1 to TXn) and a plurality of receiving electrodes (RX1 to RXm), the touch sensor panel 100 In order to operate, a driving unit 120 that applies a driving signal to the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn, and information on the amount of change in capacitance that changes according to a touch to the touch surface of the touch sensor panel 100 It may include a sensing unit 110 for receiving the sensing signal to detect the touch and the touch position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the touch sensor panel 100 may include a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of reception electrodes RX1 to RXm. In FIG. 1, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm of the touch sensor panel 100 are shown to form an orthogonal array, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of The driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may have any number of dimensions including diagonals, concentric circles, and three-dimensional random arrangements, and application arrangements thereof. Here, n and m are positive integers and may have the same or different values, and their sizes may vary according to exemplary embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be arranged to cross each other. The driving electrode TX includes a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn extending in the first axis direction, and the receiving electrode RX is a plurality of receiving electrodes extending in a second axis direction crossing the first axis direction. RX1 to RXm).

In the touch sensor panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on the same layer. For example, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on the same surface of an insulating film (not shown). In addition, the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on different layers. For example, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on both sides of one insulating layer (not shown), or the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn may be The first insulating layer (not shown) and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on one surface of the second insulating layer (not shown) different from the first insulating layer.

The plurality of driving electrodes (TX1 to TXn) and the plurality of receiving electrodes (RX1 to RXm) are made of transparent conductive material (for example, tin oxide (SnO ₂ ) and indium oxide (In ₂ O ₃ )). Oxide) or ATO (Antimony Tin Oxide)). However, this is only an example, and the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may be formed of other transparent conductive materials or opaque conductive materials. For example, the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may include at least one of silver ink, copper, or carbon nanotube (CNT). Further, the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may be implemented as a metal mesh or may be made of a nano silver material.

The driving unit 120 according to the embodiment of the present invention may apply a driving signal to the driving electrodes TX1 to TXn. In an embodiment of the present invention, the driving signal may be sequentially applied to one driving electrode at a time from the first driving electrode TX1 to the n-th driving electrode TXn. The application of the driving signal may be repeated again. This is only an example, and driving signals may be simultaneously applied to a plurality of driving electrodes according to embodiments.

The sensing unit 110 receives information on the capacitance (Cm: 101) generated between the driving electrodes TX1 to TXn to which a driving signal is applied through the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm and the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm. By receiving the included detection signal, it is possible to detect whether a touch is present and a touch position. For example, the sensing signal may be a signal in which a driving signal applied to the driving electrode TX is coupled by a capacitance (CM: 101) generated between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX. In this way, the process of sensing the driving signal applied from the first driving electrode TX1 to the n-th driving electrode TXn through the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm is referred to as scanning the touch sensor panel 100. can do.

For example, the sensing unit 110 may include a receiver (not shown) connected to each of the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm through a switch. The switch is turned on during a time period for sensing the signal of the corresponding receiving electrode RX, so that the sensing signal from the receiving electrode RX can be detected by the receiver. The receiver may include an amplifier (not shown) and a feedback capacitor coupled to a feedback path between the negative (-) input terminal of the amplifier and the output terminal of the amplifier. At this time, the positive (+) input terminal of the amplifier may be connected to ground. In addition, the receiver may further include a reset switch connected in parallel with the feedback capacitor. The reset switch may reset the current to voltage conversion performed by the receiver. The negative input terminal of the amplifier is connected to the corresponding receiving electrode RX to receive a current signal including information on the capacitance (CM: 101), and then integrate it to convert it into a voltage. The sensing unit 110 may further include an ADC (not shown: analog to digital converter) that converts the data integrated through the receiver into digital data. Later, the digital data may be input to a processor (not shown) and processed to obtain touch information on the touch sensor panel 100. The sensing unit 110 may include a receiver, an ADC and a processor.

The controller 130 may perform a function of controlling the operation of the driving unit 120 and the sensing unit 110. For example, the control unit 130 may generate a driving control signal and transmit it to the driving unit 200 so that the driving signal is applied to the preset driving electrode TX at a predetermined time. In addition, the controller 130 generates a sensing control signal and transmits it to the sensing unit 110 so that the sensing unit 110 receives a sensing signal from a preset receiving electrode RX at a predetermined time and performs a preset function. can do.

In FIG. 1, the driving unit 120 and the sensing unit 110 may configure a touch detection device (not shown) capable of detecting whether or not a touch sensor panel 100 is touched and a touch position according to an embodiment of the present invention. . The touch detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit 130. The touch detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented by being integrated on a touch sensing integrated circuit (IC) (150 in FIG. 10) that is a touch sensing circuit in the touch input device 1000 including the touch sensor panel 100. Can be. The driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX included in the touch sensor panel 100 are, for example, a touch sensing IC through a conductive trace and/or a conductive pattern printed on a circuit board. It may be connected to the driving unit 120 and the sensing unit 110 included in the 150). The touch sensing IC 150 may be located on a circuit board on which a conductive pattern is printed, for example, a first printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as a first PCB) indicated by 160 in FIG. 10. According to an embodiment, the touch sensing IC 150 may be mounted on a main board for operating the touch input device 1000.

As described above, a predetermined value of capacitance C is generated at each intersection point of the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX. When an object such as a finger approaches the touch sensor panel 100 The value of the capacity can be changed. In FIG. 1, the capacitance may represent a mutual capacitance Cm. Such electrical characteristics may be sensed by the sensing unit 110 to detect whether a touch has been made to the touch sensor panel 100 and/or a touch position. For example, whether or not there is a touch on the surface of the touch sensor panel 100 formed of a two-dimensional plane consisting of a first axis and a second axis and/or a position thereof may be detected.

More specifically, when a touch occurs on the touch sensor panel 100, the position of the touch in the direction of the second axis may be detected by detecting the driving electrode TX to which the driving signal is applied. Likewise, when the touch sensor panel 100 is touched, the position of the touch in the direction of the first axis may be detected by detecting a change in capacitance from the received signal received through the receiving electrode RX.

In the above, a mutual capacitance type touch sensor panel has been described in detail as the touch sensor panel 100, but a touch sensor panel for detecting touch status and a touch position in the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention ( 100) refers to a self-capacitance method other than the above-described method, a surface capacitive method, a projected capacitive method, a resistive film method, a surface acoustic wave method (SAW), an infrared method, and optical imaging. It may be implemented by using any touch sensing method such as optical imaging, distributed signal technology, and acoustic pulse recognition.

The touch sensor panel 100 for detecting a touch position in the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be located outside or inside the display module 200.

The display module 200 of the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). It may be a display panel included in the etc. Accordingly, the user can perform an input action by performing a touch on the touch surface while visually checking the screen displayed on the display panel. In this case, the display module 200 receives an input from a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP), which is a central processing unit on a main board for operating the touch input device 100, It may include a control circuit to display the content. This control circuit may be mounted on a second printed circuit board 210 (hereinafter referred to as a second PCB) in FIGS. 8A to 9C. In this case, the control circuit for operating the display panel 200 may include a display panel control IC, a graphic controller IC, and other circuits required to operate the display panel 200.

2A, 2B, and 2C are conceptual diagrams illustrating a relative position of a touch sensor panel with respect to a display module in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A to 2C show an LCD panel as the display panel 200A included in the display module 200, but this is only an example and any display panel is applied to the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention. I can.

In the present specification, reference numeral 200A may refer to a display panel included in the display module 200. As shown in Fig. 2, the LCD panel 200A includes a liquid crystal layer 250 including a liquid crystal cell, a first glass layer 261 including electrodes at both ends of the liquid crystal layer 250, and A second glass layer 262 and a direction facing the liquid crystal layer 250 on one surface of the first glass layer 261 and on one surface of the first polarization layer 271 and the second glass layer 262 A second polarization layer 272 may be included. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the LCD panel may further include other configurations to perform a display function and may be modified.

FIG. 2A shows that the touch sensor panel 100 is disposed outside the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000. The touch surface for the touch input device 1000 may be the surface of the touch sensor panel 100. In FIG. 2A, a surface of the touch sensor panel 100 that may be a touch surface may be an upper surface of the touch sensor panel 100. Also, according to an embodiment, the touch surface of the touch input device 1000 may be the outer surface of the display module 200. In FIG. 2A, an outer surface of the display module 200, which may be a touch surface, may be a lower surface of the second polarization layer 272 of the display module 200. In this case, in order to protect the display module 200, the lower surface of the display module 200 may be covered with a cover layer (not shown) such as glass.

2B and 2C illustrate that the touch sensor panel 100 is disposed inside the display panel 200A in the touch input device 1000. In this case, in FIG. 2B, a touch sensor panel 100 for detecting a touch position is disposed between the first glass layer 261 and the first polarization layer 271. In this case, the touch surface of the touch input device 1000 may be an upper surface or a lower surface in FIG. 2B as the outer surface of the display module 200. 2C illustrates a case in which the touch sensor panel 100 for detecting the touch position is included in the liquid crystal layer 250 and implemented. In this case, the touch surface for the touch input device 1000 is an outer surface of the display module 200 and may be an upper surface or a lower surface in FIG. 2C. 2B and 2C, an upper surface or a lower surface of the display module 200, which may be a touch surface, may be covered with a cover layer (not shown) such as glass.

In the above, the presence or absence of a touch on the touch sensor panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and/or detection of the location of the touch has been described, but using the touch sensor panel 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention It is possible to detect the magnitude of the pressure of the touch together with whether and/or the location. In addition, it is possible to detect the pressure level of the touch by further including a pressure detection module that detects the touch pressure separately from the touch sensor panel 100.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device configured to detect a touch position and a touch pressure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The touch sensor panel 100 and the pressure detection module 400 for detecting a touch position in the touch input device 1000 including the display module 200 may be attached to the front surface of the display module 200. Accordingly, it is possible to protect the display screen of the display module 200 and increase the touch detection sensitivity of the touch sensor panel 100.

In this case, the pressure detection module 400 may operate separately from the touch sensor panel 100 for detecting the touch position. For example, the pressure detection module 400 is a touch sensor panel 100 for detecting the touch position. ) And can be configured to detect only pressure independently. In addition, the pressure detection module 400 may be configured to detect a touch pressure in combination with the touch sensor panel 100 for detecting a touch position. For example, at least one of the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX included in the touch sensor panel 100 for detecting the touch position may be used to detect the touch pressure.

In FIG. 3, the pressure detection module 400 illustrates a case in which the touch pressure can be detected by being combined with the touch sensor panel 100. In FIG. 2, the pressure detection module 400 includes a spacer layer 420 spaced apart between the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200. The pressure detection module 400 may include a reference potential layer spaced apart from the touch sensor panel 100 through a spacer layer 420. In this case, the display module 200 may function as a reference potential layer.

The reference potential layer may have an arbitrary potential to cause a change in the capacitance 101 generated between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX. For example, the reference potential layer may be a ground layer having a ground potential. The reference potential layer may be a ground layer of the display module 200. In this case, the reference potential layer may have a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane of the touch sensor panel 100.

3, the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200, which is a reference potential layer, are spaced apart from each other. In this case, the spacer layer 420 between the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 may be implemented as an air gap according to a difference in the bonding method between the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200. I can. The spacer layer 420 may be made of an impact absorbing material according to an embodiment. The spacer layer 420 may be filled with a dielectric material according to an embodiment.

In this case, a double-sided adhesive tape 430 (DAT: Double Adhesive Tape) may be used to fix the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200. For example, the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 have their respective areas superimposed, and through the double-sided adhesive tape 430 at the edge areas of the touch sensor panel 100 and the touch sensor panel 200, respectively. While the two layers are adhered, the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance d in the remaining area.

In general, even when the touch surface is touched without bending the touch sensor panel 100, the capacitance 101 (Cm) between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX is changed. That is, when the touch sensor panel 100 is touched, the mutual capacitance (Cm: 101) may decrease compared to the basic mutual capacitance. This is because when a conductor object such as a finger is close to the touch sensor panel 100, the object acts as a ground (GND), and the fringing capacitance of the mutual capacitance (Cm: 101) is absorbed into the object. to be. The basic mutual capacitance is a value of the mutual capacitance between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX when there is no touch to the touch sensor panel 100.

When a pressure is applied when an upper surface, which is a touch surface of the touch sensor panel 100, is touched with an object, the touch sensor panel 100 may bend. In this case, a value of the mutual capacitance 101 (Cm) between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may further decrease. This is because the touch sensor panel 100 is bent and the distance between the touch sensor panel 100 and the reference potential layer decreases from d to d', so that the fringing capacitance of the mutual capacitance 101 (Cm) is not only the object but also the reference. This is because it is also absorbed by the dislocation layer. When the touch object is a non-conductor, the change in mutual capacitance Cm may simply be due to a change in distance (d-d') between the touch sensor panel 100 and the reference potential layer.

As described above, by configuring the touch input device 1000 including the touch sensor panel 100 and the pressure detection module 400 on the display module 200, not only the touch position but also the touch pressure can be simultaneously detected. have.

However, as shown in FIG. 3, when not only the touch sensor panel 100 but also the pressure detection module 400 is disposed on the display module 200, a problem occurs in that the display characteristics of the display module are deteriorated. In particular, when the air gap 420 is included in the upper portion of the display module 200, visibility and light transmittance of the display module may be deteriorated.

Therefore, in order to prevent such a problem from occurring, an air gap is not disposed between the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 for detecting the touch position, and an adhesive such as OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) is used for the touch sensor. The panel 100 and the display module 200 may be completely laminated.

4A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, between the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 for detecting a touch position is completely laminated with an adhesive. Accordingly, display color clarity, visibility, and light transmittance of the display module 200 that can be checked through the touch surface of the touch sensor panel 100 may be improved.

In FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5 and the description referring thereto, as the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the touch sensor panel 100 is laminated and attached with an adhesive on the display module 200. However, the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a case where the touch sensor panel 100 is disposed inside the display module 200 as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. I can. More specifically, in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5, the touch sensor panel 100 is shown to cover the display module 200, but the touch sensor panel 100 is located inside the display module 200 and the display module 200 ) The touch input device 1000 covered with a cover layer such as glass may be used in the second embodiment of the present invention.

The touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cell phone, a personal data assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), an MP3 player, a notebook, and the like. It may include an electronic device including the same touch screen.

In the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 300 is, for example, a circuit board for operating the touch input device 1000 together with the cover 320 which is the outermost mechanism of the touch input device 1000 And/or a housing surrounding the mounting space 310 in which the battery may be located. In this case, a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP), which is a central processing unit, may be mounted as a main board on a circuit board for operating the touch input device 1000. A circuit board and/or a battery for operating the display module 200 and the touch input device 1000 are separated through the substrate 300, and electrical noise generated from the display module 200 may be blocked.

In the touch input device 1000, the touch sensor panel 100 or the front cover layer may be formed wider than the display module 200, the substrate 300, and the mounting space 310, and accordingly, the cover 320 A cover 320 may be formed to surround the display module 200, the substrate 300, and the circuit board 310 together with the sensor panel 100.

The touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention detects a touch position through the touch sensor panel 100 and includes electrodes 450 for detecting pressure between the display module 200 and the substrate 300. The touch pressure may be detected by arranging 460. In this case, the touch sensor panel 100 may be located inside or outside the display module 200. In the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, air gaps and/or air gaps existing in or outside the display module 200 without manufacturing a separate spacer layer and/or a reference potential layer Alternatively, the touch pressure may be detected using the potential layer, which will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4B to 7B.

4B is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a display module 200 that may be included in the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 4B illustrates an LCD module as the display module 200. As shown in FIG. 4B, the LCD module 200 may include an LCD panel 200A and a backlight unit 200B. The LCD panel 200A itself does not emit light, but performs a function of blocking or transmitting light. Accordingly, a light source is positioned under the LCD panel 200A to illuminate light on the LCD panel 200A to express information having not only brightness and darkness, but also various colors on the screen. Since the LCD panel 200A is a passive element and does not emit light by itself, a light source having a uniform luminance distribution on the rear surface is required. The structures and functions of the LCD panel 200A and the backlight unit 200B are known techniques and will be briefly described below.

The backlight unit 200B for the LCD panel 200A may include several optical parts. In FIG. 4B, the backlight unit 200B may include a light diffusion and light enhancement sheet 231, a light guide plate 232, and a reflection plate 240. In this case, the backlight unit 200B may include a light source (not shown) disposed on the rear and/or side of the light guide plate 232 in the form of a linear light source or a point light source. . According to an embodiment, a support part 233 may be further included at the edge of the light guide plate 232 and the light diffusion and light enhancement sheet 231.

The light guide plate 232 may serve to convert light from a light source (not shown) in the form of a line light source or a point light source into a surface light source and direct it to the LCD panel 200A.

Some of the light emitted from the light guide plate 232 may be emitted to the opposite surface of the LCD panel 200A and be lost. The reflector 240 is positioned under the light guide plate 232 so that the lost light can be re-incident to the light guide plate 232 and may be made of a material having a high reflectivity.

The light diffusion and light enhancement sheet 231 may include a diffuser sheet and/or a prism sheet. The diffusion sheet serves to diffuse light incident from the light guide plate 232. For example, since light scattered by the pattern of the light guide plate 232 directly enters the eye, the pattern of the light guide plate 232 may be reflected as it is. Even after the LCD panel 200A is mounted, such a pattern can be clearly detected, so that the diffusion sheet can play a role of canceling the pattern of the light guide plate 232.

After passing through the diffusion sheet, the light luminance rapidly drops. Accordingly, a prism sheet may be included to improve light luminance by focusing the light again.

The backlight unit 200B may include a configuration different from the above-described configuration according to technological changes, developments, and/or embodiments, and may further include an additional configuration in addition to the above-described configuration. In addition, the backlight unit 200B according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a protection sheet on the prism sheet in order to protect the optical configuration of the backlight unit 200B from external impact or contamination caused by the inflow of foreign substances. Can be included in more. In addition, the backlight unit 200B may further include a lamp cover according to an exemplary embodiment in order to minimize light loss from the light source. In addition, the backlight unit 200B is a frame that maintains a shape such that the main components of the backlight unit 200B, such as the light guide plate 232, sheet 231, and lamp (not shown), can be accurately matched to the allowable dimensions. It may further include (frame). In addition, each of the above-described configurations may be made of two or more separate parts. For example, the prism sheet may be composed of two prism sheets.

In this case, the first air gap 220-2 may be formed between the light guide plate 232 and the reflective plate 240. Accordingly, loss of light from the light guide plate 232 to the reflective plate 240 may be re-incident to the light guide plate 232 through the reflecting plate 240. In this case, a double-sided adhesive tape 221-2 may be included at an edge between the light guide plate 233 and the reflective plate 240 so as to maintain the air gap 220-2.

Further, according to an embodiment, the backlight unit 200B may be positioned with the LCD panel 200A and the second air gap 220-1 interposed therebetween. This is to prevent the impact from the LCD panel 200A from being transmitted to the backlight unit 200B. In this case, a double-sided adhesive tape 221-1 may be included at an edge between the backlight unit 200B and the LCD panel 200A so as to maintain the air gap 220-1.

As described above, the display module 200 itself may be configured to include an air gap such as the first air gap 220-2 and/or the second air gap 220-1. Alternatively, an air gap may be included between a plurality of layers of the light diffusion and light enhancement sheet 231. In the above, the case of the LCD module has been described, but other display modules may include an air gap in the structure.

Accordingly, the touch input device 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can use an air gap that already exists in or outside the display module 200 without producing a separate spacer layer for pressure detection. The air gap used as the spacer layer may be any air gap included in the display module 200 as well as the first air gap 220-2 and/or the second air gap 220-1 described with reference to FIG. 4B. I can. Alternatively, it may be an air gap included outside the display module 200. In this way, manufacturing the touch input device 1000 capable of detecting pressure may reduce manufacturing cost and/or simplify a manufacturing process.

5 is a perspective view of a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, in the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention, electrodes 450 and 460 for pressure detection positioned between the display module 200 and the substrate 200 may be included. have. Hereinafter, the electrodes 450 and 460 for detecting pressure are referred to as pressure electrodes 450 and 460 so that a distinction from the electrodes included in the touch sensor panel 100 is clear. In this case, since the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are included in the rear surface of the display panel instead of the front surface, they may be formed of an opaque material as well as a transparent material. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode pattern according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be formed on the substrate 300 as between the display module 200 and the substrate 300. 6A to 6F and 7A, for convenience, the thickness of the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 is exaggerated and shown to be thick, but since the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be implemented in a sheet form, the corresponding thickness is very It can be small. Likewise, the distance between the display module 200 and the substrate 300 is also exaggerated and illustrated to be wide, but the distance between the two may also be implemented to have a very small distance. 6A and 6B, in order to indicate that the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are formed on the substrate 300, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 and the display module 200 are spaced apart, but this is for illustration only. It may be implemented so that there is no space between them.

The pressure electrode for pressure detection may include a first electrode 450 and a second electrode 460. At this time, one of the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may be a driving electrode and the other may be a receiving electrode. A driving signal may be applied to the driving electrode and a sensing signal may be obtained through the receiving electrode. When a voltage is applied, mutual capacitance may be generated between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460.

In this case, in FIG. 6A, the display module 200 is shown to include a spacer layer 220 and a reference potential layer 270.

The spacer layer 220 may be a first air gap 220-2 and/or a second air gap 220-1 included in manufacturing the display module 200 as described with reference to FIG. 4B. . When the display module 220 includes one air gap, the one air gap may perform the function of the spacer layer 220, and when the display module 220 includes a plurality of air gaps, the plurality of The air gap may integrally perform the function of the spacer layer 220. 6A to 6C and 7A are shown functionally including one spacer layer 220.

The touch input device 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a reference potential layer 270 above the spacer layer 220 as the interior of the display module 200 in FIGS. 2A to 2C. The reference potential layer 270 may also be a ground potential layer included in the display module 200 when manufacturing the display module 200. For example, in the display panel 200A shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, an electrode (not shown) for shielding noise may be included between the first polarizing layer 271 and the first glass layer 261. . The electrode for such shielding may be composed of ITO and may serve as a ground. Such a reference potential layer 270 may be located inside the display module 200 and may be located anywhere in which the spacer layer 220 is positioned between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrodes 450 and 460, An electrode having an arbitrary potential other than the shielding electrode illustrated above may be used as the reference potential layer 270. For example, the reference potential layer 270 may be a common electrode potential (Vcom) layer of the display module 200.

In particular, as part of an effort to reduce the thickness of the device including the touch input device 1000, the display module 200 may not be wrapped through a separate cover or frame. In this case, the lower surface of the display module 200 facing the substrate 300 may be a reflector 340 and/or a non-conductor. In this case, the lower surface of the display module 200 cannot have a ground potential. In this way, even when the lower surface of the display module 200 cannot function as a reference potential layer, when the touch pressure device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, an arbitrary potential layer located inside the display module 200 is The pressure may be detected by using it as the reference potential layer 270.

6B is a cross-sectional view of a case in which pressure is applied to the touch input device 1000 shown in FIG. 6A. When pressure is applied to the surface of the touch sensor panel 100 through the object 500, the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 may be bent or pressed. In this case, the distance d between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 may be reduced to d'by the spacer layer 220 located in the display module 200. In this case, since the fringing capacitance is absorbed by the reference potential layer 270 as the distance d decreases, the mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may decrease. Accordingly, the magnitude of the touch pressure can be calculated by obtaining a reduction in mutual capacitance from the sensing signal obtained through the receiving electrode.

In this case, when the magnitude of the touch pressure is sufficiently large, the distance between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 at a predetermined position may reach a state in which the distance is no longer close. This state is hereinafter referred to as a saturated state. However, even in this case, when the magnitude of the touch pressure increases, the area in the saturated state in which the distance between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 is no longer close may increase. As the area increases, the mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may decrease. Hereinafter, calculating the size of the touch pressure according to the change in capacitance according to the change in distance will be described, but this may include calculating the size of the touch pressure according to the change in the area in the saturated state.

In the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the display module 200 may be bent or pressed according to a touch applying pressure. The display module 200 may be bent or pressed to show the greatest deformation at the touch position. Depending on the embodiment, when the display module 200 is bent or pressed, the position indicating the greatest deformation may not coincide with the touch position, but the display module 200 may at least indicate bending or pressing at the touch position. For example, when the touch position is close to the edge or edge of the display module 200, the position at which the display module 200 is bent or pressed may be different from the touch position, but the display module 200 is at least the touch position. May indicate bending or pressing.

At this time, when the display module 200 is bent or pressed when the touch input device 1000 is touched, a layer located under the spacer layer 220 due to the spacer layer 220 as shown in FIG. 6B (for example, a reflector) There is no or can be reduced in bending or pressing. In FIG. 6B, it is shown that there is no bending or pressing at the bottom of the display module 200, but this is only an example, and there may be bending or pressing at the bottom of the display module 200, but the degree is reduced through the spacer layer 220. Can be.

In this case, the upper surface of the substrate 300 may also have a ground potential for noise shielding. Accordingly, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be formed on the insulating layer 470 in order to prevent the substrate 300 and the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 from being short circuited. 8 illustrates an attachment structure of a pressure electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8(a), the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be formed by placing the first insulating layer 470 on the substrate 300 and then forming the pressure electrodes 450 and 460. . In addition, according to an embodiment, the first insulating layer 470 on which the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are formed may be attached to the substrate 300 to be formed. In addition, according to the embodiment, after placing a mask having a through hole corresponding to the pressure electrode pattern on the substrate 300 or the first insulating layer 470 on the substrate 300, a conductive spray is applied. ) Can be formed by spraying.

In addition, when the lower surface of the display module 200 has a ground potential, in order to prevent short circuit between the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 positioned on the substrate 300 and the display module 300, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 The pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be covered with an additional second insulating layer 471. In addition, after covering the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 formed on the first insulating layer 470 with an additional second insulating layer 471, the pressure detection module 400 is attached to the substrate 300 in an integral manner. Can be formed.

The attachment structure and method of the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 described with reference to FIG. 8A may be applied even when the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached to the display module 200. The case where the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached to the display module 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6F.

In addition, depending on the type and/or implementation method of the touch input device 1000, the substrate 300 or the display module 200 to which the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached may not exhibit a ground potential or may exhibit a weak ground potential. have. In this case, the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a ground electrode (not shown) between the substrate 300 or the display module 200 and the insulating layer 470. . Depending on the embodiment, another insulating layer (not shown) may be further included between the ground electrode and the substrate 300 or the display module 200. In this case, the ground electrode (not shown) can prevent the size of the capacitance generated between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460, which are pressure electrodes, from becoming too large.

The method of forming and attaching the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 described above may be equally applied to the following embodiments.

6C is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode pattern according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. 6C illustrates a case where the spacer layer 420 is positioned between the display module 200 and the substrate 300. When manufacturing the touch input device 1000 including the display module 200, since the display module 200 and the substrate 300 are not completely attached, an air gap 420 may occur. Here, by using the air gap 420 as a spacer layer for detecting the touch pressure, time/cost of deliberately manufacturing the spacer layer for detecting the touch pressure may be reduced. Display module 200 and substrate 300 In Figs. 6C and 6D, the air gap 220 used as a spacer layer is not shown to be located inside the display module 200, but in Figs. 6C and 6D, an additional air gap ( 220) may also be included in the display module 200.

6D is a cross-sectional view of a case where a pressure is applied to the touch input device shown in FIG. 6C. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the touch input device 1000 is touched, the display module 200 may be bent or pressed. At this time, the distance d between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 by the spacer layer 220 positioned between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 is d Can be reduced to'. In this case, since the fringing capacitance is absorbed by the reference potential layer 270 as the distance d decreases, the mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may decrease. Accordingly, the magnitude of the touch pressure can be calculated by obtaining a reduction in mutual capacitance from the sensing signal obtained through the receiving electrode.

6E is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Although the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are formed on the substrate 300 in the first embodiment, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be formed on the lower surface of the display module 200. As the touch surface of the touch sensor panel 100 is touched, the distance d between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 decreases, and as a result, the first electrode 450 and the second electrode ( 460) may cause a change in mutual capacitance. In FIG. 6E, in order to explain that the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached to the display module 200, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 and the substrate 300 are separated from each other, but this is for illustration only. It may be configured not to be separated between the two. Of course, as in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the display module 200 and the substrate 300 may be spaced apart by an air gap 420.

6F illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6D shows a case where the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are formed on the substrate 300. The capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may vary depending on the distance between the reference potential layer 270 and the pressure electrodes 450 and 460.

6G illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6G, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are formed on the lower surface of the display module 200.

6H and 6I illustrate pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. When detecting the magnitude of the touch pressure as the mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 changes, the first electrode 450 and the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 450 and the second electrode 450 generate a required capacitance range to increase detection accuracy. It is necessary to form a pattern of the second electrode 460. The larger the area or the longer the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 face each other, the larger the size of the generated capacitance may be. Accordingly, it is possible to design by adjusting the size, length, and shape of the facing area between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 according to the required capacitance range. 6H and 6I, when the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are formed on the same layer, the length of the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 facing each other is relatively long. The case where the pressure electrode is formed is illustrated.

In the first and second embodiments, the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are shown to be formed on the same layer, but the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are Therefore, it may be implemented in different layers. FIG. 8B illustrates an attachment structure when the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are implemented on different layers. As illustrated in FIG. 8(b), the first electrode 450 is formed on the first insulating layer 470, and the second electrode 460 is a second insulating layer positioned on the first electrode 450. It may be formed on 471. Depending on the embodiment, the second electrode 460 may be covered with the third insulating layer 472. In this case, since the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are located in different layers, they may be implemented to overlap each other. For example, the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are formed of the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX arranged in an MXN structure included in the touch sensor panel 100 described with reference to FIG. 1. It can be formed similar to a pattern. In this case, M and N may be 1 or more natural numbers.

In the first embodiment, it is exemplified that the touch pressure is detected from a change in mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460. However, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be configured to include only one of the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460, and in this case, one pressure electrode and the reference potential layer 270 It is also possible to detect the magnitude of the touch pressure by detecting the change in capacitance therebetween.

For example, in FIGS. 6A and 6C, the pressure electrode may include only the first electrode 450, and at this time, the first electrode caused by a change in the distance between the reference potential layer 270 and the first electrode 450 The magnitude of the touch pressure may be detected from the change in capacitance between 450 and the reference potential layer 270. Since the distance d decreases as the touch pressure increases, the capacitance between the reference potential layer 270 and the first electrode 450 may increase as the touch pressure increases. The same can be applied to the embodiment related to FIG. 6E. At this time, the pressure electrode does not have to have a comb-tooth shape or a trident shape, which is necessary to increase the detection accuracy of the amount of mutual capacitance change, and may have a plate (eg, square plate) shape.

8(c) illustrates an attachment structure when the pressure electrode is implemented including only the first electrode 450. As illustrated in FIG. 8C, the first electrode 450 may be formed on the substrate 300 or the first insulating layer 470 positioned on the display module 200. Also, according to an embodiment, the first electrode 450 may be covered with the second insulating layer 471.

7A is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure electrode according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The pressure electrodes 450 and 460 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may be formed on the upper surface of the substrate 300 and the lower surface of the display module 200.

The pressure electrode pattern for pressure detection may include a first electrode 450 and a second electrode 460. In this case, one of the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may be formed on the substrate 300 and the other may be formed on the lower surface of the display module 200. 7A illustrates that the first electrode 450 is formed on the substrate 300 and the second electrode 460 is formed on the lower surface of the display module 200. In FIG. 7A, the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are shown to be spaced apart, but this is only the first electrode 450 formed on the substrate 300 and the second electrode 460 is a display module. It is for explaining what is formed on 200, and the two are spaced apart by an air gap, or an insulating material is positioned between the two, or the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 do not overlap each other. , For example, it may be formed to be staggered as in the case of being formed on the same layer.

When pressure is applied to the surface of the touch sensor panel 100 through the object 500, the touch sensor panel 100 and the display module 200 may be bent or pressed. Accordingly, the distance d between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 and the reference potential layer 270 may be reduced. In this case, as the distance d decreases, the mutual capacitance between the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 may decrease. Accordingly, the magnitude of the touch pressure can be calculated by obtaining a reduction in mutual capacitance from the sensing signal obtained through the receiving electrode.

7B illustrates a pressure electrode pattern according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7B, the first electrode 450 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate 300 and the second electrode 460 is formed on the lower surface of the display module 200. As shown in FIG. 7B, since the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are arranged to be orthogonal to each other, the sensitivity of detecting a change in capacitance may be improved.

8D illustrates an attachment structure when the first electrode 450 is attached to the substrate 300 and the second electrode 460 is attached to the display module 200. As illustrated in FIG. 8(d), the first electrode 450 is located on the first insulating layer 470-2 formed on the substrate 300, and the first electrode 450 is a second insulating layer ( 471-2). In addition, the second electrode 460 is located on the first insulating layer 470-1 formed on the lower surface of the display module 200, and the second electrode 460 is located on the second insulating layer 471-1. Can be covered by

As described in connection with Fig. 8(a), when the substrate 300 or the display module 200 to which the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached does not exhibit a ground potential or exhibits a weak ground potential, Fig. 8(a) ) To 8(d), a ground electrode (not shown) may be further included between the first insulating layers 470, 470-1, and 470-2. In this case, an additional insulating layer (not shown) may be further included between the ground electrode (not shown) and the substrate 300 or the display module 200 to which the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are attached.

As described above, the touch input device 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention senses a change in capacitance occurring in the pressure electrodes 450 and 460. Accordingly, a driving signal needs to be applied to the driving electrode among the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460, and a touch pressure must be calculated from the amount of change in capacitance by acquiring a sensing signal from the receiving electrode. Depending on the embodiment, it is also possible to further include a touch sensing IC for the operation of pressure detection. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 1, since components similar to the driving unit 120, the sensing unit 110, and the control unit 130 are duplicated and included, the area and volume of the touch input device 1000 are increased. I can.

According to an embodiment, the touch input device 1000 may detect a touch pressure by applying a driving signal through a touch detection device for operating the touch sensor panel 100 to detect the pressure and receiving the detection signal. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the first electrode 450 is the driving electrode and the second electrode 460 is the receiving electrode.

To this end, in the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 450 receives a driving signal from the driving unit 120 and the second electrode 460 transmits a detection signal to the sensing unit 110. I can deliver. The controller 130 performs scanning of the pressure detection while performing the scanning of the touch sensor panel 100, or the controller 130 performs time-division to perform scanning of the touch sensor panel 100 in the first time period. And in a second time period different from the first time period, a control signal may be generated to perform the pressure detection scanning.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 must be electrically connected to the driving unit 120 and/or the sensing unit 110. In this case, the touch detection device for the touch sensor panel 100 is a touch sensing IC 150 and is generally formed at one end of the touch sensor panel 100 or on the same plane as the touch sensor panel 100. The pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 may be electrically connected to the touch detection device of the touch sensor panel 100 by any method. For example, the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 may be connected to the touch detection device through a connector using the second PCB 210 included in the display module 200. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the conductive traces 451 and 461 electrically extending from the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460, respectively, are connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the second PCB 210 or the like. ) Can be electrically connected.

9A and 9B illustrate a method of attaching a pressure electrode according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 9A and 9B illustrate a case where the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 according to an embodiment of the present invention are attached to the lower surface of the display module 200. 9A and 9B, a second PCB 210 in which a circuit for operating a display panel is mounted on a part of a lower surface of the display module 200 is shown.

9A is a lower surface of the display module 200 with pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 so that the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are connected to one end of the second PCB 210 of the display module 200. The case of attaching to is illustrated. In this case, FIG. 9A illustrates a case in which the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are formed on the insulating layer 470. The pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 may be formed on the insulating layer 470 and attached to the lower surface of the display module 200 as an integral sheet. A conductive pattern may be printed on the second PCB 210 so that the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 can be electrically connected to necessary components such as the touch sensing IC 150. A detailed description of this will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C. The method of attaching the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 illustrated in FIG. 9A may be similarly applied to the substrate 300.

9B illustrates a case in which the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 are integrally formed on the second PCB 210 of the display module 200. For example, when the second PCB 210 of the display module 200 is manufactured, a predetermined area 211 is allocated to the second PCB in advance, as well as the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 as well as a circuit for operating the display panel. You can print even the pattern corresponding to. A conductive pattern may be printed on the second PCB 210 to electrically connect the first electrode 450 and the second electrode 460 to a required configuration such as the touch sensing IC 150.

10A to 10C illustrate a method of connecting a pressure electrode to the touch sensing IC 150 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 10A to 10C, when the touch sensor panel 100 is included outside the display module 200, the touch detection device of the touch sensor panel 100 is the first PCB 160 for the touch sensor panel 100. An example is the case of being integrated in the touch sensing IC 150 mounted on the device.

10A illustrates a case where the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 attached to the display module 200 are connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the first connector 121. As illustrated in FIG. 10A, in a mobile communication device such as a smartphone, the touch sensing IC 150 is connected to the second PCB 210 for the display module 200 through a first connector 121. The second PCB 210 may be electrically connected to the main board through the second connector 221. Accordingly, the touch sensing IC 150 may exchange signals with the CPU or AP for operating the touch input device 1000 through the first connector 121 and the second connector 221.

In this case, in FIG. 10A, although the pressure electrode 450 is attached to the display module 200 in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 9B, it may be applied even when the pressure electrode 450 is attached in the manner as illustrated in FIG. 9A. A conductive pattern may be printed on the second PCB 210 so that the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 can be electrically connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the first connector 121.

In FIG. 10B, a case in which the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 attached to the display module 200 are connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the third connector 471 is illustrated. In FIG. 10B, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are connected to the main board for operating the touch input device 1000 through the third connector 471, and the second connector 221 and the first connector 121 are later connected. Through this, it may be connected to the touch sensing IC 150. In this case, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be printed on the additional PCB 211 separated from the second PCB 210. Alternatively, according to an exemplary embodiment, the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 may be formed on the insulating layer 470 and may be connected to the main board through the connector 471 by extending conductive traces from the pressure electrodes 450 and 460.

In FIG. 10C, a case in which the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 are directly connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the fourth connector 472 is illustrated. In FIG. 10C, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be connected to the first PCB 160 through the fourth connector 472. A conductive pattern that electrically connects the fourth connector 472 to the touch sensing IC 150 may be printed on the first PCB 160. Accordingly, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be connected to the touch sensing IC 150 through the fourth connector 472. In this case, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be printed on the additional PCB 211 separated from the second PCB 210. The second PCB 472 and the additional PCB 211 may be insulated from each other so as not to be short-circuited. Alternatively, according to an embodiment, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 may be formed on the insulating layer 470 and connected to the first PCB 160 through the connector 472 by extending conductive traces from the pressure electrodes 450 and 460. have.

The connection method of FIGS. 10B and 10C can be applied to the case where the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are formed on the substrate 300 as well as the lower surface of the display module 200.

In FIGS. 10A to 10C, the touch sensing IC 150 has been described on the assumption that a chip on film (COF) structure is formed on the first PCB 160. However, this is only an example, and the present invention can also be applied to the case of a chip on board (COB) structure in which the touch sensing IC 150 is mounted on the main board in the mounting space 310 of the touch input device 1000. From the description of Figs. 10A to 10C, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to connect the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 through the connector in the case of another embodiment.

In the above, the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 in which the first electrode 450 as the driving electrode constitutes one channel and the second electrode 460 as the receiving electrode constitutes one channel have been described. However, this is only an example, and according to the embodiment, the driving electrode and the receiving electrode may each constitute a plurality of channels, so that multiple pressures may be detected according to a multi-touch.

11A to 11C illustrate a case where a pressure electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention constitutes a plurality of channels. In FIG. 11A, a case in which each of the first electrodes 450-1 and 450-2 and the second electrodes 460-1 and 460-2 constitutes two channels is illustrated. In FIG. 11B, the first electrode 450 constitutes two channels 450-1 and 450-2, but the second electrode 460 constitutes one channel. In FIG. 11C, a case in which each of the first electrodes 450-1 to 450-5 and the second electrodes 460-1 and 460-5 constitutes five channels is illustrated.

11A to 11C illustrate a case where a pressure electrode constitutes a single or a plurality of channels, and the pressure electrode may be constituted of a single or a plurality of channels in various ways. In FIGS. 11A to 11C, the case where the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are electrically connected to the touch sensing IC 150 is not illustrated, but the pressure electrodes 450 and 460 are touched in FIGS. 10A to 10C and other methods. It may be connected to the sensing IC 150.

12 is a graph showing the amount of change in capacitance according to the gram force of the object by performing an experiment of pressing the center of the touch surface of the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention with a non-conductive object to be. As can be seen from FIG. 12, as the force pressing the center of the touch surface of the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention increases, the amount of change in capacitance of the pressure electrode patterns 450 and 460 for pressure detection You can see this increase.

In the above, a capacitive detection module has been described for pressure detection, but the touch input device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes spacer layers 420 and 220 and pressure electrodes 450 and 460 to detect pressure. If used, any pressure detection module may be used.

In addition, although the embodiments have been described above, these are only examples and do not limit the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs are illustrated above within the scope not departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. It will be seen that various modifications and applications that are not available are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be modified and implemented. And differences related to these modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

1000: touch input device
100: touch sensor panel
120: drive unit
110: detection unit
130: control unit
200: display module
300: substrate
400: pressure detection module
420; Spacer layer
450, 460: electrode

Claims (19)

As a touch input device capable of detecting the pressure of a touch on a touch surface,
Board; And
Includes; a display module,
A common voltage electrode is located inside the display module,
Further comprising an electrode disposed at a position in which a distance to the common voltage electrode can be changed according to the touch on the touch surface,
The distance may vary depending on the pressure of the touch,
The electrode can output an electrical signal according to the change of the distance
Touch input device. The method of claim 1,
A touch input device, wherein a spacer layer is positioned between the common voltage electrode and the electrode. The method of claim 2,
The electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes according to the distance. The method of claim 2,
The electrode is formed on the substrate, the touch input device. The method of claim 2,
The electrode is formed on the display module, the touch input device. The method of claim 3,
The first electrode and the second electrode are formed on the substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on the display module, or one of the first electrode and the second electrode is the The touch input device is formed on a substrate and the other is formed on the display module. The method of claim 4,
The touch input device, wherein the capacitance between the electrode and the common voltage electrode changes according to the distance. The method of claim 5,
The touch input device, wherein the capacitance between the electrode and the common voltage electrode changes according to the distance. The method of claim 2,
The electrode is located on the substrate or the insulating layer located on the display module, the touch input device. The method of claim 9,
The electrode positioned on the insulating layer is covered with an additional insulating layer. The method of claim 9,
The insulating layer and the electrode positioned on the insulating layer are integrally attachable to the substrate or the display module. The method of claim 2,
The electrode is formed by spraying a conductive spray after positioning a mask having a through hole corresponding to the electrode. The method of claim 2,
The touch input device, wherein the display module is bent at least at a position of the touch according to the touch on the touch surface. The method of claim 2,
A touch sensor panel configured to detect a position of the touch upon the touch on the touch surface; And
Further comprising a first printed circuit board mounted with a touch sensing circuit for operating the touch sensor panel,
The touch input device, wherein the touch sensor panel is adhered on a surface opposite to the substrate on the display module. The method of claim 2,
The display module further includes a second printed circuit board on which a control circuit for operating the display panel is mounted,
The electrode is printed on the second printed circuit board, the touch input device The method of claim 2,
The display module further includes a second printed circuit board on which a control circuit for operating the display panel is mounted,
The electrode is attached on the display module to be electrically connected to the conductive pattern printed on the second printed circuit board. The method of claim 15 or 16,
A touch sensor panel configured to detect a position of the touch upon the touch on the touch surface; And
Further comprising a first printed circuit board on which a touch sensing circuit for operating the touch sensor panel is mounted,
The touch sensor panel is adhered on a surface opposite to the substrate on the display module,
Further comprising a connector between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board,
The electrode is electrically connected to the touch sensing circuit through the connector,
Touch input device. The method of claim 14,
The display module further includes a second printed circuit board on which a control circuit for operating the display panel is mounted,
The electrode is formed on an additional circuit board,
Further comprising a connector between the additional circuit board and the first printed circuit board,
The electrode is electrically connected to the touch sensing circuit through the connector. The method of claim 14,
The display module further includes a second printed circuit board on which a control circuit for operating the display panel is mounted,
The electrode is formed on an additional circuit board,
A first connector between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board; A second connector between the second printed circuit board and a main board on which a central processing unit for operating the touch input device is mounted; And a third connector between the additional circuit board and the main board,
The electrode is electrically connected to the touch sensing circuit through the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector.

Images