Touch panel with tactile feedback and reduced reflections

Abstract

A touch panel system is provided, comprising a display unit, a touch sensor structure and a cover glass, wherein a user touches the cover glass during a touch input to the touch sensor structure, wherein the cover glass is configured to move relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the cover glass is mounted at a predetermined distance d from the display unit, such that the cover glass and the display unit are separated from each other by an empty space, thereby defining opposing inner surfaces, the inner surfaces being coated with an anti-reflective coating, in particular a moth-eye film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various examples of the present invention generally relate to a touch interface, and in particular to a touch panel system with tactile feedback, and a method of causing a touch panel system to provide tactile feedback. Background Art

[0002] A touch panel system consists of a display unit, a touch sensor, and a cover glass bonded to the sensor surface, or a touch sensor applied directly to the back of the cover glass. An actuator is configured to move the entire unit including the display module in the x, y, or z direction in response to the sensor detecting a touch signal, and if applicable, the backlight unit. The actuator provides tactile feedback to the user by moving the display, sensor, and cover glass. The disadvantages of existing touch panel systems are the accelerated mass of the display, touch panel, and cover glass (where unwanted noise is emitted from the system), the need for a lot of energy, and the increased system cost due to the high mass that must be accelerated.

[0003] Therefore, an idea of ​​the proposed method is to provide an advanced touch panel system and a method for operating a touch panel system which overcomes or mitigates at least some of the above-mentioned limitations and disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0004] This is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous features are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0005] The solution according to the invention is described with respect to the claimed touch panel system and with respect to the claimed method for operating the touch panel system. Features, advantages or alternative embodiments herein may be assigned to other claimed objects, and vice versa. In other words, the claim to the method for operating a touch panel may be improved with features described or claimed in the context of the touch panel system, and the claim to the touch panel system may be improved with features described or claimed in the context of the method. In this case, the functional features of the method may be implemented by the corresponding target unit of the touch panel system.

[0006] A touch panel system is provided, comprising a display unit for displaying information to a user on a display surface of the display unit. In other words, graphic information can be displayed to a user on the display surface of the display unit. The touch panel system also includes a touch sensor structure, which is configured to detect a touch input of a user. The touch sensor structure can be a touch sensor based on a known touch sensor technology or any combination of known touch sensor technologies. In various embodiments, the touch sensor structure can extend along the display surface or at least a portion of the display surface. A user can provide a touch input to the touch panel system in response to information displayed to the user on the display surface, wherein the touch input is provided on the cover glass by touching the cover glass at a specific position directly above or perpendicular to the position of the display surface that can correspond to the position of the graphic information displayed on the display surface. In other words, for a user's touch input to the touch panel system, the user can touch the cover glass that covers the touch sensor structure and the display surface toward the user. Wherein, the user perceives the graphic information displayed on the display surface of the display unit by extending along the display surface and / or along the cover glass that extends along the touch sensor structure. The cover glass may be a transparent panel through which the user can perceive the graphic information on the display unit and which mechanically limits the touch panel system to the outside toward the user. It should be understood that the material of the cover glass is not limited to glass material, and any suitable transparent material known in the art may be used.

[0007] The cover glass can be moved relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user. In other words, the touch panel system can be configured to display information to the user on the display unit, detect and receive touch input, the user provides the touch input to the touch sensor by touching the cover glass at a position just above the display surface where he perceives the displayed information, and when the user touches the cover glass, tactile feedback is provided to the user by moving the cover glass relative to the user's body part or stylus (for example, vibrating the cover glass). Wherein, the cover glass is configured to move relative to the display unit (or the display surface of the display unit) to provide tactile feedback to the user. Therefore, by moving the cover glass, tactile feedback can be provided to the user.

[0008] In various examples, the cover glass can be configured and mounted in the touch panel system in a manner such that it can move relative to the display unit and / or relative to the backlight unit and / or other components of the touch panel system as a whole, wherein the cover glass can be attached to at least one actuator and / or the touch panel system outside of the viewable area or visible area of ​​the display.

[0009] In various examples, the cover glass can be moved relative to the user, that is, the user's finger touches the cover glass, wherein the display unit does not move or is actuated relative to the user, that is, the display unit is not moved by at least one actuator that moves the cover glass. In other words, the display unit may not be moved to cause the cover glass to move relative to the user or the user's body part that contacts the cover glass. In other words, the cover glass that can be moved relative to the display unit or the cover glass assembly including the touch sensor structure is moved or vibrated or actuated by at least one actuator to give the user tactile feedback through the cover glass. The cover glass may not be connected, or not connected, or not bonded or fixed to the display unit, so that the display unit may not move in parallel or correspondingly with the cover glass while giving the user tactile feedback. In some embodiments, only the cover glass can be moved by an actuator to provide tactile feedback, and the actuator may be only connected to the cover glass, or may be connected to a static object such as a housing or support structure outside the touch panel system.

[0010] In various examples, the display unit can remain immobile, wherein at least one actuator that moves the cover glass is not mechanically coupled to or is not directly mechanically coupled to the display unit and / or the backlight unit, but is in some examples coupled to an anchor or support structure external to the touch panel structure. In other words, the display unit is mechanically separated from the cover glass, wherein the cover glass is not indirectly moved by moving the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user. Likewise, the cover glass is mechanically separated from the display unit and / or the backlight unit, wherein the display unit and the backlight unit are not moved or actuated by moving the cover glass and / or the actuator, respectively.

[0011] In various examples, the display unit can be a counterweight for movement of the cover glass, in such a manner that the counterweight can be used as an anchor by the actuator and / or moved in an opposite direction, and / or correspond to the cover glass, i.e., the cover glass can be detached from the display unit and moved relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user.

[0012] The cover glass may be configured to move relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user, ie when tactile feedback is provided.

[0013] The lower surface of the cover glass or the sensor structure (e.g. in the case of an on-glass solution), which is the surface facing the display unit, can be covered with an anti-reflective coating, in particular a moth-eye film.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper surface of the display unit, in particular the upper surface of the polarizer, may be the surface directly adjacent to the underside of the cover glass (or sensor structure) so that light may reflect between them, and may be covered with an anti-reflective coating, in particular a moth-eye film.

[0015] Covering at least the lower surface of the cover glass of the sensor with a moth-eye film provides a significant contribution to reducing the overall reflection of the touch panel system, since the polarizer typically already has a lower reflectivity compared to the cover glass.

[0016] By the technology according to the present invention, an improved touch panel system is provided, which can provide tactile feedback to a user in a more energy-efficient manner, with less acoustic noise and reduced reflections. In addition, the touch panel system, in particular the actuator that moves at least some parts of the touch panel system to provide tactile feedback to the user, can be designed and interpreted to reduce mechanical loads and experience less mechanical stress, thereby reducing the overall system cost.

[0017] For example, by moving the cover glass by an actuator coupled to the cover glass, a tactile feedback with a short and direct mechanical transmission path can be provided to the user touching the cover glass, and at the same time the reduction of display reflections of the touch panel interface in sunny conditions can be improved by an additional AR coating. Compared to conventional systems, only the cover glass is moved, so it is not necessary to accelerate the mass of the display and the lighting unit included in the display unit. This will reduce the number of actuators, unwanted noise and system costs.

[0018] A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of a touch panel system comprises the following steps. In a first step, a touch panel system is provided, comprising: a display unit having a display surface for displaying information to a user; a touch sensor or a touch sensor structure configured to detect a touch input by a user; and a cover glass covering the touch sensor structure and at least a portion of the display surface towards the user and configured to be touched by the user during a touch input to the touch panel system or the touch sensor structure. In another step, the touch sensor structure detects a touch input of the user touching the cover glass. In a further step, tactile feedback is provided to the user by moving the cover glass, in particular moving the cover glass relative to the display unit.

[0019] In some examples, the display unit may remain immobile relative to the user, i.e., may not move with or in parallel with the cover glass for / simultaneously providing tactile feedback to the user, or may move as a counterweight in an antiparallel motion corresponding to the movement of the cover glass. In other words, tactile feedback is provided to the user by the movement of the cover glass, wherein at least the display unit may not move, i.e., may not move in parallel with the cover glass, or in some embodiments, may move to a significantly reduced degree relative to the part of the user's body that contacts the cover glass. The method may include the step of providing an anti-reflective coating (in particular a moth eye film) to the lower surface of the cover glass or the touch sensor structure. In various embodiments, in addition, the upper surface of the display unit, in particular the polarizer, may be provided with an anti-reflective coating, in particular a moth eye film. The cover glass may be arranged or mounted at a predetermined distance d from the display surface.

[0020] In some examples, the cover glass may be movable as a whole or entirely, wherein not only some portions of the cover glass move using elastic deformation, but other portions are fixedly mounted.

[0021] An electronic device comprises at least one touch panel system according to the present disclosure. The electronic device may be a handheld electronic device, in particular a mobile device, or a mobile phone.

[0022] A vehicle includes at least one touch panel system according to the present disclosure. The touch panel system may be a touch panel on the vehicle, such as a touch panel of a vehicle console, or a touch panel of an electrical device integrated in the vehicle, or a touch panel control, such as a touch panel control for vehicle navigation, a touch panel control for an entertainment system, or an ambient touch panel control. Likewise, the vehicle may include at least one display, the at least one display including the touch panel system according to the present disclosure.

[0023] A computer program product includes program code to be executed by at least one processor of a computing device, wherein execution of the program code causes the computing device to perform one of the methods for providing tactile feedback to a user according to the present disclosure.

[0024] A computer-readable storage medium includes instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform one of the methods for providing tactile feedback to a user according to the present disclosure.

[0025] For such methods, electronic devices, vehicles, computer program products, and computer-readable storage media for providing tactile feedback to a user, technical effects corresponding to those described for the touch panel system may be achieved.

[0026] It should be understood that the features mentioned above and the features to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations shown, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The features of the above aspects and embodiments can be combined with each other in other embodiments.

[0027] Therefore, the above summary is intended only to give a brief overview of some features of some embodiments and implementations and should not be construed as limiting.Other embodiments may include other features in addition to those described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematically illustrates a touch sensor system according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the touch sensor is bonded to the back of a cover glass;

[0030] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a touch sensor system according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the touch sensor is integrated inside a display structure;

[0031] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a touch sensor system according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the touch sensor is arranged outside of a display structure on an outer glass surface of the display;

[0032] Figure 4 a flow chart showing a method for operating a touch panel system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0033] Figure 5 An electrical device comprising a touch sensor system according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The above and other elements, features, steps and concepts of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, which will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] It should be understood that the following description of each embodiment should not be understood in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited by the embodiments or drawings described below, which are considered to be illustrative examples of the overall inventive concept. Unless otherwise specifically noted, the features of the various embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0036] The accompanying drawings should be considered as schematic representations and the elements shown in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily shown in scale. On the contrary, various elements are represented so that their functions and common uses become apparent to those skilled in the art. Any connection or connection between the functional blocks, devices, parts or other physical or functional units shown in the accompanying drawings or described herein can also be realized by indirect connection or connection. The functional blocks can be realized by hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof. Although the electronic device of the embodiment can be a man-machine interface in an automotive environment (particularly in a vehicle), or can be a handheld communication device or other devices with a touch input interface operated by a user, the touch panel system is not limited to use in such devices.

[0037] Many types of input devices are currently available for performing operations in computing systems, such as buttons or keys, mice, trackballs, joysticks, touch sensor panels, touch screens, etc. Touch panels or touch screens, in general, are integrated tactile visual interfaces that are becoming increasingly popular due to their ease of operation, versatility, and decreasing price. A touch panel system refers to an electronic device that enables a user to interact with a computer by directly touching the display. Incorporating such a touch panel system that detects touch action makes it possible to issue commands to a computer by having the computer sense the position of a finger.

[0038] A touch screen may include a touch sensor with a cover glass, which may be a transparent panel with a touch-sensitive surface, and a display unit such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The display unit may include a display surface, and may be an active matrix display or screen using a pixel matrix. The display unit may be partially or completely positioned behind the cover glass so that the touch-sensitive surface covers at least a portion of the visible area of ​​the display device. The touch panel system enables a user to perform various inputs or functions by physically touching the cover glass of the touch sensor panel using a finger, stylus, or other object at a location that is usually displayed to the user by the HMI displayed by the display unit behind the cover glass. Generally speaking, a touch screen can recognize physical touches and touch locations on the touch sensor panel, which is different from camera-based gesture recognition systems, and a computing system can then interpret the touch based on the display that appears when the touch occurs, and one or more actions can be performed based on the touch thereafter. Many touch panel sensing technologies for sensing touch inputs are known in the art, including resistive films, capacitance, surface acoustic waves (SAW), infrared optical imaging, and electromagnetic induction technologies.

[0039] The touch panel system can be a touch panel system for a car dashboard, such as a car navigation system, a human-machine interface (HMI) in an automotive environment, an ATM, a ticket machine in a train station, an electronic kiosk in a convenience store, a digital photo printer at a large vending machine, a library information terminal, a copier, etc.

[0040] Also, the touch panel system may be a touch panel system for an automobile device,

[0041] Haptic feedback can refer to a sensory system associated with touch. For example, tactile feedback facilitates a user's touch type, or generally identifies feedback, such as selecting or activating a function in response to a user input to a touch panel system or, for example, placing a finger in a certain area on the cover glass of a touch panel system. Touch does not refer to the movement of fingers, but to feeling things, identifying objects (even if you don't look at them), and controlling the interaction with the touch panel system. Tactile feedback caused by the movement (especially vibration) of the surface touched by the user is a common form in electronic products, where tactile feedback can be used to provide tactile feedback to the human hand (especially the fingertips) when using a touch surface (such as a touch panel system).

[0042] Anti-reflective (AR) coatings may refer to types of optical coatings applied to the surface of an optical element (such as the underside or upper side of a cover glass, or the surface of a display) to suppress, reduce or inhibit reflections from the corresponding surface. Typically, this improves efficiency because less light is lost due to reflection. In more complex systems (such as touch panel systems), the reduction in reflections also improves the contrast of the displayed image, particularly by eliminating stray light and multiple reflections between the internal surfaces of the touch panel system (such as the display surface, the sensor surface, and the underside of the cover glass). Many AR coatings consist of a transparent thin film structure with alternating contrasting refractive index layers, and the layer thickness is selected to produce destructive interference in the light beam reflected from the interface and constructive interference in the corresponding transmitted light beam. AR coating technologies known in the art are index matching, single-layer interference, multi-layer interference, absorption, circular polarization, and textured coatings.

[0043] Textured coatings can be used as AR coatings where reflection can be reduced by texturing the surface with 3D pyramids or 2D grooves (gratings). If the wavelength is larger than the texture size, the texture behaves like a gradient index film with reduced reflection. In this case, for calculating the reflection, an effective dielectric approximation can be used. To minimize reflection, various pyramid profiles have been proposed, such as cubic, quintic or integer index profiles. The anti-reflection properties of textured surfaces are well discussed in the literature for various size-to-wavelength ratios (including long-wave and short-wave limits) to find the optimal texture size.

[0044] Specifically, the moth eye is covered with a natural nanostructured film that eliminates reflections. As an example of many moth eye structures, the moth eye structure can, for example, consist of a hexagonal pattern of protrusions, each protrusion is about 200nm high and the center spacing is 300nm. In this example of an anti-reflective moth eye coating, an AR effect is provided because the protrusions are smaller than the wavelength of visible light, so the light sees the surface as having a continuous refractive index gradient between the air and the medium, which reduces reflections by effectively removing the air-glass interface.

[0045] Conventional touch panel systems consist of a display unit, a touch sensor, and a cover glass bonded to the sensor surface, or a sensor applied directly to the back of the cover glass (i.e., an on-glass solution). When the sensor detects a touch signal, the actuator moves the entire unit including the display module in the x, y, or z direction, and if applicable, the backlight unit. The actuator provides tactile feedback to the user by moving the display, sensor, and cover glass.

[0046] The disadvantages of conventional systems are the acceleration of the masses of the display, touch panel and cover glass. The system can emit unwanted noise. Due to the high masses that must be accelerated, a lot of energy is required and the cost of the system increases.

[0047] Hereinafter, a detailed description of a touch panel system with tactile feedback (in other words, a touch panel or a touch display) and a method for providing tactile feedback to a user according to aspects and embodiments of the present invention will be explained.

[0048] Figure 1 A touch sensor system 100 is schematically shown in which a touch sensor structure 60 is bonded to the back side of a cover glass 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] like Figure 1 As depicted, the touch panel system 100 (particularly, it may be a touch panel system in an automotive environment (e.g., in-vehicle)) includes a display unit 50. The display unit 50 has a display surface 40 (or in other words, an upper side) facing the user, and displays information to the user on the display surface. In this embodiment, the display unit 50 includes a polarizer or a front polarizer as the uppermost or outer layer of the display unit 50, in other words, the surface of the polarizer represents the display surface 40 of the display unit 50. In some embodiments, the touch panel system 100 may include an illumination unit or a backlight unit (not shown), wherein in some examples, the display unit 50 may include an illumination unit.

[0050] In addition, the touch panel system 100 includes a cover glass 20. The cover glass 20 is combined with a sensor structure 60 of the capacitive touch panel system. The cover glass 20 has a front or upper side facing the user, and a back side facing the display unit 50.

[0051] Generally speaking, the upside / upper side or front of a component may refer to the side facing the user, and the backside or underside of the component faces the inside of the touch panel system 100, that is, away from the user, toward the touch panel system, or toward the display unit 50. The z direction may refer to a direction perpendicular to the display surface 40, or a direction perpendicular to the plane of the display surface 40 and the cover glass 20, which are parallel to each other, and the x direction and the y direction may refer to a direction perpendicular to the z direction and a direction within a plane with respect to the plane of the display surface 40 and / or the plane of the cover glass 20.

[0052] As from Figure 1 It can be seen that the cover glass 20 is separated from the display unit 50. The touch sensor structure 60 or more generally the touch sensor 60 extends along at least a portion of the display surface 40 and is bonded to the cover glass 20 (particularly the back side of the cover glass 20). This solution can be referred to as an on-glass solution or an on-glass touch sensor structure 60.

[0053] The back surface of the touch panel sensor structure 60 is located on the side facing the front polarizer of the display, which may be an LCD display or an OLED display. The upper side of the cover glass 20 is covered with a surface coating 10 that reduces reflections and / or resists scratches.

[0054] exist Figure 1 , the cover glass 20 and the sensor structure 60 are arranged or mounted at a distance d from the display unit 50. In other words, the cover glass assembly including at least the cover glass 20 and not including the display unit 50 is arranged at a distance d from the surface 40 of the display unit 50 (or more generally from the display unit 50). By the distance d, opposite inner surfaces are defined on both sides of the distance d, and the distance can be a space or an air gap, wherein one inner surface is the display surface 40 of the display unit 50, and the second inner surface is the lower side of the touch sensor structure 60.

[0055] An anti-reflective (AR) coating 30 (in other words, a film that reduces reflections) may be applied to at least one of the opposing interior surfaces. Figure 1In the example of , both inner surfaces are coated with a moth-eye structure surface. Specifically, a moth-eye structure film is applied on the polarizer surface of the display unit 50, and a second moth-eye structure film is applied on the opposite surface on the sensor side. The film can be configured to reduce the surface reflection to a value of <1%. Specifically, by movably arranging the cover glass 20 at a distance with a gap from the display surface 40 of the display unit 50, a 3D nanostructure film (especially a moth-eye film) can be used, which is easily destroyed by mechanical contact and provides a particularly good anti-reflection effect.

[0056] The described touch panel system 100 suppresses incident light and avoids the inner surface (ie, the lower surface of the display surface 40 and the cover glass 20 assembly, specifically, Figure 1 The suppression effect is independent of the distance between the display surface 40 and the sensor surface, so the optical effect will not be visible during the movement of the cover glass (i.e. by the actuator) in the z direction. Movements in the x and y directions also have no effect on the total reflection value of the system. The readability of the display in sunlight conditions is improved by at least one AR coating, in particular a moth-eye film on both sides of the inner space d. Total reflection of the display and the touch panel is within the scope of a bonded touch panel solution.

[0057] As indicated by the arrows, the cover glass 20 is moved in the plane of the display and / or perpendicular to said plane, for example by an actuator ( Figure 1 ), tactile feedback can be provided to the user and reflections on the display system will be kept reduced. At least one actuator can be connected to the cover glass outside the visible area of ​​the display unit. Compared to conventional touch panel systems with tactile feedback, in which the entire touch panel system is moved, for example vibrated (by moving the display unit and / or the lighting unit together with the cover glass, in other words, in the same movement, or parallel to the cover glass), according to the present invention, only the cover glass is moved, so it is not necessary to accelerate the mass of the display unit and the lighting unit. This will reduce the number of actuators required to provide clearly perceived tactile feedback, shorten the acceleration time, avoid unwanted noise and reduce system costs.

[0058] Figure 2 and Figure 3 An example is shown in which the touch sensor 60 is integrated inside the display structure, which may be referred to as an in-unit solution or an in-unit touch sensor structure 60, or the touch sensor 60 may be outside the display structure, on the outer glass surface of the display unit 50, which may be referred to as an on-unit solution or an on-unit touch sensor structure 60.

[0059] Figure 2A touch sensor system 100 is schematically shown in which a touch sensor 60 is integrated inside a display structure 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 2 The depicted touch panel system 100 is configured similar to Figure 1 The touch panel system shown in FIG. Figure 1 The difference is that the touch center structure 60 is integrated inside the display unit 50. Figure 1 , the cover glass 20 is arranged at a distance or space d from the display surface 40.

[0061] Figure 3 A touch sensor system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown, wherein the touch sensor 60 is arranged outside the display structure 50 and on the outer glass surface of the display unit 50 .

[0062] Figure 3 The touch panel system 100 depicted in FIG. 1 is configured similarly to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The touch panel system shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The touch center structure 60 is arranged outside the unit 50 and below the front polarizer of the display unit 50. The cover glass 20 is similar to Figure 1 The described arrangement is arranged at a distance or space d from the display surface 40 .

[0063] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the example of , the touch sensor structure 60 is located below the display polarizer and does not move during the haptic feedback phase.

[0064] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the moth-eye film 30 that suppresses reflection is located on two inner surfaces at a distance d, namely on the opposite surfaces of the display front polarizer and the sensor glass. In this case, the incident light is suppressed, reducing the reflection of light between the surfaces and improving readability under sunlight conditions. For tactile feedback, only moving the cover glass 20 or the glass cover will reduce the mass of the acceleration part, reduce noise and reduce the energy required to provide tactile feedback.

[0065] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for operating a touch panel system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0066] A method for providing tactile feedback for a touch panel system 100 starts in step S10. In step S20, a touch panel system 100 is provided. The touch panel system 100 includes: a display unit 50, which includes a display surface 40 for displaying information to a user; a touch sensor structure 60, which is configured to detect a touch input of a user; and a cover glass, which covers the touch sensor structure 60 and the display surface 40 toward the user and is configured to be touched by the user during a touch input to the touch sensor structure 60. In step S30, the touch center structure 60 detects the user's touch input to the outer surface of the cover glass 20. In step S40, tactile feedback is provided to the user (i.e., the user's body part touching the cover glass 20) through the cover glass 20 by moving the cover glass 20 relative to the user's body part touching the cover glass 20 and relative to the display unit 50. The method ends in step S50.

[0067] In various examples, the touch panel system 100 may be contained in a housing (not depicted), or in other words, supported by the housing. During tactile feedback, the cover glass 20 may move relative to the housing. In various examples, the display unit 50 may include an illumination unit of the display unit 50, and generally the touch panel system may include other functional entities known in the art. In this regard, Figures 1 to 3 The schematic illustrations of are not intended to be limiting, although they are based on the principle that at least or only the portion touched by the user, i.e., in various embodiments, at least the cover glass 20 touched by the user is moved to provide tactile feedback to the user. In various examples, the housing of the touch panel system 100 can support the display unit 50, wherein the cover glass 20 can be moved relative to the housing and / or the display unit 50.

[0068] Figure 5 Schematically illustrated is an electrical device 200 comprising a touch sensor system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The electrical device may be a handheld electrical device, or it may be an electrical device in an automotive environment, such as an electrical device installed or integrated in a vehicle.

[0069] The electrical device includes a touch panel system 100, at least one processor 210, and a memory 220. The memory 220 includes program codes to be executed by at least one processor 210 of the computing device 200. The execution of the program codes enables the at least one processor 210 to perform one of the methods for providing tactile feedback to a user according to the present disclosure.

[0070] In various embodiments, the electrical device 1 may include an input interface, which may include a touch panel system 100. According to various examples, the touch panel system may include a touch sensor structure 60, which is a proximity sensitive touch sensor array extending along the display surface. The input surface may be defined by a cover glass or window covering the display unit 50. The touch panel system 100 may include the display unit 50, thereby realizing a touch-sensitive screen. The handheld device 200 has at least one processor 210, which is coupled to the touch panel system 100. The processing device 4 may include an application specific integrated circuit and / or one or more processors. For illustration, the functions of the processing device 4 described below may be performed by the controller 12 of the touch sensor panel. Alternatively or in addition, the functions of the processing device 4 described below may also be performed by the application processor 11 of the handheld device 200. At least one processor 210 may be configured so that, at least in some operating modes, it determines the actuation position of the offset correction by processing the data captured by the proximity sensitive touch sensor array. At least one processor 210 may determine how the distance between the finger and the input surface changes with the change of position.

[0071] The electronic device 200 can be operated as a handheld communication device (e.g., a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, etc.), or can be a console or part of a console in a vehicle. The electronic device 200 may include components for voice communication, which may include a microphone 6, a speaker 7, and a wireless communication interface 9 for communicating with a wireless communication network. In addition to the touch panel system 100, the electronic device 200 may have separate hard keys 8 (such as function keys and / or control keys), which may be supported on the housing 10 of the electronic device 1. In some embodiments, the electronic device may also include a force sensor 13. The force sensor 13 may be operated to determine the force of one or more fingers pressing against the cover glass 20. At least one processor 211 may be operated to perform different functions based on the sensed force. The force may serve as an additional input coordinate, sometimes also referred to as the "z coordinate" of the actuation operation. At least one processor 210 may be operable to control the at least one actuator to move the cover glass 20 by controlling the cover glass 20 to perform movement within a plane, in the x and / or y direction, and / or in the z direction to provide tactile feedback to the user.

[0072] Based on the above, some general conclusions can be drawn:

[0073] The cover glass 20 can be movable or configured to be moved in the z-direction, i.e. perpendicular to the display surface 40 and / or perpendicular to the plane of the cover glass, i.e. in the x and / or y-direction, or in other words, actuated by at least one actuator in order to provide and / or simultaneously provide tactile feedback to the user.

[0074] The display unit 50 may be one of an LCD or OLED display, or in some embodiments a simple indicator such as a masked light emitting unit. It should be understood that the technology of the display unit 50 may include any display technology known in the art.

[0075] The cover glass 20 can be connected to the display unit via at least one actuator and moved relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the display unit and / or the backlight unit can remain relative to the user without being moved by the actuator, in other words, the display unit and / or the lighting unit (i.e., the backlight unit) may not be directly connected or coupled to the at least one actuator.

[0076] The cover glass 20 may be movable or configured to move in a plane relative to the plane of the cover glass (i.e., parallel to the display surface 40) (this may be movement in the x and / or y direction) to provide tactile feedback to the user. Providing tactile feedback by moving the touch surface in a lateral direction or in a plane relative to the touch surface may provide particularly precise optical feedback and facilitate the construction of a support or fixture for a movable cover glass.

[0077] The cover glass may be arranged at a predetermined distance d from the display surface 40 of the display unit 50 , and in various embodiments, the cover glass may be arranged at the distance d along the display surface or at least a visible (user-visible) portion of the display surface 40 .

[0078] At least one of the inner surfaces defined on either side of the predetermined distance d may be covered with an anti-reflective coating. This allows for better readability, for example in sunlight conditions.

[0079] The touch sensor structure 60 may be an on-glass touch sensor structure, or an in-cell touch sensor structure, or an on-cell touch sensor structure.

[0080] The touch sensor structure 60 may be an on-glass touch sensor structure extending along and attached to a lower surface of a cover glass, wherein at least one of the lower surface of the touch sensor structure 60 and the display surface 40 is covered with an anti-reflection coating 30 .

[0081] The touch sensor structure 60 may be an in-cell touch sensor structure or an on-cell touch sensor structure in which at least one of the lower surface of the cover glass and the display surface 40 is covered with the anti-reflection coating 30 .

[0082] The anti-reflective (AR) coating 30 may be a (3D) nanostructured AR coating, in particular a moth-eye film.

[0083] The cover glass may be arranged to have an air gap with the surface of the display unit 50 .

[0084] Both inner surfaces of the air gap may be coated with a moth-eye film.

[0085] In summary, in the field of touch-sensitive displays, a touch panel system is provided, which includes a display unit, a touch sensor structure and a cover glass, wherein a user touches the cover glass during a touch input to the touch sensor structure, wherein the cover glass is configured to move relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user. In addition, the cover glass is arranged or mounted at a predetermined distance d from the display unit, so that the cover glass and the display unit are separated from each other by an empty space. The opposing inner surfaces defined by the distance d are coated with an anti-reflective coating, in particular a moth-eye film.

[0086] Thus, an improved touch panel for tactile feedback and an improved method for providing tactile feedback can provide tactile feedback to a user in a more energy-efficient manner with less acoustic noise. An actuator for moving at least a portion of a touch panel system to provide tactile feedback to a user can be designed for lower mechanical stress, thereby reducing overall system cost.

[0087] Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications and is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A touch panel system (100), comprising: - a display unit (50) comprising a display surface (40) for displaying information to a user; - a touch sensor structure (60) configured to detect a touch input by the user; as well as a cover glass covering the touch sensor structure (60) and the display surface (40) towards the user and configured to be touched by the user during the touch input to the touch sensor structure (60); wherein the cover glass is configured to move relative to the display unit (50) to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the lower surface of the touch sensor structure and the display surface (40) are covered with a first anti-reflection coating and a second anti-reflection coating, respectively, wherein the cover glass is arranged to have an air gap with the surface of the display unit (50), wherein the cover glass is moved relative to the display unit (50) within the air gap by at least one actuator to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the display unit (50) remains unmoved by the actuator, The first anti-reflective coating moves toward the second anti-reflective coating in the air gap when the at least one actuator moves the cover glass toward the display unit.

2. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the cover glass or a lower surface of the touch sensor structure is covered with a moth-eye film.

3. A touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover glass is connected to the display unit (50) by at least one actuator and moves relative to the display unit to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the display unit (50) remains unmoved by the actuator.

4. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover glass is movable parallel to the display surface (40).

5. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover glass is movable perpendicular to the display surface (40).

6. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover glass is arranged at a predetermined distance from the display surface (40).

7. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the surfaces defined on both sides of the predetermined distance is covered with an anti-reflection coating (30).

8. A touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the touch sensor structure (60) is a glass touch sensor structure extending along and attached to the lower surface of the cover glass, wherein at least one of the lower surface of the touch sensor structure and the display surface (40) is covered with an anti-reflective coating (30).

9. A touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the touch sensor structure (60) is an in-cell touch sensor structure or an on-cell touch sensor structure, wherein at least one of the lower surface of the cover glass and the display surface (40) is covered with an anti-reflective coating (30).

10. The touch panel system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-reflection coating (30) is a 3D nanostructured anti-reflection coating.

11. The touch panel system (100) of claim 10, wherein the anti-reflective coating is a moth-eye film.

12. The touch panel system (100) of claim 1, wherein both inner surfaces of the air gap are coated with a moth-eye film.

13. A method for providing tactile feedback via a touch panel system (100), the method comprising: -Providing a touch panel system (100), comprising: - a display unit (50) comprising a display surface (40) for displaying information to a user; - a touch sensor structure (60) configured to detect touch input by the user; and a cover glass covering the touch sensor structure (60) and the display surface (40) towards the user and configured to be touched by the user during the touch input to the touch sensor structure (60); - wherein the lower surface of the sensor structure and the display surface (40) are covered with a first anti-reflection coating and a second anti-reflection coating, respectively, - wherein the cover glass is arranged to have an air gap with the surface of the display unit (50); - detecting a touch input of the user to the cover glass; and - providing tactile feedback to the user by moving the cover glass relative to the display unit (50), The cover glass is moved relative to the display unit (50) within the air gap by at least one actuator to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the display unit (50) remains unmoved by the actuator, and wherein the first anti-reflective coating moves toward the second anti-reflective coating in the air gap when the at least one actuator moves the cover glass toward the display unit.

14. An electronic device comprising at least one touch panel system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A vehicle comprising a display comprising at least one touch panel system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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