Foldable touch display panel, electronic device and driver circuit

Abstract

The invention discloses a foldable touch display panel, an electronic device and a driver circuit. The electronic device comprises a foldable touch display panel and a driver circuit. The foldable touch display panel includes a foldable substrate and a plurality of touch sensors. The foldable substrate includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion face each other in the folded state. The driver circuit is coupled to the foldable touch display panel. The driver circuit is configured to drive the foldable touch display panel to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state. The driver circuit is configured to determine a folding angle between the first portion and the second portion according to a capacitance change of the touch sensor in the folded state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch display panel, an electronic device and a driver circuit, and more particularly, to a foldable touch display panel, an electronic device and a driver circuit. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of display technology, foldable displays have become more mature in recent years. Electronic product manufacturers have actively participated in the development and application of foldable displays, especially integrating foldable displays into smartphones, tablet personal computers, and notebook computers. In the prior art, Hall sensors and gravity sensors are used to detect the folding angle of foldable displays. However, Hall sensors and gravity sensors may occupy device space, increase component costs, and generate electromagnetic interference. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a foldable touch display panel, an electronic device and a driver circuit, which use a touch sensor to detect the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel to reduce component cost and electromagnetic interference.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a foldable touch display panel, comprising a foldable substrate, a plurality of first touch sensors, and a plurality of second touch sensors. The foldable substrate comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion face each other in a folded state. The first touch sensor is disposed on the first portion of the foldable substrate. The second touch sensor is disposed on the second portion of the foldable substrate. The folding angle between the first portion and the second portion is determined according to the capacitance change of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.

[0005] In an embodiment of the present invention, in the folded state, the first touch sensor is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor is divided into at least one second sensing group. The folding angle is determined according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing group and the second sensing group.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, in the folding state, a first driving signal is applied to the second sensing group and a second driving signal is applied to the first sensing group to determine the folding angle. The second driving signal is different from the first driving signal.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, a first driving signal is applied to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the foldable touch display panel further includes a plurality of third touch sensors. The third touch sensors are arranged on the first portion and the second portion of the foldable substrate. A first driving signal is applied to the third touch sensors to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, a second driving signal is applied to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, a third driving signal is applied to the third touch sensor in the folded state.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first touch sensor is further divided into at least one third sensing group. The third sensing group serves as a dummy sensor and is not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the second touch sensor is further divided into at least one fourth sensing group. The fourth sensing group is used as a dummy sensor and is not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the folding angle decreases as the capacitance change increases.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device including a foldable touch display panel and a driver circuit. The foldable touch display panel includes a foldable substrate, a plurality of first touch sensors, and a plurality of second touch sensors. The foldable substrate includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion face each other in a folded state. The first touch sensor is disposed on the first portion of the foldable substrate. The second touch sensor is disposed on the second portion of the foldable substrate. The driver circuit is coupled to the foldable touch display panel. The driver circuit is configured to drive the foldable touch display panel to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state. The driver circuit is configured to determine a folding angle between the first portion and the second portion in a folded state according to a change in capacitance of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, in the folded state, the first touch sensor is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor is divided into at least one second sensing group. The driver circuit determines the folding angle according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing group and the second sensing group.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit outputs a first drive signal and a second drive signal to determine the folding angle in the folded state. The first drive signal is applied to the second sensing group, and the second drive signal is applied to the first sensing group. The second drive signal is different from the first drive signal.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit outputs a first driving signal to drive the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the foldable touch display panel further includes a plurality of third touch sensors. The third touch sensors are arranged on the first portion and the second portion of the foldable substrate. The driver circuit outputs a first drive signal to drive the third touch sensors to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit outputs the second driving signal to drive the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit outputs a third driving signal to the third touch sensor in the folded state.

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention provides a driver circuit coupled to a foldable touch display panel. The driver circuit is configured to drive the foldable touch display panel to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state. The driver circuit is configured to determine a folding angle between a first part and a second part according to a capacitance change of a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor in a folded state.

[0022] In order to make the above contents easier to understand, several embodiments attached with the drawings will be described in detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present disclosure includes accompanying drawings to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and the accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D , Figure 4E , Figure 4F and Figure 4G Foldable touch display panels with different folding angles according to embodiments of the present invention are respectively shown.

[0028] Figure 5A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 5B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention is used to drive Figure 5A and Figure 5B The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel.

[0031] Figure 7 The embodiment of the present invention is shown in a folded state. Figure 5B The foldable touch display panel shown.

[0032] Fig. 8A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 8B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0034] Fig. 9 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Fig.10 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] Fig.11 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig.10 The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel.

[0037] Fig. 12A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Fig. 12B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Fig.13 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel.

[0040] Fig.14A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0041] Fig. 14B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0042] Fig.15 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0043] Fig.16 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0044] Fig.17 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig.16 The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel.

[0045] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 100: Electronic devices

[0047] 110: Driver circuit

[0048] 120, 220, 320: Foldable touch display panel

[0049] 122: Touch sensor

[0050] 122_1: First touch sensor

[0051] 122_2: Second touch sensor

[0052] 122_3: Third touch sensor

[0053] 122_RX: sensing electrode

[0054] 122_TX: driving electrode

[0055] 124: Foldable substrate

[0056] 241: Part 1

[0057] 242: Part 2

[0058] 610: First driving signal

[0059] 620: Second driving signal

[0060] 630: Third driving signal

[0061] C1, C2, C3, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15: Capacitance value Cref: Capacitance value / reference

[0062] G11, G12, G13, G14, G15: first sensing group G21, G22: second sensing group

[0063] G33, G34: The third sensing group

[0064] G42: The fourth sensing group

[0065] L1, L2: Axis

[0066] S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7: Signal

[0067] T1: Display status

[0068] T2: Touch sensing state

[0069] T3: Folded state

[0070] VCOM: common voltage

[0071] X: First direction

[0072] Y: Second direction

[0073] θ, θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5, θ6, θ7: folding angle ΔC1, ΔC2, ΔC3, ΔC4, ΔC5, ΔC6, ΔC7: capacitance change DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The following embodiments are provided to elaborate on the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the provided embodiments, and the provided embodiments may be appropriately combined. The terms "coupling / coupled" or "connecting / connected" used in this specification (including claims) of the present application may refer to any direct or indirect connection method. For example, "a first device is coupled to a second device" should be interpreted as "a first device is directly connected to a second device" or "a first device is indirectly connected to a second device via other devices or connection means". In addition, the term "signal" may refer to current, voltage, charge, temperature, data, electromagnetic waves, or any one or more signals.

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1, the electronic device 100 includes a driver circuit 110 and a foldable touch display panel 120. The foldable touch display panel 120 includes display pixels and touch sensors. The foldable touch display panel 120 can be folded into a folded state. The driver circuit 110 can be configured to be coupled to the foldable touch display panel 120. The driver circuit 110 is configured to drive the foldable touch display panel 120 to perform display operations and touch sensing operations.

[0076] In this embodiment, when the foldable touch display panel 120 is folded, the driver circuit 110 is further configured to determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 120 according to the capacitance change of the touch sensor. For example, in the folded state, the folding angle between the first part and the second part of the foldable touch display panel 120 can be determined according to the capacitance change of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor, wherein the first touch sensor is disposed on the first part, and the second touch sensor is disposed on the second part.

[0077] In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be, but is not limited to, a smart phone, a non-smart phone, a wearable electronic device, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a notebook, and other portable electronic devices that can operate independently and have a display function and a touch sensing function. In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be, but is not limited to, a portable or non-portable electronic device in a vehicle intelligent system.

[0078] In an embodiment, the driver circuit 110 may include a display driver circuit, a touch sensing circuit, and a fingerprint sensing circuit, and may be implemented as a single-chip integrated circuit that can drive and control the foldable touch display panel 120 to perform display operations, touch sensing operations, and / or fingerprint sensing operations. The driver circuit 110 may include a control circuit, and the control circuit may be based on a microcontroller core for all control activities for performing display operations, touch sensing operations, and / or fingerprint sensing operations. The control circuit may include at least one of a timing controller, a touch controller, a digital circuit, and other controllers or processors of the display driver circuit, the touch sensing circuit, and the fingerprint sensing circuit.

[0079] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ,exist Figure 2 A plurality of touch sensors 122 are also shown. The touch sensors 122 are block electrodes and are arranged in an array on the foldable substrate of the foldable touch display panel 120. The driver circuit 110 outputs a driving signal to drive the touch sensors 122 to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

[0080] Figure 3is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ,exist Figure 3 A plurality of driving electrodes 122_TX and sensing electrodes 122_RX are also shown. The driving electrodes 122_TX and the sensing electrodes 122_RX are strip electrodes arranged in different directions on the foldable substrate of the foldable touch display panel 120. In the touch sensing state, the driver circuit 110 outputs a driving signal to the driving electrode 122_TX and receives a sensing signal from the sensing electrode 122_RX.

[0081] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4G The foldable touch display panels with different folding angles according to the embodiments of the present invention are shown respectively. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4G , the foldable touch display panel 120 includes a foldable substrate 124, a plurality of first touch sensors 122_1, and a plurality of second touch sensors 122_2. The foldable substrate 124 includes a first portion 241 and a second portion 242. The first touch sensor 122_1 is disposed on the first portion 241, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is disposed on the second portion 242. The first portion 241 and the second portion 242 may face each other in a folded state. Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D , Figure 4E , Figure 4F and Figure 4G The folding angles θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5, θ6 and θ7 between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 are 180 degrees, 150 degrees, 120 degrees, 900 degrees, 60 degrees, 30 degrees and 0 degrees respectively. The folding angle θ between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 can be determined according to the capacitance changes of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2.

[0082] The relationship between the capacitance change and the folding angle may be stored in the form of a lookup table in the storage circuit of the driver circuit 110. For example, Table 1 shows the relationship between the capacitance change and the folding angle stored in the storage circuit.

[0083]

[0084]

[0085] Table 1

[0086] Other capacitance changes and folding angles not stored in the lookup table may be obtained by interpolation. The folding angle decreases as the capacitance change increases. Therefore, after calculating the capacitance change, the folding angle between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 may be determined according to a lookup table (e.g., Table 1).

[0087] by Figure 4A and Figure 4B For example, in Figure 4A In FIG. 1 , the folding angle θ1 is 180 degrees, and the capacitance value C1 between the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 can be selected as the reference Cref. Figure 4B In the embodiment, when the foldable touch display panel 120 is folded, the capacitance generated between the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 can be sensed, which has a capacitance value C2, and the capacitance change ΔC2 of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 relative to the capacitance value Cref is calculated. In other words, the capacitance change is ΔC2=C2-Cref. The folding angle θ2 between the first part 241 and the second part 242 can be determined to be 150 degrees according to the capacitance change ΔC2 of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 and the lookup table.

[0088] In Table 1, when the capacitance value C1 at the folding angle θ1 is selected as a reference for calculating the capacitance change, since the capacitance change ΔC1 = C1 - Cref = 0, the capacitance change ΔC1 can be regarded as 0.

[0089] by Figure 4A and Figure 4C For example, in Figure 4C In the embodiment, the capacitance generated between the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 can be sensed, which has a capacitance value C3, and the capacitance change ΔC3 of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 relative to the capacitance value Cref is calculated. In other words, the capacitance change is ΔC3=C3-Cref. The folding angle θ3 between the first part 241 and the second part 242 can be determined to be 120 degrees according to the capacitance change ΔC3 of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 and the lookup table.

[0090] In a similar manner, the folding angles θ4, θ5, θ6, and θ7 between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 may be determined according to the capacitance changes ΔC4, ΔC5, ΔC6, and ΔC7 of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2.

[0091] In this embodiment, only seven corresponding relationships between capacitance changes and folding angles are stored in the lookup table, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, 360 corresponding relationships between capacitance changes and folding angles may be stored in the lookup table. In this embodiment, the capacitance value C1 of the folding angle θ1 is selected as a reference for calculating the capacitance change, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, other capacitance values ​​of the folding angle may also be selected as a reference for calculating the capacitance change.

[0092] In addition, for other foldable touch display panels, a lookup table having the relationship between capacitance change and folding angle can be generated in advance, and the lookup table can be stored in the driver circuit.

[0093] Figure 5A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 5B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention is used to drive Figure 5A and Figure 5B The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel.

[0094] refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 6 , the driver circuit 110 can output signals S1 and S2 to drive the foldable touch display panel 220 to perform display operation in display state T1 and touch sensing operation in touch sensing state T2. Signal S1 is applied to the second touch sensor 122_2, and signal S2 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1. The foldable touch display panel 220 can be folded into a folded state T3. In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded into a folded state in a first direction X with an axis L1, wherein the axis L1 is parallel to the second direction Y. When the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded, the first part 241 and the second part 242 face each other. When the foldable touch display panel 220 is not folded, the driving signal is Figure 6 The folded state T3 is not included.

[0095] In the display state T1 , the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 may serve as a common electrode, and the driver circuit 110 outputs a common voltage VCOM to drive the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 to perform a display operation in the display state T1 .

[0096] In the touch sensing state T2, the driver circuit 110 outputs a first driving signal 610 to drive the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 to perform a touch sensing operation. The first driving signal 610 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2.

[0097] In the folding state T3, the driver circuit 110 outputs a first drive signal 610 and a second drive signal 620 to determine the folding angle between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 of the foldable touch display panel 220. The first drive signal 610 is applied to the second touch sensor 122_2, and the second drive signal 620 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1. In the present embodiment, the first drive signal 610 is a square wave, and the second drive signal 620 is a direct current (DC) voltage higher than the common voltage VCOM. The second drive signal 620 is different from the first drive signal 610. The waveforms of the first drive signal 610 and the second drive signal 620 are only used as examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. The folding angle can be determined based on the capacitance changes of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2.

[0098] Specifically, in the folded state T3, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into at least one second sensing group. For example, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into five first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21. In the present embodiment, each of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15 includes a column of first touch sensors 122_1. The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing group G21, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15. When the foldable touch display panel 120 is folded, the driver circuit 110 may determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 220 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11 , G12 , G13 , G14 , and G15 and the second sensing group G21 .

[0099] Figure 7 The embodiment of the present invention is shown in a folded state. Figure 5B The foldable touch display panel shown. Figure 7 In the embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded at a folding angle θ. Figure 7, capacitances having capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14, and C15 are generated between the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15 and the second sensing group G21, respectively. One of the capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14, and C15 may be selected to calculate the capacitance change. For example, the capacitance value C11 between the first sensing group G11 and the second sensing group G21 may be selected to calculate the capacitance change. The capacitance change is ΔC=C11-Cref, and thus the folding angle θ may be determined according to a lookup table or by interpolation.

[0100] In other embodiments, one of the capacitance values ​​C12, C13, C14 and C15 may be selected to calculate the capacitance change. In addition, the average value of the capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14 and C15 may also be selected to calculate the capacitance change.

[0101] Therefore, based on one of the capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14, and C15 or the average of the capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14, and C15, the capacitance change can be pre-calculated and stored in a lookup table (e.g., Table 1). In an embodiment, a plurality of lookup tables can be generated to determine the folding angle θ, and the plurality of lookup tables respectively store the capacitance changes calculated based on the capacitance values ​​C11, C12, C13, C14, and C15 and the average thereof. The folding angle θ can be determined according to the plurality of lookup tables.

[0102] Fig. 8A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8B FIG. 4 shows a foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded into a folded state along the second direction Y along the axis L2, wherein the axis L2 is parallel to the first direction X.

[0103] like Figure 8BAs shown, in the folded state, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into four first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21. In the present embodiment, each of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14 includes a row of first touch sensors 122_1. The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing group G21, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14. When the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded, the driver circuit 110 can determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 220 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14 and the second sensing group G21.

[0104] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 shows a foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 can also be folded into a folded state along the second direction Y along the axis L2.

[0105] The first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into four first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14, and each of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14 and G15 includes a plurality of first touch sensors 122_1 arranged in an array. In the folded state, the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into two second sensing groups G21 and G22, and each of the second sensing groups G21 and G22 includes a plurality of second touch sensors 122_2 arranged in an array.

[0106] The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing groups G21 and G22, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, and G14. When the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded, the driver circuit 110 can determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 220 according to the capacitance change of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 and the second sensing group G21 and / or the capacitance change of the first sensing groups G13 and G14 and the second sensing group G22.

[0107] Fig.10 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig.11 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig.10 The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel is shown.

[0108] refer to Fig.10 and Fig.11In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 can also be folded into a folded state along the axis L2 in the second direction Y. The first touch sensor 122_1 is further divided into at least one third sensing group G33 and G34, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is further divided into at least one fourth sensing group G42. The third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the fourth sensing group G42 are used as dummy sensors and are not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state T3.

[0109] Specifically, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into two first sensing groups G11 and G12 and two third sensing groups G33 and G34. Each of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 and the third sensing groups G33 and G34 includes a row of first touch sensors 122_1. The second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21 and one fourth sensing group G42. Each of the second sensing group G21 and the fourth sensing group G42 includes a row of second touch sensors 122_2.

[0110] The driver circuit 110 may also output a signal S3 to drive the foldable touch display panel 220 to perform a display operation in the display state T1 and a touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state T2. In the display state T1 and the touch sensing state T2, the signal S3 is applied to the first touch sensors 122_1 of the third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the second touch sensors 122_2 of the fourth sensing group G42.

[0111] In the folding state T3, the voltages of the first touch sensors 122_1 of the third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the second touch sensors 122_2 of the fourth sensing group G42 may be floating, a specific DC voltage, or the same as the second driving signal 620. When the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded, the driver circuit 110 may determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 220 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 and the second sensing group G21.

[0112] Fig. 12A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig. 12B A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig.13 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel is shown.

[0113] refer to Fig. 12A , Fig. 12B and Fig.13 , the foldable touch display panel 320 includes a plurality of first touch sensors 122_1, a plurality of second touch sensors 122_2, and a plurality of third touch sensors 122_3. The first touch sensors 122_1 are disposed on the first portion 241, and the second touch sensors 122_2 are disposed on the second portion 242. The first touch sensors 122_1 and the second touch sensors 122_2 extend along the second direction Y. The third touch sensors 122_3 are disposed on the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 and extend along the first direction X.

[0114] The driver circuit 110 can output signals S4, S5 and S6 to drive the foldable touch display panel 320 to perform display operation in the display state T1 and to perform touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state T2. Signal S4 is applied to the third touch sensor 122_3. Signal S6 is applied to the second touch sensor 122_2, and signal S5 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1. The foldable touch display panel 320 can be folded into a folded state T3. In the present embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded into a folded state along an axis L1 in a first direction X, wherein the axis L1 is parallel to the second direction Y. When the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded, the first part 241 and the second part 242 face each other. In an embodiment, when the foldable touch display panel 320 is not folded, in Fig.13 The folded state T3 is omitted.

[0115] In the display state T1 , the first touch sensor 122_1 , the second touch sensor 122_2 , and the third touch sensor 122_3 may serve as common electrodes, and the driver circuit 110 outputs a common voltage VCOM to drive the first touch sensor 122_1 , the second touch sensor 122_2 , and the third touch sensor 122_3 to perform a display operation in the display state T1 .

[0116] In the touch sensing state T2, the driver circuit 110 outputs the first drive signal 610 and the second drive signal 620 to drive the first touch sensor 122_1, the second touch sensor 122_2, and the third touch sensor 122_3 to perform a touch sensing operation. The first drive signal 610 is applied to the third touch sensor 122_3, and the second drive signal 620 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2. The third touch sensor 122_3 acts as a driving electrode and receives a driving signal from the driver circuit 110, and the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2 act as sensing electrodes and transmit sensing signals to the driver circuit 110.

[0117] In the folding state T3, the driver circuit 110 outputs a first drive signal 610, a second drive signal 620, and a third drive signal 630 to determine the folding angle between the first portion 241 and the second portion 242 of the foldable touch display panel 320. The first drive signal 610 is applied to the second touch sensor 122_2, and the second drive signal 620 is applied to the first touch sensor 122_1. The third drive signal 630 is applied to the third touch sensor 122_3. In the present embodiment, the second drive signal 620 is a DC voltage between the common voltage VCOM and the second drive signal 620. The folding angle can be determined according to the capacitance changes of the first touch sensor 122_1 and the second touch sensor 122_2.

[0118] Specifically, in the folded state T3, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into at least one second sensing group. For example, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into five first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21. In the present embodiment, each of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15 includes one first touch sensor 122_1, and the second sensing group G21 includes five second touch sensors 122_2. The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing group G21, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15. When the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded, the driver circuit 110 may determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 320 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11 , G12 , G13 , G14 , and G15 and the second sensing group G21 .

[0119] Fig.14A A foldable touch display panel operating in a touch sensing state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig. 14B FIG. 4 shows a foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig.14A and Fig. 14B In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 220 is folded into a folded state along the second direction Y along the axis L2.

[0120] like Fig. 14BAs shown, in the folded state, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into four first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21. In the present embodiment, each of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14 includes one first touch sensor 122_1, and the second sensing group G21 includes four second touch sensors 122_2. The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing group G21, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14. When the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded, the driver circuit 110 can determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 320 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11, G12, G13 and G14 and the second sensing group G21.

[0121] Fig.15 FIG. 4 shows a foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig.15 In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 320 can also be folded into a folded state along the second direction Y along the axis L2.

[0122] The first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into two first sensing groups G11 and G12, and each of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 includes two first touch sensors 122_1. In the folded state, the second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into two second sensing groups G21 and G22, and each of the second sensing groups G21 and G22 includes two second touch sensors 122_2.

[0123] The first driving signal 610 is applied to the second sensing groups G21 and G22, and the second driving signal 620 is applied to the first sensing groups G11 and G12. When the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded, the driver circuit 110 can determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 320 according to the capacitance change of the first sensing group G11 and the second sensing group G21 and / or the capacitance change of the first sensing group G12 and the second sensing group G22.

[0124] Fig.16 A foldable touch display panel operating in a folded state according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig.17 Another embodiment of the present invention is used for driving Fig.16 The driving signal of the foldable touch display panel is shown.

[0125] refer to Fig.16 and Fig.17In this embodiment, the foldable touch display panel 320 can also be folded into a folded state along the axis L2 in the second direction Y. The first touch sensor 122_1 is further divided into at least one third sensing group G33 and G34, and the second touch sensor 122_2 is further divided into at least one fourth sensing group G42. The third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the fourth sensing group G42 are used as dummy sensors and are not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state T3.

[0126] Specifically, the first touch sensor 122_1 is divided into two first sensing groups G11 and G12 and two third sensing groups G33 and G34. Each of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 and the third sensing groups G33 and G34 includes one first touch sensor 122_1. The second touch sensor 122_2 is divided into one second sensing group G21 and one fourth sensing group G42. Each of the second sensing group G21 and the fourth sensing group G42 includes one second touch sensor 122_2.

[0127] The driver circuit 110 may also output a signal S7 to drive the foldable touch display panel 320 to perform a display operation in the display state T1 and a touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state T2. In the display state T1 and the touch sensing state T2, the signal S7 is applied to the first touch sensors 122_1 of the third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the second touch sensors 122_2 of the fourth sensing group G42.

[0128] In the folding state T3, the voltages of the first touch sensors 122_1 of the third sensing groups G33 and G34 and the second touch sensors 122_2 of the fourth sensing group G42 may be floating, a specific DC voltage, or the same as the second driving signal 620. When the foldable touch display panel 320 is folded, the driver circuit 110 may determine the folding angle of the foldable touch display panel 320 according to the capacitance changes of the first sensing groups G11 and G12 and the second sensing group G21.

[0129] In summary, in an embodiment of the present invention, a touch sensor of a foldable touch display panel is used to replace a Hall sensor and a gravity sensor to detect a folding angle. In this way, the component space and cost of the electronic device can be saved, and electromagnetic interference in the electronic device can be reduced. By using the proposed driving method, the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor are redefined in the folded state to effectively detect the folding angle.

[0130] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. In summary, the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and variations as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A foldable touch display panel, comprising: A foldable substrate comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion face each other in a folded state; a plurality of first touch sensors disposed on the first portion of the foldable substrate; as well as a plurality of second touch sensors disposed on the second portion of the foldable substrate, The folding angle between the first portion and the second portion is determined according to the capacitance changes of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.

2. The foldable touch display panel according to claim 1, wherein in the folded state, the first touch sensor is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor is divided into at least one second sensing group, The folding angle is determined according to the capacitance changes of the at least one first sensing group and the at least one second sensing group.

3. The foldable touch display panel according to claim 2, wherein in the folded state, a first drive signal is applied to the at least one second sensing group and a second drive signal is applied to the at least one first sensing group to determine the folding angle, wherein the second drive signal is different from the first drive signal. 4 . The foldable touch display panel according to claim 3 , wherein the first driving signal is applied to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state.

5. The foldable touch display panel according to claim 3, further comprising: a plurality of third touch sensors disposed on the first portion and the second portion of the foldable substrate, The first driving signal is applied to the third touch sensor to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state. 6 . The foldable touch display panel according to claim 5 , wherein the second driving signal is applied to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform the touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state. 7 . The foldable touch display panel according to claim 5 , wherein a third driving signal is applied to the third touch sensor in the folded state.

8. The foldable touch display panel according to claim 2, wherein the first touch sensor is further divided into at least one third sensing group, and the at least one third sensing group serves as a dummy sensor and is not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state.

9. The foldable touch display panel according to claim 2, wherein the second touch sensor is further divided into at least one fourth sensing group, and the at least one fourth sensing group serves as a dummy sensor and is not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state. 10 . The foldable touch display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the folding angle decreases as the capacitance change increases.

11. An electronic device comprising: Foldable touch display panel, including: A foldable substrate comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion face each other in a folded state; a plurality of first touch sensors disposed on the first portion of the foldable substrate; and a plurality of second touch sensors disposed on the second portion of the foldable substrate; and A driver circuit is coupled to the foldable touch display panel and is configured to drive the foldable touch display panel to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state, and to determine a folding angle between the first part and the second part according to a change in capacitance of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor in the folded state.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein in the folded state, the first touch sensor is divided into at least one first sensing group, and the second touch sensor is divided into at least one second sensing group, The driver circuit determines the folding angle according to the capacitance changes of the at least one first sensing group and the at least one second sensing group.

13. An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the driver circuit outputs a first drive signal and a second drive signal to determine the folding angle in the folded state, the first drive signal is applied to the at least one second sensing group, and the second drive signal is applied to the at least one first sensing group, wherein the second drive signal is different from the first drive signal. 14 . The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the driver circuit outputs the first driving signal to drive the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform the touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the foldable touch display panel further comprises: a plurality of third touch sensors disposed on the first portion and the second portion of the foldable substrate, The driver circuit outputs the first driving signal to drive the third touch sensor to perform the touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state. 16 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the driver circuit outputs the second driving signal to drive the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to perform the touch sensing operation in the touch sensing state. 17 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the driver circuit outputs a third driving signal to the third touch sensor in the folded state.

18. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the first touch sensor is further divided into at least one third sensing group, the second touch sensor is further divided into at least one fourth sensing group, and the at least one third sensing group and the at least one fourth sensing group serve as dummy sensors and are not used to determine the folding angle in the folded state. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the folding angle decreases as the capacitance change increases.

20. A driver circuit coupled to the foldable touch display panel according to claim 1, and configured to drive the foldable touch display panel to perform a touch sensing operation in a touch sensing state, and to determine the folding angle between the first part and the second part according to the capacitance change of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor in the folded state.

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