TW201624230A - Touch sensitive device and display device comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A touch sensitive device, a display device including the touch sensitive device and a method of driving the same are discussed. The touch sensitive device can include an electroactive layer including an electroactive polymer; and one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes are disposed on only one surface of the electroactive layer, in which the first and the second electrodes include a conductive material. The first and the second electrodes of the touch sensitive device can be disposed only on one surface of the electroactive layer, a driving voltage of the touch sensitive device can be reduced and transmissivity can be improved.

Description

Touch sensing device and display device including the touch sensing device

The present invention relates to a touch sensing device and a display device including the touch sensing device, and more particularly to a device made of electroactive polymer (EAP) having a low driving voltage and a high transmittance. A touch sensing device and a display device including the touch sensing device.

The touch panel is a touch sensing device for a user to input by touch or gesture on a screen, for example, and is widely used for display devices such as public facilities and wisdom including portable display devices such as smart phones and tablet PCs. Large display devices such as TVs. The touch panel is divided into a resistive type, a capacitive type, an ultrasonic type, an infrared type, and the like.

However, not only the research of touch sensing input by the user but also the research of the touch sensing device providing touch sensing feedback are being performed, wherein the user can use the feeling of the finger or the stylus as the user. Feedback from touch input.

A display device using a touch sensing device of an Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) can be taken as an example. The ERM is a vibration motor that produces mechanical vibrations using an eccentric force generated when the motor is operated by an additional mass to a portion of the rotor of the motor. However, ERMS is made of an opaque material, so they should not be disposed on the front surface of the display panel of the display device, but on the rear surface. In addition, since the ERMS generates vibration via the motor, it is not possible for only part of the display device to vibrate, but the entire display device to vibrate. Therefore, the display device of the ERM has a problem that it is not possible to transmit only the portion touched by the user as the touch sensing feedback. In addition, since ERMS is a mechanical vibration generated by a motor, the response speed is low, so they are difficult to be used as a vibration source of the touch sensing device.

In addition, there is a display device using a touch sensing device of a Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA) as another example of the touch sensing device. LRA The feedback of the touch sensing is provided by the vibration of the spring and the stainless steel oscillator generated by the reciprocating motion of the permanent magnet of the solenoid. However, similar to ERMS, the LRA is made of an opaque material and vibrates the entire display device, so the LRA has the same problem as the ERMS. In addition, the LRA must use a resonant frequency that is fixed between 150 Hz and 200 Hz. Therefore, the touch sensing device equipped with the LRA is difficult to generate various vibrations.

Touch sensing devices equipped with piezoelectric ceramic actuators have been used to solve these problems. Piezoelectric ceramic actuators have a high response speed of a few microseconds and a wide range of vibration frequencies, enabling vibrations that truly feel within all frequency ranges. However, piezoelectric ceramic actuators are formed in the shape of ceramic plates, and they can be easily broken by an external impact due to low durability against external impact. In addition, piezoelectric ceramic actuators have a problem like ERMS and LRA, that is, they are opaque and difficult to form thin. In addition, since it is disposed on the rear surface of the display device, the piezoelectric ceramic actuator vibrates the entire display device.

The inventors believe that a touch sensing device made of an electroactive polymer can be used as a vibration source for generating vibration of the touch sensing device. In more detail, a touch sensing device made of an electroactive polymer can use vibration of an electroactive layer generated by applying a voltage to electrodes disposed above and below an electroactive layer made of an electroactive polymer. To provide feedback to the user of touch sensing. The touch sensing device may be made of a transparent material so that it can be disposed on the front surface of the display device.

However, the driving voltage of the touch sensing device made of the electroactive polymer is very high with a few kilovolts relative to the vibration source as described above. Therefore, there is a need for an additional boost circuit for increasing the voltage used in the display device, but it is difficult to make the boost circuit small enough that they can be used for personal portable displays such as smart phones and tablets. Device. Therefore, there is a method of reducing the thickness of the electroactive layer to lower the driving voltage. However, when the thickness of the electroactive layer is reduced, the displacement of the electroactive layer is suppressed by the weight of the object vibrated by the touch sensing device, that is, the weight of the display device, so the vibration is weak or not generated.

Further, even if the components of the touch sensing device are made of a transparent material, the transmittance is lowered when it is disposed on an electrode above and below an electroactive layer.

Therefore, the present invention has considered the problems of the conventional touch sensing device and the driving voltage and the transmittance caused by the touch sensing device fabricated by the electroactive polymer. Therefore, a novel touch sensing device capable of solving these problems, a method for driving the touch sensing device, and a display device including the touch sensing device are designed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch sensing device in which a transmittance can be maximized by forming an electrode for applying a voltage to an electroactive layer on a surface of an electroactive layer, and a A display device of a touch sensing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensing device that can be driven by reducing a gap in an electrode for applying a voltage to an electroactive layer, even if a low driving voltage is used, and a A display device for controlling the sensing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensing device that can transmit various tactile feedbacks by changing a gap in an electrode for applying a voltage to an electroactive layer and by applying a voltage having a frequency according to an electrode gap. To the user, and a display device including the touch sensing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for driving a touch sensing device, which can realize texture and different materials of a different material by providing an electroactive layer on one surface of a plurality of electrodes and applying a voltage to electrodes different from each other. Touch sensing caused by structural vibration.

It is to be noted that the object of the present invention is not limited to the above objects, and it will be apparent from the following description that other objects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch sensing device comprising: an electroactive layer comprising an electroactive polymer; and one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes Provided only on one surface of the electroactive layer, wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material. The electroactive layer can include a plurality of cells, and the first and second electrodes can be disposed in each cell. The first electrode may have a portion separated from a first gap disposed on the second electrode in the same unit and a portion separated from a second gap on the second electrode. Each of the first electrode and the second electrode may have a first sub-electrode and a plurality of second sub-electrodes extending from the first sub-electrode, and the plurality of second sub-electrodes and the second electrode of the first electrode The plurality of second sub-electrodes may be alternately arranged. The first and second electrodes disposed in a first unit of the cells may be separated by a first gap and the first and second electrodes disposed in a second unit of the cells Can be made up of a second The gaps are spaced apart. The gap between the first electrode and the second electrode may be smaller than the thickness of the electroactive layer. Each of the first electrodes and each of the second electrodes may have a spiral structure or a double ring structure. The first and second electrodes may comprise a transparent conductive material. If a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the electroactive layer can vibrate due to an electric field generated on the electroactive layer.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch sensing device comprising one or more first electrodes disposed on an electroactive polymer comprising an electroactive polymer and an electroactive layer comprising a conductive material a plurality of cells on the surface, wherein a first voltage is applied to the first electrode; and one or more second electrodes are disposed on the surface of the electroactive polymer comprising an electroactive polymer and a conductive material In the above units, a second voltage is applied to the second electrode, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage have a gap corresponding to a resonant frequency according to a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode. frequency. The first voltage having the resonant frequency can be applied to the first electrodes, and the second electrodes can be grounded. The first electrode has a portion separated from a second gap by a first gap disposed in the same unit and a portion separated from the second electrode by a second gap. The first voltage having a resonant frequency corresponding to the first gap or a resonant frequency corresponding to the second gap may be applied to the first electrode, and the second electrode may be grounded. The first electrodes and the second electrodes disposed in a first unit of the units are separated by a first gap, and the first and second electrodes disposed in a second unit of the units are The second gap is separated. The first voltage having a resonant frequency corresponding to the first gap may be applied to the first electrode disposed in the first unit or the first voltage having a resonant frequency corresponding to the second gap may be applied To the first electrode disposed in the second unit. Furthermore, the second electrode disposed in the first unit or the second electrode disposed in the second unit may be grounded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a display device includes: a touch panel; a touch sensing device including an electroactive layer disposed on or under the touch panel and comprising an electroactive polymer And one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes disposed only on one surface of the electroactive layer; and a cover plate covering the touch panel and the touch sensing device, wherein the The one electrode and the second electrode comprise a conductive material. The display device can further include a display panel, and the first and second electrodes can face the display panel. The display device may further include a display panel having the touch panel therein, wherein the display panel It can be disposed between the cover and the touch sensing device or under the touch sensing device. The area of the unit of the touch sensing device and the area of the pixel of the touch panel may be the same.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of driving a touch sensing device is provided. In the method of driving a touch sensing device, a touch sensing device is provided, including an electroactive layer containing an electroactive polymer, a first electrode disposed only on one surface of the electroactive layer, and A second electrode disposed adjacent to the first electrodes. Different voltages are applied to the first and second electrodes to cause the touch sensing device to vibrate, and the same voltage is applied to all of the first and second electrodes to generate the touch sensing Lateral friction on the device to change from vibration.

The lateral friction can be generated by the planar movement of the finger on the touch sensing device.

The application of different voltages to the first and second electrodes or the application of the same voltage to all of the first and second electrodes may be performed only on a portion of the touch sensing device.

The details of other embodiments are included in the following detailed description and drawings.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the electroactive layers on the first and second electrodes are formed on the same surface of the electroactive layer, the touch sensing device is made of an electroactive polymer. The rate can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the first electrode and the second electrode may be disposed on the same surface of the electroactive layer as compared with the case where the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on different surfaces of the electroactive layer To reduce the driving voltage of the touch sensing device.

Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, various tactile feedbacks can be delivered to the user by adjusting the gap between the first and second electrodes.

Moreover, according to the present invention, since the vibration and texture of the material are realized by an integrated structure having two different driving methods, it is also possible to provide a realistic feeling such as more detailed texture and dynamic input feedback.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and other various effects are also included in the present specification.

10‧‧‧Electrical active layer

20‧‧‧First electrode

60‧‧‧second electrode

100‧‧‧Touch sensing device

110‧‧‧Electrical active layer

CE‧‧‧ unit

AA‧‧‧active area

120‧‧‧first electrode

160‧‧‧second electrode

131‧‧‧First wire

132‧‧‧second wire

140‧‧‧FPCB

141‧‧‧ Circuitry

121‧‧‧First subelectrode

161‧‧‧First subelectrode

122‧‧‧Second subelectrode

162‧‧‧Second subelectrode

400‧‧‧Touch sensing device

500‧‧‧Touch sensing device

420‧‧‧first electrode

520‧‧‧first electrode

460‧‧‧second electrode

560‧‧‧second electrode

600‧‧‧Touch sensing device

620‧‧‧First electrode

660‧‧‧second electrode

CE1‧‧‧ first unit

CE2‧‧‧Unit 2

800‧‧‧Touch sensing device

820A‧‧‧First electrode

860A‧‧‧second electrode

820B‧‧‧First electrode

860B‧‧‧second electrode

900‧‧‧Touch sensing device

920‧‧‧First electrode

960‧‧‧second electrode

922A‧‧‧Second subelectrode

922B‧‧‧Second subelectrode

961‧‧‧First subelectrode

962A‧‧‧Second subelectrode

962B‧‧‧Second subelectrode

1000‧‧‧Touch sensing device

1020‧‧‧First electrode

1020A‧‧‧first electrode

1020B‧‧‧First electrode

1060A‧‧‧second electrode

1060B‧‧‧second electrode

1200‧‧‧ display device

1210‧‧‧ display panel

1220‧‧‧Touch panel

1230‧‧‧ Cover

1300‧‧‧ display device

1310‧‧‧ display panel

1400‧‧‧ display device

1410‧‧‧Touch sensing device

1420‧‧‧Touch sensing device driver

1430‧‧‧Touch panel

1440‧‧‧Touch circuit

1450‧‧‧ display panel

1460‧‧‧Time Controller

1470‧‧‧ processor

1480‧‧‧Upper cover

1490‧‧‧Under cover

1412‧‧‧Electrical active layer

1414‧‧‧electrode

1414a‧‧‧First electrode

1414b‧‧‧second electrode

1416‧‧‧Wire

2400‧‧‧Mobile devices

2500‧‧‧Car navigation system

2600‧‧‧Display unit

2700‧‧‧Outdoor billboard

2800‧‧‧Game System

2900‧‧‧Electronic blackboard

The above and other aspects, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the drawings in which: FIG. 1A illustrates a plane of a touch sensing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 1B is a plan enlarged view of a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1C is a schematic view showing a touch sensing device taken along line Ic-Ic' of FIG. 1B; 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the transmittance of a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving voltage of the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the invention. 4 to 6 are plan enlarged views of the touch sensing device according to various embodiments of the present invention; FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating driving the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are plan enlarged views of the touch sensing device according to other embodiments of the present invention; FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams according to a diagram illustrating a resonance frequency and a vibration intensity of the electrode gap; This hair FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a resonant frequency and a vibration intensity of an electrode gap in a method of driving a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention; 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 14 is a view showing a display according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 18A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the display device and the feeling of the user's touch according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 17B and 18B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. schematic diagram; 17C and 18C are schematic views illustrating the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 19 is a view showing the conversion of the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; A flowchart illustrating a method of driving a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention; and a second embodiment illustrating a practical advantageous example of using a display device according to various embodiments of the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods for achieving the same, will be apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments, and can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided to fully illustrate the invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that the scope of the invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

The shapes, dimensions, proportions, angles, numbers, and the like of the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative, and are not intended to limit the invention. The same component numbers refer to the same components throughout the specification. In the following description, a detailed description of the related art will be omitted when it is determined that the subject matter of the present invention may be unnecessarily obscured. If the terms "including", "having", and "containing" are used in the specification, unless the term "only" is used, the unmentioned portion may be additionally included. A singular form is also meant to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

When interpreting a component, the component should be interpreted to include the margin of error, although not explicitly stated.

When describing a positional relationship, for example, when the positional relationship between two components is described as "on", "above", "below", and "adjacent". ..", unless "just" or "direct" is used, one or more other components may be placed between the two components.

As used herein, the phrase "one element A is on one element B" means that element A may be disposed directly on element B and/or that element A may be indirectly disposed on element B via another element C.

The terms "first" and "second" are used to describe any distinction of the terms and the terms are not necessarily intended to indicate the time or other prioritization of the elements. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, the first component mentioned below can be the second component of the technical idea of the present invention.

Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout.

The figures are not to scale, the dimensions of the various elements in the figures are to

Features of various embodiments of the invention may be combined or combined in part or in whole, and various operational and technical drives between one another may be fully understood by those skilled in the art. Embodiments of the invention may be implemented independently of one another or in an affixed relationship.

The electroactive layer of the present invention can provide vibration by changing its shape as the voltage is applied.

The touch sensing device of the present invention is a device that can provide a touch corresponding to a touch of a user on the touch sensing device to the user.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view showing a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, the touch sensing device 100 includes an electroactive layer 110, a cell CE, a first electrode 120 and a second electrode 160 disposed at the cell CE, a first wire 131, a second wire 132, and an FPCB 140.

The electroactive layer 110 is a plate-like film processed by an electroactive polymer which is electrically stimulated. For example, the electroactive layer 110 may be made of a dielectric elastomer based on ruthenium, urethane, and acrylic acid such as PVDF or P(VDF-TrFE), or a ferroelectric polymer such as a piezoelectric ceramic element. When the electroactive layer 110 is made of a dielectric elastomer, the dielectric elastomer shrinks and expands by the Coulomb force generated by the voltage applied to the electroactive layer 110, and thus, the touch sensing device 100 can vibrate. When the electroactive layer 110 is made of a ferroelectric polymer and when a voltage is applied to the electroactive layer 110, the arrangement direction of the dipoles of the electroactive layer 110 is changed, so the touch sensing device 100 can vibrate.

The electroactive layer 110 is configured to have an active area AA. The active area AA of the electroactive layer 110 is a region for providing tactile feedback to the user, and includes a plurality of cells CE in which the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed. In this case, the unit CE is capable of transmitting touch The minimum unit is fed back to the user and the tactile feedback can be communicated separately.

The area of the unit CE of the electroactive layer 110 can be determined by considering the size of a normal human finger. The unit CE in which the touch sensing device 100 transmits the touch sensing feedback in response to the user's touch input and can feedback the haptic to the user's smallest unit area can be determined by considering the area touched by the user. In this case, the touch area of the user depends on the size of the finger of the normal person, so the area of the unit CE of the electroactive layer 100 can also be determined by considering the size of the finger of a normal person.

In some implementations, the area of the cells CE of the electroactive layer 110 can depend on the area of the pixels of the touch panel used with the electroactive layer 110. The touch sensing device 100 transmits the touch sensing feedback to the user in response to the touch input sensed by the user. Therefore, for example, when the unit CE of the touch sensing device 100 has the same area of the pixel of the touch panel as the user inputs the touch, the pixel of the touch panel and the touch sensing unit CE device 100 There may be a one-to-one correspondence, so the touch sensing device 100 can be driven more easily.

The unit CE and the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 disposed in the unit CE will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 1B and 1C.

1B is a plan enlarged view showing a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the touch sensing device taken along line Ic-Ic' of FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B illustrates only one unit CE of the touch sensing device 100 and configures all the cells CE of the touch sensing device 100 in the same manner as the unit CE shown in FIG. 1B.

The first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 for applying a voltage to the electrodes of the electroactive layer 110 are made of a conductive material. In addition, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be made of a transparent conductive material to ensure the transmittance of the touch sensing device 100. For example, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be made of a transparent material such as indium tin oxide (ITO), PEDOT: PSS, and sodium tungsten silver wire (AgNW). Further, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be metal meshes. That is, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be made of a mesh-shaped metal and may actually function as a metal mesh of a transparent electrode. However, the materials of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are not limited thereto, and various transparent conductive materials may be used as the material of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160. The materials of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be made of the same material or different materials.

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 1C, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are only provided. It is placed on one surface of the electroactive layer 110 of one unit CE. That is, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed on the same surface of the electroactive layer 100 and are disposed in one unit CE. For example, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may not be formed on the bottom surface but only on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 (eg, the side closest to the user).

Although the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are made of a transparent conductive material, some of the light traveling to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be reflected or absorbed. Therefore, if light propagates to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 but cannot pass through them, the transmittance of the touch sensing device 100 may be deteriorated by the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160. Therefore, according to the touch sensing device 100 of the embodiment of the invention, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 made of a transparent conductive material are disposed on one surface of the electroactive layer 110. Therefore, compared to the case where the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed on different surfaces of the electroactive layer 110 (for example, light will need to be transmitted through the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160), passing through the light The number of electrodes of the touch sensing device 100 is reduced, so that the transmittance of the touch sensing device 100 can be improved. The effect related to the transmittance of the touch sensing device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

The first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be formed on one surface of the electroactive layer 110 in various manners. The first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110, such as by sputtering, printing, and slit coating. Particularly when the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are made of the same material, they can be simultaneously formed.

Referring to FIG. 1C, the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is smaller than the thickness T of the electroactive layer 110. When a voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160, the electric field generated between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is inversely proportional to the distance therebetween (for example, the closer the electrode is, the stronger the electric field is) . That is, when the potential difference between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160, that is, the driving voltage is the same, as the distance between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 increases, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode The electric field between 160 is reduced. However, as the distance between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 decreases, the electric field between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 increases. Therefore, in comparison with a touch sensing device in which an electrode is disposed on a top surface of an electroactive layer and an electrode is disposed on a bottom surface of the electroactive layer, the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention In 100, by making the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 smaller than the thickness T of the electroactive layer 110, the magnitude of the electric field applied to the electroactive layer 110 can also be increased when the same driving voltage is applied. . Also, with one electrode is set In the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 and the touch sensing device disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110 The gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is smaller than the thickness T of the electroactive layer 110, and the driving voltage for realizing an electric field having the same amplitude can be reduced. The effect related to the driving voltage of the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are composed of first sub-electrodes 121 and 161, and a plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 and 162 extending from the first sub-electrodes 121 and 161, respectively. In more detail, the first electrode 120 has a first sub-electrode 121 extending laterally in an upper region of the cell CE and a plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 extending longitudinally from the first sub-electrode 121. Moreover, the second electrode 160 has a first sub-electrode 161 extending laterally in a lower region of the cell CE and a plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 extending longitudinally from the first sub-electrode 161. Thus, the first sub-electrode 121 of the first electrode 120 and the first sub-electrode 161 of the second electrode 160 may be referred to as a rod electrode, and the second sub-electrode 122 of the first electrode 120 and the second sub-electrode of the second electrode 160 162 may be referred to as a branch electrode.

Referring to FIG. 1B, a plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120 and a plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 of the second electrode 160 are alternately disposed in the cell CE. In other words, the plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 of the second electrode 160 are disposed between the plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120, and the plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120 are disposed at the second Between the plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 of the electrode 160. Therefore, the first sub-electrode 121 and the plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120 surround the plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 of the second electrode 160, and the first sub-electrode 161 of the second electrode 160 and the plurality of second The sub-electrode 162 surrounds the plurality of first sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120. According to the touch sensing device 100 of the present invention, since the plurality of second sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120 and the plurality of second sub-electrodes 162 of the second electrode 160 are alternately disposed, the first electrode 120 and the first electrode The portions of the two electrodes 160 adjacent to each other may be increased, so that when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160, the magnitude of the electric field of the electroactive layer 110 may increase. In addition, the width W1 of the first electrode 120, the width W2 of the second electrode 160, the length L1 of the plurality of first sub-electrodes 122 of the first electrode 120, and the plurality of second sub-electrodes of the second electrode 160 may be adjusted. The electrode 162 has a length L2 to maximize a portion where the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are adjacent to each other.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, in the cell CE on the electroactive layer 110, the first wire The 131 and the second wires 132 are electrically connected to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160, respectively. In more detail, the first wire 131 is electrically connected to the first electrode 120 in the unit CE and the second wire 132 is electrically connected to the second electrode 160 in the unit CE. The first wire 131 and the second wire 132 may be made of the same or different materials as the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160, and the first wire 131 and the second wire 132 are combined with the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 Made of the same material, the first wire 131 and the second wire 132 may be formed simultaneously with the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160.

A Flexible Printed Circits Board (FPCB) 140 is disposed on the surface of the electroactive layer 110. The FPCB 140 is electrically connected to the first wire 131 and the second wire 132 and a circuit 141 such as a driver integrated circuit (IC) for applying voltage via the first wire 131 and the second wire 132 which may be disposed on the FPCB 140. Applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160. Although the circuit 141 for driving the integrated circuit, for example, in FIG. 1A is disposed on the FPCB 140, it is not limited thereto and may be implemented by a type of COF (Chip On Film).

The touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be driven as follows. For example, in order to transmit touch sensing feedback through one unit CE of the electroactive layer 110, the first voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 through the first wire 131 electrically connected to the first electrode 120, and the second voltage passes through The second wire 132 electrically connected to the two electrodes 160 is applied to the second electrode 160. For example, a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is grounded, so a potential difference between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be generated. This potential difference generates an electric field in a region corresponding to the electroactive layer 110 of the cell CE of the touch sensing device 100. Therefore, the electroactive layer 110 vibrates and the user can feel tactile feedback. Although a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is grounded in the above description, in contrast, the first electrode 120 may be grounded and a positive voltage may be applied to the second electrode 160.

In addition, the first voltage and the second voltage applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 of the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be an alternating voltage having a predetermined frequency. In addition, the touch sensing device 100 can transmit various tactile feedbacks to the user according to the frequencies of the first voltage and the second voltage. A method of driving the above-described touch sensing device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C and FIGS. 14 to 20.

In the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed only on one surface of the electroactive layer 110. Therefore, when the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are made of the same material, they can be formed by only one process. Therefore, compared with the case where one of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 and the other is formed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention During the manufacture of the touch sensing device 100, the processing of aligning the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is not required. Therefore, the process of manufacturing the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be further simplified, which will result in manufacturing benefits.

In addition, since the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are formed only on one surface of the electroactive layer 110, a dielectric elastomer having a low Young's module can be used to form the electroactive layer 110 (for example, it can be utilized) Flexible material). When one of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 and the other is formed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, a dielectric elastomer may be attached to a support substrate. Then, it is deposited and sputtered to form the first electrode 120. The dielectric elastomer is then released from the support substrate to form a second electrode 160. However, the dielectric elastomer has a low Young's modulus, so the first electrode 120 may be damaged during the release of the dielectric elastomer by the support substrate (eg, the flexible electrode at the bottom may adhere to the support substrate). However, according to the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention, since the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are formed on the same surface of the electroactive layer 110, it is not necessary to perform dielectric elastomer from the supporting substrate. Release the process. Therefore, the process of the touch sensing device 100 in forming the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may not be damaged.

In addition, it is also possible to improve the transmittance of the touch sensing device 100 and reduce the driving voltage thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention. The improvement of the transmittance of the touch sensing device will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the transmittance of a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, among the various components, only the electroactive layers 10 and 110, the first electrodes 20 and 120, and the second electrodes 60 and 160 are illustrated in FIG.

2(a) illustrates a comparative example of the touch sensing device in which the first electrode 20 is disposed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 10 and the second electrode 60 is disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 10. FIG. 2(b) illustrates an embodiment of the touch sensing device 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C. It is assumed that the electroactive layer 10 of the comparative example and the electroactive layer 110 of the embodiment of the present invention are made of the same dielectric elastomer having the same thickness, so that they have the same transmittance. In more detail, it is assumed that the transmittance of the electroactive layer 10 of the comparative example and the electroactive layer 110 of the embodiment of the present invention is 85.4%. Further, it can be assumed that the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60 of the comparative example and the present invention The first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 of the illustrated embodiment are both made of ITO and have a transmittance of 89%. Further, it is assumed that in the embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 occupy 40% of the top surface of the electroactive layer 110.

Referring first to FIG. 2(a), in the comparative example, when the light A1 travels to the second electrode 60 on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 10, the light A2 travels through the first electrode of the top surface of the electroactive layer 10. The ratio of 20 pairs of input light A1 is the transmittance (A2/A1) of the touch sensing device of the comparative example, which can be determined as follows.

(Formula 1) A2/A1 = transmittance of the second electrode 60 × transmittance of the electroactive layer 10 × transmittance of the first electrode 20 = 0.89 x 0.854 x 0.89 = 0.676

As calculated by Formula 1, the transmittance of the touch sensing device of the comparative example (A2/A1) was only 67.6%.

Next, referring to FIG. 2(b), in the embodiment of the present invention, when the light A1 travels to the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, the light A3 travels out and passes through the first surface on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110. The ratio of the electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 to the input light A1 is the touch sensing device transmittance (A3/A1) of the embodiment, which can be determined as follows.

(Formula 2) A3/A1 = transmittance x of the electroactive layer 110 (the area ratio of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is not provided on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 + (on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110) The area ratio of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is set × the transmittance of the second electrode 120 and the second electrode 160))=0.854×(0.6+(0.4×0.89))=0.816

As shown in the formula 2, the transmittance (A3/A1) of the touch sensing device of the embodiment of the present invention is 81.6%, which is about the transmittance of the touch sensing device of the comparative example (A2/A1). 1.2 times. Therefore, it can be seen that compared with the case where one of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 and the other is formed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, according to an embodiment of the present invention The transmittance of the touch sensing device 100 of the example is improved.

The improvement of the driving voltage of the touch sensing device will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving voltage of a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, among the various components, only the electroactive layers 10 and 110, the first electrodes 20 and 120, and the second electrodes 60 and 160 are illustrated in FIG.

Fig. 3(a) illustrates a comparative example of the touch sensing device in which the first electrode 20 is disposed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 10 and the second electrode 60 is disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 10. In addition, a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60 is grounded. FIG. 3(b) illustrates an embodiment of the touch sensing device 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C. Wherein a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is grounded. It is assumed that the electroactive layer 10 of the comparative example and the electroactive layer 110 of the embodiment of the present invention are made of the same dielectric elastomer having the same thickness. In addition, in the embodiment, it is assumed that the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is smaller than the thickness T of the electroactive layer 110. It is further assumed that the magnitude of the positive voltage applied to the first electrode 20 in the comparative example and the magnitude of the positive voltage applied to the first electrode 120 in the embodiment are the same.

The magnitude of the electric field between the two electrodes is calculated by Equation 3 below.

(Formula 3) E = V / d In Equation 3, E is the electric field amplitude, d is the distance between the two electrodes, and V is the potential difference between the two electrodes.

Referring to Formula 3, the electric field amplitudes applied to the electroactive layers 10 and 110 of Comparative Example 3 (a) and Embodiment 3 (b) are proportional to the potential difference between the first electrodes 20 and 120. Further, the magnitude of the electric field is inversely proportional to the distance between the first electrodes 20 and 120 and the second electrodes 60 and 160. As described above, since the magnitude of the positive voltage applied to the first electrode 20 in the comparative example and the amplitude applied to the first electrode 120 of the embodiment are the same. If the distance between the electrodes is the same, the potential difference between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60 in the comparative example will be the same as the potential difference between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 in the embodiment. Therefore, the magnitude of the electric field applied to the electroactive layer 10 in the comparative example depends on the distance between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60. Further, the magnitude of the electric field applied to the electroactive layer 110 in the embodiment depends on the distance between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160.

Further, the distance between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60 is the same as the thickness T of the electroactive layer 10 in the comparative example, and the distance between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is the same as that in the embodiment. G. In this case, as described above, since the thickness T of the electroactive layer 10 in the comparative example is larger than the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 in the embodiment, the electroactive layer is applied to the embodiment. The electric field amplitude of 110 is applied to the electroactive layer 10 in the comparative example. The magnitude of the electric field is large. Further, since the distance between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is shorter, the magnitude of the driving voltage required to generate the same electric field amplitude in the embodiment is lower than the amplitude of the driving voltage of the comparative example.

Further, it is also conceivable to reduce the thickness of the electroactive layer 10 in the comparative example, that is, the distance between the second electrodes 60 of the first electrode 20 to lower the driving voltage. However, when the thickness T of the electroactive layer 10 is decreased, the electroactive layer 10 cannot resist the weight of the object vibrating through the electroactive layer 10, and therefore, it may be difficult to generate vibration. Thus, reducing the thickness T of the electroactive layer 10 can limit the reduction in the driving voltage.

When the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 60 are formed on the top surface and the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 10, respectively, in the comparative example, the same vibration size is obtained in the touch sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The magnitude of the required drive voltage can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to apply a driving voltage sufficient for driving the touch sensing device 100 without using a specific boosting circuit. In addition, in the touch sensing device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, since only the positions of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are changed without lowering the thickness T of the electroactive layer 110, the amplitude of the driving voltage can be reduced. The vibration strength is not lowered or the stiffness of the electroactive layer 110 is sacrificed.

4 to 6 are plan enlarged views of the touch sensing device according to various embodiments of the present invention. 4 and 5 only illustrate the first electrodes 420 and 520 and the second electrodes 460 and 560 respectively disposed in the cells CE of the touch sensing devices 400 and 500. In addition, FIG. 6 illustrates the first electrode 620 and the second electrode 660 disposed in the active area AA of the electroactive layer 110 of the touch sensing device 600. Compared with the touch sensing device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the touch sensing devices 400, 500, and 600 illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 are only at the first electrodes 420, 520, and 620. And the shapes of the second electrodes 460, 560, and 660 are different, and the other components are substantially the same, so the description will not be repeated.

First, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the first electrodes 420 and 520 and the second electrodes 460 and 560 may have structures that maximize portions adjacent to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 460 may be formed in a spiral shape. In another example, as shown in FIG. 5, the first electrode 520 and the second electrode 560 may be formed in a double loop shape. However, the shapes of the first electrodes 420 and 520 and the second electrodes 460 and 560 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the first electrode 620 and the second electrode 660 may be throughout The active region AA of the electroactive layer 110 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first electrode 620 may extend laterally in the active region AA of the electroactive layer 110 and the second electrode 660 may extend longitudinally in the active region AA of the electroactive layer 110. In this case, a specific insulating layer may be disposed between the first electrode 620 and the second electrode 660 and electrically connected at least at the intersection of the first electrode 620 and the second electrode 660. For convenience of description, although the first electrode 620 and the second electrode 660 are formed in the diamond shape shown in FIG. 6, they are not limited thereto.

7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a resonance frequency and a vibration intensity according to an electrode gap in a method of driving a touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 7A to 7C , the touch sensing device 100 is formed such that the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is the touch sensing device 100 in FIGS. 1A to 1C . 700 μm, 200 μm, and 50 μm are shown. Then, as shown in the figure, the vibration intensity (vibration acceleration) is measured by sequentially applying a voltage having a frequency from 0 Hz to 500 Hz to the touch sensing device 100. In more detail, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are formed such that the width W1 of the first electrode 120 and the width W2 of the second electrode 160 are 2 mm, and the length L1 of the second sub-electrode 122 of the first electrode 120 and The length L2 of the second sub-electrode 162 of the second electrode 160 is 15 mm, and the thickness of the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 250 mm. In this case, a PVDF film having a thickness of 80 μm was used for the electroactive layer 110. Further, the second electrode 160 is grounded, and a first voltage of a square wave of 750 volts is applied to the first electrode 120, and the frequency of the first voltage is varied from 0 Hz to 500 Hz, and the vibration intensity is measured under this condition.

Referring first to Fig. 7A, when the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 700 μm and a first voltage having a frequency of 85 Hz is applied, the measured maximum vibration intensity is 0.66 G. Further, when the electrode gap G was 700 μm, the measured resonance frequency was 85 Hz. Referring next to FIG. 7B, when the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 200 μm and a first voltage having a frequency of 220 Hz is applied, the measured maximum vibration intensity is 0.67 G. Further, when the electrode gap G is 200 μm, the measured resonance frequency is 220 Hz. Finally, referring to Fig. 7C, when the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 50 μm and the first voltage having a frequency of 480 Hz is applied, the measured maximum vibration intensity is 0.65 G. Further, when the electrode gap G is 50 μm, the measured resonance frequency is 480 Hz. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the vibration intensity according to the electrode gap G described above is as follows.

(Table 1)

Referring to Table 1, when the frequency of the first voltage applied only to the first electrode 120 is changed while maintaining the amplitude of the first voltage, the resonance frequency is different according to the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160. That is, a larger electrode gap G, the resonance frequency is smaller, and a smaller electrode gap G, the resonance frequency is larger. Therefore, the smaller electrode gap G has a higher vibration intensity at a higher frequency, and the larger electrode gap G has a higher vibration intensity at a lower frequency.

Therefore, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first voltage applied to the first electrode 120 and the second voltage applied to the second electrode 160 may have according to the first electrode 120 and the second The resonant frequency determined by the gap G between the electrodes 160. For example, when the gap G between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 700 μm, the first voltage has a frequency of 85 Hz, which is the resonance frequency applied to the first electrode 120. And the second voltage applied to the second electrode 160 is a ground voltage GND, and the second electrode 160 can be grounded. That is, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to the embodiment of the invention, when the touch sensing device 100 is driven, the vibration intensity of the touch sensing device can be set to be capable of generating an electrode gap. The voltage of the frequency of the resonant frequency of the maximum vibration intensity of G is applied to the touch sensing device to be improved. In addition, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, since a voltage having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency according to the electrode gap G is applied to the touch sensing device 100, a smaller driving voltage may be required. To obtain the same vibration intensity as the driving voltage applied to the touch sensing device by applying a certain frequency without considering the electrode gap G. Therefore, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving voltage can be lowered and the power consumption can be reduced without sacrificing the vibration intensity.

According to the above-described resonance frequency and vibration intensity depending on the electrode gap, sensing touch devices having various structures can be designed, and various methods of driving these touch sensing devices can be realized. A touch sensing device having various structures based on the above-described resonance frequency and vibration intensity depending on the electrode gap and a driving method thereof will be described below.

8A and 8B illustrate a touch sensing device according to other embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the first unit CE1 and the second unit CE2 used only in the touch sensing device 800, respectively. In addition, the first electrodes 820A and 820B and the second electrode 860A of the touch sensing device 800 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are compared with the touch sensing device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. The gaps G1 and G2 between 860B and 860B are different. However, the settings of other components are basically the same, so the description will not be repeated. Thereafter, it is assumed that the gap G1 is smaller than the gap G2.

The feedback of different touch sensing can be applied to the touch sensing device 800 according to the frequency of the driving voltage and transmitted to the user. For example, when a low frequency driving voltage is applied to the touch sensing device 800, a coarse touch sensing feedback such as a touch gravel or glass bead may be provided to the user. In addition, when a high frequency driving voltage is applied to the touch sensing device 800, smooth sensing feedback such as a touch wire can be provided to the user. Therefore, various tactile feedbacks having a smaller driving voltage can be transmitted by separately adjusting the gaps G1 and G2 provided between the first electrodes 820A and 820B and the second electrodes 860A and 860B of the unit of the touch sensing device 800.

For example, when the touch sensing device 800 is configured to provide a smooth touch sensing feedback to the user, the touch sensing device 800 can include a small gap G1 between the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A. The first unit CE1 is as shown in Fig. 8A. As described above, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C, the smaller electrode gap G1 has a higher vibration intensity at a high frequency, and a larger electrode gap G1 has a higher vibration intensity at a low frequency. That is to say, in order to provide a smooth touch sensing feedback to the user, it is necessary to apply a high frequency driving voltage to the touch sensing device 800. Therefore, as compared with the case where the electrode gap G2 shown in FIG. 8B is large, as shown in FIG. 8A, the electrode gap G1 is small, and the vibration intensity at a high frequency can be realized. Therefore, in the touch sensing device 800 for transmitting smooth touch sensing feedback to the user, preferably, the electrode gap G1 between the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A is small, and has a corresponding A driving voltage of a resonance frequency of the gap G1 between the one electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A may be applied in the process of driving the touch sensing device 800. For example, when the electrode gap G1 is 50 μm, a first voltage of a resonance frequency of 480 Hz may be applied to the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A may be grounded.

In addition, when the touch sensing device 800 is configured to transmit a rough touch sensing feedback to the user (eg, simulate a rough texture), the touch sensing device 800 may include the first electrode 820B and the first The second unit CE2 of a small gap G2 between the two electrodes 860B is as shown in Fig. 8B. As described above, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C, the smaller electrode gap G2, The high-frequency vibration intensity is large, and the larger the electrode gap G2, the higher the vibration intensity at a low frequency. For example, in order to provide a rough touch sensing feedback to the user, it is necessary to apply a low frequency driving voltage to the touch sensing device 800. Therefore, as compared with the case where the electrode gap G2 shown in FIG. 8A is small, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the electrode gap G1 is large, the vibration intensity at a low frequency can be realized. Therefore, in the touch sensing device 800 for transmitting the rough touch sensing feedback to the user, preferably, the electrode gap G2 of the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A is large, and has a corresponding A driving voltage of a resonance frequency of the gap G2 between the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A may be applied in the process of driving the touch sensing device 800. For example, when the electrode gap G2 is 700 μm, a first voltage of a resonance frequency of 85 Hz may be applied to the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A may be grounded.

In some embodiments, touch sensing device 800 can be configured to communicate various tactile feedbacks. In these cases, the touch sensing device 800 may include the first unit CE1 as shown in FIG. 8A and the second unit CE2 as shown in FIG. 8B. That is, some units of the touch sensing device 800 may be the first unit CE1 and other units may be the second unit CE2. Therefore, in order to transmit a smooth touch sensing feedback to the user, it is possible to effectively transmit a smooth touch sensing feedback by applying a high frequency driving voltage to the first unit CE of the touch sensing device 800. . In addition, in order to transmit a rough touch sensing feedback to the user, it is possible to effectively provide a rough touch sensing feedback by applying a low frequency driving voltage to the second unit CE2 of the touch sensing device 800.

When the touch sensing device 800 includes the first unit CE1 as shown in FIG. 8A and the second unit CE2 as shown in FIG. 8B, the touch sensing device 800 can use a beat phenomenon to be larger. The vibration intensity conveys tactile feedback to the user. For example, when a voltage of a sin (2πf1t) vibration waveform having the first frequency f1 is applied to the first electrode 820A of the first unit CE1, and a voltage of a sin (2πf2t) vibration waveform having the second frequency f2 is applied to the second When the first electrode 820B of the cell CE2 and the second electrode 860A of the first cell CE1 and the second electrode 860B of the second cell CE2 are grounded, the beat waveform generated by the touch sensing device 800 can be expressed by Equation 1 below.

Sin(2πf1t)+sin(2πf2t)=2 cos[2π(f1-f2)t/2]sin[2π(f1-f2)t/2]

Theoretically, when two vibration waveforms having the same amplitude meet each other, the amplitude of the beat waveform can be doubled, and the envelope of the beat waveform has substantially the frequency |f1-f2 | (for example, constructive interference). Therefore, when the first frequency f1 is set to correspond to the electrode gap G1, the second frequency f2 is set to correspond to the electrode gap G2, and a driving voltage is simultaneously applied to the first unit CE1 and the second unit CE2, having a larger A touch sensing feedback of the vibration intensity can be transmitted to the user through a beat phenomenon.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the gaps G1 and G2 between the first electrodes 820A and 820B and the second electrodes 860A and 860B provided in the unit of the touch sensing device 800 are different in each unit. For example, in a plurality of cells, a gap G1 between the first electrode 820A and the second electrode 860A of the first cell CE1 shown in FIG. 8A and a first electrode of the second cell CE2 shown in FIG. 8B The gap G2 between the 820B and the second electrode 860B may be different. Thereafter, the touch sensing device 800 is described assuming that the gap G1 is smaller than the gap G2.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, although the touch sensing device 800 has two cells CE1 and CE2 having different electrode gaps G1 and G2, the touch sensing device 800 may include three or different electrode gaps. More units. In this case, it is possible to feed the touch sensing feedback of the various large vibration intensities to the user by applying a voltage having a resonance frequency depending on the electrode gap to the unit, respectively. In addition, the driving voltage of the touch sensing device 800 for transmitting touch sensing feedback of the same vibration intensity can be reduced.

9 and 10 are plan enlarged views of a touch sensing device according to various embodiments of the present invention. Compared with the touch sensing device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the first electrodes 920, 1020A, and the touch sensing devices 900 and 1000 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively, and The gaps G1 and G2 between the 1020B and the second electrodes 960, 1060A, and 1060B and the shapes of the first electrodes 920, 1020A, and 1020B and the second electrodes 960, 1060A, and 1060B are different, however, other components are basically It is the same and therefore does not provide a duplicate description. It is assumed here that the gap G1 is smaller than the gap G2.

First, referring to FIG. 9, in the same unit CE, the first electrode 920 has a portion separated from the second electrode 960 by the first gap G1 and a portion separated by the second gap G2. In more detail, the second sub-electrode 922A of the first electrode 920 is separated from the second sub-electrode 962A of the first sub-electrode 961 and the second electrode 960 by the first gap G1. Further, the second sub-electrode 922B of the first electrode 920 is the second sub-electrode 962B from the first sub-electrode 961 and the second electrode 960 Separated by the first gap G2. In order to realize the electrode structure as described above, the length L1a of the second sub-electrode 922A of the first electrode 920 is larger than the length L1b of the second sub-electrode 922B of the first electrode 920. Further, the length L2a of the second sub-electrode 962A of the second electrode 960 is larger than the length L2b of the second sub-electrode 962B of the second electrode 960. Since the first electrode 920 has a portion separated from the first gap G1 by a portion of the second electrode 960 disposed in the same cell CE2 and a portion separated by the second gap G2, the touch sensing device 900 can be transmitted through one unit CE Various tactile feedbacks are given to the user.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, in the same cell CE, the first electrode 1020 has a portion separated from the second electrode 1060 by the first gap G1 and a portion separated by the second gap G2. In more detail, the first electrode 1020A is separated from the second electrode 1060A by the first gap G1 and the first electrode 1020B is separated from the second electrode 1060B by the second gap G2. Therefore, the touch sensing device 1000 can transmit various tactile feedbacks to the user through a unit CE.

11A and 11B also illustrate a method of driving the touch sensing device for transmitting various tactile feedbacks to the user through the touch sensing devices 900 and 1000 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating resonance frequency and vibration intensity in a method of driving a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a view showing the electrode gap G1 of the touch sensing device 900 formed by sequentially applying a voltage of a frequency from 0 Hz to 500 Hz to the touch sensing device 900 in the touch sensing device 900 shown in FIG. It is a graph of vibration intensity (vibration acceleration) measured after 200 μm and electrode gap G2 is 700 μm. In more detail, the first electrode 920 and the second electrode 960 are formed such that the width W1 between the first electrode 920 and the second electrode 960 is 2 mm, and the length L1a and the length of the second sub-electrode 922A of the first electrode 920 The length L2a of the second sub-electrode 962A of the second electrode 960 is 15 mm, the length L1b of the second sub-electrode 922B of the first electrode 920 and the length L2b of the second sub-electrode 962B of the second electrode 960 are 14.3 mm, and The thickness of one electrode 920 and second electrode 960 is 250 nm. In this case, a PVDF film having a thickness of 80 μm was used for the electroactive layer 110. In addition, the second electrode 960 is grounded, and a first voltage of a 750V square wave voltage is applied to the first electrode 920, and the frequency of the first voltage is changed from 0 to 500 Hz, and the touch sensing device 900 performs vibration intensity determination under the condition. .

Referring to Fig. 7A, when the gap G2 between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 is 700 μm and a first voltage having a frequency of 85 Hz is applied, the measured maximum vibration intensity is 0.66 G. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 When the gap G1 is both 200 μm and the first voltage of a frequency of 220 Hz is applied, the measured maximum vibration intensity is 0.67 G.

The first electrode 920 of the touch sensing device 900 shown in FIG. 9 has a portion from which the second electrode disposed in the same cell CE is separated by a first gap G1 200 μm and separated by a second gap G2 700 μm. a part of. Therefore, when the first voltage whose frequency is changed from 0 to 500 Hz is applied to the first electrode 920, the peak value of the measured vibration intensity is 212 Hz, which is close to 220 Hz, which is the resonance frequency corresponding to the first gap G1, and is close to 85 Hz at 88 Hz. It is the resonance frequency corresponding to the second gap G2. That is, when a first voltage of 88 Hz is applied to the first electrode 920, a portion of the electroactive layer 110 in which the first electrode 920 and the second electrode 960 are separated by the first gap G performs vibration of maximum vibration intensity. Further, when a first voltage of 212 Hz is applied to the first electrode 920, a portion of the electroactive layer 110 in which the first electrode 920 and the second electrode 960 are separated by the second gap G2 undergoes vibration of maximum vibration intensity. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the vibration intensity of the above electrode is shown in Table 2 below.

Therefore, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second electrode 960 may be grounded, and the first voltage having a resonance frequency corresponding to the first gap G1 may be applied to the first electrode 920. To deliver smooth tactile feedback to the user while the second electrode 960 can be grounded, and a first voltage having a resonant frequency corresponding to the second gap G2 is applied to the first electrode 920 to deliver a rough tactile feedback to the user. By. Therefore, in the method of driving the touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the touch sensing element 900 in which the first electrode 920 and the second electrode 960 are separated by the gaps G1 and G2 in one unit is used It is possible to provide different tactile feedback to the user by adjusting only the frequency of the driving voltage applied to one unit CE. Further, the frequency of the driving voltage applied in the present embodiment is the resonance frequency corresponding to the electrode gaps G1 and G2, so the magnitude of the driving voltage required for transmitting the specific vibration intensity can be reduced.

Further, the vibration intensity of the resonance frequency of Fig. 11 is reduced to half the vibration intensity of the resonance frequency in Figs. 7A and 7B. This is when the resonance frequency corresponding to the first gap G1 and the resonance frequency corresponding to the second gap G2 are applied, resulting in separation from the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 by having the second electrode 960 from the same cell CE. The area of the electroactive layer 110 that is vibrated by the open two-part first electrode 920 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the area in the gaps G1 and G2 corresponding to the electrodes by one unit CE to increase the vibration intensity in one unit CE. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9 , when the touch sensing device 900 has a plurality of cells CE, the vibration intensity of the touch sensing device 900 can be increased. Therefore, even when a plurality of electrode gaps G1 and G2 are provided in one unit CE, the touch sensing device 900 can provide feedback of touch sensing with sufficient vibration intensity.

Although the above description refers to FIG. 9, in the touch sensing device 1000 shown in FIG. 10, the first electrode 1020A is separated from the second electrode 1060A by the first gap G1 and the second electrode 1020B is separated by the second gap. G2 is away from the second electrode 1060B. Therefore, the above method of driving the touch sensing device can be applied.

In some embodiments, a vertical electrode structure can be applied to the touch sensing devices 100, 400, 500, 600, 800, and 900 described above. That is, not only an electrode may be formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 but also on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110. In this case, by applying voltages to the electrodes on the upper and lower surfaces of the electroactive layer 110 in various ways, it is also possible to apply a vertical electric field other than a horizontal electric field to the electroactive layer 110, so that the electroactive layer 110 vibrates more strongly. Therefore, more touch sensing feedback can be delivered to the user.

Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a display device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 12, the display device 1200 includes a display panel 1210, a touch sensing device 100 made of an electroactive polymer, a touch panel 1220, and a cover plate 1230.

Referring to FIG. 12, the display panel 1210 is disposed at a lower portion of the display panel 1210 of the display device 1200, and the display panel 1210 is a panel having display pixels for displaying images in the display device 1200. As the various display panels 1210, for example, an organic light emitting display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, and an electrophoretic display panel can be used.

A touch sensing device 100 made of an electroactive polymer is disposed on the display panel 1210. Although the touch sensing device 100 shown in FIG. 12 is the touch sensing device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, reference may be made to FIGS. 4 to 6 , 8A and 8B, and 9th Any of the touch sensing devices 400, 500, 600, 800, 900, and 1000 described in FIG. 10 and FIG. 10 is used as the display device 1200. In the following description, it is assumed that the touch sensing device shown in FIG. 12 is the touch sensing device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. In more detail, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are formed on one surface of the electroactive layer 110. Referring to FIG. 12, the touch sensing device 100 is disposed to face the display panel 1210 with the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160. That is, the surfaces of the electroactive layers 110 on which the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed face the top surface of the display panel 1210.

The touch panel 1220 is disposed on the touch sensing device 100. The touch panel 1220 is a panel that the user senses the touch input on the display device 1200. As the touch panel 1220, for example, a capacitive type, a resistive type, an ultrasonic type, and an infrared type can be used, but preferably, a capacitive touch panel can be used as the touch panel 1220.

As described above, the area of the cell CE of the electroactive layer 110 may depend on the area of the pixel of the touch panel 1220 used with the electroactive layer 110. For example, when the unit CE of the touch sensing device 100 has the same area as the pixel of the touch panel 1220 that senses the user's touch input, the pixel of the touch panel 1220 and the unit CE of the touch sensing device 100 may have The one-to-one correspondence, so the touch sensing device 100 can be driven more easily.

The cover 1230 is disposed above the touch panel 1220. The cover plate 1230 is provided with a display device 1200 for protecting an external impact. The cover plate 1230 may be made of a transparent insulating material.

As shown in FIG. 12, the bonding layer can be used to bond the display panel 1210, the touch sensing device 100, the touch panel 1220, and the cover 1230. The bonding layer may be made of, for example, an Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA) or an Optical Clear Resin (OCR), but is not limited thereto.

When one of the first electrode 120 or the second electrode 160 is formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 and the other is formed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 must be disposed at The electroactive layer 110 is between the touch panel 1220 and the touch panel 1220. As described above, since the first electrode 120 or the second electrode 160 is disposed close to the touch panel 1220, the touch panel 1220 may be recognized by the first electrode 120 or the second electrode 160 at a position where the user does not actually touch. There is a ghosting phenomenon of touch. In particular, a high voltage of several kilovolts can be applied as a driving voltage for driving the touch sensing device 100. By applying a high voltage to the first electrode 120 or the second electrode 160, the ghost phenomenon of the touch panel 1220 may become worse. Therefore, in order to prevent noise letters The high voltage of the number is transmitted from the touch sensing device 100 to the touch panel 1220, and a grounded transparent conductive film can be disposed as a shielding layer between the touch panel 1220 and the touch sensing device 100.

However, in the touch sensing device 100 of the display device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 for applying an electric field to the electroactive layer 110 are formed only in one of the electroactive layers 110. On the surface. In addition, the touch sensing device 100 is disposed between the display panel 1210 and the touch panel 1220 while the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 face the display panel 1210. Therefore, the first electrode 120 and the second inter-electrode 160 are not formed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110 adjacent to the touch panel 1220. In addition, the electroactive layer 110 is disposed between the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 and the touch panel 1220, and functions as a shielding layer. Therefore, in the display device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are formed on the same surface of the electroactive layer 110 and face the display panel 1210. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a specific shielding layer, and the ghost phenomenon of the touch panel 1220 generated by the voltage applied to the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 can be suppressed.

Figure 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a display device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the display device 1200 shown in FIG. 12, the display device 1300 shown in FIG. 13 differs only in the function and position of the display panel 1310. In addition, the other components are basically the same, so the description is not repeated.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the display panel 1310 is disposed between the cover 1230 and the touch sensing device 100 . The display panel 1310 is a panel having display pixels for displaying images in the display device 1300. That is, the display panel 1310 is a touch panel integrated type display panel 1310, and for example, an in-cell touch panel may be provided in the display panel 1310. As the display panel 1310, for example, various display panels such as an organic light emitting display panel and a liquid crystal display panel can be used.

A touch sensing device 100 made of an electroactive polymer is disposed under the display panel 1310. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110. And although not illustrated in FIG. 13, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be disposed on the top surface of the electroactive layer 110. However, when the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 are disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110, as shown in FIG. 13, the display panel 1310 and the first electrode 120 having the touch panel can be maximized. A gap with the second electrode 160. Therefore, it may be more advantageous to suppress a ghost phenomenon caused by applying a voltage to the first electrode 120 or the second electrode 160 (for example, the display panel 1310 and the touch Noise interference between the sensing devices 100 can be further reduced).

As described above, when the display panel 1310 is a touch panel integrated display panel 1310 having a touch panel, a shielding layer may be disposed on the display panel 1310 and the touch sensing device having the touch panel in FIG. Between 100. That is, in order to reduce the noise signal transmitted from the touch sensing device 100 to the display panel 1310 having the touch panel, a shielding layer such as a ground transparent conductive film may be disposed on the display panel having the touch panel and the touch sensing device 100. Between 1310.

In some embodiments, the touch sensing device 100 can be disposed between the display panel 1310 having the touch panel and the cover 1230. In this case, the first electrode 120 and the second electrode 160 may be disposed on the top or bottom surface of the electroactive layer 110. In addition, in order to reduce the noise signal transmitted from the touch sensing device 100 to the display panel 1310 having the touch panel, a shielding layer may be disposed between the touch sensing device 100 and the display panel 1310 having the touch panel.

In addition, the structure using the electroactive layer can easily provide touch sensing by vibration. However, it is difficult to transfer the texture of the material displayed on the display device. In order to transfer the texture of the material displayed on the display device, a structure utilizing electrostatic attraction can be used. In more detail, an electrode is disposed on the surface of the insulating layer in the structure. When a voltage is applied to the electrode and the finger touches it, a coulomb force, that is, an electrostatic attraction, is generated between the finger and the insulating layer. The electrical texture is transmitted by horizontal friction as the finger moves over the insulating layer. However, when the finger is stopped at the structure, the touch sensing is not delivered. However, a display device including a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured to touch sense by vibration and texture sensing by electrostatic attraction. A display device which can selectively provide touch sensing by vibration and electrostatic attraction will be described in detail later.

Figure 14 is a block diagram showing a display device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a display device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15 , the display device 1400 includes a touch sensing device 1410 , a touch sensing device driver 1420 , a touch panel 1430 , a touch circuit 1440 , a display panel 1450 , a timing controller 1460 , and a processor 1470 . , an upper cover 1480, and a lower cover 1490. For the sake of brevity, the touch sensing device driver 1420, the touch circuit 1440, the timing controller 1460, and the processor 1470 are not shown in FIG.

The touch sensing device 1410 provides vibration of the electroactive layer 1412 produced by applying a voltage to a plurality of electrodes 1414 on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 1412 made of an electroactive polymer, as well as by the user's fingers. Electrostatic attraction between the electrodes and the texture produced by the friction due to the movement of the fingers. The touch sensing device 1410 is made of a transparent material. The touch sensing device 1410 can provide touch and texture sensing in a predetermined area through the electrodes 1414. Referring to FIG. 15, touch sensing device 1410 includes an electroactive layer 1412 and an electrode 1414. The electrodes 1414 are disposed only on the same surface of the electroactive layer 1412. A display device according to another embodiment of the present invention may include any of the touch sensing devices 100, 400, 500, 600, 800, 900, and 1000 according to embodiments of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1A through 10 one of them.

The touch sensing device driver 1420 controls a voltage for driving the touch sensing device 1410 in response to the received vibration driving signal. Touch sensing device driver 1420 provides voltages having different amplitudes and frequencies. In addition, touch sensing device 1410 can generate various electric fields to provide texture and vibration of the object. Therefore, the touch sensing device driver 1420 can apply different voltages to the electrodes 1414, respectively. The touch sensing device driver 1420 can change the manner in which the voltage is applied in response to the processor 1470 or the touch panel 1430. For example, touch sensing device driver 1420 can determine the applied voltage to apply to electrode 1414 of touch sensing device 1410 and transfer the applied voltage to electrode 1414. Referring to FIGS. 16 to 19, the structure of the touch sensing device 1410 and the operation of the touch sensing device driver 1420 will be described in detail below.

The upper cover 1480 is disposed on the touch sensing device 1410. The upper cover 1480 is provided to protect the display device 1400 from external impact. The upper cover 1480 may be made of a transparent insulating material such as plastic or glass.

The touch panel 1430 is disposed under the touch sensing device 1410. The touch circuit 1440 receives the touch input signal from the touch panel 1430 and outputs various touch output signals related to the touch. The touch circuit 1440 can output a touch output signal to the touch sensing device driver 1420 and the processor 1470. However, when the touch panel is a capacitive touch panel, the touch panel 1430 can be disposed on the touch sensing device 1410 to more easily sense the change of the capacitor (for example, the touch panel can be located at the user and touch Between the sensing devices 1410).

The display panel 1450 is disposed under the touch panel 1430. As the display panel 1450, various display panels such as the above-described organic light emitting display panel, liquid crystal display panel, and electrophoretic display panel can be used. The display panel 1450 may include a flexible substrate and has flexibility. have The flexible display panel can be deformed by external forces in various directions and at different angles. The timing controller 1460 drives the display panel 1450 using a scan control signal and a data control signal based on the input image.

The lower cover 1490 is disposed under the display panel 1450 to cover the touch sensing device 1410, the touch panel 1430, and the lower portion of the display panel 1450. The lower cover 1490 can protect components in the display device 1400 from external, dirt or water shocks. For example, the lower cover 1490 may have a high hardness, or may be, but not limited to, a glass made by heat treatment or a plastic formed by high mechanical processing. In addition, the lower cover 1490 can be made of a deformable material that is changed in flexibility and shape from the touch sensing device 1410. For example, the lower cover 1490 may be made of a plastic having flexibility, but is not limited thereto. In FIG. 15, an adhesive layer can be used for the adhesive contact sensing device 1410, the touch panel 1430, the display panel 1450, the upper cover 1480, and the lower cover 1490.

The processor 1470 is a component for performing various calculations, and may be a control unit such as a MAP (Multimedia Application Processor), an MCU (Microcontroller), and an ISP (Image Signal Processor). The processor 1470 can process the image and output the vibration driving signal to the touch sensing device 1410 in response to the touch output signal from the touch circuit 1440.

Figure 16 is a perspective view showing a touch sensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 16, the touch sensing device 1410 includes an electroactive layer 1412, a plurality of electrodes 1414, and a wire 1416.

The electroactive layer 1412 and the electrode 1414 are substantially the same as the electroactive layer and the first electrode and the second electrode described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 10. Therefore, the explanation is not repeated. Referring to Fig. 16, the electrode 1414 includes a first electrode 1414a and a second electrode 1414b. The first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b are disposed on the bottom surface of the electroactive layer 1412 to be adjacent to each other. The first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b are respectively connected to the wires 1416 that extend to a surface of the touch sensing device 1410. The wire 1416 is connected to the flexible circuit board by a pad unit on a surface of the touch sensing device 1410 , and the flexible circuit board can be electrically connected to the driving unit of the touch sensing device 1410 .

17A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the display device and the feeling of the user's touch according to another embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 17B is a view showing the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; The drawings illustrate a schematic diagram of the operation of a display device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, the display of the touch panel 1430 and the display device 1400 The display panel 1450 is not shown in FIG. 17A. The touch sensing device 1410 of the display device 1400 shown in FIG. 17A is substantially the same as the touch sensing device 1410 shown in FIG. 16, and therefore the description of the installation structure will not be repeated. In the drawings described below, the symbol "+" indicates that a driving voltage is applied to the electrodes, and the symbol "-" indicates that a voltage of 0 V is applied to the electrodes or the electrodes are grounded.

Referring to FIG. 17A, for example, the first voltage is a driving voltage applied to the first electrode 1414a, and the second voltage, for example, 0 V is applied to the second electrode 1414b or the second electrode 1414b adjacent to the first electrode 1414a to be grounded. Therefore, an electric field is generated in the electroactive layer 1412 between the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b. Alternatively, when the electroactive layer 1412 is made of a dielectric elastomer, the touch sensing device 1410 vibrates via shrinkage and expansion of the dielectric elastomer. In addition, when the electroactive layer 1412 is made of a ferroelectric polymer, the electroactive layer 1412 vibrates by a change in the direction in which the dipoles in the electroactive layer 1412 are aligned. The vibration of the touch sensing device 1410 is transmitted to the upper cover 1480 and the user can feel the vibration through a mechanical stimulation receptor that is finger-touched on the upper cover 1480. In other words, only portions of the touch sensing device 1410 that are directly under the user's finger can selectively vibrate. Further, various vibrations may be applied using voltages having different frequencies, wherein the frequency of the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes to provide various vibrations may be, for example, in the range of 1 to 500 Hz.

The first voltage and the second voltage, respectively or different voltages having a potential, may be applied to the electrode 1414 including the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b, and the vibration is generated by a potential difference between the adjacent electrodes 1414. FIG. 17B illustrates the voltage of the electrode 1414 of the display device 1400 applied to the touch sensing device 1410 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As in FIG. 17B, the first voltage and the second voltage are alternately applied to the electrodes 1414 of the touch sensing device 1410, so vibration can be provided to the user (ie, the entire touch sensing device 1410 can vibrate). Additionally, localized vibrations may also be provided by applying only a voltage to some adjacent electrodes of electrode 1414 (i.e., only a small portion is selectively vibrated).

FIG. 17C illustrates a display panel 1450 of the display device 1400, and an image displayed by the display panel 1450, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of cards are placed in the image, and when the user selects a card by the finger, local vibration is transmitted through the finger. The planar motion of one of the cards is not accompanied by the finger, so the display device 1400 in FIGS. 17A and 4B transmits the tactile feedback by being vibrated by the operation of the touch sensing device 1410.

Further, in the display device 1400 according to another embodiment of the present invention, Touch sensing device 1410 provides the texture of the displayed object, rather than vibration. The texture of the object can be implemented by referring to the different manners described in FIGS. 17A and 17B to drive the touch sensing device 1410. A method of driving the touch sensing device 1410 for realizing the texture of the object will be described below.

Figure 18A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the display device and the feeling of the user's touch according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 18B is a schematic view showing the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention; The drawings illustrate a schematic diagram of the operation of a display device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, the touch panel 1430 and the display panel 1450 of the display device 1400 are not shown in FIG. 18A. The touch sensing device 1410 of the display device 1400 shown in FIG. 18A is substantially the same as the touch sensing device 1410 shown in FIG. 16, and therefore the description of the installation structure will not be repeated.

Referring to Fig. 18A, a first voltage is applied to all of the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b. Thus, an electric field is generated between the electrode 1414 and the finger, the planar movement of the finger produces horizontal friction, and the user can feel the texture of the material by the friction between the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b.

As described above, the first voltage or the second voltage may be applied to all of the electrodes 1414 including the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b. FIG. 18B illustrates the voltage applied to the electrode 1414 of the touch sensing device 1410 of the display device 1400, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As in Figure 18B, a first voltage is applied to all of the electrodes 1414 of the touch sensing device 1410 so that when the user moves the finger on a plane, the texture can be provided to the user. FIG. 18C illustrates a display panel 1450 of the display device 1400 and an image displayed on the display panel 1450 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The product of the online shopping mall is displayed in the image, and a first voltage is applied to the electrode 1414 on the display area SP corresponding to the product. Therefore, when the finger moves over the area SP of the product display, the texture of the product is delivered by the finger (ie, the user's finger only pokes to the area where the product is displayed). Further, voltages having different frequencies are applied to the area SP of the display product, and various textures such as smoothness or roughness can be provided. The frequency of the voltage applied to the electrode 1414 to provide texture may be, for example, in the range of 1 Hz to 1000 Hz.

The texture of a product is accompanied by the planar movement of the finger rather than by the input vibration, so the display device can transmit the tactile feedback through the operation of the touch sensing device 1410 in FIGS. 18A and 18B and the texture through the horizontal friction of the finger. .

Figure 19 is a diagram showing the operation of the display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. change. Referring to FIG. 19, a plurality of cards are placed in the display panel 1450, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are alternately applied to the first electrodes 1414a of the plurality of electrodes of the touch sensing device 1410 as shown in FIG. 17B, respectively. And a second electrode 1414b. When the user selects one of the cards, local vibration is transmitted through one finger.

Next, the image changes on the display panel 1450 and the products on the online shopping mall are displayed. In this case, the first voltage is applied to the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b of all of the touch sensing devices 1410 as shown in FIG. 18B. Therefore, when the user's finger moves on the area SP where the product is displayed, the texture of the product is transmitted through the finger.

That is, by changing the voltage applied to the second electrode 1414b from the second voltage to the first voltage which is the same as the voltage applied to the first electrode 1414a, the electric field generated by a potential difference is removed, and the user's finger and An electric field is generated between the first electrode 1414a and the second electrode 1414b. Therefore, in the display device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present invention, vibration and texture of an object can be selectively provided in accordance with the operation of the touch sensing 1410. In addition, since two different tactile senses can be realized by one touch sensing device 1410, the manufacturing process can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be correspondingly reduced.

A touch sensing device of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention is manufactured and its operation is checked. An electroactive layer may comprise an electroactive polymer film comprising polydimethyl siloxane and having a thickness of 190 μm and a transmittance of 89%. A plurality of electrodes were formed by sputtering ITO on the bottom surface of an electroactive layer having a surface resistance of 182 Ω/□ and a thickness of 900 Å. Next, a voltage having a sine wave of between 500 and 1000 volts and a frequency of 100 Hz is used as the driving voltage. The vibration is measured by the vibration acceleration. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, when 0 V and the driving voltage were applied to a plurality of adjacent electrodes, the measured vibration acceleration was 0.15 G. As shown in Figs. 18A and 18B, when the driving voltage is applied to all of the plurality of adjacent electrodes and the finger moves, the material by the friction is perceived.

Figure 20 is a flow chart illustrating a method of driving a touch sensing device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. First, the first electrode and the second electrode adjacent to the first electrode are disposed on a surface of the electroactive layer (S10).

Next, it is judged whether or not vibration is required (S20). For example, vibration may be required when the displayed image is an electronic keyboard that requires vibration, an image that receives a call or text message, or an image that requires input of feedback. When vibration is required, the actuator of the display device can be operated to raise For vibration.

In order to provide vibration through the electroactive layer, a first voltage is applied to the first electrode and a second voltage is applied to the second electrode such that the touch sensing device vibrates. For example, a driving voltage may be applied to the first electrode and a second electrode may be grounded or a voltage of 0V applied. Therefore, the electroactive layer contracts and expands, thus providing vibration. After the vibration is supplied, step S20 is repeated.

When it is determined that vibration is not required, it is determined whether the texture of the object is required (S40). For example, textures may be required when the displayed image includes objects that require texture, or a page scroll, or electronic writing. The actuator of the display device can operate to provide texture when texture is desired.

A first voltage is applied to all of the first and second electrodes to create horizontal friction on the touch sensing device, thereby providing texture. Thus, as the finger moves over the display device, electrical horizontal friction is generated and the touch sense is transmitted to the finger. After the texture is provided, step S20 is repeated. Even if the texture is not required, step S20 is repeated. However, the method of driving the display device shown in Fig. 11 is merely an example, and it is not limited thereto as long as the display device can selectively provide vibration and texture. In addition, it is possible to determine if vibration or texture is needed by various types of algorithms. The order or method used for the assay can vary from the examples. In addition, it is possible to provide local sensing of the user's touch or texture by applying a voltage only to a portion of the touch sensing device.

21(a) to 21(f) are diagrams illustrating practical advantageous examples of using a display device according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 21(a) illustrates the case where the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are used in the mobile device 2400. In Fig. 21(a), display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are included in a mobile device 2400, wherein the mobile device 2400 is a small-sized device such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, and PDA. When the display device is mounted on the mobile device 2400, its battery is used without an external power source, the components of the display devices 1200 and 1300 should be designed to be suitable for a battery of limited capacity. Therefore, as in the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention, the first electrode and the second electrode are formed on the same plane of the electroactive layer, so the driving voltages of the touch sensing devices of the display devices 1200 and 1300 The display devices 1200 and 1300 can be operated normally, even with a limited capacity battery. In addition, the user can feel the vibration when he touches on the mobile device 2400 to watch the video, play the game, and press the button, so he/she can receive more sensing information and feedback.

Figure 21 (b) illustrates the use of embodiments in accordance with the present invention in a car navigation system The case of the display devices 1200 and 1300 is exemplified. Car navigation system 2500 can include display devices 1200 and 1300 and a plurality of operational components and can be controlled by a processor of the vehicle. When the display devices 1200 and 1300 are applied to the car navigation system 2500, they can provide the height of the road, the state of the road, and the sensory driving state of the vehicle.

Fig. 21(c) illustrates an example of using the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention as the display unit 2600 such as a monitor and a television. When the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are used as the display unit 2600, the user can feel the material of the specific object and the situation of the talker like the actual situation, so he/she can enjoy a more realistic image. .

Figure 21 (d) illustrates an example of the use of display devices 1200 and 1300 for outdoor billboards 2700 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The outdoor billboard 2700 can include display devices 1200 and 1300 and a support for connecting the display device to the ground. When the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are applied to the outdoor billboard 2700, information about a product sale can be directly transmitted to the user together with the sensed information image and/or voice, so the advertisement effect can be maximized. Chemical.

Figure 21 (e) illustrates an example of the use of display devices 1200 and 1300 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention in gaming system 2800. Gaming system 2800 can include display devices 1200 and 1300 and a housing that houses various processors. When the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are applied to the game system 2800, various tactile feedbacks can be provided when the user operates the system for playing the game, so the user can further concentrate on playing the game.

Figure 21 (f) illustrates an example of the use of display devices 1200 and 1300 for electronic blackboard 2900 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The electronic blackboard 2900 may include display devices 1200 and 1300, a speaker, and a structure for protecting from an external impact. When the display devices 1200 and 1300 according to various embodiments of the present invention are used in the electronic blackboard 2900, the presenter communicates on the display devices 1200 and 1300 with a stylus or a finger when inputting a matter, and can feel as if writing directly at On the blackboard. In addition, the student can touch the image displayed on the electronic blackboard 2900 to provide sensing feedback suitable for the image, so the educational effect can be maximized.

However, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art can modify and modify the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. . Moreover, the number of components in the above embodiments It is intended to be illustrative only and not to limit the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be as set forth in the following claims.

This application claims the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0183046 filed on Dec. 18, 2014, and the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0193709 filed on December 30, 2014, filed on December 30, 2014 The Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0193740, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in the entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire all all all all all all all each

100‧‧‧Touch sensing device

110‧‧‧Electrical active layer

131‧‧‧First wire

132‧‧‧second wire

140‧‧‧FPCB

141‧‧‧ Circuitry

CE‧‧‧ unit

AA‧‧‧active area

Claims (20)

A touch sensing device comprising: an electroactive layer comprising an electroactive polymer; and one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes on the same surface of the electroactive layer; The one or more first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the electroactive layer comprises a plurality of cells; and the one or more first electrodes and second electrodes are disposed in each of the plurality of cells in. The touch sensing device of claim 2, wherein the one or more first electrodes have a first gap separated from the one or more second electrodes disposed in the same unit And the one or more first electrodes have a portion separated from a second gap disposed on the one or more second electrodes in the same unit. The touch sensing device of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more first electrodes and second electrodes has a first sub-electrode and a plurality of extensions from the first sub-electrode a second sub-electrode, and wherein the plurality of second sub-electrodes of the one or more first electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrode systems of the one or more second electrodes are alternately disposed. The touch sensing device of claim 2, wherein the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes disposed in a first unit of the plurality of cells are separated by a first gap, And wherein the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes disposed in a second unit of the plurality of cells are separated by a second gap. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein a gap between the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes is smaller than a thickness of the electroactive layer. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes has a spiral structure or a double ring structure. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first electrodes and second electrodes comprise a transparent conductive material. The touch sensing device of claim 1, wherein when a voltage is applied to the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes, due to an electric field generated on the electroactive layer, The electroactive layer is configured to vibrate. A touch sensing device comprising: one or more first electrodes disposed in a plurality of cells on a surface comprising an electroactive polymer and an electroactive layer comprising a conductive material, wherein a first voltage Applied to the one or more first electrodes; and one or more second electrodes disposed in the plurality of cells on the surface comprising an electroactive polymer and the electroactive layer comprising a conductive material, wherein a second voltage is applied to the one or more second electrodes, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage have a correspondence corresponding to a resonance according to a gap between the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes The frequency of the frequency. The touch sensing device of claim 10, wherein the first voltage having the resonant frequency is applied to the one or more first electrodes, and wherein the one or more second electrodes are grounded. The touch sensing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more first electrodes have a first gap separated from the one or more second electrodes disposed in the same unit The first portion and the one or more first electrodes have a second portion separated from a second gap disposed on the one or more second electrodes in the same unit, wherein a resonant frequency of the first gap or the first voltage corresponding to a resonant frequency of the second gap is applied to the one or more first electrodes; and wherein the one or more second electrodes are grounded. The touch sensing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes disposed in a first unit of the plurality of cells are separated by a first gap The one or more first electrodes and second electrodes disposed in a second unit of the plurality of cells are separated by a second gap, wherein the first one having a resonant frequency corresponding to the first gap a voltage applied to the one or more first electrodes disposed in the first unit or the first voltage having a resonant frequency corresponding to the second gap is applied to the one or more of the second unit disposed a plurality of first electrodes, and wherein the one or more second electrodes disposed in the first unit or the one or more second electrodes disposed in the second unit are grounded. A display device includes: a touch panel; a touch sensing device comprising an electroactive layer disposed on or under the touch panel and comprising an electroactive polymer disposed only on the electroactive layer One or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes on the surface; and a cover covering the touch panel and the touch sensing device, wherein the one or more first electrodes and the second The electrode includes a conductive material. The display device of claim 14, further comprising a display panel, wherein the one or more first electrodes and the second electrodes face the display panel. The display device of claim 14, further comprising a display panel having the touch panel, wherein the display panel is disposed between the cover and the touch sensing device or the touch sensing Below the device. The display device of claim 14, wherein the area of the unit of the touch sensing device and the area of the pixel of the touch panel are the same. A method of driving a touch sensing device, comprising: applying a different voltage to a first electrode and a second electrode included in a touch sensing device including an electroactive layer having an electroactive polymer, such that Touching the sensing device to vibrate; and applying a same voltage to all of the first electrodes and the second electrodes to generate lateral friction of the touch sensing device; wherein the first electrodes are disposed only in the One surface of the electroactive layer, and the second electrodes are disposed adjacent to the first electrodes. The method of driving a touch sensing device according to claim 18, wherein the touch sensing device is configured to generate the lateral friction based on a planar movement of a finger on the touch sensing device. A method of driving a touch sensing device according to claim 18, wherein a different voltage is applied to the first electrodes and the second electrodes or the same voltage is applied to all of the first electrodes and The second electrodes are only performed on a portion of the touch sensing device.