KR102375642B1 - Touch sensor integrated type electroluminescent desplay device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch sensor-embedded electroluminescence display having a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines disposed to cross each other, comprising: a plurality of pixel electrodes to which data signals are respectively supplied through the plurality of data lines; and a touch electrode disposed to overlap the plurality of pixel electrodes and sensed after a touch driving signal is applied.

Description

TOUCH SENSOR INTEGRATED TYPE ELECTROLUMINESCENT DESPLAY DEVICE

The present invention relates to an electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor.

Touch sensors include liquid crystal displays, field emission displays (FEDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electroluminescent displays, and electrophoretic displays. It is installed in a flat panel display device and is a type of input device in which a user presses (presses or touches) a touch panel while looking at the display device to input predetermined information.

The touch sensor used in such a display device includes an add-on type touch screen panel, an on-cell type touch screen panel, and an integrated type or in-cell type in its application method. It can be implemented as a touch sensor.

The top plate-attached touch screen panel is a method in which a flat panel display device and a touch panel are individually manufactured, and then the touch panel is attached to the top plate of the flat panel display device. Accordingly, the top plate-attached touch sensing device is thick, and the brightness of the display device is darkened, so that visibility is deteriorated.

On the other hand, in the case of an on-cell type touch screen panel, when this is applied to an electroluminescent display device, a protective encapsulator for protecting the light emitting device is provided on the upper portion, and the protective encapsulator is to form the touch electrodes of the touch screen panel. However, in the case of a top-panel built-in electroluminescent display device, there is a limitation in that the insulator cannot be applied as a plastic substrate due to a high-temperature deposition process during the touch electrode forming process constituting the touch sensor.

For this reason, the need for a touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device in which a touch electrode constituting a touch sensor is installed inside an encapsulator has emerged.

An object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device in which a touch electrode is installed inside an encapsulator in order to solve the above problems.

A touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other, and a plurality of pixel electrodes to which data signals are respectively supplied through the plurality of data lines. ; and a touch driving electrode configured to overlap the plurality of pixel electrodes, wherein after a touch driving signal is applied, the touch electrode is sensed to detect a touch position.

In the above configuration, the touch driving signal is supplied to the touch electrode through the data line.

The touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device of the present invention may further include a touch line parallel to at least one data line among the plurality of data lines, and the touch driving signal may be supplied to the touch electrode through the touch line. there is.

Also, the touch line may overlap the at least one data line.

In addition, the touch electrode may be formed of a plurality of divided touch electrodes connected to each other.

In addition, each of the plurality of divided touch electrodes is positioned to correspond to each of the plurality of pixel electrodes.

In addition, among the divided touch electrodes included in the touch electrode, neighboring divided touch electrodes are connected to each other by a connection unit.

In addition, the touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device of the present invention may further include a source and a touch driver for supplying a data signal to the plurality of data lines and for supplying a touch driving signal to the touch electrode.

Also, the source and touch driving unit may selectively supply one of a data signal and a touch driving signal to the plurality of data lines through a multiplexer.

Alternatively, the source and touch driver may supply a data signal to the plurality of data lines through a multiplexer, and may supply a touch driving signal to the touch electrode through a touch line.

In addition, the source and touch driver supplies data signals to the plurality of data lines during the display period in which one frame period is time-divided into a display period and a touch sensing period, and transmits data to the plurality of data lines during the touch sensing period. A touch driving signal may be supplied to the device, and a load-free driving signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal may be supplied to the plurality of gate lines during the touch sensing period.

The plurality of data lines and the plurality of gate lines may define a plurality of pixel regions corresponding to the plurality of pixel electrodes, and each of the plurality of divided touch electrodes may correspond to the plurality of pixel regions, respectively.

The touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device of the present invention may further include a color filter disposed between the plurality of pixel electrodes and the touch electrode.

A touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes: a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions; a plurality of pixel electrodes each connected to the plurality of data lines and coincident with the plurality of pixel regions; and a touch electrode matching the plurality of pixel areas to detect a touch position.

In the above configuration, the data signals may be supplied to a plurality of data lines during one frame period, and the touch driving signal may be simultaneously supplied to the touch electrodes.

In addition, after one frame period is time-divided into a display driving period and a touch driving period, data signals are supplied to the plurality of data lines during the display driving period, and a touch driving signal is applied to the touch electrodes during the touch driving period. is supplied, and a load-free driving signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal may be supplied to the plurality of gate lines and the data lines.

The touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device may further include a light blocking unit spaced apart from the divided touch electrode in a pixel area defined by intersections of a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines.

The divided touch electrode and the light blocking part may be connected to each other by a bridge electrode.

The plurality of data lines and the plurality of gate lines define a plurality of pixel regions corresponding to the plurality of pixel electrodes, and each pixel region is connected to a light emitting unit, the data line, and the gate line to control the amount of light emitted by the light emitting unit. It may further include a cell driver controlling the touch line, the touch line may supply a touch driving signal to the touch electrode, and supply a reference voltage to the cell driver, and the touch driving signal and the reference voltage may be supplied in a time division manner.

The touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device is driven by time-dividing one frame period into a display period, a touch sensing period, and a compensation period, and during the display period, a scan signal is supplied to the gate lines, and the data lines are Data signals are supplied, and during the touch sensing period, the touch driving signal is supplied to the touch line, and the gate lines, the data lines, and the sensing lines have the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal. A load-free driving signal may be supplied, and during the compensation period, a scan signal may be supplied to the gate lines, data signals may be supplied to the data lines, and sensing signals may be supplied to the sensing line.

According to the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor according to the present invention, since the touch electrode is disposed inside the encapsulator, the touch electrode is not exposed to the outside to prevent damage and can be easily applied even in a high-temperature process can get

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a first example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. 1;
Fig. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a modification of the first example for one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in Fig. 1;
4 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a second example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a modified example of the second example for one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. 1;
6 is a waveform diagram showing a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram shown in FIGS. 2 and 4;
7 is a waveform diagram showing a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram shown in FIGS. 4 and 5;
8 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a third example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. 1;
9 is a waveform diagram showing a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8;
10 is a plan view specifically showing a region corresponding to one touch electrode shown in FIG. 1;
11 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor shown in FIG. 10;
Fig. 12a is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in Fig. 11;
12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 11;
13 is a plan view schematically illustrating another example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor shown in FIG. 10;
Fig. 14a is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in Fig. 13;
Fig. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' of Fig. 13;

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, when it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration related to the present invention may confuse the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, component names used in the following description are selected in consideration of ease of writing the specification, and may be different from the component names of the actual product.

In the thin film transistor, the positions of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor may be different depending on the PMOS type or the NMOS type. Therefore, in the detailed description below, the drain electrodes of the driving thin film transistor and the switching thin film transistor are It should be noted that the source electrode of the driving thin film transistor and the switching thin film transistor may be a drain electrode.

Hereinafter, a touch sensor-embedded display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a timing controller 110 , a gate driver 120 , a source and touch driver 130 , and a display panel 160 .

The timing controller 110 uses timing signals such as a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signal DE, and a clock signal CLK supplied from the outside to generate source and touch Operation timings of the driver 130 and the gate driver 120 are controlled. Since the timing controller 110 may determine the frame period by counting the data enable signal DE of one horizontal period, the vertical synchronization signal Vsync and the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync supplied from the outside may be omitted. The control signals generated by the timing controller 110 include a gate timing control signal GDC for controlling the operation timing of the gate driver 120 , and data timing control for controlling the operation timing of the source and touch driver 130 . A signal DDC and a touch enable driving signal (TDS) may be included. In this case, the timing controller 110 may time-division one frame period into at least one display period and at least one touch sensing period by controlling the timing control signals. The display period and the touch sensing period may be appropriately adjusted in consideration of panel characteristics according to the type of the display panel 100 .

The gate driver 120 generates a scan signal while shifting the level of the gate driving voltage in response to the gate timing control signal GDC supplied from the timing controller 110 . The gate driver 120 supplies a scan signal to the gate lines GL1 to GLm connected to the pixels SP included in the display panel 160 .

The source and touch driver 130 may selectively supply the data signal DATA or the touch driving signal to the data lines DL1 to DLn through a built-in or separately configured multiplexer MUX. Alternatively, the source and touch driver 130 may supply the data signal DATA to the data lines DL1 to DLn and supply the touch driving signal to a separate touch line. In this case, since the display driving and the driving for the touch sensing can be performed independently, it is not necessary to time-divide one frame between the display period and the touch sensing period.

When one frame period is time-divided into a display period and a touch sensing period, during the display period, the source and touch driver 130 responds to the data timing control signal DDC supplied from the timing controller 110 to the timing controller 110 . It samples and latches the data signal (DATA) supplied from , and converts it into data of a parallel data system. The source and touch driver 130 converts the data signal DATA into an analog signal in response to the gamma reference voltage. Also, the source and touch driver 130 supplies the data signal DATA to the data lines DL1 to DLn connected to the pixels SP included in the display panel 160 . Meanwhile, the source and touch driver 130 may supply a touch driving signal to the touch electrodes to be described later during the touch sensing period, and sense the touch electrodes to detect whether or not there is a touch and touch coordinates.

The display panel 160 includes a plurality of touch electrodes Tx together with a plurality of pixels SP emitting light of various colors.

The plurality of pixels SP includes a red pixel, a green pixel, and a blue pixel, and in some cases, a white pixel, etc. may be included. In the display panel 160 including the white pixel, the light emitting layer of each pixel SP may emit white light without emitting red, green, and blue light. In this case, light emitted in white is converted into red, green, and blue by a color conversion filter (eg, an RGB color filter).

The pixels SP included in the display panel 160 are supplied through the high potential voltage supplied through the first power line EVDD and the second power line EVSS together with the data signal DATA and the scan signal. It can be driven based on the initialization voltage supplied through the low potential voltage. The display panel 160 displays a specific image based on the pixels SP that emit light in response to a driving signal supplied from the source and touch driver 130 and the gate driver 120 .

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 and FIGS. 6 and 7 , first and second examples of one pixel of the electroluminescent display according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a first example of one pixel of the electroluminescence display shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a second example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display shown in FIG. It is an equivalent circuit diagram. FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram illustrating a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 2 , and FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram illustrating a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , a first example of one pixel of an electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a cell driver connected to a gate line GL, a data line DL, and a first power line EVDD. DU), an organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS, and a touch electrode Tx connected to the data line DL.

The cell driver DU includes a switching thin film transistor ST, a driving thin film transistor DT, and a storage capacitor Cst. The switching thin film transistor ST includes a gate electrode connected to the gate line GL, a source electrode connected to the data line DL, and a drain electrode connected to the first node n1 . The driving thin film transistor DT includes a source electrode connected to the first power line, a gate electrode connected to the first node n1 , and a drain electrode connected to the second node n2 . The storage capacitor Cst includes a first electrode connected to the first node n1 and a second electrode connected to the second node n2 . The drain electrode of the switching thin film transistor ST, the gate electrode of the driving thin film transistor DT, and the first electrode of the storage capacitor Cst are connected to the first node n1 . The drain electrode of the driving thin film transistor DT, the second electrode of the capacitor Cst, and the anode electrode of the organic light emitting diode OLED are connected to the second node n2 .

The organic light emitting diode OLED is connected between the second node n2 of the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS.

In the pixel configuration of the first example described above, the data line DL is connected to the switching thin film transistor ST and the touch electrode Tx. As illustrated, one frame period 1F may be time-divided into a display period DP and a touch sensing period TP.

During the display period DP, when the scan signal S is supplied to the gate line GL, the switching thin film transistor ST is turned on to apply the data signal supplied to the data line DL to the storage capacitor Cst and to drive it. It is supplied to the gate electrode of the thin film transistor DT. The driving thin film transistor DT controls the current I supplied from the first power line EVDD to the organic light emitting diode OLED in response to a data signal supplied to the gate electrode through the switching thin film transistor ST. The amount of light emitted by the light emitting diode (OLED) is controlled. In addition, even when the switching thin film transistor ST is turned off, the driving thin film transistor DT by the voltage charged in the storage capacitor Cst supplies a constant current I until the data signal of the next frame is supplied to induce It keeps the light emitting diode (OLED) emitting light.

Meanwhile, during the touch sensing period TP, as shown in FIG. 6 , the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the data line DL, and the same phase as the touch driving signal TSP is applied to the gate lines GL1 to GLm, A load-free driving signal LFD having the same amplitude is supplied. In addition, a touch driving signal TSP is also applied to at least one of the sensing lines SL1 to SLn, other reference lines Vref that do not perform touch sensing, and the first power line EVDDn and the second power line EVSSn. A load-free driving signal LFD having the same phase and the same amplitude may be supplied. The load-free driving signal LFD may be a signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal TSP, but is not necessarily limited to a signal having the same phase and the same amplitude. That is, if it is a signal for minimizing the effect of parasitic capacitance between the touch electrode and other electrodes present in the display panel 160 , the load-free driving signal LFD may be set to an appropriate type of signal.

After the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the touch electrode Tx through the data line DL, when the touch electrode Tx is sensed, the change in capacitance of the touch electrode Tx before and after the touch can be measured. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the touch presence and touch coordinates.

Referring to FIG. 3 , a modified example of the first example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a cell connected to a gate line GL, a data line DL, and a first power line EVDD. The touch connected to the driving unit DU, the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driving unit DU and the second power line EVSS, and the touch line TL arranged parallel to the data line DL It includes an electrode Tx.

In the example of FIG. 3 , a separate touch line TL for supplying the touch driving signal TSP to the touch electrode Tx is disposed, and accordingly, it is necessary to time-divide one frame period into a display period and a touch sensing period. It is substantially the same as the example of FIG. 2 except that there is no (see FIG. 7 ). Accordingly, further descriptions are omitted to avoid overlapping descriptions.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and FIGS. 6 and 7 , a second example of one pixel of an electroluminescent display according to an embodiment of the present invention and a modified example thereof will be described.

4 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a second example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 5 is a modified example of the second example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device shown in FIG. It is an equivalent circuit diagram shown. FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram illustrating a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 4 , and FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram illustrating a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , a second example of one pixel of an electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gate line GL, a sensing line SEN, a data line DL, and a first power line EVDD. and the cell driver DU connected to the reference line Vref, the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS, and the touch connected to the data line DL. It includes an electrode Tx.

The cell driver DU includes first and second switching thin film transistors ST1 and ST2 , a driving thin film transistor DT, and a storage capacitor Cst.

The driving thin film transistor DT controls a driving current flowing through the organic light emitting diode OLED according to a voltage difference between the first node n1 and the second node n2 . The driving thin film transistor DT includes a gate electrode connected to the first node n1 , a drain electrode connected to the first power line EVDD, and a source electrode connected to the second node n2 . The storage capacitor Cst is connected between the first node n1 and the second node n2 .

The first switch thin film transistor ST1 switches the current flow between the data line DL and the first node n1 in response to the scan signal S supplied to the gate line GL, thereby forming the data line DL. The phase data voltage is applied to the first node n1. The first switch thin film transistor ST1 includes a gate electrode connected to the gate line GL, a drain electrode connected to the data line DL, and a source electrode connected to the first node n1 .

The second switch thin film transistor ST2 switches the current flow between the reference line Vref and the second node n2 in response to the sensing signal SEN supplied to the sensing line SL, thereby forming the reference line Vref. A reference voltage supplied to is applied to the second node n2. The second switch thin film transistor ST2 includes a gate electrode connected to the sensing line SL, a drain electrode connected to the reference line Vref, and a source electrode connected to the second node n2 .

The organic light emitting diode OLED is connected between the second node n2 of the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS.

In the pixel configuration of the third example described above, the data line DL is connected to the switching thin film transistor ST and the touch electrode Tx. As described above, one frame period IF may be time-divided into the display period DP and the touch sensing period TP.

During the display period DP, when the scan signal S is supplied to the gate line GL, the first switching thin film transistor ST1 is turned on to transmit the data signal DATA supplied to the data line DL to the storage capacitor. (Cst) and the gate electrode of the driving thin film transistor DT. The driving thin film transistor DT controls the current I supplied from the first power line EVDD to the organic light emitting diode OLED in response to the data signal supplied to the gate electrode, thereby increasing the amount of light emitted from the organic light emitting diode OLED. will be regulated In addition, even when the first switching thin film transistor ST1 is turned off, the driving thin film transistor DT supplies a constant current I by the voltage charged in the storage capacitor Cst until the data signal of the next frame is supplied. to maintain light emission of the organic light emitting diode (OLED).

Meanwhile, during the touch sensing period TP, as shown in FIG. 6 , the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the data line DL, and the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal are supplied to the gate lines GL1 to GLm. A load-free driving signal LFD is supplied. After the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the touch electrode Tx through the data line DL, when the touch electrode Tx is sensed, the change in capacitance of the touch electrode Tx before and after the touch can be measured. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the touch presence and touch coordinates.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a modified example of the second example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a gate line GL, a sensing line SEN, a data line DL, and a first power line ( EVDD) and the reference line Vref, the cell driver DU, and the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS overlap the data line DL and a touch electrode Tx connected to the touch line TL arranged in parallel.

In the example of FIG. 5 , a separate touch line TL for supplying the touch driving signal TSP to the touch electrode Tx is disposed, and accordingly, it is necessary to time-divide one frame period into a display period and a touch sensing period. It is substantially the same as the example of FIG. 4 except that there is no (see FIG. 7 ). Accordingly, further descriptions are omitted to avoid overlapping descriptions.

Next, a third example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

FIG. 8 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a third example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device illustrated in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 9 is a waveform diagram illustrating a signal supplied to the equivalent circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 8 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , a third example of one pixel of an electroluminescent display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a gate line GL, a sensing line SL, a data line DL, and a first power line EVDD. and the cell driver DU connected to the reference line Vref, the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS, and the touch connected to the reference line Vref. It includes an electrode Tx.

The cell driver DU includes first and second switching thin film transistors ST1 and ST2 , a driving thin film transistor DT, and a storage capacitor Cst.

The driving thin film transistor DT controls a driving current flowing through the organic light emitting diode OLED according to a voltage difference between the first node n1 and the second node n2 . The driving thin film transistor DT includes a gate electrode connected to the first node n1 , a drain electrode connected to the first power line EVDD, and a source electrode connected to the second node n2 . The storage capacitor Cst is connected between the first node n1 and the second node n2 .

The first switch thin film transistor ST1 switches the current flow between the data line DL and the first node n1 in response to the scan signal S supplied to the gate line GL, thereby forming the data line DL. The phase data voltage is applied to the first node n1. The first switch thin film transistor ST1 includes a gate electrode connected to the gate line GL, a drain electrode connected to the data line DL, and a source electrode connected to the first node n1 .

The second switch thin film transistor ST2 senses the voltage level of the second node n2 in response to the sensing signal SEN supplied to the sensing line SL and supplies it to the reference line Vref. The second switch thin film transistor ST2 includes a gate electrode connected to the sensing line SL, a drain electrode connected to the reference line Vref, and a source electrode connected to the second node n2 .

The organic light emitting diode OLED is connected between the second node n2 of the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS. When the driving thin film transistor DT is turned on, a power voltage supplied from the first power line EVDD is applied to the organic light emitting diode OLED, and the organic light emitting diode OLED emits light.

In the pixel configuration of the third example described above, the reference line Vref is connected to the second switch thin film transistor ST2 and the touch electrode Tx. As shown in FIG. 1 , one frame period 1F may be time-divisionally driven into a display period DP, a touch sensing period TP, and a compensation period CD.

8 and 9 , first, during the display period DP, the scan signal S is supplied to the gate line GL and the sensing signal SEN is supplied to the sensing line SL. In addition, high potential power is supplied to the first power line EVDD and a reference voltage is supplied to the reference line Vref.

When the scan signal S is supplied to the gate line GL, the first switching thin film transistor ST1 is turned on and the data signal supplied to the data line DL is supplied to the first node n1 . In the first display period, the sensing signal SEN is supplied through the sensing line SL so that the reference voltage can be supplied to the second node n2, and accordingly, the second switch thin film transistor ST is connected to the second node ( The reference voltage is supplied to n2).

When the first switch thin film transistor ST2 is turned on, the difference between the voltage of the data signal applied to the first node n1 and the reference voltage (at the time of initial driving) or the voltage of the data signal applied to the first node n1 The gate-source voltage Vgs of the driving thin film transistor DT is determined by a difference between the voltage applied to the source electrode of the driving thin film transistor DT in the previous frame (driving middle). When the value of Vgs is greater than the threshold voltage value of the driving thin film transistor DT, the driving thin film transistor DT is turned on.

The storage capacitor Cst is charged until the potential between the first node n1 and the second node n2 becomes the same.

Since the driving thin film transistor DT is turned on when the data signal supplied to the gate electrode is greater than Vgs, the amount of current supplied from the first power line EVDD to the organic light emitting diode OLED can be controlled according to the size of the data signal. . Accordingly, the organic light emitting diode OLED can control the amount of light emission according to the amount of current supplied from the driving thin film transistor DT.

On the other hand, when the supply of the scan signal supplied to the gate line GL is stopped and the first switching thin film transistor ST1 is turned off, the data signal is not supplied, but since the storage capacitor Cst is charged, the charging voltage Accordingly, the driving thin film transistor DT may receive a constant current until the data signal of the next frame is supplied. Accordingly, the organic light emitting diode OLED maintains light emission even when a data signal is not supplied to the driving thin film transistor DT.

Meanwhile, during the touch sensing period TP, as shown in FIG. 9 , the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the reference line Vref, and the gate lines GL1 to GLm, the data lines DL, and the sensing line SL1 are provided. to SLn), other reference lines Vref that are not touch-sensing, and at least one of the first power line EVDDn and the second power line EVSSn have the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal TSP. A load-free driving signal LFD of may be supplied. The load-free driving signal LFD may be a signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal TSP, but is not necessarily limited to a signal having the same phase and the same amplitude. That is, if it is a signal for minimizing the effect of parasitic capacitance between the touch electrode and other electrodes present in the display panel 160 , the load-free driving signal LFD may be set to an appropriate type of signal.

After the touch driving signal TSP is supplied to the touch electrode Tx through the reference line Vref, when the touch electrode Tx is sensed, the change in capacitance of the touch electrode Tx before and after the touch can be measured. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the touch presence and touch coordinates. As described above, during the touch sensing period TP, the gate lines GL1 to GLm, the data lines DL, the sensing lines SL1 to SLn, and the first power line EVDDn have the same phase as the touch driving signal TSP. , since the load-free driving signal LFD of the same amplitude is supplied, power and signal lines (ie, gate lines GL1 to GLm, data line DL) connected to the touch electrode Tx and the cell driver DU, Since the parasitic capacitance between the sensing lines SL1 to SLn and the first power line EVDDn may be minimized, noise that may be generated during the touch sensing period may be blocked.

Next, during the compensation period CD, a scan signal is supplied to the gate line GL1 , a data signal is supplied to the data line DL, and a sensing signal is supplied to the sensing line SL1 , respectively.

When the scan signal S is supplied to the gate line GL, the first switching thin film transistor ST1 is turned on and the data signal supplied to the data line DL is supplied to the first node n1 . Also, when a sensing signal is supplied to the sensing line SL, the second switch thin film transistor ST2 is turned on. Accordingly, the source voltage of the driving thin film transistor DT connected to the second node n2 is sensed and supplied to the reference line Vref.

During the compensation period, the source voltage level of the driving thin film transistor DT may be sensed through the reference line, and the source voltage level of the driving thin film transistor DT may be compensated using a known method.

Next, a relationship between the touch electrode and the pixels will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 10 .

FIG. 10 is a plan view specifically illustrating a region corresponding to one touch electrode shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 10 , pixel areas are defined by intersections of a plurality of data lines DL1 to DL7 and a plurality of gate lines GL1 to GL3 . A pixel electrode constituting an anode electrode of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) is disposed in each pixel region. One unit touch electrode Tx (a touch electrode for detecting one touch position, for convenience, the unit touch electrode Tx and the unit touch area TA are shown together in the drawing) is a pixel arranged in each pixel area The divided touch electrodes arranged to overlap the electrodes are connected to each other. When the number of divided touch electrodes connected to each other increases, the touch precision decreases because the size of the unit touch area TA increases. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect that the size of the unit touch electrode can be easily designed according to the need for touch precision.

As shown in FIG. 10 , when the unit pixel electrode realizing full color consists of R, G, B, and W pixel electrodes (Pr, Pg, Pb, Pw), divided touch with a size approximately similar to that of each pixel electrode Although the electrodes Tr, Tg, Tb, and Tw may be formed, the size of the divided touch electrode and the pixel electrode does not have to be the same.

In one touch area TA, adjacent divided touch electrodes are connected to each other by a connection part CP. The connection part CP has an intersection that crosses the data line DL1) or the gate line GL1, and in order to reduce parasitic capacitance, a region crossing the data line DL1 or the gate line GL1 is separated from the divided touch electrode. can be narrowed. The crossing portion may have a narrower width than the connection portion CP, and in this case, a parasitic capacitance between the data line DL1 or the gate line GL1 and the connection portion CP may be further reduced.

The first data line (for example, DL1) among the data lines DL1 to DL7 has one touch area disposed in the first row and the first column through at least one connection part (four CPs in the example of FIG. 10 ). It is electrically connected to all the divided touch electrodes Tr, Tg, Tb, and Tw in the TA. Similarly, the n-th data line DLn is electrically connected to all divided touch electrodes in other touch regions (not shown) disposed in the second row and the first column through at least one connection part. When the data line and the divided touch electrode in the touch region are connected in this way, the display driving and the touch driving can be time-divisionally driven. Therefore, during the time-division touch sensing period for one frame period, the touch electrode Tx is connected to the data line DL1 through the data line DL1. The touch driving signal TSP may be supplied, and sensing data obtained by sensing the touch electrode Tx may be supplied to the source and the touch driving unit 130 through the data line DL1 .

When the touch line TL is separately provided and connected to the touch electrode Tx, time division driving is unnecessary. During the touch sensing period, the touch electrode Tx receives a touch driving signal through the touch line TL, and the touch electrode The sensed data obtained by sensing (Tx) may be supplied to the source and touch driver 130 through the data line DL1.

Next, an example of a pixel structure of a touch sensor embedded display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 11 to 12B .

11 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor shown in FIG. 10 . 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 11 , and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' of FIG. 11 .

Referring to FIG. 11 , the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of pixel regions, each pixel region having a gate line GL, a data line DL, and a first power line ( The cell driver DU connected to the EVDD, the pixel electrode Px of the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS, and the data line DL and a divided touch electrode Tg.

The cell driver DU includes a switching thin film transistor ST, a driving thin film transistor DT, and a storage capacitor Cst.

The switching thin film transistor ST includes a gate electrode GE that is a part of the gate line GL, a source electrode SSE extending from the data line DL, and a drain electrode DDE.

The driving thin film transistor DT is connected to a source electrode DSE extending from the first power line EVDD, a gate electrode DGE which is also a drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST, and a pixel electrode Px. and a drain electrode DDE connected thereto.

12A and 12B , a light blocking part LS and a divided touch electrode Tg to be overlapped with a pixel electrode Px to be described later are disposed at a predetermined distance from the light blocking part LS on the substrate SUB. . A buffer layer BUF is stacked on the substrate SUB to cover the light blocking portion LS and the divided touch electrode Tg.

The semiconductor active layer SA of the switching thin film transistor ST and the semiconductor active layer DA of the driving thin film transistor DT are disposed on the buffer layer BUF. An interlayer insulating layer ILD is stacked on the buffer layer BUF to cover the semiconductor active layer SA of the switching thin film transistor ST and the semiconductor active layer DA of the driving thin film transistor DT.

The data line DL and the source electrode SSE and the drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST and the source electrode DSE and the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT are formed on the interlayer insulating layer ILD. are placed The data line DL is connected to the divided touch electrode Tg exposed through the first contact hole CH1 passing through the interlayer insulating layer ILD and the buffer layer BUF.

On the interlayer insulating layer ILD, the data line DL, the source electrode SSE and the drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST, and the source electrode DSE and the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT ), a first insulating layer INS1 is stacked.

A color filter CF is disposed on the first insulating layer INS1 for each pixel area. A second insulating layer INS2 is stacked on the first insulating layer INS1 to cover the color filter CF and for planarization.

A pixel electrode Px forming an anode electrode of the organic light emitting diode OLED is disposed on the second insulating layer INS2 . The pixel electrode Px is connected to the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT exposed through the second contact hole CH2 passing through the second insulating layer INS2 and the first insulating layer INS1 .

A bank layer BN having an opening exposing the pixel electrode Px is stacked on the second insulating layer on which the pixel electrode is disposed.

Next, another example of the pixel structure of the touch sensor embedded display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 13 to 14B .

13 is a plan view schematically illustrating another example of one pixel of the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor shown in FIG. 10 . 14A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 13 , and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' of FIG. 13 .

Referring to FIG. 13 , the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of pixel regions, and each pixel region includes a gate line GL, a data line DL, and a first power line ( The cell driver DU connected to the EVDD, the pixel electrode Px of the organic light emitting diode OLED connected between the cell driver DU and the second power line EVSS, and the touch line TL and a divided touch electrode Tg.

The cell driver DU includes a switching thin film transistor ST, a driving thin film transistor DT, and a storage capacitor Cst.

The switching thin film transistor ST includes a gate electrode GE that is a part of the gate line GL, a source electrode SSE extending from the data line DL, and a drain electrode DDE.

The driving thin film transistor DT includes a source electrode DSE extending from the first power line EVDD, a gate electrode DGE connected to the drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST, and a pixel electrode Px. and a drain electrode DDE connected to .

12A and 12B , a light blocking portion LS and a divided touch electrode Tg to be overlapped with a pixel electrode Px, which will be described later, are disposed on the substrate SUB at a predetermined distance from the light blocking portion LS. do. A buffer layer BUF is stacked on the substrate SUB to cover the light blocking portion LS and the divided touch electrode Tg.

The semiconductor active layer SA of the switching thin film transistor ST and the semiconductor active layer DA of the driving thin film transistor DT are disposed on the buffer layer BUF. An interlayer insulating layer ILD is stacked on the buffer layer BUF to cover the semiconductor active layer SA of the switching thin film transistor ST and the semiconductor active layer DA of the driving thin film transistor DT.

On the interlayer insulating layer ILD, the data line DL, the source electrode SSE and the drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST, and the source electrode DSE and the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT ) is placed.

The data line DL and the source electrode SSE and the drain electrode SDE of the switching thin film transistor ST and the source electrode DSE and the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT are formed on the interlayer insulating layer ILD. A first insulating layer INS1 is stacked to cover it.

A color filter CF is disposed on the first insulating layer INS1 for each pixel area. A second insulating layer INS2 is stacked on the first insulating layer INS1 to cover the color filter CF and for planarization.

A touch line TL is disposed on the second insulating layer INS2 to partially overlap the pixel electrode Px forming the anode electrode of the organic light emitting diode OLED and the data line DL. The touch line TL is the divided touch electrode Tg exposed through the first contact hole CH1 penetrating the second insulating layer INS2 , the first insulating layer INS1 , the interlayer insulating layer ILD, and the buffer layer BUF. ) is connected to The pixel electrode Px is connected to the drain electrode DDE of the driving thin film transistor DT exposed through the second contact hole CH2 penetrating the second insulating layer INS2 and the first insulating layer INS1 .

A bank layer BN having an opening exposing the pixel electrode Px is stacked on the second insulating layer INS2 in which the pixel electrode Px and the touch line TL are disposed.

According to the electroluminescent display device with a built-in touch sensor according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, since the touch electrode is disposed inside the encapsulator, the touch electrode is not exposed to the outside and thus damage can be prevented, and it is easy to perform in a high-temperature process An effect that can be applied can be obtained.

Those skilled in the art from the above description will be able to see that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the examples of FIGS. 11 and 13 , the light blocking part LS and the divided touch electrode Tx in one pixel area are not electrically connected to each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The light blocking part LS and the divided touch electrode Tx in one pixel area may be electrically connected to each other through a bridge electrode. In this case, since the size of the touch electrode Tx increases as much as the area of the light-shielding portion, the touch sensing area increases, thereby increasing touch precision.

In addition, although the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes described in the embodiments of the present invention have been described as being disposed on both sides of the first insulating layer, the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes are disposed on the same layer and cross each other It is possible to prevent the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes from being short-circuited by forming the insulating pattern only on the portion where the touch is made. In this case, the insulating layer including the active region and the bezel region has a predetermined depth from one surface thereof, includes a plurality of first concave portions arranged in parallel with each other in a first direction, and a second direction intersecting the first direction. Accordingly, it is formed to include a plurality of second concave portions arranged in parallel with each other. In addition, the touch sensing electrodes may be respectively disposed in the plurality of first concave portions of the insulating layer, and the touch driving electrodes may be respectively disposed in the plurality of second concave portions. When the touch sensing electrodes and the touch driving electrodes are disposed on the same layer as described above, an additional effect of reducing the thickness of the touch screen panel can be obtained.

In addition, in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the touch driving electrodes and the first touch pads are connected and the touch sensing electrodes and the second touch pads are directly connected. In order to prevent it, it should be understood that they may be connected to each other through routing wires.

Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description, but should be defined by the contents described in the claims.

110: timing controller 120: gate driver
130: source and touch driver 160: display panel
DU: cell driver DT: driving thin film transistor
ST: switching thin film transistor Px: pixel electrode
Tr, Tg, Tb, Tw: divided touch electrode Tx: touch electrode

Claims (20)

a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions;
a plurality of pixel electrodes to which data signals are supplied through the plurality of data lines;
a touch electrode including a plurality of divided touch electrodes configured to overlap each of the plurality of pixel electrodes disposed in the plurality of pixel regions;
a light blocking unit disposed to be spaced apart from the divided touch electrode in each of the plurality of pixel areas; and
a source and a touch driver selectively supplying one of a data signal and a touch driving signal to the plurality of data lines through a multiplexer;
After a touch driving signal is applied to the touch electrode, a touch position is detected by sensing the touch electrode,
The divided touch electrode and the light blocking part are connected to each other by a bridge electrode. The method of claim 1,
The touch driving signal is supplied to the touch electrode through the data line. delete delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The divided touch electrodes adjacent to each other along the direction of the gate line among the plurality of divided touch electrodes included in the touch electrode are connected to each other by a first connection part,
The divided touch electrodes adjacent to each other along the direction of the data line are connected to each other by a second connection part. delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The source and touch driver supplies data signals to the plurality of data lines during the display period in which one frame period is time-divided into a display period and a touch sensing period, and touches the plurality of data lines during the touch sensing period. supply a driving signal,
During the touch sensing period, a load-free driving signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal is supplied to the plurality of gate lines. The method of claim 1,
Each of the plurality of divided touch electrodes corresponds to the plurality of pixel regions, respectively. The method of claim 1,
A touch sensor-embedded electroluminescent display device further comprising a color filter disposed between the plurality of pixel electrodes and the touch electrode. a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions;
a plurality of pixel electrodes each connected to the plurality of data lines and coincident with the plurality of pixel regions;
a touch electrode including a plurality of divided touch electrodes arranged to coincide with the plurality of pixel areas so that a touch position is detected;
a light blocking unit disposed to be spaced apart from the divided touch electrode in each of the plurality of pixel areas; and
a source and a touch driver selectively supplying one of a data signal and a touch driving signal to the plurality of data lines through a multiplexer;
The divided touch electrode and the light blocking part are connected to each other by a bridge electrode. 15. The method of claim 14,
During one frame period, the data signals are supplied to a plurality of data lines, and the touch driving signal is simultaneously supplied to the touch electrodes. 15. The method of claim 14,
After one frame period is time-divided into a display driving period and a touch driving period, data signals are supplied to the plurality of data lines during the display driving period, and a touch driving signal is supplied to the touch electrodes during the touch driving period. and a load-free driving signal having the same phase and the same amplitude as the touch driving signal is supplied to the plurality of gate lines and the data lines. delete delete delete delete

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