Array substrate, panel, handwriting pad and driving method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an array substrate, a panel, a handwriting board and a driving method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of handwriting boards. The array substrate (AR) of the present disclosure has a handwriting area (AA) and a peripheral area (BB) surrounding the handwriting area (AA), wherein the handwriting area (AA) comprises a plurality of handwriting sub-areas (A1); wherein the array substrate (AR) comprises a plurality of NFC coils (D1) and a plurality of erasing units (D2). The plurality of NFC coils (D1) are one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of handwriting sub-areas (A1); and the plurality of erasing units (D2) are one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of handwriting sub-areas (A1). The array substrate (AR) of the present disclosure can reduce the frame of the handwriting board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of handwriting tablet technology, and more specifically, to an array substrate, a panel, a handwriting tablet, and a driving method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of LCD display technology, LCD handwriting tablets are being used more and more widely in education, business applications, and other fields. Currently, the bezels of handwriting tablets are relatively thick, which cannot fully meet the demand for narrow bezels.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an array substrate, panel, handwriting tablet and driving method thereof, thereby reducing the bezel of the handwriting tablet.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an array substrate is provided having a handwriting area and a peripheral area surrounding the handwriting area, the handwriting area including at least one handwriting sub-region; in at least one of the handwriting sub-regions, the array substrate is provided with an NFC coil and an erasing unit.

[0006] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the handwriting area includes a plurality of handwriting sub-areas; in each of the handwriting sub-areas, the array substrate is provided with the NFC coil and the erasing unit.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the array substrate includes a substrate, a base color layer, and a driving layer stacked together; the base color layer is disposed on the side of the driving layer close to the substrate; the driving layer has pixel electrodes distributed in an array.

[0008] The erasure unit in the handwriting sub-region includes each of the pixel electrodes located in the handwriting sub-region.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving layer is provided with scan lines extending in the row direction and data lines extending in the column direction;

[0010] The driving layer also includes thin-film transistors that are electrically connected to each of the pixel electrodes; the source of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the data line, the gate of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the scan line, and the drain of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the corresponding pixel electrode.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the NFC coils is disposed on the driving layer, and the NFC coil is composed of a plurality of sub-electrodes; the orthographic projection of the sub-electrodes on the substrate is located between the orthographic projections of the pixel electrodes on the substrate.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving layer includes a gate layer on which the scan lines are disposed and a source / drain metal layer on which the data lines are disposed;

[0013] Some of the sub-electrodes are disposed on the gate layer and / or some of the sub-electrodes are disposed on the source / drain metal layer.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-electrode includes a row sub-electrode extending along the row direction and a column sub-electrode extending along the column direction;

[0015] The row sub-electrode is located in the gate layer; the column sub-electrode is located in the source / drain metal layer.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the array substrate further includes a sensing layer, and the NFC coil is located within the sensing layer.

[0017] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an anti-reflection layer is provided on the side of the sensing layer near the driving layer.

[0018] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the traces of the NFC coil at least partially overlap with the pixel electrode.

[0019] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the orthographic projections of the NFC coil traces on the substrate have overlapping positions; the overlapping positions of the orthographic projections of the NFC coil traces are located within the orthographic projection of the pixel electrode on the substrate.

[0020] The overlapping positions of the orthographic projections of the traces of the NFC coil are bridged by the driving layer.

[0021] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the sensing distance of the NFC coil is between 1 and 5 cm.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the array substrate has sensing pads electrically connected to the NFC coil in the peripheral area; each of the sensing pads is located on the same side of the handwriting area.

[0023] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a handwriting tablet panel is provided, comprising a cover plate, a liquid crystal layer, and the array substrate described above, which are stacked sequentially.

[0024] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the erasing unit includes a pixel electrode; the cover plate is provided with a common electrode layer.

[0025] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a handwriting tablet is provided, including the handwriting tablet panel described above, and an erasing assembly including a control module and an NFC chip; the control module is electrically connected to each of the NFC coils and each of the erasing units.

[0026] The control module is configured to drive the erasure unit in the handwriting sub-area to erase the written content in the handwriting sub-area after receiving a target sensing signal sent by the NFC coil in the handwriting sub-area.

[0027] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a handwriting tablet driving method is provided for driving the aforementioned handwriting tablet; the handwriting tablet driving method includes:

[0028] Each of the NFC coils is checked one by one to see if a target sensing signal is generated, wherein the target sensing signal is generated by the NFC coil sensing the NFC chip;

[0029] When the NFC coil in any handwriting sub-region generates the target sensing signal, an erasure signal is sent to the erasure unit in that handwriting sub-region; the erasure signal can be responded to by the erasure unit to erase the writing content in that handwriting sub-region.

[0030] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, detecting whether each of the NFC coils generates a target sensing signal includes:

[0031] Each of the NFC coils is checked one by one to see if it generates a sensing signal. The detection time for each NFC coil is a first threshold time. If any of the NFC coils generates a sensing signal, the detection time for that NFC coil is extended to a second threshold time, and then it is determined whether the sensing signal is the target sensing signal.

[0032] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0034] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handwriting tablet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handwriting tablet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the display of written content in the handwriting area of ​​a handwriting tablet according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the erasure of written content in a specific handwriting sub-region using a handwriting tablet according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 12 This is a partial top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing only a portion of the structure.

[0046] Figure 13 This is a partial top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing only a portion of the structure.

[0047] Figure 14 This is a partial top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing only a portion of the structure.

[0048] Figure 15 This is a partial top view of an array substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing only a portion of the structure.

[0049] Figure 16This is a schematic diagram of a driving method for a handwriting tablet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0051] AA, Handwriting area; A1, Handwriting sub-area; BB, Peripheral area; D1, NFC coil; P1, Sub-electrode; P11, Row sub-electrode; P12, Column sub-electrode; D2, Eraser unit; P2, Pixel electrode; TFT, Thin film transistor; DL, Data line; GL, Scan line; L1, Sensing trace; L2, Eraser trace; PAD1, Sensing pad; PAD2, Eraser pad; AR, Array substrate; LC, Liquid crystal layer; FS, Cover plate; E1, Frame; E2, Sealing adhesive; PS, Support; F100, Substrate; F200, Base color layer; F300, Driving layer; F400, Sensing layer; F500, Anti-reflective layer. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0053] Although relative terms such as "up" and "down" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down." When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0054] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0055] This disclosure provides a handwriting tablet and its driving method. See also: Figure 1 and Figure 2The handwriting tablet may include a handwriting tablet panel PNL and a control module CTR for controlling the handwriting tablet panel PNL. The handwriting tablet panel PNL may include an array substrate AR, a liquid crystal layer LC, and a cover plate CF stacked sequentially.

[0056] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer LC can be a bistable liquid crystal, particularly a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal. In the non-writing state, the cholesteric liquid crystal exhibits a focal conic texture, weakly scattering ambient light, causing the writing tablet to display a base color (e.g., a dark color). When writing with a pen or pencil, pressure causes the cholesteric liquid crystal to change from a focal conic texture to a planar texture, selectively reflecting visible light and displaying a specific color (e.g., yellow-green), thereby displaying the corresponding written content.

[0057] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 A pixel electrode P2, controlled by a control module CTR, can be disposed on the array substrate AR, and a common electrode layer (not shown in the figure) is disposed on the cover plate CF; a liquid crystal layer LC is sandwiched between the pixel electrode P2 and the common electrode layer. When an erase voltage is applied between the pixel electrode P2 and the common electrode layer, the electric field between the pixel electrode P2 and the common electrode layer can cause the liquid crystal to return to the focal cone texture, achieving the effect of erasing the written content.

[0058] In some embodiments, the cover plate CF may include a flexible substrate, with a common electrode layer disposed on the side of the flexible substrate near the liquid crystal layer LC. Thus, when the cover plate CF is pressed, it can deform to compress the liquid crystal, thereby causing the liquid crystal to transform into a planar texture.

[0059] In some embodiments, the cover plate CF may also have an orientation layer located on the side (inner side) of the common electrode layer away from the flexible substrate.

[0060] In some embodiments, the handwriting panel PNL may also include a support PS located between the array substrate AR and the cover plate CF to help maintain the thickness of the liquid crystal cell. The support PS may be a silicon ball, a plastic ball, a resin ball, etc., or it may be a support PS such as a resin pillar or resin boss pre-formed on the array substrate AR or the cover plate CF.

[0061] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The handwriting panel PNL may also include a sealing adhesive E2 located between the array substrate AR and the cover plate CF. The sealing adhesive E2 may be disposed around the handwriting area AA of the handwriting panel PNL to seal the liquid crystal layer LC and connect the array substrate AR and the cover plate CF.

[0062] See Figure 5The array substrate AR has a handwriting area AA and a peripheral area BB surrounding the handwriting area AA. The handwriting area AA includes at least one handwriting sub-region A1. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the handwriting area AA includes a plurality of handwriting sub-regions A1. Within the handwriting area AA, a writing pattern can be formed by pressing (e.g., with a finger or pen).

[0063] In at least one handwriting sub-region A1, the array substrate AR is provided with an NFC coil and an erasing unit. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the array substrate AR includes a plurality of NFC (Near Field Communication) coils D1 and a plurality of erasing units D2. The plurality of NFC coils D1 are disposed one-to-one in the plurality of handwriting sub-regions A1. The plurality of erasing units D2 are disposed one-to-one in the plurality of handwriting sub-regions A1. In other words, each handwriting sub-region A1 is provided with one NFC coil D1 and one erasing unit D2. The erasing unit D2 in the handwriting sub-region A1 includes a pixel electrode P2 located in the handwriting sub-region A1. In the handwriting tablet, the control module CTR is electrically connected to each NFC coil D1 and each erasing unit D2. The control module CTR is configured to drive the erasing unit D2 in the handwriting sub-region A1 to erase the written content in the handwriting sub-region A1 after receiving a target sensing signal sent by the NFC coil D1 in the handwriting sub-region A1.

[0064] As an example, the array substrate AR may also have a sensing pad PAD1 electrically connected to the NFC coil D1, and the control module CTR may be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 to receive the sensing signal from the NFC coil D1. The array substrate AR may also have an erasure pad PAD2 electrically connected to the erasure unit D2, and the control module CTR may be electrically connected to the erasure pad PAD2 to drive the erasure unit D2 to erase the written content in the handwriting sub-area A1.

[0065] In related technologies, infrared positioning is typically used to determine the area to be erased. This method requires a large bezel to accommodate the infrared components (infrared emitter and receiver). This results in a large bezel size for current handwriting tablets. The handwriting tablet disclosed in this invention can reduce its thickness while achieving area positioning and partial erasure. This eliminates the need for infrared components in the bezel, thus significantly reducing the bezel size and increasing the screen-to-body ratio.

[0066] Furthermore, the bezel needs to protrude outwards to accommodate the infrared component in front of the handwriting pad panel PNL, enabling positioning and operation in front of the PNL. This would significantly increase the thickness of the handwriting pad panel PNL. However, in the solution disclosed herein, the NFC coil D1 is disposed in the array substrate AR, eliminating the need for a positioning component in the bezel. Therefore, the handwriting pad of this disclosure can reduce its thickness while achieving area positioning and partial erasure, and also avoids the need for an infrared component, thus reducing the power consumption of the handwriting pad.

[0067] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 1 The handwriting tablet can also be equipped with a border E1. In this border E1, components such as infrared components for positioning can be omitted, so that the thickness of the border E1 can be reduced, and in particular, the height of the border E1 protruding from the handwriting tablet panel PNL can be reduced, thereby improving the overall appearance of the handwriting tablet.

[0068] In another embodiment of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 Furthermore, the handwriting tablet can be made without a border to further reduce its thickness and increase the area ratio of the handwriting area, thus achieving an ultra-narrow bezel and ultra-thin design.

[0069] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control module CTR may include a circuit distribution structure C1 and a control circuit C2. The circuit distribution structure C1 may be bonded to the sensing pad PAD1 and the erasing pad PAD2, and electrically connected to the control circuit C2, enabling the control circuit C2 to interact with the NFC coil D1 and the erasing unit D2 through the circuit distribution structure. Optionally, the circuit distribution structure may include a circuit board or a flexible circuit board, or a flexible film with traces. The control circuit structure may receive signals from the NFC coil D1 and send signals to the erasing unit D2 to control the handwriting tablet. The control circuit structure may include a printed circuit board, a chip, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other circuits capable of implementing control functions connected to the circuit distribution structure.

[0070] In this disclosure, the control module CTR may include a first control module for controlling the NFC coil D1 and a second control module for controlling the erasure unit D2, with the first and second control modules interacting with each other. Exemplarily, the control module CTR may include an NFC control circuit board serving as the first control module. The NFC control circuit board can be electrically connected to each sensing pad PAD1 and controls each NFC coil D1 to be electrically connected to the NFC circuit board one by one. When the NFC coil D1 is electrically connected to the NFC circuit board, the NFC circuit board can receive signals from the NFC coil D1, such as receiving a sensing signal and determining whether the sensing signal is a target sensing signal.

[0071] Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, the control module CTR can be a module that integrates the dual functions of NFC coil D1 monitoring and erasure unit D2 control, and its pins can be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 and the erasure pad PAD2. In particular, the sensing pad PAD1 and the erasure pad PAD2 can be mixed and arranged as needed.

[0072] The handwriting tablet disclosed herein also includes an erasing component with a built-in NFC chip. This erasing component can be an eraser, eraser, erasing pen, or similar item with a built-in NFC chip. When the NFC coil D1 in any handwriting sub-area A1 senses the NFC chip, it can send a sensing signal (as a target sensing signal) to the control module CTR. The control module CTR can then send an erasing signal to the erasing unit D2 in that handwriting sub-area A1, driving the erasing unit D2 to erase the written content in that handwriting sub-area A1, thus achieving the erasure of written content in a specific handwriting sub-area A1. In other words, by setting the NFC coil D1, the handwriting tablet of this disclosure can achieve the positioning of the area to be erased and the selective erasure of the written content in that area.

[0073] See Figure 6 When a user needs to write on the handwriting tablet, they can press the tablet with their finger or a stylus; the liquid crystal in the pressed area of ​​the handwriting tablet transforms into a planar texture, which then reflects specific colors to form handwriting notes, thereby displaying the written content PA.

[0074] See Figure 7 When it is necessary to erase the written content in a specific handwriting sub-area A1', an object with an NFC chip can be brought close to that sub-area A1'. The NFC coil D1 in the sub-area A1' senses the NFC chip and generates a target sensing signal, which is then sent to the control module CTR. The control module CTR, in response to the sensing signal from the sub-area A1', sends an erasure signal to the erasure unit D2 in the sub-area A1'. The erasure unit D2 in the sub-area A1' causes the liquid crystal in the sub-area A1' to change to a focal cone texture, thereby changing from a reflective state to a scattering state, making the sub-area A1' appear as a base color, and thus erasing the written content in the sub-area A1'.

[0075] Optionally, see Figure 16 The handwriting tablet disclosed herein can be driven according to the following driving method to erase the written content in a specific handwriting sub-region A1':

[0076] Step S110: Check each NFC coil D1 to see if it generates a target sensing signal. The target sensing signal is generated by the NFC coil D1 sensing the NFC chip.

[0077] Step S120: When a target sensing signal is detected by the NFC coil D1 in any handwriting sub-area A1, an erasure signal is sent to the erasure unit D2 in the handwriting sub-area A1; the erasure signal can be responded to by the erasure unit D2 to erase the writing content in the handwriting sub-area A1.

[0078] In one embodiment of this disclosure, step S110 can be implemented by the following method:

[0079] Each NFC coil D1 is checked one by one to see if it generates a sensing signal. The detection time for each NFC coil D1 is the first threshold time. If any NFC coil D1 generates a sensing signal, the detection time for that NFC coil D1 is extended to the second threshold time, and then it is determined whether the sensing signal is the target sensing signal.

[0080] In this way, the control module CTR can cyclically detect each NFC coil D1 one by one. When there is no sensing signal from an NFC coil D1, the detection time for the NFC coil D1 is only a short first threshold time. This reduces the detection cycle, thereby shortening the time interval between two adjacent detections of the same NFC coil D1, and thus improving the response speed of the control module CTR to the NFC chip. During the cyclic detection process, if a sensing signal is detected from any NFC coil D1, the detection time for that NFC coil D1 is automatically extended to a longer second threshold time, so that the control module CTR can fully receive the sensing signal and determine whether the sensing signal is the target sensing signal; this can improve the sensing accuracy of the NFC chip and avoid false erasures caused by external electromagnetic interference; in addition, it can also give the control module CTR enough time to drive the corresponding erasure unit D2 to ensure that the writing content in the handwriting sub-area A1 corresponding to the NFC coil D1 is completely erased. Thus, the driving method of the handwriting tablet disclosed herein can achieve a balance between improving response speed and improving positioning accuracy.

[0081] In one embodiment of this disclosure, in step S110, when detecting whether each NFC coil D1 generates a target sensing signal, each NFC coil D1 can be turned on with the control module CTR one by one; when the NFC coil D1 is turned on with the control module CTR, the control module CTR can receive the signal on the NFC coil D1.

[0082] In some embodiments of this disclosure, see Figure 5The handwriting area AA can be divided into multiple handwriting sub-areas A1, and the handwriting area AA is composed of each handwriting sub-area A1. In this way, each area of ​​the handwriting area AA of the handwriting tablet has a corresponding NFC coil D1 and erasing unit D2, and each can be selectively erased from the written content in response to the NFC chip.

[0083] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the handwritten sub-region A1 is rectangular, and its edges can extend along the row or column direction. This facilitates the division of the handwritten sub-region A1. Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, the handwritten sub-region A1 can also be other shapes, such as hexagons, triangles, etc.

[0084] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the size of each handwriting sub-region A1 may be the same. Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, different handwriting sub-regions A1 may have different sizes or shapes.

[0085] For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the handwriting area AA is divided into multiple arrayed handwriting sub-regions A1, each of which is rectangular and has the same size.

[0086] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The array substrate AR may include a substrate F100, a base color layer F200, and a driving layer F300 stacked together, wherein the base color layer F200 is disposed on the side of the driving layer F300 near the substrate F100. In some embodiments, the base color layer F200 may be disposed between the driving layer F300 and the substrate F100. In other embodiments, the base color layer F200 may be disposed on the side of the substrate F100 away from the driving layer F300, for example, a base color film serving as the base color layer F200 may be attached to the back side of the substrate F100 (the side away from the driving layer F300).

[0087] Pixel electrodes P2 can be disposed in the driving layer F300. Specifically, a handwriting sub-region A1 may include one or more pixel electrodes P2. An erasing unit D2 for a handwriting sub-region A1 may include each pixel electrode P2 located within that handwriting sub-region A1. Further, the pixel electrodes P2 are arrayed in the driving layer F300.

[0088] The substrate F100 can be an inorganic material or an organic material. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the substrate F100 can be made of glass materials such as soda-lime glass, quartz glass, or sapphire glass, or metal materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, or nickel. In another embodiment of this disclosure, the substrate F100 can be made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl phenol (PVP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyimide, polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or combinations thereof. In another embodiment of this disclosure, the substrate F100 can also be a flexible substrate F100, for example, the substrate F100 can be made of polyimide (PI). The substrate F100 can also be a composite of multiple materials. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the substrate F100 may include a bottom film, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, a first polyimide layer and a second polyimide layer stacked sequentially.

[0089] In some embodiments, the base color layer F200 can be a film layer with high absorption rate to reduce light reflection, thereby making the base color layer F200 dark, such as black or dark blue. In this way, the base color of the writing tablet can be dark. For example, the base color layer F200 can be a black resin layer or a black plastic layer.

[0090] In this disclosure, each pixel electrode P2 can be driven by either active or passive driving. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the pixel electrode P2 can be directly connected to the erase pad PAD2 via erase traces, and electrically connected to the control module CTR via the erase pad PAD2. In this way, the control module CTR can drive each pixel electrode P2 passively, that is, apply an erase voltage as an erase signal to the pixel electrode P2 in a passive driving manner.

[0091] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the driving layer F300 further includes switching elements (e.g., thin-film transistors or other transistors) electrically connected to each pixel electrode P2 in a one-to-one correspondence, and is provided with scan lines GL extending in the row direction and data lines DL extending in the column direction. See also Figure 12Taking a thin-film transistor (TFT) as the switching element, the erase unit D2 in the handwriting sub-region A1 also includes TFTs connected one-to-one with each pixel electrode P2. The gate of the TFT is connected to the scan line GL, the drain of the TFT is connected to the pixel electrode P2, and the source of the TFT is connected to the data line DL. In this way, the control module CTR can actively drive each pixel electrode P2 in the erase unit D2 by scanning line by line, that is, apply an erase voltage as an erase signal to the pixel electrode P2. In other words, see... Figure 12 The erase unit D2 in the handwriting sub-region A1 may include one or more erase sub-units D20. Each erase sub-unit D20 includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode P2 electrically connected to the TFT. When an erase voltage needs to be applied to a pixel electrode P2, a scan signal can be applied to the scan line GL corresponding to the pixel electrode P2, and an erase voltage can be applied to the data line DL corresponding to the pixel electrode P2. In this way, the TFT connected to the pixel electrode P2 turns on in response to the scan signal and applies the erase voltage from the data line DL to the pixel electrode P2. In this embodiment, the data line DL can be electrically connected to the erase pad PAD2 as an erase trace.

[0092] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 15 Each handwriting sub-region A1 includes multiple pixel electrodes P2 arranged in an array. Thus, in some cases, the erasing accuracy can be improved by adjusting the driving method. In other cases, the erasing process of the pattern in the handwriting sub-region A1 can be controlled by controlling the order in which the power is applied (erasing voltage is applied) to each pixel electrode P2 in the handwriting sub-region A1. This, in turn, enhances the similarity between the handwriting tablet and a real blackboard / whiteboard by demonstrating the erasing process, further improving the user experience.

[0093] For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, step S120 can be implemented by the following method:

[0094] When a target sensing signal is detected by the NFC coil D1 in a specific handwriting sub-region A1', each pixel electrode P2 in the specific handwriting sub-region A1' is driven line by line. When any pixel electrode P2 in the specific handwriting sub-region A1' is driven, a scan signal is applied to the scan line GL connected to the thin-film transistor TFT of that pixel electrode P2, and an erase voltage is applied to the data line DL connected to the thin-film transistor TFT of that pixel electrode P2.

[0095] Furthermore, the individual pixel electrodes P2 in the specific handwriting sub-region A1' can be driven row by row in a top-to-bottom order (from the end furthest from the erase pad PAD2 to the end closest to the erase pad PAD2). Of course, other orders can also be used to drive the individual pixel electrodes P2 in the specific handwriting sub-region A1', such as driving row by row from bottom to top, or driving sequentially from one diagonal (vertical corner) to the other (non-adjacent vertical corners).

[0096] The following is an exemplary description of the film structure of the driving layer F300, taking the active driving capability of the driving layer F300 as an example.

[0097] In this example, the driving layer may include a stacked transistor layer and a pixel electrode layer; wherein the transistor layer is located between the pixel electrode layer and the substrate. Pixel electrodes are disposed on the pixel electrode layer, and the transistor layer has thin-film transistors electrically connected to each pixel electrode in a one-to-one correspondence. The thin-film transistors may be selected from top-gate thin-film transistors, bottom-gate thin-film transistors, or dual-gate thin-film transistors; the material of the active layer of the thin-film transistor may be amorphous silicon semiconductor material, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon semiconductor material, metal-oxide semiconductor material, organic semiconductor material, or other types of semiconductor material; the thin-film transistor may be an N-type thin-film transistor or a P-type thin-film transistor. The transistor may have a source, a drain, and a gate. It is understood that the source and drain of a transistor are two relative and interchangeable concepts; when the operating state of the transistor changes, such as when the current direction changes, the source and drain of the transistor can be interchanged.

[0098] See in this example. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The transistor layer may include a gate layer F301, a gate insulating layer F302, a semiconductor layer F303, and a source / drain metal layer F304, stacked between the base color layer F200 and the pixel electrode layer F306. The positional relationship of each film layer can be determined according to the film layer structure of the thin-film transistor. Further, the active layer of the thin-film transistor can be formed on the semiconductor layer F303. Gate layer traces such as scan lines GL and the gates of the thin-film transistors can be formed on the gate layer F301. Source / drain metal layer traces such as data lines DL can be formed on the source / drain metal layer F304.

[0099] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving layer F300 may further include a passivation layer F305, which may be disposed on the surface of the source / drain metal layer F304 away from the substrate F100, so as to protect the source / drain metal layer F304.

[0100] In this disclosure, structural layer A is located on the side of structural layer B away from the substrate. This can be understood as structural layer A being formed on the side of structural layer B opposite to the substrate. When structural layer B is a patterned structure, a portion of structural layer A may also be located at the same physical height as or below the physical height of structural layer B, wherein the substrate serves as the height reference.

[0101] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving layer F300 may further include a planarization layer located between the source / drain metal layer F304 and the pixel electrode layer F306, the planarization layer providing a planarized surface for the pixel electrode. Optionally, the material of the planarization layer may be an organic material.

[0102] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving layer F300 may further include an interlayer dielectric layer, which is located on the side of the semiconductor layer, gate layer, and other film layers away from the substrate, and the source / drain metal layer F304 is located on the side of the interlayer dielectric layer away from the substrate.

[0103] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 The driving layer F300 may include a gate layer F301, a gate insulating layer 302, a semiconductor layer F303, a source / drain metal layer F304, a passivation layer F305, and a pixel electrode layer F306. The thin-film transistor thus formed is a bottom-gate thin-film transistor.

[0104] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the pixel electrode layer F306 can be made of a light-transmitting material, meaning the pixel electrode P2 can be a transparent electrode. This reduces reflection from the pixel electrode, facilitating clear pattern display. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the pixel electrode layer can be made of a metal oxide, such as ITO (indium tin oxide).

[0105] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the NFC coil D1 may be disposed in the driving layer F300. In other words, the NFC coil D1 may share a metal layer with the driving layer F300, and in particular, may be fabricated in a common process.

[0106] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 3The driving layer F300 contains a pixel electrode P2 and a thin-film transistor (TFT) that drives the pixel electrode P2. The driving layer F300 has a gate layer F301 and a source / drain metal layer F304. A scan line GL connected to the TFT can be disposed on the gate layer F301 and extend along the row direction, while a data line DL connected to the TFT can be disposed on the SD and extend along the column direction. The NFC coil D1 can consist of multiple sub-electrodes P1, with some sub-electrodes disposed on the gate layer F301 and / or some electrodes disposed on the source / drain metal layer F304. In one embodiment of this disclosure, some sub-electrodes (e.g.,...) Figure 3 P11 in the middle is disposed in the gate layer F301, and part of the electrode (e.g. Figure 3 P12) is located in the source / drain metal layer F304. In this way, the NFC coil D1 can be bridged between the gate layer F301 and the source / drain metal layer F304, and the routing can be performed without affecting the scan line GL and the data line DL.

[0107] Furthermore, the NFC coil D1 may not overlap with the pixel electrode P2, i.e., it may be disposed in the gap between the pixel electrodes P2 to avoid affecting the erasing effect. That is, the sub-electrode P1 may be disposed between the pixel electrodes P2; the orthographic projection of the sub-electrode P1 on the substrate is located between the orthographic projections of the pixel electrodes P2 on the substrate. In this disclosure, when describing the overlap of structure A and structure B, it means that structure A and structure B are located in different film layers, and the orthographic projection of structure A on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of structure B on the substrate.

[0108] For example, see Figure 13 The sub-electrode P1 includes a row sub-electrode P11 extending along the row direction and a column sub-electrode P12 extending along the column direction; wherein the row sub-electrode P11 is located in the gate layer F301, and the column sub-electrode P12 is located in the source / drain metal layer. The row sub-electrode P11 and the column sub-electrode P12 are connected by a via.

[0109] In other embodiments of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4 The array substrate AR may also include a sensing layer F400 for setting the NFC coil D1. The sensing layer F400 has one or more conductive layers, through which the traces of the NFC coil D1 can be formed. Further, see... Figures 8-11 The NFC coil D1 is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 via a sensing trace L1, and part or all of the sensing trace L1 can also be formed on the sensing layer F400.

[0110] The sensing layer F400 may be disposed on the side of the substrate F100 away from the base color layer F200, or between the substrate F100 and the base color layer F200, or between the driving layer F300 and the base color layer F200. In some embodiments, see [reference needed]. Figure 4 An anti-reflective layer F500 can also be provided on the side of the sensing layer F400 near the driving layer F300 to reduce the luminous efficiency of the NFC coil D1 in the sensing layer F400, thereby improving the display effect.

[0111] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an anti-reflective film and a sensing layer F400 may be sequentially attached to the side of the substrate F100 away from the driving layer F300. The sensing layer F400 may be a thin film with an NFC coil D1.

[0112] In these implementations, the NFC coil D1 can use either open or closed traces. In one example, the NFC coil D1 uses closed traces.

[0113] Further, see Figure 12 The width of the traces in NFC coil D1 can be greater than the gap between pixel electrodes P2. In other words, the traces of NFC coil D1 can at least partially overlap with pixel electrodes P2. Since NFC coil D1 is located below the driving layer F300 (on the side closer to the substrate F100), the large area of ​​the traces of NFC coil D1 and its overlap with pixel electrodes P2 will not interfere with pixel electrodes P2.

[0114] For example, see Figure 14 In a plane parallel to the substrate, the width of the NFC coil D1 is greater than the size of the pixel electrode P2.

[0115] For another example, see Figure 12 In a plane parallel to the substrate, the width of the trace of NFC coil D1 is greater than the width of the gap between pixel electrodes P2, but not greater than the width of pixel electrodes P2.

[0116] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 12The orthographic projections of the NFC coil traces on the substrate have overlapping positions; the overlapping positions of the orthographic projections of the NFC coil traces are located within the orthographic projections of the pixel electrode on the substrate; the overlapping positions of the orthographic projections of the NFC coil traces are bridged by the driving layer. In other words, the NFC coil D1 includes at least one loop of trace. The overlapping positions of the NFC coil D1 traces overlap with the pixel electrode P2; at the overlapping positions of the NFC coil traces, the NFC coil D1 traces are bridged by the driving layer F300. Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, the sensing layer F400 may also include multiple conductive layers, and the NFC coil D1 traces are bridged between the multiple conductive layers of the sensing layer F400.

[0117] In this disclosure, the patterns of each NFC coil D1 may not be exactly the same; for example, the number of turns, width, and trace length of the NFC coil D1 may differ. In some embodiments, the sensing distance of each NFC coil D1 can be made the same or substantially the same by adjusting the patterns of the NFC coil D1 in each handwriting sub-region A1. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the sensing distance of each NFC coil D1 is between 1 and 5 cm.

[0118] In some implementations, the pattern of the NFC coil D1 can be adjusted based on the characteristics of the sensing trace L1 connected to the NFC coil D1, such as its length, width, impedance, etc., so that the magnetic flux of each NFC coil D1 is basically the same, or the signal sent when the NFC chip is sensed is basically the same.

[0119] In this disclosure, the sensing area of ​​the NFC coil D1 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of turns, width, spacing, etc. of the traces, so that the sensing area of ​​the NFC coil D1 is located in the corresponding handwriting sub-area A1.

[0120] In this disclosure, the NFC coil D1 is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 via the sensing trace L1. The control module CTR can receive signals from the NFC coil D1 by connecting to the sensing pad PAD1. The sensing pad PAD1 can be located in the peripheral area BB, i.e., outside the handwriting area AA. The sensing pad PAD1 can be distributed on the same side of the handwriting area AA, or on different sides of the handwriting area AA. For example, the peripheral area BB can include four different sub-regions surrounding the handwriting area AA. The sensing pad PAD1 can be located entirely in the same sub-region, distributed in two adjacent or opposite sub-regions, distributed in three sub-regions, or distributed in all four sub-regions.

[0121] The following example illustrates the distribution of the sensing pad PAD1 within the peripheral area BB, using the handwriting area AA as a rectangular region. In this example, the handwriting area AA is rectangular, and the peripheral area BB surrounds the handwriting area AA. Based on the positions of the four different edges of the handwriting area AA, it is divided into four sequentially connected peripheral sub-regions: a first peripheral sub-region, a second peripheral sub-region, a third peripheral sub-region, and a fourth peripheral sub-region.

[0122] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 8 Sensing pads PAD1 are provided in the first, second, third, and fourth peripheral sub-regions. Further, the NFC coil D1 located at the edge and near the first peripheral sub-region is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the first peripheral sub-region via sensing trace L1; the NFC coil D1 located at the edge and near the second peripheral sub-region is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the second peripheral sub-region via sensing trace L1; the NFC coil D1 located at the edge and near the third peripheral sub-region is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the third peripheral sub-region via sensing trace L1; and the NFC coil D1 located at the edge and near the fourth peripheral sub-region is connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the fourth peripheral sub-region via sensing trace L1. For NFC coils D1 not located at the edge, they can be connected to the sensing pad PAD1 in the nearby region via sensing trace L1.

[0123] In another embodiment of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 9 Each sensing pad PAD1 is located in the first peripheral sub-region. Each NFC coil D1 is electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 via sensing trace L1. Furthermore, the sensing trace L1 can be connected to the sensing pad PAD1 through the gap between the peripheral region BB or the pixel electrode P2. In this way, the sensing pads PAD1 are located in a relatively concentrated position, which is beneficial for bonding and connecting with the control module CTR circuit board.

[0124] In a further embodiment, an erase pad PAD2 is also provided on the first peripheral sub-region, and the erase pad PAD2 is connected to the erase unit D2. For example, the first peripheral sub-region is provided with erase pads PAD2 that are electrically connected to each data line DL in a one-to-one manner, so as to connect to the circuit board of the control module CTR.

[0125] In a further embodiment, the first peripheral sub-region is located at the end of the array substrate AR in the column direction.

[0126] In another embodiment of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 10The sensing pad PAD1 can be disposed in the first peripheral sub-region and the third peripheral sub-region. Further, the NFC coil D1 near the third peripheral sub-region can be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the third peripheral sub-region through the sensing trace L1; the other NFC coils D1 can be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the first peripheral sub-region through the sensing trace L1.

[0127] In another embodiment of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 11 The sensing pad PAD1 can be disposed in the first peripheral sub-region and the second peripheral sub-region. Further, the NFC coil D1 near the second peripheral sub-region can be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the second peripheral sub-region through the sensing trace L1; the other NFC coils D1 can be electrically connected to the sensing pad PAD1 located in the first peripheral sub-region through the sensing trace L1.

[0128] It should be noted that although the steps of the handwriting tablet driving method of this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0129] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An array substrate having a handwriting area and a peripheral area surrounding the handwriting area, the handwriting area including at least one handwriting sub-area; in at least one of the handwriting sub-areas, the array substrate is provided with an NFC coil and an erasing unit; The array substrate includes a substrate, a base color layer, and a driving layer, wherein the base color layer is disposed between the driving layer and the substrate. The driving layer has an array of pixel electrodes; the erasure unit in the handwriting sub-region includes each of the pixel electrodes located in the handwriting sub-region; The NFC coil includes a first NFC coil, each of which is disposed on the driving layer, and the NFC coil is composed of a plurality of sub-electrodes; the orthographic projection of the sub-electrodes on the substrate is located between the orthographic projections of the pixel electrodes on the substrate. The array substrate further includes a sensing layer, and the NFC coil includes a second NFC coil located within the sensing layer; The orthographic projection of the traces of the second NFC coil on the substrate includes an overlapping position, the overlapping position of the orthographic projection of the traces of the second NFC coil is located within the orthographic projection of the pixel electrode on the substrate, and the overlapping position of the orthographic projection of the traces of the second NFC coil is bridged by the driving layer.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The handwriting area includes multiple handwriting sub-areas; in each handwriting sub-area, the array substrate is provided with the NFC coil and the erasure unit.

3. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein, The driving layer is provided with scan lines extending along the row direction and data lines extending along the column direction; The driving layer also includes thin-film transistors that are electrically connected to each of the pixel electrodes; the source of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the data line, the gate of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the scan line, and the drain of the thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the corresponding pixel electrode.

4. The array substrate according to claim 3, wherein, The driving layer includes a gate layer on which the scan lines are disposed and a source / drain metal layer on which the data lines are disposed; Some of the sub-electrodes are disposed on the gate layer and / or some of the sub-electrodes are disposed on the source / drain metal layer.

5. The array substrate according to claim 4, wherein, The sub-electrode includes a row sub-electrode extending along the row direction and a column sub-electrode extending along the column direction. The row sub-electrode is located in the gate layer; the column sub-electrode is located in the source / drain metal layer.

6. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein, An anti-reflection layer is provided on the side of the sensing layer closest to the driving layer.

7. The array substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The sensing distance of the NFC coil is between 1 and 5 cm.

8. The array substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The array substrate has sensing pads in the peripheral area that are electrically connected to the NFC coil; each of the sensing pads is located on the same side of the handwriting area.

9. A handwriting tablet panel, comprising a cover plate, a liquid crystal layer, and an array substrate as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, which are stacked sequentially.

10. The handwriting tablet panel according to claim 9, wherein, The erasing unit includes pixel electrodes; the cover plate is provided with a common electrode layer.

11. A handwriting tablet, comprising a handwriting tablet panel as described in claim 9 or 10, and an erasing assembly including a control module and an NFC chip; the control module being electrically connected to each of the NFC coils and each of the erasing units; The control module is configured to drive the erasure unit in the handwriting sub-area to erase the written content in the handwriting sub-area after receiving a target sensing signal sent by the NFC coil in the handwriting sub-area.

12. A handwriting tablet driving method for driving the handwriting tablet as described in claim 11; The handwriting tablet driving method includes: Each of the NFC coils is checked one by one to see if a target sensing signal is generated, wherein the target sensing signal is generated by the NFC coil sensing the NFC chip; When the NFC coil in any handwriting sub-region generates the target sensing signal, an erasure signal is sent to the erasure unit in that handwriting sub-region; the erasure signal can be responded to by the erasure unit to erase the writing content in that handwriting sub-region.

13. The handwriting tablet driving method according to claim 12, wherein, Detecting whether each of the NFC coils generates a target sensing signal includes: Each of the NFC coils is checked one by one to see if a sensing signal is generated. The detection time for each NFC coil is a first threshold time. If any of the NFC coils generates a sensing signal, the detection time for that NFC coil is extended to a second threshold time, and then it is determined whether the sensing signal is the target sensing signal.

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