Sensor module and touch panel having the same

Abstract

The present application provides a sensor module and a touch panel with the sensor module. The non-contact touch panel can be easily applied to an existing system. The sensor module comprises a cover member, a first non-contact sensor array with a plurality of first sensor electrodes, a control unit receiving a detection signal output from the first sensor array and generating coordinate information according to the detection signal, a driving unit receiving the coordinate information from the control unit and outputting a driving signal according to the coordinate information, and a driving electrode array arranged in overlap with the first sensor array and driven according to the driving signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One embodiment of this disclosure relates to a sensor module and a touch panel having the sensor module, and more particularly to a sensor module having a hover sensor and a touch panel having the sensor module. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, touch panels, which incorporate touch sensors on display panels such as LCD panels, were practically used. Touch panels can be operated by touching their surface with a finger or pen. They are installed in ATMs (automatic teller machines), self-checkout machines, ticket vending machines, and similar establishments. However, when operating touch panels with fingers, multiple users may directly contact the touch panel with their fingertips. Therefore, there is a potential hygiene concern regarding the risk of bacterial or viral infections through direct contact with the touch panel.

[0003] To address this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a touch panel system that detects the touch position with appropriate accuracy in a touch panel that accepts input from fingers and pens.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-97820 Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide a non-contact touch connection panel that can be easily applied to existing systems.

[0006] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a sensor module comprising: a cover member; a non-contact first sensor array having a plurality of first sensor electrodes and overlapping the cover member; a control unit that receives a detection signal output from the first sensor array and generates coordinate information based on the detection signal; a drive unit that receives the coordinate information from the control unit and outputs a drive signal based on the coordinate information; and a drive electrode array that overlaps the first sensor array and is driven according to the drive signal.

[0007] One embodiment of this disclosure relates to a touch panel comprising: a first sensor module; and a second sensor module, which is disposed overlapping the first sensor module. The first sensor module comprises: a cover member; a non-contact first sensor array having a first detection area and being disposed overlapping the cover member, the first detection area having a plurality of first sensor electrodes; a control unit that receives a first detection signal output from the first sensor array and generates coordinate information based on the first detection signal; a driving unit that receives the coordinate information from the control unit and outputs a driving signal based on the coordinate information; and a driving electrode array that is driven according to the driving signal. The second sensor module comprises a second sensor array having a second detection area, the second detection area being disposed overlapping the first detection area across the driving electrode array, the second detection area having a plurality of second sensor electrodes, and the second sensor array determining a detection position corresponding to the first detection signal within the second detection area based on the driving signal supplied to the driving electrode array. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a top view illustrating an example of the configuration of a first sensor array according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a first sensor array according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a driving electrode array according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a first IC element and a second IC element according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a third IC element according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a second sensor array according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a touch panel according to one embodiment.

[0016] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0017] 10…Touch panel, 100…First sensor module, 101…Cover component, 103…First sensor array, 105…Drive electrode array, 107…Circuit board, 109…Board, 111…First sensor electrode, 112…Voltage adjustment circuit, 113…First IC element, 115…Second IC element, 117…Third IC element, 119…Shielding electrode, 121…Board, 123…Drive electrode, 200…Second sensor module, 201…Second sensor array, 203…Cover component, 211…Board, 213…Second sensor electrode, 300…Control unit, 301…Control circuit, 303…Memory unit, 309…A / D conversion unit, 315…Arithmetic unit, 317…I / O interface, 400…Drive unit, 401…Drive circuit, 403…Drive control unit, 420…Power supply unit, 801…Detected object. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without departing from its spirit. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the embodiments illustrated below. To make the description clearer, the drawings sometimes schematically show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of the parts compared to the actual embodiments. However, the drawings are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present disclosure.

[0019] When describing embodiments of this disclosure, expressions such as "above" or "below" merely describe the relative positional relationship of the elements. For example, the expression "above" the first constituent element is disposed of the second constituent element includes not only the case where the first constituent element is located "directly above" the second constituent element, but also the case where there are other constituent elements between the first and second constituent elements. Furthermore, expressions such as "above" or "below" include not only the case where the elements overlap when viewed from above, but also the case where they do not overlap.

[0020] In this specification, statements such as "α includes A, B, or C", "α includes any one of A, B, and C", and "α includes one selected from the group consisting of A, B, and C" do not exclude the possibility that α includes multiple combinations of A to C unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, these statements do not exclude the possibility that α includes other elements.

[0021] When describing embodiments of this disclosure, elements having the same function as those already described are sometimes referred to using the same reference numerals or letters, and the description is omitted. For example, when multiple elements labeled with a certain reference numeral exist in the drawings, they are sometimes distinguished by being labeled "a", "b", etc. On the other hand, when it is not necessary to distinguish each element, only the reference numeral representing that element is used for description.

[0022] [Components of a Touch Panel]

[0023] Reference Figure 1 The configuration of a touch panel 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a touch panel 10 according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the touch panel 10 includes a first sensor module 100 and a second sensor module 200.

[0025] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 6 The configuration of the first sensor module 100 will be described. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the first sensor module 100 includes a cover component 101, a first sensor array 103, a driving electrode array 105, a circuit board 107, a first IC element 113, a second IC element 115, and a third IC element 117.

[0026] The cover component 101 can also be a glass substrate. However, the material of the cover component 101 is not limited to glass. For example, the cover component 101 can also be made of an insulating material that is permeable to visible light, such as acrylic resin.

[0027] The first sensor array 103 is a self-capacitance type non-contact sensor array. The first sensor array 103 is arranged overlapping the cover component 101. Figure 2 This is a top view showing an example of the configuration of the first sensor array 103. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the first sensor array 103. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first sensor array 103 includes a substrate 109, a plurality of first sensor electrodes 111, and a voltage adjustment circuit 112. The first sensor array 103 may also include a shielding electrode 119 (shielding component).

[0028] Substrate 109 is an insulating substrate. Substrate 109 may also be a glass substrate. However, substrate 109 is not limited to a glass substrate. Substrate 109 may also be made of an insulating material that allows visible light to pass through. Examples of such insulating materials include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), vinyl resins, polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), acrylic resins, cellulose triacetate (TAC), and other resin materials. The shape of substrate 109 is not limited, but as an example, the case where substrate 109 is rectangular with sides along a first direction Dx and a second direction Dy orthogonal to the first direction Dx will be described here.

[0029] A first detection area 110 is provided on one surface of the substrate 109. A plurality of first sensor electrodes 111 are disposed in the first detection area 110. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, multiple first sensor electrodes 111 can be arranged in a matrix on the substrate 109 along the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy. Figure 2 As an example, a plurality of first sensor electrodes 111 are shown arranged in a matrix of 4 rows × 9 columns on the substrate 109. However, the number and arrangement of the first sensor electrodes 111 are not limited thereto.

[0030] The first sensor electrode 111 can also be formed by a rectangular planar pattern. The size of the first sensor electrode 111 can be, for example, a rectangle of 28mm × 30mm. However, the size of the first sensor electrode 111 is not limited to this. If the size of the first sensor electrode 111 increases, the sensitivity of the first sensor electrode 111 increases. That is, the larger the size of the first sensor electrode 111, the farther away the detected object can be. On the other hand, if the size of the first sensor electrode 111 is too large, the detection accuracy of the position of the detected object close to the first sensor array 103 decreases. Therefore, the size of the first sensor electrode 111 only needs to be large enough to detect objects far from the non-contact first sensor array 103 and to determine the position of objects close to the non-contact first sensor array 103. Specifically, the first sensor electrode 111 preferably has a size sufficient to detect objects approximately 3 to 5 cm away from the non-contact first sensor array 103. The size of the first sensor electrode 111 can also be larger than the size of the electrode (drive electrode 123) disposed in the drive electrode array 105 described later.

[0031] The first sensor electrode 111 may also be made of a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO), a conductive polymer such as PEDOT / PSS (a thiophene-based polymer), or a metallic material such as fine metal wires (grid layout). Two adjacent first sensor electrodes 111 are electrically independent of each other.

[0032] Multiple first sensor electrodes 111 are connected to a voltage adjustment circuit 112 via wiring (not shown). Each first sensor electrode 111 is supplied with a drive signal via the wiring. The drive signal can also be a pulse voltage (AC square wave). When a conductor (e.g., a human finger) that is being detected approaches a first sensor electrode 111, a pseudo-capacitor is formed between the electrode constituting the first sensor electrode 111 and the detected object. As a result, the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111 changes. The change in capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111 can also be output as a detection signal (first detection signal). Alternatively, the magnitude of the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111 can also be output as a detection signal. The detection signal is output to the voltage adjustment circuit 112 via the wiring.

[0033] A voltage adjustment circuit 112 receives detection signals from a plurality of first sensor electrodes 111 via wiring. The voltage adjustment circuit 112 includes operational amplifiers (not shown) connected to each wiring. The voltage adjustment circuit 112 amplifies the input detection signals. The amplified detection signals by the voltage adjustment circuit 112 are output to the circuit board 107.

[0034] Alternatively, a shielding electrode 119 may be provided on the other side of the substrate 109. The shielding electrode 119 covers approximately the entire surface of the other side of the substrate 109, covering the area where all the first sensor electrodes 111 are disposed. The shielding electrode 119 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, PEDOT / PSS, or other conductive polymers. A predetermined voltage is applied to the shielding electrode 119 at the same time as the predetermined voltage (drive signal) is applied to the first sensor electrode 111. The shielding electrode 119 prevents changes in the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111 due to the voltage applied to the drive electrode array 105 described later.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the drive electrode array 105. The drive electrode array 105 is disposed overlapping with the first sensor array 103. The drive electrode array 105 includes a substrate 121 and a plurality of drive electrodes 123.

[0036] Substrate 121 is an insulating substrate. Substrate 121 can also be a glass substrate. However, substrate 121 is not limited to a glass substrate. Substrate 121 can also be made of an insulating material that allows visible light to pass through. Examples of such insulating materials include the same material used to constitute substrate 109 described above. The shape of substrate 121 is not limited, but as an example, a rectangular shape with sides along a first direction Dx and a second direction Dy orthogonal to the first direction Dx will be described here. Substrate 121 overlaps with substrate 109 of the first sensor array 103.

[0037] Multiple driving electrodes 123 are disposed on one surface of the substrate 121. These driving electrodes 123 may be disposed on the surface of the substrate 121 opposite to the first sensor array 103 or opposite to the second sensor module 200. The multiple driving electrodes 123 may be arranged in a matrix on the substrate 121 along the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy. The driving electrodes 123 may also be formed by a rectangular planar pattern. The size of the driving electrodes 123 may also be smaller than the size of the first sensor electrodes 111 disposed on the substrate 109 of the first sensor array 103. For example, the size of the driving electrodes 123 may be a rectangle of 4-5 mm × 4-5 mm.

[0038] The driving electrode 123 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, PEDOT / PSS, or a metallic material such as fine metal wires (grid layout). Two adjacent driving electrodes 123 are electrically independent of each other. Each of the multiple driving electrodes 123 receives a driving signal output from the driving unit (driving unit 400) via wiring provided on the circuit board 107. Charge accumulates in the driving electrode 123 to which the driving signal is applied.

[0039] As described above, substrate 121 overlaps with substrate 109 of the first sensor array 103. Here, the positional relationship between the plurality of first sensor electrodes 111 disposed on substrate 109 and the plurality of driving electrodes 123 disposed on substrate 121 is arbitrary. However, as described above, when the size of the driving electrodes 123 is smaller than the size of the first sensor electrodes 111 of the first sensor array 103, each first sensor electrode 111, when configured from above, overlaps with the plurality of driving electrodes 123.

[0040] The circuit board 107 can also be a flexible circuit (FPC) board. A first IC element 113, a second IC element 115, and a third IC element 117 are mounted on the circuit board 107.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the first IC element 113 and the second IC element 115. (Refer to...) Figure 5The configuration of the first IC element 113 and the second IC element 115 will be described.

[0042] The first IC element 113 can also be an IC chip including an analog front end (AFE). Detection signals output from a plurality of first sensor electrodes 111 disposed on the first sensor array 103 are input to the first IC element 113 via a voltage adjustment circuit 112. The detection signals input to the first IC element 113 are adjusted by the analog front end. The adjusted detection signals are output from the first IC element 113 to the second IC element 115 via wiring (not shown). Alternatively, the analog front end can also be disposed on the substrate 109 together with the voltage adjustment circuit 112. In this case, the first IC element 113 can be omitted.

[0043] The second IC element 115 can also be a microcontroller unit (MCU). The MCU of the second IC element 115 constitutes the control unit 300. The control unit 300 includes a control circuit 301, a memory unit 303, an A / D conversion unit 309, an arithmetic unit 315, and an I / O interface 317.

[0044] The control circuit 301 executes the control program stored in the ROM 305 (described later) through the CPU to generate coordinate information representing the position of the detected object based on the detection signal output from the first IC element 113.

[0045] The memory unit 303 includes a ROM 305 and a RAM 307. The ROM 305 is readable and stores various computer programs executed by the control circuit 301, as well as various data referenced by the control circuit 301 when executing the specified computer program. The RAM 307 is used as a working memory for temporarily storing various data generated by the control circuit 301 when executing the specified computer program. Additionally, the RAM 307 can also be used as a memory for temporarily storing the executing computer program or its associated data.

[0046] The A / D conversion unit 309 includes a low-pass filter (LPF) 311 and an A / D converter 313. The low-pass filter 311 removes high-frequency components (noise components) from the detection signal. The A / D converter 313 samples the noise-removed analog detection signal and converts it into a digital signal. The A / D conversion unit 309 outputs the digitized detection signal to the arithmetic unit 315.

[0047] The arithmetic unit 315 can also be a logic circuit that determines whether a detected object is close to the first sensor array 103 and thus determines the position of the detected object in coordinates. The arithmetic unit 315 determines whether a detected object is close to the first sensor array 103 based on the digitized detection signal input from the A / D conversion unit 309. When a detection signal representing a change in capacitance is output from one of the first sensor electrodes 111, the arithmetic unit 315 determines that the detected object is close to the first sensor electrode 111 that output the detection signal, and determines the position of the detected object in xy coordinates based on the position of the first sensor electrode 111. The arithmetic unit 315 generates coordinate information representing the position of the detected object in xy coordinates. The coordinate information includes at least x-coordinate information (first coordinate information) and y-coordinate information (second coordinate information). The arithmetic unit 315 transmits the coordinate information to the third IC element 117 via the I / O interface 317.

[0048] When the first sensor electrode 111 outputs a detection signal indicating the capacitance, the arithmetic unit 315 determines whether the detected capacitance has changed from a previously detected capacitance. If the determination result is that the detected capacitance has changed by a predetermined amount or more, the arithmetic unit 315 determines that the object being detected has approached the first sensor electrode 111 where the capacitance has changed, and determines the position of the object being detected based on the position of the first sensor electrode 111 that output the detection signal. Furthermore, if the determination result is that the detected capacitance has not changed from a previously detected capacitance, or if the capacitance has changed but the change is less than a predetermined amount, the arithmetic unit 315 determines that the object being detected has not approached the first sensor electrode 111 with that capacitance. Additionally, the circuits of the second IC element 115 described above can also be provided on the substrate 109 together with the voltage adjustment circuit 112. In this case, the second IC element 115 can be omitted.

[0049] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the third IC component 117. (Refer to...) Figure 6 The configuration of the third IC element 117 will be described below. The third IC element 117 includes a driving unit 400 and a power supply unit 410.

[0050] The driving unit 400 generates a driving voltage (driving signal) for driving the driving electrode array 105 and outputs the generated driving voltage to the driving electrode array 105. The driving unit 400 includes a driving circuit 401 and a driving control unit 403.

[0051] The drive control unit 403 receives coordinate information from the control unit 300. Based on the x-coordinate and y-coordinate information contained in the received coordinate information, the drive control unit 403 selects at least one drive electrode 123 from a plurality of drive electrodes 123 that corresponds to the x-coordinate and y-coordinate information. That is, the drive control unit 403 selects at least one drive electrode 123 from a plurality of drive electrodes 123, and this at least one drive electrode 123 corresponds to the coordinates in the first direction Dx corresponding to the x-coordinate information and the coordinates in the second direction Dy corresponding to the y-coordinate information. The drive control unit 403 may also maintain a table that associates the x-coordinate and y-coordinate information with the plurality of drive electrodes 123 respectively. The drive control unit 403 may also refer to this table to select at least one drive electrode 123 from the plurality of drive electrodes 123 that corresponds to the x-coordinate and y-coordinate information contained in the received coordinate information. The drive control unit 403 outputs a drive control signal indicating the selected drive electrode 123 to the drive circuit 401.

[0052] The driving circuit 401 generates a driving voltage (driving signal) for driving the driving electrode array 105 and outputs the generated driving voltage to the driving electrode array 105. Here, the driving circuit 401 outputs a driving voltage to at least one driving electrode 123 selected from a plurality of driving electrodes 123 disposed in the driving electrode array 105 according to the driving control signal. The driving voltage is fixed at a certain voltage.

[0053] Furthermore, as described above, a shielding electrode 119 may also be provided between the first sensor array 103 and the driving electrode array 105. The shielding electrode 119 can also prevent the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111 from changing due to the voltage applied to the driving electrode array 105. When the driving voltage applied to the driving electrode 123 of the driving electrode array 105 is large enough to cause a change in the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111, or when the gap between the first sensor array 103 and the driving electrode array 105 is small, providing a shielding electrode 119 between the first sensor array 103 and the driving electrode array 105 can minimize the influence of the driving electrode 123 on the first sensor electrode 111.

[0054] Next, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 The configuration of the second sensor module 200 will be described.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the second sensor module 200 is disposed overlapping the first sensor module 100. The second sensor module 200 includes a second sensor array 201 and a cover member 203. Alternatively, the first module 100 can be superimposed on the second sensor array 200 without passing through the cover member 203.

[0056] The second sensor array 201 is a self-capacitive sensor array using a capacitive method. Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the second sensor array 201. The second sensor array 201 includes a substrate 211, a voltage adjustment circuit 215, and a plurality of second sensor electrodes 213.

[0057] The substrate 211 may also be a glass substrate. The substrate 211 is an insulating substrate. The substrate 211 may also be a glass substrate. However, the substrate 211 is not limited to a glass substrate. The substrate 211 may also be made of an insulating material that is permeable to visible light. As such an insulating material, the same material used to constitute the substrate 109 described above can be cited. The shape of the substrate 211 is not limited, but as an example, the case where the substrate 211 is rectangular with sides along the first direction Dx and a second direction Dy orthogonal to the first direction Dx will be described here. The substrate 211 overlaps with the substrate 121 of the driving electrode array 105.

[0058] A second detection region 210 is disposed on one surface of the substrate 211. A plurality of second sensor electrodes 213 are disposed in the second detection region 210. The second detection region 210 overlaps with a first detection region 110 disposed on the substrate 109 of the first sensor array 103, separated by a driving electrode array 105. Figure 7 As shown, a plurality of second sensor electrodes 213 can be arranged in a matrix on the substrate 211 along the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy. The positional relationship between the second sensor electrodes 213 and the plurality of driving electrodes 123 disposed on the substrate 121 of the driving electrode array 105 is preferably one-to-one correspondence.

[0059] The second sensor electrode 213 can also be composed of a rectangular planar pattern. The second sensor electrode 213 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, PEDOT / PSS, or a metallic material such as fine metal wires (grid layout). Among the multiple second sensor electrodes 213, adjacent second sensor electrodes 213 are electrically independent of each other.

[0060] Multiple second sensor electrodes 213 are connected to a voltage adjustment circuit 215 via wiring. The multiple sensors 213 are supplied with drive signals via wiring. The drive signals can also be pulse voltages. When a drive signal is applied to one of the drive electrodes 123 of the drive electrode array 105, a dummy capacitor is formed between one of the drive electrodes 123 and the second sensor electrode 213 opposite to it. As a result, the capacitance of the second sensor electrode 213 changes. This change in capacitance of the second sensor electrode 213 can also be output as a detection signal (second detection signal). Alternatively, the magnitude of the capacitance of the second sensor electrode 213 can also be output as a detection signal. The detection signal is output to the voltage adjustment circuit 215 via wiring.

[0061] The detection signal output from the second sensor electrode 213 is transmitted to the voltage adjustment circuit 215 via wiring. The voltage adjustment circuit 215 includes an operational amplifier (not shown). The voltage adjustment circuit 215 amplifies the input detection signal and outputs the amplified detection signal to the detection circuit. Alternatively, the detection circuit may be disposed on the substrate 211 together with the voltage adjustment circuit 215. The detection circuit detects the position of the second sensor electrode 213, where the capacitance has changed, based on the detection signal. Detection method and reference. Figure 5 The detection methods performed in the first IC element 113 and the second IC element 115 are substantially the same. By detecting the position of the second sensor electrode 213 where the capacitance has changed, the position of the conductor being detected is determined.

[0062] The cover component 203 can also be a glass film. However, the material of the cover component 203 is not limited to glass. For example, the cover component 203 can also be made of an insulating material that is transparent to visible light, such as acrylic resin.

[0063] [Touch panel actions]

[0064] Next, refer to Figure 8 The operation of the touch panel 10 will be explained. Figure 8 This is a simplified diagram illustrating one example of the operation of the touch panel 10. Figure 8 The circuit board 107 is omitted from the illustration.

[0065] When the object being detected 801 approaches the first sensor array 103 of the first sensor module 100, the capacitance of the first sensor electrode 111a and the first sensor electrodes 111b to 111i surrounding the first sensor electrode 111a changes. The first sensor electrodes 111a to 111i output a detection signal (first detection signal) based on the change in capacitance.

[0066] The detection signal is input to the first IC element 113 and output to the second IC element 115 via the AFE. The control unit 300 of the second IC element 115 calculates the coordinates based on the input detection signal and through the arithmetic unit 315. In other words, the control unit 300 calculates the coordinates based on the change in capacitance of the first sensor electrodes 111a to 111i that output the detection signal and the position of each first sensor electrode 111, determining the position of the detected object 801 in the xy coordinates. Here, the position of the detected object 801 in the xy coordinates is set as (x1, y1). The control unit 300 generates coordinate information representing the determined position (x1, y1) of the detected object 801 in the xy coordinates. The coordinate information is output from the control unit 300 to the third IC element 117.

[0067] Coordinate information is input to the drive unit 400 of the third IC element 117. The drive control unit 403 selects at least one drive electrode 123 that receives the applied drive voltage from the drive unit 400 based on the coordinate information. Here, the case where the drive control unit 403 selects at least one drive electrode 123a corresponding to the x-coordinate information and y-coordinate information from a plurality of drive electrodes 123 based on the x-coordinate information and y-coordinate information contained in the coordinate information will be described. The drive electrode 123a is positioned at a position (x1, y1) on the xy-coordinate axis above the detected object 801.

[0068] Furthermore, the driving unit 400 generates a driving voltage for driving the driving electrode array 105, and outputs the generated driving voltage to the driving electrode 123a selected according to the coordinate information.

[0069] When a driving voltage is applied to the driving electrode 123a, a charge is introduced into the driving electrode 123a, forming a pseudo-capacitor between the driving electrode 123a and the second sensor electrode 213a among the plurality of second sensor electrodes 213 disposed in the second sensor array 201. As a result, the capacitance of the second sensor electrode 213a changes. The change in capacitance of the second sensor electrode 213a is output as a detection signal (second detection signal). Here, the second sensor electrode 213a, like the driving electrode 123a, is disposed at a position corresponding to the position (x1, y1) of the detected object 801 on the xy coordinate system above.

[0070] In this embodiment, a predetermined driving voltage is applied to at least one driving electrode 123 of the driving electrode array 105 corresponding to the position (x1, y1) of the detected object 801 on the xy coordinate system. This forms a dummy capacitor between the driving electrode 123, to which the driving voltage is applied, and the second sensor electrode 213 of the second sensor array 201 provided in the second sensor module 200, replacing the detected object 801. The change in capacitance in this dummy capacitor is the same as the change in capacitance when the detected object 801 directly touches the second sensor electrode 213 (or the second detection area 210). Therefore, even if the detected object does not touch the second detection area 210 of the second sensor array 201, the position of the detected object 801 in the second detection area 210 can be determined. Thus, unlike conventional capacitive touch panels, in this embodiment, the second sensor module can be activated without the detected object directly touching it. That is, the user can obtain the same effect as directly touching the second detection area 210 without directly contacting it.

[0071] Furthermore, when the existing capacitive touch panel used in ATMs, automatic checkout machines, ticket vending machines, etc., is the second sensor module 200 described above, the touch panel 10 of the above embodiment can be configured simply by mounting the first sensor module 100 of this embodiment on the second sensor module, or by further connecting the units associated with each other's drive control as needed, without replacing the existing system or changing the device itself that constitutes the display unit. Therefore, the first sensor module 100 of this embodiment can be applied to existing systems, and a contactless touch panel can be easily implemented.

[0072] Any modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above embodiments, such as adding, deleting, or designing constituent elements, or adding, omitting, or changing processes or conditions, are included within the scope of this disclosure as long as they capture the spirit of the subject.

[0073] Furthermore, any effects that differ from those achieved through the embodiments described above, but are obvious from the description in this specification or that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art, are naturally understood to be the result of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising: First sensor module; and The second sensor module is arranged overlapping the first sensor module. The first sensor module includes: Cover components; A non-contact first sensor array has a first detection area and is overlapped with the cover component. The first detection area has a plurality of first sensor electrodes. The control unit receives a first detection signal output from the first sensor array and generates coordinate information based on the first detection signal. The driving unit receives the coordinate information from the control unit and outputs a driving signal based on the coordinate information; as well as The driving electrode array is driven according to the driving signal. The second sensor module includes a second sensor array, which has a second detection area. The second detection area is configured to overlap with the first detection area across the driving electrode array. The second detection area has multiple second sensor electrodes. The second sensor array determines a position corresponding to the coordinate information within the second detection area based on a driving signal supplied to the driving electrode array. The driving electrode array has multiple driving electrodes. The size of the first sensor electrode is larger than the size of the driving electrode, and the electrodes of each first sensor are arranged to overlap with multiple driving electrodes that are adjacent to each other when viewed from above.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein, The first sensor electrode includes a first electrode whose capacitance changes according to the proximity of the conductor. The first detection signal is a signal indicating a change in the capacitance of the first sensor electrode, or a signal indicating the magnitude of the capacitance.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The coordinate information includes first coordinate information representing coordinates in a first direction and second coordinate information representing coordinates in a second direction different from the first direction. The driving signal is output based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

4. The touch panel according to claim 3, wherein, The driving signal is applied to at least one of the plurality of driving electrodes, wherein the at least one driving electrode corresponds to a coordinate in the first direction corresponding to the first coordinate information and a coordinate in the second direction corresponding to the second coordinate information.

5. The touch panel according to claim 4, wherein, The driving electrodes of the driving electrode array and the second sensor electrodes of the second sensor array are respectively positioned opposite each other in a one-to-one relationship. The second sensor array determines the position within the second detection region based on the change in capacitance of the second sensor electrode opposite to the driving electrode to which the driving signal has been applied among the plurality of driving electrodes.

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