Touch display apparatus and its manufacturing method

Abstract

This invention proposes a touch display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The touch display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a liquid crystal driver is disposed on the first substrate for driving the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer to emit light from the upper surface of the second substrate, and wherein a touch sensor for detecting touch input is disposed on the lower surface of the second substrate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic displays, and more specifically to a touch display device and a method for manufacturing the same. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Electronic displays are virtually ubiquitous media used to convey messages to users of various devices and products. The most common electronic displays are cathode ray tubes (CRTs), plasma display panels (PDPs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electroluminescent displays (ELs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs), electrophoretic displays (EPs), and various displays that employ electromechanical or electrofluid light modulation (e.g., digital micromirror devices, electrowetting displays, etc.). Generally, electronic displays can be classified as active displays (i.e., displays that emit light) or passive displays (i.e., displays that modulate light provided by another source). The most obvious examples of active displays are CRTs, PDPs, and OLEDs / AMOLEDs. Displays that are generally classified as passive when considering light emission are LCDs and electrophoretic displays. While passive displays generally exhibit attractive performance characteristics, including but not limited to inherently low power consumption, they may find some limitations in many practical applications due to their lack of light emission capability.

[0003] In electronic displays, to allow users to perform related operations while viewing images or videos, the electronic display and touch panel are usually integrated to form a touch display device. When a user uses a touch display device, the touch panel typically detects the coordinate position of the touch point on the display screen, and then determines the user's intention based on the content or graphics displayed at the corresponding coordinate point on the display screen, thereby performing the relevant operation. Typical touch panels include resistive touch panels, capacitive touch panels, infrared touch panels, surface acoustic wave touch panels, etc.

[0004] Typically, manufacturers use these technologies to fabricate the touchpad separately, and then attach it to the display screen using an optically clear adhesive (e.g., OCA) to enable touch control of the display screen. Touch display devices manufactured in this way can also be called "separating" touch display devices. Figure 1 shows a typical structural diagram of such a "separating" touch display device.

[0005] However, in the display structure described above, since the touch panel and the display screen are manufactured separately, separate carrier substrates (as shown in Figure 1) are required for the touch sensor. Therefore, the resulting touch display device has a high cost and a large thickness, which is not conducive to the requirement of making the display screen thinner and lighter.

[0006] Furthermore, since misalignment or errors can easily occur during the OCA bonding process between the touchpad and the display screen, the touch position cannot be accurately positioned. In addition, since OCA is required to bond the touchpad and the display screen, the light transmittance of the final touch display device will be lower. This will require a higher power backlight under the same display brightness conditions, which is not conducive to meeting the requirements of low power consumption. [Summary of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention was conceived in view of the above problems. In order to achieve a touch display device that is thin, light-transmitting, and has high touch accuracy, the present invention proposes a touch display device that integrates a touchpad and a display component.

[0008] Instead of bonding the touchpad to the display screen, this invention proposes integrating the touch sensor into the middle of the display screen. This allows the upper substrate of the display screen to be reused to support the touch sensor, while avoiding the use of an additional OCA layer for external bonding, thereby achieving the goal of thinning the touch display device. Furthermore, omitting the additional OCA layer also helps to improve the brightness of the touch display device and avoids touch inaccuracies caused by errors during the bonding process.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a touch display device is provided, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a liquid crystal driver is disposed on the first substrate for driving the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer to emit light from the upper surface of the second substrate, and wherein a touch sensor for detecting touch input is disposed on the lower surface of the second substrate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the touch display device further includes: a multi-beam element array disposed in the liquid crystal layer, each multi-beam element in the multi-beam element array being configured to scatter light to generate a plurality of directional beams, and the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer being configured to modulate a corresponding directional beam among the plurality of directional beams by adjusting its rotation direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the multi-beam element in the multi-beam element array includes one or more of a diffraction grating, a micro-reflection element, and a micro-refractive element, wherein the diffraction grating is configured to diffract light to generate the plurality of directional beams, the micro-reflection element is configured to reflect light to generate the plurality of directional beams, and the micro-refractive element is configured to refract light to generate the plurality of directional beams.

[0012] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal driver drives the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer by generating an electric field parallel to the upper surface of the first substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the touch sensor is a surface capacitive touch sensor or a projected capacitive touch sensor.

[0014] In some embodiments, the touch display device further includes a driving assembly disposed on the lower surface of the first substrate, wherein the driving assembly includes a backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer and a control circuit for controlling the touch sensor and the liquid crystal driver.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a touch display device is provided, comprising: providing a first substrate; disposing a liquid crystal driver on the first substrate; disposing a liquid crystal layer on the first substrate on which the liquid crystal driver is disposed; disposing a touch sensor on a lower surface of a second substrate; and superimposing the second substrate on which the touch sensor is disposed on the liquid crystal layer, wherein the liquid crystal driver is configured to drive the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer to emit light from an upper surface of the second substrate, and the touch sensor is configured to detect touch input on the upper surface of the second substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further includes arranging a multi-beam element array in the liquid crystal layer, wherein each multi-beam element in the multi-beam element array is configured to scatter light to generate a plurality of directional beams, and wherein the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer is configured to modulate a corresponding directional beam among the plurality of directional beams by adjusting the rotation direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the multi-beam element in the multi-beam element array includes one or more of a diffraction grating, a micro-reflection element, and a micro-refractive element, wherein the diffraction grating is configured to diffract light to generate the plurality of directional beams, the micro-reflection element is configured to reflect light to generate the plurality of directional beams, and the micro-refractive element is configured to refract light to generate the plurality of directional beams.

[0018] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal driver drives the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer by generating an electric field parallel to the upper surface of the first substrate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the touch sensor is a surface capacitive touch sensor or a projected capacitive touch sensor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further includes arranging a driving assembly on the lower surface of the first substrate, wherein the driving assembly includes a backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer and a control circuit for controlling the touch sensor and the liquid crystal driver.

Implementation Method

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be noted that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present invention. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present invention may be executed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include other steps and / or omit certain steps.

[0024] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0025] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this invention are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0026] It should be noted that the modifications of "a" and "a plurality of" mentioned in this invention are illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0027] Examples and embodiments based on the principles described herein provide a display for displaying two-dimensional (2D) images, multi-view images, or three-dimensional (3D) images, and which has touch functionality.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device 1000 according to a first embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0029] As shown in FIG2, the touch display device 1000 includes a first substrate 1100, a second substrate 1200, and a liquid crystal layer 1300 disposed between the first substrate 1100 and the second substrate 1200.

[0030] A liquid crystal driver 1110 is provided on the first substrate 1100 to drive the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300 so that light is emitted from the upper surface of the second substrate 1200.

[0031] A touch sensor 1210 for detecting touch input is provided on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200.

[0032] For example, the first substrate 1100 and / or the second substrate 1200 may be flat, optically transparent sheets of material. The optically transparent material may include any one of a variety of dielectric materials or be composed of any one of a variety of dielectric materials, including but not limited to one or more of various types of glass (e.g., silica glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, etc.) and substantially optically transparent plastics or polymers (e.g., polymethyl methacrylate or "acrylic glass", polycarbonate, etc.).

[0033] To achieve a thinner, lighter touch display device with high light transmittance and high touch accuracy, this invention proposes a solution that integrates the touch sensor into the middle of the display screen, instead of bonding a separately manufactured touch panel to the display screen. This allows the touch sensor to be carried using the original upper substrate of the display screen. This solution avoids the need for an additional OCA layer for external bonding, thereby achieving the goal of thinning the touch display device. Furthermore, omitting the additional OCA layer helps improve the brightness of the touch display device and avoids touch inaccuracies caused by errors during the bonding process.

[0034] For example, as shown in FIG2, instead of attaching a separately prepared touch panel to the upper surface of the second substrate 1200, this application integrates the touch sensor 1210 on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 to form an integral structure with the second substrate 1200.

[0035] This is equivalent to eliminating the carrier substrate in the traditional touchpad and carrying the touch sensor by reusing the upper substrate of the display (i.e., the second substrate 1200), thereby reducing the overall thickness of the touch display device 1000 (i.e., omitting the OCA layer and substrate in FIG1).

[0036] The touch sensor 1210 integrated on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 can be any type of touch sensor. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a first example of a touch sensor in a touch display device consistent with the principles described herein.

[0037] As shown in FIG3, the touch sensor 1210 integrated on the second substrate 1200 can be a surface capacitive touch panel (SCTP) sensor.

[0038] The SCTP sensor is composed of a uniform transparent conductive layer (e.g., an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film) deposited on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200. For example, as shown in FIG3, there is an electrode 1211 at each of the four corners of the transparent conductive layer, and these four electrodes are connected to a controller (not shown).

[0039] For example, the controller of the SCTP sensor can provide charge to generate a uniform electric field in the transparent conductive layer (e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO) film). When a finger touches the upper surface of the second substrate 1200 (e.g., contact point T(x, y)), current flows from the four corner electrodes to contact point T(x, y). The strength of the current is proportional to the distance from the finger to each electrode. Therefore, the controller can calculate the coordinates of contact point T(x, y) by sensing the amount of current on the four electrodes.

[0040] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a second example of a touch sensor in a touch display device according to principles consistent with those described herein.

[0041] As shown in FIG4, the touch sensor 1210 integrated on the second substrate 1200 can also be a projective capacitive touch panel (PCTP) sensor.

[0042] PCTP sensors are further divided into two types: self-sensing PCTP sensors and mutual-sensing PCTP sensors.

[0043] The self-sensing PCTP sensor is, for example, constructed by forming a horizontally and vertically interlaced array of ITO electrodes (e.g., a horizontal and vertical array of electrodes 1211 as shown in FIG. 4) on the surface of the second substrate 1200. One end of the electrodes is grounded, and the other end is connected to the drive circuit, thereby forming a capacitor loop. When a finger touches the self-sensing PCTP sensor, the finger capacitance increases the panel capacitance. The controller can scan and detect the capacitance of the horizontal and vertical electrode arrays respectively, and determine the horizontal and vertical coordinates based on the change in capacitance before and after the touch.

[0044] The mutual induction PCTP sensor is also composed of an array of ITO electrodes (e.g., a horizontal and vertical array of electrodes 1211 as shown in Figure 4) fabricated on the surface of the second substrate 1200. The difference from the self-induction PCTP sensor is that a capacitor will be formed at the intersection of the two sets of electrodes, that is, the two sets of electrodes constitute the two poles of the capacitor. When the controller scans the capacitance, the horizontal electrodes send signals sequentially, and all the vertical electrodes receive signals simultaneously, obtaining the capacitance values ​​at all intersections of the horizontal and vertical electrodes, which is the two-dimensional planar capacitance distribution of the entire sensing panel.

[0045] Therefore, when a finger touches the panel of the mutual induction PCTP sensor, it changes the coupling between the two electrodes near the touch point, resulting in a reduction in regional capacitance. The coordinates of the touch point can be calculated based on the change in capacitance.

[0046] Figure 4 shows an example of an array of ITO electrodes 1211 with alternating horizontal and vertical orientations.

[0047] It is obvious that the examples of the touch sensor 1210 integrated on the second substrate 1200 described above with respect to Figures 3 and 4 are merely exemplary and not limiting. Those skilled in the art can also use various other techniques and methods to integrate various types of touch sensors on the second substrate 1200, which will not be listed here.

[0048] The liquid crystal layer 1300 may be made of any polymeric liquid crystal material having a liquid crystal state. For example, the liquid crystal layer 1300 may be formed from typical N-type liquid crystal materials or P-type liquid crystal materials.

[0049] For example, N-type liquid crystal material is a type of dual-polarization shear liquid crystal, whose molecular structure contains a large number of bound electrons. Under the action of an electric field, the bound electrons will form a long-ordered structure, thereby changing the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and realizing the transmission and reflection of light. N-type liquid crystal materials usually have the characteristics of fast response speed and high light transmittance, making them suitable for dynamic displays.

[0050] In contrast, P-type liquid crystal materials are very stable liquid crystal materials, with a large number of free electrons in their molecular structure. Under the influence of an electric field, these free electrons form a long-ordered structure, enabling light transmission and reflection. P-type liquid crystal materials typically have a lower response speed and higher transmittance, making them suitable for static displays.

[0051] In practical applications, different liquid crystal materials can be selected to form the liquid crystal layer 1300 as shown in Figure 2, depending on the specific application scenario.

[0052] For example, in static display scenarios (e.g., billboards displaying static images), P-type liquid crystal material can be used as the liquid crystal layer 1300 to improve the display brightness of the image. For example, in dynamic display scenarios (e.g., monitors for watching video), N-type liquid crystal material can be used as the liquid crystal layer 1300 to improve the dynamic effect of the video display.

[0053] The liquid crystal driver 1110 can typically be made of various types of transparent and conductive materials. For example, a typical material is indium tin oxide (ITO), which is widely used in the display field due to its good conductivity and optical transparency.

[0054] Specifically, for example, an ITO thin film can be disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100 to be used as an electrode. Then, a surface alignment agent is disposed on the ITO thin film so that the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300 is aligned in a specific direction parallel to the surface of the first substrate 1100. By applying an electric field between the electrodes, the polarization direction of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300 is turned to be parallel to the direction of the electric field.

[0055] Since the refractive index of the liquid crystal changes with the direction of the liquid crystal, the intensity of the incident light changes after passing through the liquid crystal layer 1300. Therefore, the rotation direction of the liquid crystal can be changed by controlling the direction and intensity of the electric field, thereby modulating the light incident on the liquid crystal.

[0056] As shown in FIG3, since the liquid crystal driver 1110 is arranged on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100, that is, arranged on one side of the liquid crystal layer 1300, rather than arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal layer 1300, the liquid crystal driver 1110 drives the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300 by generating an electric field parallel to the upper surface of the first substrate 1110.

[0057] In some embodiments, liquid crystal drivers (e.g., electrodes formed of ITO thin film) can be arranged on both the upper and lower sides of the liquid crystal layer 1300, such that the electrode on one side serves as the emitter and the electrode on the other side serves as the receiver, thereby generating an electric field perpendicular to the surface (e.g., the upper or lower surface) of the first substrate 1100 between the upper and lower sides of the liquid crystal layer 1300, thereby driving the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300.

[0058] For example, the ITO thin film constituting the liquid crystal driver 1110 can be formed on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100 by physical vapor deposition or some sputtering deposition techniques.

[0059] In other embodiments, other materials may be used to fabricate the liquid crystal driver 1110, including but not limited to carbon nanotubes (e.g., graphene). For example, carbon nanotubes may be fabricated by processes such as arc discharge, chemical vapor deposition, and laser evaporation, and the fabricated carbon nanotubes may be coated on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100 as electrodes to drive the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300.

[0060] Furthermore, due to the fluidity of the liquid crystal material, the liquid crystal layer 1300 is typically filled within a closed liquid crystal cell. For example, Figure 2 shows an example of a liquid crystal cell 1310. In some embodiments, the liquid crystal cell 1310 may be made of a sealant to prevent the liquid crystal material filled therein from leaking to the outside.

[0061] FIG5 shows a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a touch display device 1000 according to a first embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0062] First, as shown in sub-figure (a) of FIG5, a first substrate 1100 is provided. For example, the first substrate 1100 may be a flat, optically transparent sheet of material, including but not limited to sheets of one or more of various types of glass (such as silica glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, etc.) and substantially optically transparent plastics or polymers (such as polymethyl methacrylate or "acrylic glass", polycarbonate, etc.), as previously described.

[0063] The first substrate 1100 may have any shape, including but not limited to rectangles, squares, circles, other polygons, etc.

[0064] Then, as shown in sub-figure (b) of FIG5, a liquid crystal driver 1110 is disposed on the first substrate 1100. For example, an ITO thin film can be disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100 as a liquid crystal driver 1110 by physical vapor deposition or some sputtering deposition techniques. In other embodiments, a carbon nanotube (e.g., graphene) material can also be disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate 1100 as a liquid crystal driver 1110.

[0065] Then, as shown in sub-figure (c) of FIG5, before the liquid crystal layer 1300 is arranged, a liquid crystal cell 1310 may be arranged on the first substrate 1100 on which the liquid crystal driver 1110 is arranged, so as to fill liquid crystal material therein. For example, as mentioned above, the liquid crystal cell 1310 may be made of sealant to prevent the liquid crystal material filled therein from leaking to the outside.

[0066] Figure 3 shows an example of a ring-shaped liquid crystal cell with a certain thickness (e.g., when viewed from above), which is merely illustrative and not limiting. In other examples, the liquid crystal cell 1310 of a corresponding shape can be adapted to the specific shape of the touch display device to facilitate the containment of liquid crystal material, including but not limited to ring-shaped, polygonal, or any other regular or irregular shaped liquid crystal cell.

[0067] After the liquid crystal cell 1310 is formed, as shown in sub-figure (d) of FIG5, a liquid crystal layer 1300 is disposed on a first substrate 1100 on which the liquid crystal driver 1110 is disposed. For example, the liquid crystal layer 1300 is disposed by filling the liquid crystal cell 1310 with liquid crystal material, such that the liquid crystal material fills the entire liquid crystal cell 1310.

[0068] For example, the liquid crystal material can be one of the various types of liquid crystal materials as described above, and can also be any of lyotropic liquid crystals and thermotropic liquid crystals.

[0069] For example, in a static display scenario (e.g., if the touch display device 1000 is a billboard for displaying static images), P-type liquid crystal material can be used to fill the liquid crystal cell 1310 to form a liquid crystal layer 1300 in order to improve the display brightness of the image.

[0070] For example, in a dynamic display scenario (e.g., if the touch display device 1000 is a display for displaying video), N-type liquid crystal material can be used to fill the liquid crystal cell 1310 to form a liquid crystal layer 1300, thereby improving the dynamic effect of the video display.

[0071] In the traditional LCD manufacturing process, after the liquid crystal layer is filled, the upper substrate is usually directly laminated onto the liquid crystal layer to complete the LCD manufacturing. Then, a separately manufactured touch panel is bonded to the LCD using OCA (Optical Calibration Acid) to form a touch-enabled display.

[0072] In this invention, in order to reduce the thickness of the final product, instead of attaching the independently prepared touch panel to the upper surface of the second substrate 1200, as shown in sub-figure (e) of FIG5, the touch sensor 1210 is first integrated on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 to form an integral structure with the second substrate 1200.

[0073] For example, the touch sensor 1210 can be integrated with the second substrate 1200 by forming a surface capacitive touch sensor, a projected capacitive touch self-sensing sensor, or a projected capacitive touch mutual induction sensor as described above on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200.

[0074] Specifically, for example, when using a surface capacitive touch sensor (i.e., a SCTP sensor), a thin, uniformly thick transparent conductive layer (e.g., an indium tin oxide (ITO) film) can be deposited on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 to form the SCTP sensor. For example, an ITO film can be formed on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 by physical vapor deposition or some sputtering deposition techniques, thereby integrating the touch sensor 1210 made of the ITO film onto the lower surface of the second substrate 1200.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in FIG3, an electrode 1211 can be arranged at each of the four corners of the transparent conductive layer, and these four electrodes can be connected to a controller (not shown).

[0076] In other embodiments, for example, when using a projected capacitive touch sensor (i.e., a self-inductance or mutual inductance PTCP sensor), a transversely and longitudinally staggered array of ITO electrodes (e.g., a transverse and longitudinal array of electrodes 1211 as shown in FIG. 4) can be arranged on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 to form the touch sensor 1210. For example, the transverse and longitudinal array of electrodes 1211 as shown in FIG. 4 can be formed using photolithography, thereby integrating the touch sensor 1210 composed of the ITO electrode array onto the lower surface of the second substrate 1200.

[0077] This method of integrating the touch sensor 1210 on the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 is equivalent to eliminating the carrier substrate in a conventional touch panel by reusing the second substrate 1200, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the touch display device 1000.

[0078] Returning to Figure 5, after obtaining the second substrate 1200 integrating the touch sensor 1210, as shown in sub-figure (f) of Figure 5, the second substrate 1200 integrating the touch sensor 1210 can be superimposed on the liquid crystal layer 1300 to form a touch display device 1000.

[0079] For example, the second substrate 1200, which integrates the touch sensor 1210, can be pressed onto the liquid crystal layer 1300 by a lamination process, so that the liquid crystal layer 1300 is sealed between the first substrate 1100 and the second substrate 1200.

[0080] The above description, in conjunction with Figures 2 to 5, describes various embodiments of a touch display device and a method of manufacturing thereof based on a first embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0081] The proposed solution can simultaneously avoid using an additional OCA layer for external bonding, thereby achieving the goal of thinning the touch display device. At the same time, omitting the additional OCA layer also helps to improve the brightness of the touch display device and avoids the problem of inaccurate touch due to errors in the bonding process.

[0082] Various embodiments of the touch display device 1000 described above in conjunction with Figures 2 to 5 can be applied to a variety of scenarios, including but not limited to mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), watches, tablets, mobile computers (e.g., laptops), personal computers and computer monitors, car display consoles, camera displays, and various other mobile and substantially non-mobile display applications and devices.

[0083] For example, the touch display device 1000 described above can be used to display various 2D content, so as to be used as a 2D display with touch function.

[0084] In this document, a "two-dimensional (2D) display" or a 2D mode of an equivalent multi-mode display is defined as a display or mode configured to provide substantially the same image view regardless of the direction from which the image is viewed (i.e., within a predetermined viewing angle or range of the 2D display or 2D mode).

[0085] In addition to the touch display device for 2D display described above in conjunction with Figures 2 to 5, this application also proposes various embodiments of touch display devices for multi-view or 3D display, especially various examples of touch display devices for multi-view or 3D display for "glasses-free" viewing.

[0086] In this document, a "multi-view display" or an equivalent multi-mode display is defined as an electronic display, display system, or display mode of a multi-mode display that is configured to provide different views of multiple images from different viewing directions. Specifically, the different views can represent different perspective views of a scene or object in the multi-view image. In some cases, a multi-view display or multi-view mode can also be referred to as a three-dimensional (3D) display or 3D mode, for example, providing the perception of viewing a three-dimensional image when two different views of the multi-view image are viewed simultaneously.

[0087] In some embodiments, the "multiview display" or "3D display" can provide so-called "glasses-free" or autostereoscopic images, enabling viewing of multiview content without the need for glasses.

[0088] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of an example of a multi-view display 10 (or a multi-view mode of a multi-mode display) according to an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 6, the multiview display 10 includes a screen 12 for displaying multiview images to be viewed. The multiview display 10 provides different images 14 of the multiview images in different viewing directions 16 relative to the screen 12. The viewing directions 16 are illustrated as arrows extending from the screen 12 in various different principal angular directions. The different images 14 are illustrated as shaded polygonal boxes at the ends of the arrows (i.e., depicting the viewing directions 16). Only four images 14 and four viewing directions 16 are shown, all of which are exemplary and not limiting. Note that although the different images 14 are illustrated as being above the screen in FIG. 6, when the multiview images are displayed on the multiview display 10, the images 14 actually appear on or near the screen 12. The images 14 are depicted above the screen 12 merely for illustrative simplicity and are intended to indicate viewing the multiview display 10 from a corresponding direction in one of the viewing directions 16 corresponding to a particular image 14.

[0090] As defined herein, a beam of light having a viewing direction, or equivalently a direction corresponding to the viewing direction of a multiview display, typically has a principal angular direction given by angular components {θ, ϕ}. The angular component θ is referred to herein as the "elevation component" or "elevation angle" of the beam. The angular component ϕ is referred to herein as the "azimuth component" or "azimuth angle" of the beam. By definition, the elevation angle θ is an angle in a vertical plane (e.g., a plane perpendicular to the multiview display screen), while the azimuth angle ϕ is an angle in a horizontal plane (e.g., parallel to the plane of the multiview display screen).

[0091] Figure 7 illustrates a graphical representation of the angular components {θ, ϕ} of a beam 20 having a specific principal angular direction or simple "direction" corresponding to the viewing direction of a multi-view display (e.g., viewing direction 16 in Figure 6) according to an example embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Furthermore, according to the definition herein, the beam 20 is emitted or drawn from a specific point. In other words, by definition, the beam 20 has a central ray associated with a specific origin within the multi-view display. Figure 7 also shows the origin O of the beam (or viewing direction).

[0092] Furthermore, in this document, the term "multi-view image" as used in the terms "multi-view image," "multi-view display," and "multi-view mode" is defined as representing a plurality of images from different viewpoints or a plurality of images including angular parallax between images in the plurality of images. Additionally, according to the definition herein, the term "multi-view image" explicitly includes two or more different images (i.e., at least three images, and generally more than three images). Therefore, "multi-view display" and "multi-view mode" as used herein are explicitly distinguished from stereoscopic displays or stereoscopic modes that include only two different images to represent a scene or image. However, it should be noted that although multi-view images and multi-view displays may include two or more images, according to the definition herein, multi-view images can be viewed as a pair of stereoscopic images (e.g., on a multi-view display) by selecting only two images from the multi-view images at a time (e.g., one image per eye).

[0093] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device 2000 for multi-view or 3D display according to a second embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0094] As shown in FIG8, the touch display device 2000 includes, in addition to a first substrate 1100, a second substrate 1200, a liquid crystal layer 1300, a liquid crystal driver 1110 disposed on the first substrate 1100, and a touch sensor 1210 disposed on the second substrate, similar to FIG2, an array of multi-beam elements 1400 disposed in the liquid crystal layer 1300.

[0095] Each of the multi-beam elements 1400 in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 is configured to scatter light to generate a plurality of directional beams, the direction of each directional beam of which may, for example, correspond to the corresponding viewing direction of the multi-view image.

[0096] In this case, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300 will be configured to modulate the corresponding directional beam among the plurality of directional beams by adjusting the rotation direction, for example, modulating the characteristics of the incident light such as intensity, polarization, etc., so that the emitted light is emitted from the upper surface of the second substrate 1200 toward the corresponding viewing area.

[0097] Under the combined action of the array of multi-beam elements 1400 and the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 1300, users in different viewing areas can view different images of the multi-view image. Figure 8 shows an example of three viewing areas A, B, and C. The viewer in each viewing area will see the image content carried by the directional beam corresponding to that viewing area.

[0098] In this invention, the multi-beam element 1400 in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 may include one or more of a diffraction grating, a micro-reflection element, and a micro-refractive element.

[0099] In this document, a "diffraction grating" is generally defined as a plurality of features (i.e., diffraction features) arranged to provide diffraction of light incident on the grating. In some examples, the plurality of features may be arranged in a periodic or quasi-periodic manner. For example, a diffraction grating may comprise a plurality of features arranged in a one-dimensional (1D) array (e.g., a plurality of grooves or ridges in a material surface). In other examples, a diffraction grating may be a two-dimensional (2D) array of features. For example, a diffraction grating may be a 2D array of protrusions or holes in a material surface.

[0100] By definition herein, a "diffraction grating" is a structure that provides diffraction for light incident on it. If light is incident from a light guide onto the diffraction grating, diffraction or diffractive scattering is caused, and this is therefore referred to as "diffraction coupling," whereby the diffraction grating couples light out of the light guide through diffraction. The diffraction grating also redirects or changes the angle of light (i.e., at the diffraction angle) through diffraction. Specifically, due to diffraction, light leaving the diffraction grating typically has a different propagation direction than the light incident on the grating (i.e., the incident light). This change in the direction of light propagation through diffraction is referred to herein as "diffraction redirection." Therefore, a diffraction grating can be understood as a structure that includes diffractically redirecting the diffraction characteristics of light incident on it, and if light is incident from a light guide, the diffraction grating can also diffractically couple light out of the light guide.

[0101] Furthermore, according to the definition herein, a feature of a diffraction grating is referred to as a "diffraction feature," and can be one or more at a material surface, within a material surface, or on a material surface (i.e., the boundary between two materials). For example, the surface can be the surface of a light guide. A diffraction feature can include any of a variety of structures that diffract light, including but not limited to one or more of grooves, ridges, holes, and protrusions at a surface, in a surface, or on a surface. For example, a diffraction grating can include a plurality of grooves that are substantially parallel in the material surface. In another example, a diffraction grating can include a plurality of parallel ridges that rise on the material surface. Diffraction features (e.g., grooves, ridges, holes, protrusions, etc.) can have any of a variety of cross-sectional shapes or profiles that provide diffraction, including but not limited to one or more of sinusoidal profiles, rectangular profiles (e.g., binary diffraction gratings), triangular profiles, and sawtooth profiles (e.g., blazed gratings).

[0102] For example, in the case where the multibeam element 1400 in the array of multibeam elements 1400 includes a diffraction grating, the diffraction grating is configured to diffract light incident thereon to generate a plurality of directional beams corresponding to each image.

[0103] In other embodiments, the multi-beam elements 1400 in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 may also include micro-reflective elements. For example, the micro-reflective elements are configured to reflectively scatter light incident thereon to generate a plurality of directional beams corresponding to each image.

[0104] In other embodiments, the multi-beam elements 1400 in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 may also include micro-refractive elements. For example, the micro-refractive elements are configured to refractively scatter light incident thereon to generate a plurality of directional beams corresponding to the respective images.

[0105] Figure 8 shows an example of an array of multi-beam elements 1400 composed of an array of microlenses. The microlens can be regarded as an example of a micro-refractive element as described above. For example, when light passes through the first substrate 1100 and is incident on the microlens, the microlens can refract and scatter the light incident on it to generate a corresponding directional beam.

[0106] FIG9 shows a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a touch display device 2000 according to a second embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0107] The difference from FIG5 is that in sub-figure (c) of FIG9, an array of multi-beam elements 1400 is first arranged on the first substrate 1100 on which the liquid crystal driver 1110 is arranged, and then the liquid crystal cell 1310 is formed and the liquid crystal layer 1300 is filled in the steps shown in (d) and (e).

[0108] Figure 9 also shows an example of an array of multi-beam elements 1400 composed of an array of microlenses. For example, in the step shown in sub-Figure (c), an array of microlenses can be formed on a first substrate 1100 on which a liquid crystal driver 1110 is disposed by a similar technique such as nanoimprinting.

[0109] The multi-beam elements in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 can have various profiles (or cross-sectional shapes). Figures 8-9 show examples of multi-beam elements with a semi-circular profile. In other examples, the multi-beam elements 1400 can also have other arbitrary profile shapes, including but not limited to triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, etc.

[0110] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device 3000 according to a third embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG11 shows a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the touch display device 3000 according to the third embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

[0111] The multi-beam element 1400 shown in Figures 10-11 has a triangular profile. For example, the triangular profile multi-beam element 1400 can be a microprism. Except for the profile of the multi-beam element 1400, which differs from the example in Figures 8-9, other features or processes are similar to those described in Figures 8-9 and will not be repeated here.

[0112] Furthermore, the array of multi-beam elements 1400 may also include a plurality of diffraction gratings, micro-reflective elements, and micro-refractive elements. For example, in the array of multi-beam elements 1400 composed of a microlens array or a microprism array as shown in FIG8 or FIG10, a reflective material (e.g., metallic silver) may be coated on the upper surface or part of the upper surface of the microlens, or on one or both sides of the facets of the microprism, or on the surface of the microlens or microprism adjacent to the first substrate 1100, thereby combining refractive scattering and reflective scattering to generate a corresponding directional beam.

[0113] Such an array of multi-beam elements 1400 can also be called a multi-beam element array with "light recovery" characteristics, because the reflective material coated on the upper surface or part of the upper surface of the microlens, or the facets on one or both sides of the microprism, or the surface of the microlens or microprism adjacent to the first substrate 1100 can reflect the light reflected by the lower surface of the second substrate 1200 (e.g., the surface where the touch sensor is located) back out of the second substrate 1200, thereby improving the overall brightness of the touch display device.

[0114] In some embodiments, the touch display device 1000, 2000, or 3000 as described above may further include a driving assembly disposed on the lower surface of the first substrate 1100. Figures 12 to 14 show schematic diagrams of touch display devices 1000, 2000, or 3000 including driving assemblies according to principles consistent with those described herein.

[0115] For example, FIG12 shows a schematic diagram of the touch display device 1000 shown in FIG2 with the driving component 1500 attached, FIG13 shows a schematic diagram of the touch display device 2000 shown in FIG8 with the driving component 1500 attached, and FIG14 shows a schematic diagram of the touch display device 3000 shown in FIG10 with the driving component 1500 attached.

[0116] As shown in FIG12, the driving assembly 1500 is attached to the lower surface of the first substrate 1100 via an OCA. The driving assembly 1500 may include a backlight source (not shown) for providing light to the liquid crystal layer 1300, and a control circuit or controller (not shown) for controlling the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110.

[0117] For example, a backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer 1300 may include a light guide plate formed of a dielectric material, which can guide light provided by a side-lit light source (e.g., an LED light strip) according to total internal reflection, and scatter the light through the dots on the light guide plate to form a surface light source.

[0118] Optionally, the backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer 1300 may also include a diffusion film to diffuse the light emitted by the surface light source to make the light uniform.

[0119] Optionally, the backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer 1300 may also include a reflective film for recycling and reusing light leaking from the bottom of the light guide plate, thereby improving light utilization efficiency.

[0120] In other embodiments, the backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer 1300 may also include a direct-lit backlight source, which may include a light source panel composed of an LED array and a diffusion film, thereby providing a surface light source that emits light toward the liquid crystal layer 1300 without using a light guide plate.

[0121] The control circuitry or controller for controlling the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110 can be implemented in hardware, in-system, or a combination thereof. For example, the control circuitry or controller for the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110 can be implemented using a substantially hardware-based circuitry method or device (e.g., IC, VLSI, ASIC, FPGA, DSP, in-system, etc.), or it can be implemented using a computer processor or graphics processor to execute software or in-system to implement the control circuitry or controller for the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110, or it can be implemented as a combination of software or in-system and hardware-based circuitry.

[0122] The control circuit or controller used to control the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110 can drive or control the touch sensor 1210 and the liquid crystal driver 1110 in any known manner, which will not be described in detail here.

[0123] The driver component 1500 described above with respect to Figure 12 also applies to the driver components in Figures 13 and 14, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] Similarly, the methods for manufacturing touch display devices 1000, 2000, and 3000 as described in Figures 5, 9, and 11 may also include the step of arranging the driving assembly 1500 on the lower surface of the first substrate 1100. For example, the driving assembly 1500 may be attached to the lower surface of the first substrate 1100 via an OCA.

[0125] Furthermore, in this invention, the various features described with respect to the various embodiments of the touch display device are equally applicable to the manufacturing method of the touch display device, and vice versa, unless otherwise expressly stated herein or clearly not applicable.

[0126] In addition, although not described in detail herein, the touch display device of the present invention may also include other types of components or elements as needed, including but not limited to polarizing plates, color filters, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise or obviously not applicable herein.

[0127] Various examples and embodiments of the touch display device and its manufacturing method have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the examples described above are merely illustrative of some of the many specific examples and embodiments illustrating the principles described herein. Obviously, those skilled in the art can readily design many other arrangements without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0021] The various features of the examples and embodiments according to the principles described herein can be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like structural elements, and in the drawings: FIG1 shows a typical structural diagram of a conventional "split" touch display device. FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a first embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a first example of a touch sensor in a touch display device consistent with the principles described herein. FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a second example of a touch sensor in a touch display device consistent with the principles described herein. FIG5 shows a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a touch display device according to a first embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG6 shows a perspective view of a multi-view display in an example of an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG7 shows a graphical representation of angular components having a specific principal angular direction corresponding to the viewing direction of the multi-view display in an example of an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a second embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG9 shows a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a touch display device according to a second embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a third embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Figure 11 shows a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a touch display device according to a third embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a fourth embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a fifth embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of a touch display device according to a sixth embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Some examples and embodiments may have other features that complement or replace the features shown in the above figures. These and other features are described in detail below with reference to the above figures.

Claims

1. A touch display device, comprising: First substrate; A second substrate; A liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate includes a driving assembly disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, wherein a liquid crystal driver is disposed on the first substrate for driving the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer to emit light from an upper surface of the second substrate, wherein a touch sensor for detecting a touch input is disposed on a lower surface of the second substrate, and wherein the driving assembly includes a backlight for providing light to the liquid crystal layer and a control circuit for controlling the touch sensor and the liquid crystal driver.

2. The touch display device as described in claim 1, further comprising: An array of multi-beam elements is arranged in the liquid crystal layer, each multi-beam element in the array being configured to scatter light to generate a plurality of directional beams, wherein the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer is configured to modulate a corresponding directional beam among the plurality of directional beams by adjusting its rotation direction.

3. The touch display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The multi-beam element array includes one or more of a diffraction grating, a micro-reflection element, and a micro-refractive element. The diffraction grating is configured to diffract and scatter light to generate the plurality of directional beams, the micro-reflection element is configured to reflect and scatter light to generate the plurality of directional beams, and the micro-refractive element is configured to refract and scatter light to generate the plurality of directional beams.

4. The touch display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The liquid crystal driver drives the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer by generating an electric field parallel to the upper surface of the first substrate.

5. The touch display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The touch sensor is a surface capacitive touch sensor or a projected capacitive touch sensor.

6. A method for manufacturing a touch display device, comprising: Provide a first substrate; A liquid crystal driver is disposed on the first substrate; A liquid crystal layer is disposed on a first substrate on which the liquid crystal driver is disposed; a touch sensor is disposed on a lower surface of a second substrate; the second substrate on which the touch sensor is disposed is superimposed on the liquid crystal layer; and a driving assembly is disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, wherein the liquid crystal driver is configured to drive the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer to emit light from an upper surface of the second substrate, and the touch sensor is configured to detect a touch input on the upper surface of the second substrate, and wherein the driving assembly includes a backlight source for providing light to the liquid crystal layer, and a control circuit for controlling the touch sensor and the liquid crystal driver.

7. The manufacturing method as described in claim 6, further comprising: A multi-beam element array is arranged in the liquid crystal layer, wherein each multi-beam element in the multi-beam element array is configured to scatter light to generate a plurality of directional beams, and wherein the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer is configured to modulate a corresponding directional beam among the plurality of directional beams by adjusting its rotation direction.

8. The manufacturing method as described in claim 7, wherein, The multi-beam element array includes one or more of a diffraction grating, a micro-reflection element, and a micro-refractive element. The diffraction grating is configured to diffract light to generate the plurality of directional beams, the micro-reflection element is configured to reflect light to generate the plurality of directional beams, and the micro-refractive element is configured to refract light to generate the plurality of directional beams.

9. The manufacturing method as described in claim 6, wherein, The liquid crystal driver drives the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer by generating an electric field parallel to the upper surface of the first substrate.

10. The manufacturing method as described in claim 6, wherein, The touch sensor is a surface capacitive touch sensor or a projected capacitive touch sensor.

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