KR20180057478A - Touch input device - Google Patents

Abstract

A touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention can detect touch pressure. The touch input device includes a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer disposed on the lower side of the first substrate layer, a display panel including a liquid crystal layer or an organic layer disposed between the first and second substrate layers and a light shielding layer disposed on the lower side of the second substrate layer, and a pressure sensor used for detecting the touch pressure. The pressure sensor is formed on the lower side of the light shielding layer. Accordingly, the present invention can provide the touch input device with a means for connecting a wiring on a PCB electrically connected to a pressure sensor controller and a pressure sensing unit directly formed on a display panel.

Description

A touch input device {TOUCH INPUT DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a touch input device, and more particularly, to a touch input device configured to detect a touch position and a touch pressure, thereby improving the quality of the display by reducing the influence of touch position sensing, touch pressure sensing, And to increase the sensitivity of the touch position and touch pressure sensing.

Various types of input devices are used for the operation of the computing system. For example, an input device such as a button, a key, a joystick, and a touch screen is used. Due to the easy and simple operation of the touch screen, the use of the touch screen in the operation of the computing system is increasing.

The touch screen may include a transparent panel having a touch-sensitive surface and a touch sensor as a touch input means. Such a touch sensor may be attached to the front of the display screen such that the touch-sensitive surface covers the visible side of the display screen. The user simply touches the touch screen with a finger or the like so that the user can operate the computing system. Generally, a computing system is able to recognize touch and touch locations on a touch screen and interpret the touch to perform operations accordingly.

In order to detect both the touch position and the touch pressure in the touch input device, the touch input device is provided with a pressure sensing portion that is separated from the touch sensor. The pressure sensing portion minimizes the thickness increase of the touch input device, simplifies the manufacturing process In order to reduce the cost, a method of forming the pressure sensing part directly on the display panel is attempted. In this case, the pressure sensor controller and the pressure sensing unit must be electrically connected to each other in order to transmit and receive the driving signal and the reception signal for detecting the touch pressure. The pressure sensor controller is disposed on the PCB, It is difficult to connect the pattern directly formed on the display panel and the wiring formed on the PCB by using a general connector.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a touch input device having a pressure sensing portion formed directly on a display panel and a means for connecting wiring on a PCB electrically connected to a pressure sensor controller.

A touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a touch input device capable of detecting a touch pressure. The touch input device includes a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer disposed under the first substrate layer, A display panel including a liquid crystal layer or an organic layer disposed between the second substrate layers and a light shielding layer disposed under the second substrate layer; And a pressure sensor used to detect the touch pressure, and the pressure sensor may be formed on the bottom surface of the light shielding layer.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a touch input device having a pressure sensing part formed directly on a display panel and a means for connecting wires on a PCB electrically connected to the pressure sensor controller.

1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a capacitive touch sensor included in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a configuration thereof for operation thereof.
FIG. 2 illustrates a control block for controlling a touch position, a touch pressure, and a display operation in the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a configuration of a display module in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4E illustrate an example in which a pressure sensor is formed in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating an embodiment of a pressure sensor formed directly on various display panels of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A to 6N are views of a part of the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the opposite direction of the touch surface.
7A to 7D are views illustrating the shape of a sensor included in the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, a capacitive touch sensor 10 is exemplified, but a touch sensor 10 capable of detecting a touch position in an arbitrary manner can be applied.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a touch sensor 10 of a capacitive type included in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a configuration thereof for operation thereof. 1A, the touch sensor 10 includes a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm. The touch sensor 10 includes a plurality of driving electrodes And a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm for receiving a sensing signal including information on a capacitance change amount that changes in accordance with a touch on a touch surface, And a sensing unit 11 for sensing a touch position.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the touch sensor 10 may include a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm. 1A, a plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and a plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm of the touch sensor 10 are shown as an orthogonal array. However, the present invention is not limited to this, The electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm can have any number of dimensions including the diagonal, concentric and three-dimensional random arrangement, and the like and their application arrangements. Here, n and m are positive integers and may be the same or different from each other, and the size may be changed according to the embodiment.

The plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the 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 a first axis direction and a receiving electrode RX includes a plurality of receiving electrodes extending in a second axis direction intersecting the first axis direction RX1 to RXm).

7A and 7B, in the touch sensor 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm are formed in the same layer . For example, the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on a top surface of a display panel 200A to be described later.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7C, the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed in different layers. For example, one of the plurality of driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the plurality of receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be formed on the upper surface of the display panel 200A and the other may be formed on the lower surface of the cover, (200A).

A plurality of drive electrodes (TX1 to TXn) and a plurality of receiving electrodes (RX1 to RXm) is a transparent conductive material (e.g., tin oxide (SnO ₂₎ and indium oxide _{(In 2 O 3) ITO (} Indium Tin made of such Oxide) or ATO (antimony tin oxide)). However, this is merely an example, and the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may be formed of another transparent conductive material or an opaque conductive material. For example, the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may include at least one of silver ink, copper, nano silver, and carbon nanotube (CNT) . In addition, the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX may be realized by a metal mesh.

The driving unit 12 according to the embodiment of the present invention can 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 nth driving electrode TXn. This application of the driving signal can be repeated again. This is merely an example, and driving signals may be simultaneously applied to a plurality of driving electrodes according to an embodiment.

The sensing unit 11 acquires information on the electrostatic capacitance Cm generated between the driving electrodes TX1 to TXn and the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm to which the driving signal is applied through the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm And the touch position and the touch position can be detected by receiving the sensing signal. 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: 14 generated between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX. The process of sensing the driving signal applied from the first driving electrode TX1 to the nth driving electrode TXn through the receiving electrodes RX1 to RXm may be referred to as scanning the touch sensor 10 .

For example, the sensing unit 11 may include a receiver (not shown) connected to each of the reception electrodes RX1 to RXm through a switch. The switch is turned on during a period of sensing the signal of the corresponding receiving electrode RX so that a sensing signal can be sensed from the receiving electrode RX at the receiver. The receiver may be comprised of an amplifier (not shown) and a feedback capacitor coupled between the negative input of the amplifier and the output of the amplifier, i. E., The feedback path. At this time, the positive input terminal of the amplifier may be connected to the ground. In addition, the receiver may further include a reset switch connected in parallel with the feedback capacitor. The reset switch can reset the conversion from current to voltage performed by the receiver. A negative input terminal of the amplifier may be connected to the corresponding receiving electrode RX to receive a current signal including information on the capacitance Cm, and integrate the current signal to convert the voltage into a voltage. The sensing unit 11 may further include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting the integrated data to digital data through the receiver. The digital data may then be input to a processor (not shown) and processed to obtain touch information for the touch sensor 10. The sensing unit 11 may be configured to include an ADC and a processor together with a receiver.

The control unit 13 may perform a function of controlling the operation of the driving unit 12 and the sensing unit 11. For example, the controller 13 may generate a driving control signal and transmit the driving control signal to the driving unit 12 so that the driving signal is applied to the driving electrode TX predetermined at a predetermined time. The control unit 13 generates a sensing control signal and transmits the sensing control signal to the sensing unit 11 so that the sensing unit 11 receives a sensing signal from the sensing electrode RX previously set at a predetermined time to perform a predetermined function can do.

In FIG. 1A, the driving unit 12 and the sensing unit 11 may constitute a touch detection device (not shown) capable of detecting whether or not to touch the touch sensor 10 and a touch position. The touch detection apparatus may further include a control section (13). The touch detection device may be integrated on a touch sensing integrated circuit (IC) corresponding to the touch sensor controller 1100 to be described later in the touch input device including the touch sensor 10. The driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX included in the touch sensor 10 are included in the touch sensing IC through a conductive trace and / or a conductive pattern printed on a circuit board And may be connected to the driving unit 12 and the sensing unit 11. The touch sensing IC may be placed on a circuit board on which a conductive pattern is printed, for example, a touch circuit board (hereinafter referred to as a touch PCB) in Figs. 6A to 6I. According to the embodiment, the touch sensing IC may be mounted on a main board for operating the touch input device.

As described above, a capacitance Cm of a predetermined value is generated at each intersection of the driving electrode TX and the reception electrode RX. When an object such as a finger is close to the touch sensor 10, Can be changed. In FIG. 1A, the capacitance may represent mutual capacitance (Cm). The sensing unit 11 senses such electrical characteristics and can detect whether the touch sensor 10 is touched and / or touched. For example, it is possible to detect the touch and / or the position of the touch on the surface of the touch sensor 10 having the two-dimensional plane including the first axis and the second axis.

More specifically, the position of the touch in the second axial direction can be detected by detecting the drive electrode TX to which the drive signal is applied when a touch to the touch sensor 10 occurs. Likewise, the position of the touch in the first axis direction can be detected by detecting the capacitance change from the received signal received through the receiving electrode RX when touching the touch sensor 10.

In the above description, the operation of the touch sensor 10 for sensing the touch position has been described based on the amount of mutual capacitance change between the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as shown in FIG. 1B, it is also possible to sense the touch position based on the amount of change in self capacitance.

FIG. 1B is a schematic view for explaining still another capacitive touch sensor 10 included in the touch input device according to another embodiment of the present invention and its operation. A plurality of touch electrodes 30 are provided in the touch sensor 10 shown in FIG. The plurality of touch electrodes 30 may be arranged in a lattice pattern at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 7D, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The drive control signal generated by the control unit 13 is transmitted to the drive unit 12 and the drive unit 12 applies a drive signal to the touch electrode 30 preset at a predetermined time based on the drive control signal. The sensing control signal generated by the control unit 13 is transmitted to the sensing unit 11. The sensing unit 11 senses the sensing signal from the touch electrode 30 preset at a predetermined time Receive input. At this time, the sensing signal may be a signal for the amount of change in self-capacitance formed on the touch electrode 30.

At this time, whether or not the touch sensor 10 is touched and / or the touch position is detected by the sensing signal sensed by the sensing unit 11. For example, since the coordinates of the touch electrode 30 are known in advance, it is possible to detect the touch of the object with respect to the surface of the touch sensor 10 and / or its position.

Although the driving unit 12 and the sensing unit 11 are divided into separate blocks for the sake of convenience, the operation of applying the driving signal to the touch electrode 30 and the sensing signal from the touch electrode 30 May be performed by one driving and sensing unit.

Although the capacitive touch sensor panel as the touch sensor 10 has been described in detail above, the touch sensor 10 for detecting whether or not the touch input device 1000 touches the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention A surface acoustic wave (SAW), an infrared (IR) system, an optical imaging system, a dispersion signal system, A dispersive signal technology, and an acoustic pulse recognition method.

FIG. 2 illustrates a control block for controlling a touch position, a touch pressure, and a display operation in the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the touch input apparatus 1000 configured to detect the touch pressure in addition to the display function and the touch position detection, the control block includes a touch sensor controller 1100 for detecting the touch position, a display controller (not shown) for driving the display panel And a pressure sensor controller 1300 for detecting the pressure. The display controller 1200 receives input from a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (CPU), which is a central processing unit on the main board for operating the touch input apparatus 1000, And a control circuit for displaying desired contents. Such a control circuit can be mounted on a display circuit board (hereinafter referred to as a display PCB). Such a control circuit may include a display panel control IC, a graphic controller IC, and other circuits necessary for operation of the display panel 200A.

The pressure sensor controller 1300 for detecting the pressure through the pressure sensing unit may be configured similar to the touch sensor controller 1100 to operate similar to the touch sensor controller 1100. [ Specifically, the pressure sensor controller 1300 includes a driving unit, a sensing unit, and a control unit, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and can detect the magnitude of pressure by sensing signals sensed by the sensing unit. At this time, the pressure sensor controller 1300 may be mounted on the touch PCB on which the touch sensor controller 1100 is mounted or on the display PCB on which the display controller 1200 is mounted.

According to an embodiment, the touch sensor controller 1100, the display controller 1200, and the pressure sensor controller 1300 may be included in the touch input device 1000 as different components. For example, the touch sensor controller 1100, the display controller 1200, and the pressure sensor controller 1300 may be formed of different chips. At this time, the processor 1500 of the touch input apparatus 1000 may function as a host processor for the touch sensor controller 1100, the display controller 1200, and the pressure sensor controller 1300.

The touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to various devices such as a cell phone, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), a smartphone, a tablet PC, an MP3 player, a notebook, An electronic device including the same display screen and / or a touch screen.

The touch sensor controller 1100, the display controller 1200, and the pressure sensor controller 1300, which are separately configured as described above, to make the touch input apparatus 1000 thin and light weight, May be integrated into one or more configurations in accordance with an embodiment. In addition, it is also possible that these respective controllers are integrated in the processor 1500. In addition, according to the embodiment, the touch sensor 10 and / or the pressure sensing unit may be incorporated in the display panel 200A.

The touch sensor 10 for detecting a touch position in the touch input apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment may be located outside or inside the display panel 200A. The display panel 200A of the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment may be a display device including a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) Display panel. Accordingly, the user can perform an input action by touching the touch surface while visually checking the screen displayed on the display panel.

3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams for explaining the configuration of the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000 according to the present invention. 3A, a configuration of a display module 200 including a display panel 200A using an LCD panel will be described.

3A, the display module 200 includes a display panel 200A as an LCD panel, a first polarizing layer 271 disposed on the display panel 200A, and a first polarizing layer 271 disposed below the display panel 200A. 2 polarizing layer 272 as shown in FIG. The display panel 200A as an LCD panel includes a liquid crystal layer 250 including a liquid crystal cell, a first substrate layer 261 disposed above the liquid crystal layer 250, and a liquid crystal layer 250, And a second substrate layer 262 disposed under the first substrate layer 262. In this case, the first substrate layer 261 may be a color filter glass, and the second substrate layer 262 may be a TFT glass. Also, at least one of the first substrate layer 261 and the second substrate layer 262 may be formed of a bendable material such as a plastic according to an embodiment. 3A, the second substrate layer 262 may include various layers including a data line, a gate line, a TFT, a common electrode (Vcom), and a pixel electrode. Lt; / RTI > These electrical components can operate to generate a controlled electric field to orient the liquid crystals located in the liquid crystal layer 250.

Next, the configuration of the display module 200 including the display panel 200A using the OLED panel will be described with reference to FIG. 3B.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the display module 200 may include a display panel 200A, which is an OLED panel, and a first polarizing layer 282, which is disposed on the display panel 200A. The display panel 200A as an OLED panel includes an organic layer 280 including an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a first substrate layer 281 disposed over the organic layer 280, And a second substrate layer 283 disposed thereon. At this time, the first substrate layer 281 may be an encapsulation glass, and the second substrate layer 283 may be a TFT glass. In addition, at least one of the first substrate layer 281 and the second substrate layer 283 may be formed of a bendable material such as a plastic. In the case of the OLED panel shown in FIGS. 3D to 3F, an electrode used for driving a display panel 200A such as a gate line, a data line, a first power supply line (ELVDD), a second power supply line (ELVSS) . OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) panel is a self-luminous display panel that uses the principle that light is generated when electrons and holes are combined in an organic layer when current is applied to a fluorescent or phosphorescent organic thin film. Determine the color.

Specifically, OLEDs use the principle that an organic material emits light when an organic material is applied to glass or plastic and electricity is supplied. That is, when holes and electrons are injected into the anode and the cathode of the organic material, respectively, and then recombined with the light emitting layer, excitons having a high energy state are formed. When excitons fall into a state of low energy, energy is emitted, And to use the generated principle. At this time, the color of the light changes depending on the organic material of the light emitting layer.

In OLED, a line-driven PM-OLED (Passive-matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and an AM-OLED (Active-matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) are used depending on the operation characteristics of the pixels constituting the pixel matrix exist. Since both of them do not require a backlight, the display module can be made very thin, the contrast ratio is constant according to the angle, and color reproducibility according to temperature is good. In addition, un-driven pixels are very economical in that they do not consume power.

In operation, the PM-OLED emits light only for a scanning time with a high current, and the AM-OLED maintains a light emission state for a frame time with a low current. Therefore, AM-OLED has better resolution than PM-OLED, it is advantageous to drive a large-area display panel and has low power consumption. In addition, since each element can be individually controlled by incorporating a thin film transistor (TFT), it is easy to realize a sophisticated screen.

The organic material layer 280 may include a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emission layer (EIL), an electron transfer layer (ETL) (Electron Injection Layer, light emitting layer).

Briefly describing each layer, the HIL injects holes, and uses a material such as CuPc. The HTL functions to transfer injected holes, and mainly uses materials having good hole mobility. HTL may be arylamine, TPD, or the like. EIL and ETL are layers for electron injection and transport, and injected electrons and holes are combined in EML to emit light. EML is a material that expresses the emitted color, and is composed of a host that determines the lifetime of the organic material, and a dopant that determines color and efficiency. This is only a description of the basic structure of the organic material layer 280 included in the OLED panel, and the present invention is not limited to the layer structure or material of the organic material layer 280. [

The organic layer 280 is inserted between an anode (not shown) and a cathode (not shown). When the TFT is turned on, a driving current is applied to the anode to inject holes, Electrons are injected, and holes and electrons move to the organic material layer 280 to emit light.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that an LCD panel or an OLED panel may further include other configurations for performing the display function and may be modified.

The display module 200 of the touch input apparatus 1000 according to the present invention may include a structure for driving the display panel 200A and the display panel 200A. In detail, when the display panel 200A is an LCD panel, the display module 200 may include a backlight unit (not shown) disposed under the second polarizing layer 272, A display panel control IC, a graphic control IC, and other circuits for operation of the display panel.

The display module 200 of the touch input apparatus 1000 according to the present invention may include a structure for driving the display panel 200A and the display panel 200A. In detail, when the display panel 200A is an LCD panel, the display module 200 may include a backlight unit (not shown) disposed under the second polarizing layer 272, A display panel control IC, a graphic control IC, and other circuits for operation of the display panel.

The touch sensor 10 for detecting the touch position in the touch input apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be located outside or inside the display module 200. [

In the case where the touch sensor 10 is disposed outside the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000, a touch sensor panel may be disposed above the display module 200, . The touch surface to the touch input device 1000 may be the surface of the touch sensor panel.

When the touch sensor 10 is disposed inside the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000, the touch sensor 10 may be configured to be located outside the display panel 200A. Specifically, the touch sensor 10 may be formed on the upper surfaces of the first substrate layers 261 and 281. At this time, the touch surface for the touch input device 1000 may be the upper surface or the lower surface in FIGS. 3A and 3B as an outer surface of the display module 200. [

In the case where the touch sensor 10 is disposed inside the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000, at least some of the touch sensors 10 are configured to be positioned in the display panel 200A, At least a remaining part of the display panel 10 may be configured to be located outside the display panel 200A. For example, any one of the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX constituting the touch sensor 10 may be configured to be located outside the display panel 200A, and the remaining electrodes may be disposed inside the display panel 200A As shown in FIG. Specifically, any one of the driving electrode TX and the receiving electrode RX constituting the touch sensor 10 may be formed on the upper surface of the first substrate layers 261 and 281, and the remaining electrodes may be formed on the first substrate layer 261, 281) or on the upper surface of the second substrate layer 262, 283.

When the touch sensor 10 is disposed inside the display module 200 in the touch input device 1000, the touch sensor 10 may be positioned inside the display panel 200A. Specifically, the touch sensor 10 may be formed on the lower surface of the first substrate layers 261 and 281 or on the upper surfaces of the second substrate layers 262 and 283.

In the case where the touch sensor 10 is disposed inside the display panel 200A, an electrode for the touch sensor operation may be additionally arranged. However, various configurations and / or electrodes disposed inside the display panel 200A may perform touch sensing The touch sensor 10 may be used as a touch sensor. More specifically, when the display panel 200A is an LCD panel, at least one of the electrodes included in the touch sensor 10 is a data line, a gate line, a TFT, a common electrode (Vcom: common electrode and a pixel electrode. When the display panel 200A is an OLED panel, at least one of the electrodes included in the touch sensor 10 may include a data line, A gate line, a first power supply line ELVDD, and a second power supply line ELVSS.

At this time, the touch sensor 10 operates as the driving electrode and the receiving electrode described in FIG. 1A, and can detect the touch position according to the mutual capacitance between the driving electrode and the receiving electrode. Also, the touch sensor 10 may operate as the single electrode 30 described with reference to FIG. 1B to detect the touch position according to the self-capacitance of each of the single electrodes 30. In this case, when the electrode included in the touch sensor 10 is an electrode used for driving the display panel 200A, the display panel 200A is driven in the first time period, and the second time The touch position can be detected in the section.

Hereinafter, in order to detect the touch pressure in the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a separate sensor other than the electrode used to detect the touch position and the electrode used to drive the display is disposed, A detailed description will be given by way of example.

The cover layer 100 formed with the touch sensor for detecting the touch position in the touch input device 1000 of the present invention and the display module 200 including the display panel 200A are bonded with an adhesive such as OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) Lt; / RTI > Accordingly, display color clarity, visibility, and light transmittance of the display module 200 that can be confirmed through the touch surface of the touch sensor can be improved.

4A to 4E illustrate an example in which a pressure sensor is formed in the touch input device according to the present invention.

Although the display panel 200A is shown as being directly laminated and attached to the cover layer 100 in Figure 4A and some of the following drawings, this is for illustrative convenience only and the first polarizing layer 271, The display module 200 located on the upper side may be laminated to the cover layer 100 and the second polarizing layer 272 and the backlight unit are omitted when the LCD panel is the display panel 200A.

4A to 4E, the cover layer 100 formed with the touch sensor as the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the display module 200 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B with an adhesive The touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a case where the touch sensor 10 is disposed inside the display module 200 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B . 4A and 4B, the cover layer 100 on which the touch sensor 10 is formed covers the display module 200 including the display panel 200A, A touch input device 1000 that is located inside the display device 200 and in which the display module 200 is covered with a cover layer 100 such as glass can be used as an embodiment of the present invention.

The touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to various devices such as a cell phone, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), a smartphone, a tablet PC, an MP3 player, a notebook, And electronic devices including the same touch screen.

The substrate 300 in the touch input apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 320 as an outermost structure of the touch input apparatus 1000 and a circuit board 300 for operating the touch input apparatus 1000, And / or a mounting space 310 where the battery can be placed, and the like. A central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (CPU), or the like may be mounted on the circuit board for operating the touch input device 1000 as a main board. The circuit board and / or the battery for the operation of the display module 200 and the touch input device 1000 are separated through the substrate 300 and the electrical noise generated in the display module 200 and the noise generated in the circuit board Can be blocked.

The touch sensor 10 or the cover layer 100 may be formed wider than the display module 200, the substrate 300 and the mounting space 310 in the touch input device 1000, The housing 320 may be formed to enclose the display module 200, the substrate 300, and the circuit board together with the touch sensor 10.

The touch input apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention detects a touch position through the touch sensor 10 and detects an electrode used for detecting the touch position and a separate sensor So that the touch pressure can be detected. At this time, the touch sensor 10 may be located inside or outside the display module 200.

Hereinafter, the configuration for pressure detection will be collectively referred to as a pressure sensing portion. For example, in an embodiment, the pressure sensing part may include pressure sensors 450 and 460.

Further, the pressure sensing unit may further include a spacer layer 420 formed of, for example, an air gap, which will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4D.

Depending on the embodiment, the spacer layer 420 may be implemented with an air gap. The spacer layer may be made of a shock-absorbing material according to an embodiment. The spacer layer 420 may be filled with a dielectric material according to embodiments. Depending on the embodiment, the spacer layer 420 may be formed of a material having a resilient force that contracts upon application of pressure and returns to its original shape upon release of pressure. According to an embodiment, the spacer layer 420 may be formed of an elastic foam. Further, since the spacer layer is disposed under the display module 200, it may be a transparent material or an opaque material.

In addition, the reference potential layer may be disposed under the display module 200. Specifically, the reference potential layer may be formed on the substrate 300 disposed under the display module 200, or the substrate 300 itself may serve as a reference potential layer. The reference potential layer may be formed on a cover (not shown) that is disposed on the substrate 300 and disposed under the display module 200 and functions to protect the display module 200, It can serve as a dislocation layer. The display panel 200A may be bent when the pressure is applied to the touch input device 1000 and the distance between the reference potential layer and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may vary as the display panel 200A is warped. Further, a spacer layer may be disposed between the reference potential layer and the pressure sensors 450 and 460. Specifically, a spacer layer may be disposed between the display module 200 and the substrate 300 on which the reference potential layer is disposed, or between the display module 200 and the cover on which the reference potential layer is disposed.

In addition, the reference potential layer may be disposed inside the display module 200. Specifically, the reference potential layer may be disposed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the first substrate layer 261, 281 of the display panel 200A, or on the upper surface or the lower surface of the second substrate layer 262, 283. The display panel 200A may be bent when the pressure is applied to the touch input device 1000 and the distance between the reference potential layer and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may vary as the display panel 200A is warped. Further, a spacer layer may be disposed between the reference potential layer and the pressure sensors 450 and 460. In the case of the touch input device 1000 shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the spacer layer may be disposed on the top or inside of the display panel 200A.

Likewise, according to embodiments, the spacer layer may be implemented with an air gap. The spacer layer may be made of a shock-absorbing material according to an embodiment. The spacer layer may be filled with a dielectric material according to an embodiment. Depending on the embodiment, the spacer layer may be formed of a material having a resilience that contracts upon application of pressure and returns to its original shape upon release of pressure. According to an embodiment, the spacer layer may be formed of an elastic foam. Further, since the spacer layer is disposed on or inside the display panel 200A, it may be a transparent material.

 According to the embodiment, when the spacer layer is disposed inside the display module 200, the spacer layer may be an air gap included in manufacturing the display panel 200A and / or the backlight unit. When the display panel 200A and / or the backlight unit include one air gap, the one air gap can perform the function of the spacer layer. In the case where the display panel 200A and / or the backlight unit include a plurality of air gaps, As a spacer layer.

Hereinafter, the sensors 450 and 460 for detecting the pressure are referred to as the pressure sensors 450 and 460 so as to be clearly distinguished from the electrodes included in the touch sensor 10. In this case, since the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 200A rather than on the front surface thereof, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed of an opaque material as well as a transparent material. When the display panel 200A is an LCD panel, light must be transmitted through the backlight unit, so that the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be made of a transparent material such as ITO.

At this time, a frame 330 having a predetermined height along the rim of the upper portion of the substrate 300 may be formed to hold the spacer layer 420 on which the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are disposed. At this time, the frame 330 may be adhered to the cover layer 100 with an adhesive tape (not shown). 4B, the frame 330 is formed on all the edges of the substrate 300 (e.g., four sides of a tetragonal shape), but the frame 330 may be formed on at least a part of the rim of the substrate 300 Three surfaces). According to an embodiment, the frame 330 may be integrally formed with the substrate 300 on the upper surface of the substrate 300. In an embodiment of the present invention, the frame 330 may be constructed of a material that is not elastic. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the display panel 200A is applied with pressure through the cover layer 100, the display panel 200A may be bent together with the cover layer 100, The magnitude of the touch pressure can be detected even if there is no deformation of the mold.

4C is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device including a pressure sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4C, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be disposed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A as the spacer layer 420. As shown in FIG.

The pressure sensor for pressure detection may include a first sensor 450 and a second sensor 460. At this time, one of the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 may be a driving sensor and the other may be a receiving sensor. A drive signal may be applied to the drive sensor and a sense signal may be obtained that includes information about the electrical characteristics that change as pressure is applied through the receive sensor. For example, when a voltage is applied, mutual capacitance may be created between the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460.

4D is a cross-sectional view of the touch input apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. The top surface of the substrate 300 may have a ground potential for noise shielding. When the pressure is applied to the surface of the cover layer 100 through the object 500, the cover layer 100 and the display panel 200A may be warped or pressed. The distance d between the ground potential plane and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 can be reduced to d '. In this case, as the distance d decreases, the fringing capacitance is absorbed to the upper surface of the substrate 300, so that the mutual capacitance between the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 may decrease . Accordingly, it is possible to calculate the magnitude of the touch pressure by obtaining a reduction amount of mutual capacitance in the sensing signal obtained through the reception sensor.

In FIG. 4D, the upper surface of the substrate 300 is the ground potential, that is, the reference potential layer. However, the reference potential layer may be disposed inside the display module 200. At this time, when the pressure is applied to the surface of the cover layer 100 through the object 500, the cover layer 100 and the display panel 200A can be bent or pressed. Accordingly, the distance between the reference potential layer disposed inside the display module 200 and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 varies, and thus, the capacitance change amount is obtained from the sensing signal obtained through the reception sensor, and the magnitude of the touch pressure is calculated .

In the touch input device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display panel 200A can be bent or pressed according to a touch to apply pressure. According to the embodiment, the position where the display panel 200A is deformed when the display panel 200A is bent or pressed may not coincide with the touch position, but the display panel 200A may exhibit warping at least at the touch position. For example, when the touch position is close to the edge and the edge of the display panel 200A, the position where the display panel 200A is warped or pressed most greatly may be different from the touch position, It is possible to indicate warping or pressing.

In a form in which the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 are formed in the same layer, the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 shown in Figs. 4C and 4D, respectively, And may be constituted by a plurality of sensors in the form of a rhombus. Here, the plurality of first sensors 450 are mutually connected in the first axis direction, the plurality of second sensors 460 are mutually connected in the second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction, At least one of the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 may be in the form of a plurality of diamond-shaped sensors connected through a bridge so that the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 are insulated from each other. Also, at this time, the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 shown in FIG. 5 may be configured as a sensor of the type shown in FIG. 7B.

It is exemplified that the touch pressure is detected from the change of mutual capacitance between the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460. However, the pressure sensing unit may be configured to include only the pressure sensor of either the first sensor 450 or the second sensor 460. In this case, one pressure sensor and the ground layer (substrate 300 or display module The magnitude of the touch pressure can be detected by detecting the change in the electrostatic capacitance, that is, the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance, between the reference potential layer disposed within the semiconductor substrate 200 and the reference potential layer. At this time, a drive signal is applied to the one pressure sensor, and a change in magnetic capacitance between the pressure sensor and the ground layer can be sensed by the pressure sensor.

For example, in FIG. 4C, the pressure sensor may be configured to include only the first sensor 450, wherein the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 450, which are caused by a distance change between the substrate 300 and the first sensor 450, It is possible to detect the magnitude of the touch pressure from the change in capacitance between the electrodes 300. The capacitance d between the substrate 300 and the first sensor 450 may increase as the touch pressure increases because the distance d decreases as the touch pressure increases. At this time, the pressure sensor does not need to have a comb-like shape or a triangular shape necessary for increasing mutual capacitance change amount detection accuracy, and may have a single plate (for example, rectangular plate) shape, A plurality of first sensors 450 may be arranged in a lattice pattern at regular intervals.

4E illustrates a case in which the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are formed on the upper surface of the substrate 300 and the lower surface of the display panel 200A in the spacer layer 420. [ At this time, the first sensor 450 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and the second sensor 460 is formed on the first insulating layer 470 such that the second sensor 460 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, 2 insulating layer 471 may be disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 300 in the form of a sensor sheet on which the second sensor 460 is formed.

When the pressure is applied to the surface of the cover layer 100 through the object 500, the cover layer 100 and the display panel 200A may be warped or pressed. Accordingly, the distance d between the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 can be reduced. In this case, the mutual capacitance between the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 may increase as the distance d decreases. Accordingly, it is possible to calculate the magnitude of the touch pressure by acquiring an increase amount of mutual capacitance in the sensing signal obtained through the reception sensor. 4E, the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 are formed on different layers, so that the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 need not have a comb-like shape or a trident shape One of the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 may have a single plate (for example, a rectangular plate), and the other may have a plurality of sensors at regular intervals And may be arranged in a lattice pattern.

In the touch input device 1000 according to the present invention, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed directly on the display panel 200A. 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating an embodiment of a pressure sensor formed directly on various display panels in a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5A shows pressure sensors 450 and 460 formed on a display panel 200A using an LCD panel. 5A, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the lower surface of the second substrate layer 262. As shown in FIG. At this time, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the bottom surface of the second polarizing layer 272. When a touch pressure is detected based on the amount of mutual capacitance change when a pressure is applied to the touch input apparatus 1000, a drive signal is applied to the drive sensor 450, and a reference potential layer (Not shown) and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 from the receiving sensor 460. The receiving sensor 460 receives the electrical signal from the receiving sensor 460, A driving signal is applied to the pressure sensors 450 and 460 and the distance between the reference potential layer (not shown) and the pressure sensors 450 and 460, which are spaced apart from the pressure sensors 450 and 460, From the pressure sensors 450 and 460, an electrical signal including information on the capacitance that changes with the change.

Next, Fig. 5B shows pressure sensors 450 and 460 formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A using an OLED panel (in particular, an AM-OLED panel). Specifically, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the lower surface of the second substrate layer 283. At this time, the method of detecting the pressure is the same as that described in Fig. 5A.

In the case of the OLED panel, since the light is emitted from the organic material layer 280, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 formed on the lower surface of the second substrate layer 283 disposed under the organic material layer 280 may be made of an opaque material. In this case, since the patterns of the pressure sensors 450 and 460 formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A can be seen by the user, in order to directly form the pressure sensors 450 and 460 on the lower surface of the second substrate layer 283, After the light shielding layer such as black ink is applied to the lower surface of the layer 283, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 can be formed on the light shielding layer.

5B, pressure sensors 450 and 460 are formed on the lower surface of the second substrate layer 283. However, a third substrate layer (not shown) may be disposed below the second substrate layer 283, 3 pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the lower surface of the substrate layer. Particularly, when the display panel 200A is a flexible OLED panel, since the display panel 200A composed of the first substrate layer 281, the organic layer 280 and the second substrate layer 283 is very thin and well warped, It is possible to dispose a third substrate layer that does not bend relatively well below the substrate layer 283.

Next, FIG. 5C shows the pressure sensors 450 and 460 formed in the display panel 200A using the OLED panel. Specifically, pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the upper surface of the second substrate layer 283. At this time, the method of detecting the pressure is the same as that described in Fig. 5A.

5C, the display panel 200A using the OLED panel is described as an example. However, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the upper surface of the second substrate layer 272 of the display panel 200A using the LCD panel It is possible.

5A to 5C, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are formed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the second substrate layer 272 and 283. However, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 may be formed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the first substrate layer 261 and 281, As shown in FIG.

4E, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 for sensing the amount of capacitance change in the touch input device 1000 according to the present invention include a first sensor 450 formed directly on the display panel 200A, And a second sensor 460 configured in the form of a sensor. 5A to 5C, and the second sensor 460 is formed in the form of a sensor sheet as described with reference to FIG. 4E, And may be attached to the input device 1000.

The first sensor 450 receives a driving signal from the driving unit of the pressure sensor controller 1300 and the second sensor 460 receives a sensing signal from the driving unit of the pressure sensor controller 1300 in the touch input device 1000 to which the pressure sensing unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. To the sensing unit of the pressure sensor controller 1300. [

When the pressure sensor controller 1300 and the touch sensor controller 1100 are integrated into one IC and driven, the controller of the integrated IC performs scanning of the touch sensor 10 and simultaneously performs scanning of the pressure sensor, Alternatively, the controller of the integrated IC may time-divide to generate a control signal to perform scanning of the touch sensor 10 during a first time period and to perform scanning of a pressure sensing unit during a second time period different from the first time period have.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first sensor 450 and the second sensor 460 should be electrically connected to the driving unit and / or the sensing unit of the pressure sensor controller 1300. The pressure sensors 450 and 460 included in the pressure sensing unit may be electrically connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300 in any manner. For example, after the conductive adhesive member is disposed between the first connection portion electrically connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300 and the second connection portion electrically connected to the pressure sensors 450 and 460, the first connection portion and the second connection portion may be bonded By pressure, the pressure sensing part and the pressure sensor controller 1300 can be electrically connected. At this time, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are electrically connected to one end of the connection line pattern formed on the first PCB 160 using a conductive adhesive such as an anisotropic conductive film (AFC), a conductive paste such as a silver paste, And the other end of the connection line pattern may be electrically connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300. In this case, the first PCB 160 may be a touch PCB or a display PCB.

6A to 6M are views of a part of the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the opposite direction of the touch surface and the pressure sensing part including the pressure sensors 450 and 460 has a lower surface 201A of the display panel 200A ). ≪ / RTI > 6A to 6M, a first PCB 160 on which a pressure sensor controller 1300 is mounted is disposed on a part of the lower portion of the display panel 200A.

Conductive traces 451 each extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the first PCB 160 through the anisotropic conductive film 170 and through which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is connected, As shown in Fig.

6A is a view for explaining a connection between a pressure sensor constituted by a plurality of channels using an anisotropic conductive film and a pressure sensor controller, FIG. 6B is a view for explaining a connection between a pressure sensor constituted by a single channel using an anisotropic conductive film and a pressure sensor controller FIG. 6C is a partially enlarged view showing a state in which one end of the first PCB is separated from the display panel in order to explain a method of connecting the pressure sensor and the pressure sensor controller of FIG. 6A.

Such anisotropic conductive film has a structure in which conductive particles are dispersed in an insulating adhesive film. When subjected to heating and pressing, electricity is applied only in the direction of the electrode, and anisotropic electrical conductivity characteristics having an insulating function between the electrode and the electrode are obtained. The conductive particles may be basically composed of Ni, Au / polymaer, Ag, or solder, and the insulating material may be composed of thermosetting or thermoplastic insulating resin .

6A to 6C, a first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 to be described later and a second connection part 162 of the conductive line 161 are formed in a part of the overlapping area of the first PCB 160 and the display panel 200A, A first connection portion 140 composed of a second connection portion 452 of the trace 451 is disposed. A first connection line pattern 161 extending from the pressure sensor controller 1300 to the first connection part 140 is formed in the first PCB 160 and a second connection line pattern 161 formed in the first connection part 140 161 are formed at the ends thereof. Similarly, a conductive trace 451 extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 to the first connection part 140 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and an end portion of the conductive trace 451 included in the first connection part 140 A second connecting portion 452 is formed. 6C is disposed between the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace and the first connection portion 140 and the anisotropic conductive film 170 shown in FIG. Is subjected to AFC bonding by heating and pressing it at the top. The first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion of the conductive trace 451 are electrically connected to each other by applying a predetermined pressure to the semi- 452 are pressed by the anisotropic conductive film 170 to increase the density of the anisotropic conductive film 170 so that electrical conduction is achieved vertically by the conductive particles. The portion of the anisotropic conductive film 170 where electrical conduction occurs is a connection line for electrically connecting the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451 .

Since the fine patterns can be formed by using the anisotropic conductive film 170, the first connection line pattern 161 and the conductive trace 451 can be connected to each other only by a small area, so that the pressure sensors 450 and 460 composed of a plurality of channels To be connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300. 6A illustrates a pressure sensor 450 and a pressure sensor 450 formed of nine channels. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The first pressure sensor 450 and the pressure sensor 450 may be connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300, Also not great. However, since the heating and pressurizing process is required in the AFC bonding process, when the first connection unit 140 is disposed under the display area, there is a possibility that the devices necessary for driving the display may be affected. Therefore, an area other than the display area, It is preferable to arrange the first connection part 140 in the edge area of the panel 200A. That is, the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451 are preferably disposed at the edge of the display panel.

Conductive traces 451 each extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the first PCB 160 through the conductive ink 180 and are connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300 through the conductive ink 180 as shown in Figs. 6D and 6F. And can be electrically connected.

FIG. 6D is a view for explaining the connection between the pressure sensor composed of a plurality of channels using the conductive ink and the pressure sensor controller, FIG. 6E is a view for explaining the connection between the pressure sensor constituted by a single channel using the conductive ink and the pressure sensor controller And FIG. 6F is a partial enlarged view showing a state in which one end of the first PCB is separated from the display panel in order to explain a method of connecting the pressure sensor and the pressure sensor controller of FIG. 6D.

Such a conductive ink may contain one or more materials selected from cyanate ester resin, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), PVB (polyvinyl butyral) (Ag), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), palladium (Pb), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), lead (P), indium (In) Aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and the like.

6D to 6F, the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161, which will be described later, and the second connection part 162 of the conductive line 162 are electrically connected to a part of the overlapping area of the first PCB 160 and the display panel 200A, A first connection portion 140 composed of a second connection portion 452 of the trace 451 is disposed. A first connection line pattern 161 extending from the pressure sensor controller 1300 to the first connection part 140 is formed in the first PCB 160 and a second connection line pattern 161 formed in the first connection part 140 161 are formed at the ends thereof. Similarly, a conductive trace 451 extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 to the first connection part 140 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and an end portion of the conductive trace 451 included in the first connection part 140 A second connecting portion 452 is formed. 6F, the conductive ink 180 is applied to the lower surface of the first connection part 162 of each first connection line pattern 161 and the first connection part 140 is pressed at the upper part, And an adhesion process using the ink 180 is performed. At this time, the conductive ink 180 becomes a connection line for electrically connecting the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451.

The conductive ink 180 is applied to the lower surface of the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 so that the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection part 162 of the conductive trace 451 The conductive ink 180 may be applied to the upper surface of the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451 to form the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 It is also possible to connect the second connection 452 of the conductive trace 451.

When the conductive ink 180 is used, since the high-temperature firing process is not required, the arrangement of the first connection portion 140 is not limited. In FIG. 6D, the first connection portions 140 are arranged in a row, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first connection portions 140 may be disposed in a square shape having three rows and three columns Do. When the conductive ink 180 is used, the first connection portion 140 is required to be wider than that of the anisotropic conductive film 170. However, the first connection portion 140 may be formed in a smaller area than the conductive tape 190, The first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451 can be connected to each other.

Conductive traces 451 each extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the first PCB 160 through the conductive tape 190 as shown in Figs. 6G and 6I, and through the pressure sensor controller 1300 And can be electrically connected.

6G is a view for explaining a connection between a pressure sensor constituted by a plurality of channels using a conductive tape and a pressure sensor controller, FIG. 6H is a view for explaining a connection between a pressure sensor constituted by a single channel using a conductive tape and a pressure sensor controller And FIG. 6I is a partial enlarged view showing a state in which one end of the first PCB is separated from the display panel in order to explain a method of connecting the pressure sensor and the pressure sensor controller of FIG. 6G.

Such a conductive tape may be a material added with a conductive component to an acrylic adhesive or a silicone adhesive. At this time, the conductive component may be a metal material such as powder, flake, fibrous gold, silver, copper, nickel, lead, or the like carbon material such as graphite or the like. Also, in the case of the conductive component, the powder or flake-like metal has a large specific gravity, so that 50% wt or more should be used, while the fibrous metal can realize a low contact resistance even when the content is less than 10% wt. In addition, acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives can be used at lower temperatures than silicone pressure sensitive adhesives.

6G and 6I, the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the first connection part 162 of the conductive trace 162, which will be described later, are formed in a part of the overlapping area of the first PCB 160 and the display panel 200A, A first connection part 140 composed of a second connection part 452 of the first connection part 451 is disposed. A first connection line pattern 161 extending from the pressure sensor controller 1300 to the first connection part 140 is formed in the first PCB 160 and a second connection line pattern 161 formed in the first connection part 140 161 are formed at the ends thereof. Similarly, a conductive trace 451 extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 to the first connection part 140 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and an end portion of the conductive trace 451 included in the first connection part 140 A second connecting portion 452 is formed. 6I, after removing the protective film on both sides of the conductive tape 190, one surface of the conductive tape 190 is bonded to the first connection portion 162 of each first connection line pattern 161 And the first connection portion 140 is pressed with a small pressure from the upper portion to perform the bonding process using the conductive tape 190. [ At this time, the conductive tape 190 becomes a connection line for electrically connecting the first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection portion 452 of the conductive trace 451.

The conductive tape 190 is attached to the lower surface of the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 to connect the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection part 162 of the conductive trace 451 The conductive tape 190 may be attached to the upper surface of the second connection part 452 of the conductive trace 451 to connect the first connection part 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 It is also possible to connect the second connection 452 of the conductive trace 451.

When the conductive tape 190 is used, high temperature and high pressure are not required, so that the arrangement of the first connection portion 140 is not limited. In FIG. 6D, the first connection portions 140 are arranged in a row, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first connection portions 140 may be disposed in a square shape having three rows and three columns Do. In addition, the first connection part 140 may be divided into a plurality of parts so as to perform a separate pressing process on the pair of second connection parts 452 corresponding to the first connection parts 162, so that the bonding process may be performed.

6J to 61L are views for explaining the connection between the pressure sensor using the second PCB and the pressure sensor controller.

6A to 6I, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 included in the pressure sensing unit are connected to the first PCB 160 mounted with the pressure sensor controller 1300. However, the present invention is not limited to this, The pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the first connection line pattern 161 formed on the first PCB 160 in which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is not mounted, The first connection line pattern 161 formed on the second PCB 360 is connected to the second connection line pattern 361 formed on the second PCB 360 on which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is mounted so that the pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300 It is also possible to electrically connect them to each other. In this case, the pressure sensor controller 1300 may be integrated with the touch sensor controller 1100 into one IC and mounted on the touch PCB, and the second PCB 360 may be a touch PCB.

6J to 61L, a first connecting portion 162 of a first connecting line pattern 161 to be described later and a second connecting portion 162 of a conductive type are formed in a part of an area where the first PCB 160 and the display panel 200A overlap each other, A first connection portion 140 composed of a second connection portion 452 of the trace 451 is disposed. The first connection line pattern 161 extending from the second connection part 600 connected to the second PCB 360 to the first connection part 140 is formed in the first PCB 160. [ Similarly, a conductive trace 451 extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 to the first connection part 140 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 and the pressure sensors 450 and 460, The first connection line pattern 161 of the first PCB 160 may be electrically connected. The first connection line pattern 161 may be connected to the second connection line pattern 361 formed on the second PCB 360 through the second connection portion 600. At this time, the second connection part 600 is formed of an anisotropic conductive film such as the first connection part 140, a conductive ink, or a conductive tape to connect the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection line pattern 361 . The second connection unit 600 may include a connector to connect the first connection line pattern 161 and the second connection line pattern 361.

Specifically, a second connecting portion of the first connecting line pattern 161 and a second connecting line portion of the second connecting line pattern 361, which will be described later, and a second connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361, which will be described later, are formed in a part of the overlapping area of the first PCB 160 and the second PCB 360 A connection portion 600 is disposed. A second connection line pattern 361 extending from the pressure sensor controller 1300 to the second connection portion 600 is formed in the second PCB 360 and a second connection line pattern 361 included in the second connection portion 600 361 is formed with a first connecting portion. The first connection line pattern 161 extending from the first connection part 140 to the second connection part 600 is formed in the first PCB 160 and the first connection line pattern 161 The second connecting portion is formed at the end of the second connecting portion. The second connecting portion of the first connecting line pattern 161 and the second connecting line pattern 361 are electrically connected by the conductive adhesive member disposed between the second connecting portion of the first connecting line pattern 161 and the first connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361. [ May be electrically connected to each other. At this time, the conductive adhesive member disposed between the second connection portion of the first connection line pattern 161 and the first connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 may be any one of the anisotropic conductive film, the conductive ink, and the conductive tape. In this case, when the second connecting portion of the first connecting line pattern 161 and the first connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361 are connected to each other through the anisotropic conductive film, an area which is not a display area, for example, It is preferable to dispose the second connection part 600 in the edge area of the second connection part. In other words, it is preferable that the second connecting portion of the first connecting line pattern 161 and the first connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361 are disposed at the edge of the display panel. The second connection portion of the first connection line pattern 161 and the first connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 may be electrically connected by the connector.

6M is a diagram for explaining the connection between the pressure sensor using the third PCB and the pressure sensor controller.

The pressure sensors 450 and 460 are connected to the first connection line pattern 161 formed on the first PCB 160 on which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is not mounted, 1 connection line pattern 161 is connected to the second connection line pattern 361 formed on another second PCB 360 where the pressure sensor controller 1300 is not mounted and the second connection line pattern 361 formed on the second PCB 360 Is connected to the third connection line pattern 561 formed on the third PCB 560 on which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is mounted so that the pressure sensors 450 and 460 can be electrically connected to the pressure sensor controller 1300 Do. In this case, the pressure sensor controller 1300 may be integrated with the touch sensor controller 1100 into one IC, mounted on the touch PCB, the third PCB 560 may be a touch PCB, and the second PCB 360 may be a display PCB .

6M, a first connection portion 162 of the first connection line pattern 161 and a conductive trace 451 of the first connection line pattern 161, which will be described later, are formed in a part of the region where the first PCB 160 and the display panel 200A overlap each other, The second connecting portion 452 of the first connecting portion 140 is disposed. The first connection line pattern 161 extending from the second connection part 600 connected to the second PCB 360 to the first connection part 140 is formed in the first PCB 160. [ Similarly, a conductive trace 451 extending from the pressure sensors 450 and 460 to the first connection part 140 is formed on the lower surface of the display panel 200A, and the pressure sensors 450 and 460 and the pressure sensors 450 and 460, The first connection line pattern 161 of the first PCB 160 may be electrically connected. 6J to 61L, the first connection line pattern 161 may be connected to the second connection line pattern 361 formed on the second PCB 360 through the second connection portion 600 . The second connection line pattern 361 may be connected to the third connection line pattern 561 formed on the third PCB 560 through the third connection line 610. [

Specifically, in a part of the overlapping area of the second PCB 360 and the third PCB 560, a third connecting part of the second connecting line pattern 361 and a third connecting part of the third connecting line pattern 561, A connection portion 610 is disposed. The third connection line pattern 561 extending from the pressure sensor controller 1300 to the third connection portion 610 is formed in the third PCB 560 and the third connection line pattern 561 included in the third connection portion 610 is formed 561) is formed with a first connecting portion. The second connection line pattern 361 extending from the second connection part 600 to the third connection part 610 is formed in the second PCB 360 and the second connection line pattern 361 included in the third connection part 610 is formed The second connecting portion is formed at the end of the second connecting portion. The second connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361 and the third connecting line pattern 561 are electrically connected by the conductive adhesive member disposed between the second connecting portion of the second connecting line pattern 361 and the first connecting portion of the third connecting line pattern 561. [ May be electrically connected to each other. At this time, the conductive adhesive member disposed between the second connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 and the first connection portion of the third connection line pattern 561 may be any one of an anisotropic conductive film, a conductive ink, and a conductive tape. In this case, when the second connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 and the first connection portion of the third connection line pattern 561 are connected to each other through the anisotropic conductive film, an area other than the display area, for example, It is preferable that the third connection portion 610 is disposed in the edge region of the second connection portion 610. [ That is, the second connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 and the first connection portion of the third connection line pattern 561 are preferably disposed at the edge of the display panel. The second connection portion of the second connection line pattern 361 and the first connection portion of the third connection line pattern 561 may be electrically connected by the connector.

6N is a view for explaining the connection between the pressure sensor using the strain gauge and the pressure sensor controller. In the above description, the pressure sensors 450 and 460 included in the pressure sensing unit are constituted by electrodes, and as the electrical characteristics sensed by the pressure sensing unit, the capacitance variation according to the bending of the display panel 200A is detected to detect the magnitude of the pressure The pressure sensors 450 and 460 included in the pressure sensing unit are constructed of strain gauges as shown in FIG. 6M, and the display panel 200A is used as the electrical characteristics sensed by the pressure sensing unit. It is also possible to detect the magnitude of the pressure by detecting the amount of change in the resistance value of the pressure sensors 450 and 460 that change in accordance with the bending. In this case, the same method as described with reference to Figs. 6A to 6M is also applicable for connection between the pressure sensors 450 and 460 and the pressure sensor controller 1300.

6A to 6N, the pressure sensor controller 1300 has been described on the assumption that a chip on film (COF) structure is formed on the first PCB 160. FIG. However, this is merely an example, and the present invention can also be applied to a case of a chip on board (COB) structure in which the pressure sensor controller 1300 is mounted on a main board in the mounting space 310 of the touch input apparatus 1000.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of illustration, It can be seen that various modifications and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments can be modified and implemented. It is to be understood that all changes and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

10: touch sensor 11: sensing unit
12: driving unit 13:
100: cover layer 200: display module
300: substrate 450, 460: pressure sensor

Claims (6)

A touch input device capable of detecting a touch pressure,
A second substrate layer disposed below the first substrate layer, a liquid crystal layer or an organic material layer disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer, and a light shielding layer disposed under the second substrate layer, A display panel; And
And a pressure sensor used to detect the touch pressure,
Wherein the pressure sensor is formed on a lower surface of the light-
Touch input device. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a reference potential layer spaced apart from the pressure sensor,
Wherein the touch sensor detects a touch pressure based on a capacitance change amount that varies in accordance with a distance between the pressure sensor and the reference potential layer,
Touch input device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the display panel detects a touch pressure based on a resistance value of the pressure sensor,
Touch input device. A touch input device capable of detecting a touch pressure,
A second substrate layer disposed below the first substrate layer, a liquid crystal layer or an organic material layer disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer, and a light shielding layer disposed under the second substrate layer, A display panel; And
And a pressure sensor used to detect the touch pressure,
Wherein the pressure sensor includes a first sensor and a second sensor,
The first sensor is formed on a lower surface of the light-shielding layer,
Wherein the second sensor is disposed apart from the first sensor,
Touch input device. 5. The method of claim 4,
And detects a touch pressure based on a capacitance change amount that varies depending on a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor,
Touch input device. 6. The method of claim 5,
Further comprising a substrate spaced apart from a lower portion of the display panel,
The second sensor is formed on the first insulating layer,
A second insulating layer is formed on the second sensor,
Wherein a sensor sheet composed of the first insulating layer, the second sensor, and the second insulating layer is disposed on an upper surface of the substrate,
Touch input device.

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