Touch checking device of display device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a touch checking apparatus of a display device, the touch checking apparatus including: a loading unit on which the display device is loaded; a touch driving circuit configured to drive a touch driving electrode and a touch sensing electrode on a touch sensing unit of the display device, and detect touch data for a touch node formed at an intersection of the touch driving electrode and the touch sensing electrode; and a check processing circuit configured to calculate a deviation of the touch data, detect touch error data and at least one touch node where the touch error data has occurred by cancelling the deviation of the touch data for each of the touch nodes adjacent to each other, and detecting a defect occurrence position of at least one touch node for occurrence of the touch error data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a touch inspection device and a touch inspection method for a display device. Background Art

[0002] As the information society develops, consumer demand for display devices for displaying images is increasing in various forms. For example, the display device can be applied to various electronic devices such as smart phones, digital cameras, laptop computers, navigation devices, and smart TVs.

[0003] The display device may be a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a field emission display device, or a light emitting display device (such as an organic light emitting display device). Among the flat panel display devices, the light emitting display device may include a light emitting element in which each of the pixels of the display panel can emit light by itself, thereby displaying an image without a backlight unit providing light to the display panel.

[0004] The display device may include a touch sensing module for sensing a user's touch as one of the input interfaces. The touch sensing module may include a touch sensing unit in which touch electrodes are arranged and a touch driving circuit that detects the amount of charge charged in the capacitance between the touch electrodes. The touch sensing module may be mass-produced in a state where it is integrally formed on the image display unit of the display device or mounted on the front surface of the image display unit.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background technology, and therefore the information discussed in this Background section does not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the invention

[0006] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a touch inspection device, which may be capable of relatively accurately detecting defects in touch drive electrodes when inspecting touch sensing defects in a touch sensing unit or a display device, in which the touch sensing electrodes are connected to the touch drive circuit in different directions (such as left and right directions), respectively.

[0007] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure may also include a touch inspection device, which may be able to relatively accurately detect specific nodes or touch positions where touch sensing defects occur when inspecting the touch of a display device, and the touch sensing defects include defects in at least one touch drive electrode.

[0008] However, aspects of the embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited to those set forth herein. The above and other aspects of the embodiments according to the present disclosure will become more apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains by referring to the detailed description of the present disclosure given below.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in a touch inspection device for a display device, the touch inspection device includes: a loading unit on which a display device is loaded; a touch driving circuit that drives touch driving electrodes and touch sensing electrodes on a touch sensing unit of the display device, and detects touch data for a touch node formed at an intersection of the touch driving electrode and the touch sensing electrode; and an inspection processing circuit that calculates a deviation of the touch data, detects touch error data and at least one touch node where touch error data occurs by offsetting the deviation of the touch data for each of the touch nodes adjacent to each other, and detects a defect occurrence position of at least one touch node where touch error data occurs.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the touch sensing electrodes are arranged in parallel in a first direction in a touch sensing area of ​​a touch sensing unit, and the touch driving electrodes are arranged in parallel in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the touch sensing electrodes in an upper direction in the second direction relative to the center of the touch sensing area among the touch sensing electrodes are electrically connected to the touch driving circuit through a touch sensing line connected in a first side direction, and the touch sensing electrodes in a lower direction in the second direction relative to the center of the touch sensing area among the touch sensing electrodes are electrically connected to the touch driving circuit through a touch sensing line connected in a second side direction opposite to the first side direction.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the inspection processing circuit arranges touch data for touch nodes in units of at least one frame, calculates a deviation of touch data for at least one frame according to an arrangement direction of touch sensing electrodes, detects touch error data and at least one touch node where touch error data occurs by offsetting the deviations of touch data adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of touch driving electrodes, and determines the position of at least one touch node where touch error data occurs as a defect occurrence position.

[0012] In addition, by relatively accurately detecting a specific node or touch position where a touch sensing defect (including a defect in at least one touch driving electrode) occurs, touch inspection efficiency and reliability may be relatively improved.

[0013] However, the features of the embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited to the contents specifically described herein. The above and other features of the embodiments according to the present disclosure will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by referring to the claims and their equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other aspects and features according to embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 2 is a plan view showing a display device according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 3 is a side view showing a display device according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 4 It is schematically shown Figures 1 to 3 An example layout diagram of a display panel shown in FIG.

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 3 A layout diagram showing further details of the structure of a first example of a touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 3 A layout diagram showing further details of the structure of a second example of a touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0021] Figure 7 is a perspective view briefly illustrating a touch inspection device and a touch inspection process of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 8 is a simplified diagram showing the Figure 7 A block diagram of components of a touch inspection device for a display device shown in ;

[0023] Fig. 9 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a touch inspection method for a display device according to some embodiments;

[0024] Fig.10 is a diagram showing a method for Figure 6 A view of an arrangement of touch capacitance data of each touch node of a touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0025] Fig.11 is a view showing a deviation calculation result for touch capacitance data for each touch node of a touch sensing unit according to some embodiments;

[0026] Fig.12 is a diagram showing a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments;

[0027] Fig.13is a view showing a deviation calculation result for touch capacitance data for each touch node of a touch sensing unit according to some embodiments;

[0028] Fig.14 is a diagram showing a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments;

[0029] Fig.15 is a diagram showing a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments;

[0030] Fig.16 is a diagram showing a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments;

[0031] Fig.17 and Fig.18 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0032] Fig.19 and Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0034] It will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “on” another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may also be present. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0035] It will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure, the first element discussed below may be referred to as the second element. Similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0036] Each of the features of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined or combined with each other in part or in whole, and various interlocks and drives are technically possible. Each embodiment can be implemented independently of each other, or can be implemented in conjunction with each other.

[0037] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments. In addition, Figure 2 is a plan view showing a display device according to some embodiments, and Figure 3 is a side view showing a display device according to some embodiments.

[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , the display device 10 according to some embodiments can be applied to portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, tablet personal computers (PCs), mobile communication terminals, electronic notebooks, electronic books, portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation devices, and ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs). Alternatively, the display device 10 according to some embodiments can be applied as a display unit of a television, a laptop computer, a monitor, a billboard, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Alternatively, the display device 10 according to some embodiments can be applied to wearable devices such as smart watches, watch phones, glasses-type displays, and head-mounted displays (HMDs). Alternatively, the display device 10 according to some embodiments can be applied to an instrument panel of a vehicle, a central dashboard of a vehicle, a central information display (CID) located on a dashboard of a vehicle, an interior mirror display that replaces a side mirror of a vehicle, or a display located on the rear surface of a front seat as a rear seat entertainment device of a vehicle.

[0040] The display device 10 according to some embodiments may be a light-emitting display device (such as an organic light-emitting display device using an organic light-emitting diode, a quantum dot light-emitting display device including a quantum dot light-emitting layer, an inorganic light-emitting display device including an inorganic semiconductor, and a micro light-emitting display device using a micro or nano light-emitting diode (LED). Hereinafter, it is mainly described that the display device 10 according to some embodiments is an organic light-emitting display device, but embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and various other display devices may be used.

[0041] The display device 10 according to some embodiments includes a display panel 100 , a display driving circuit 200 , a display circuit board 300 , and a touch driving circuit 400 .

[0042] The display panel 100 may be formed in a rectangular plane having a short side in a first direction (X-axis direction) and a long side in a second direction (Y-axis direction) intersecting the first direction (X-axis direction). The corners where the short side in the first direction (X-axis direction) and the long side in the second direction (Y-axis direction) intersect may be rounded to have a predetermined curvature, or may be formed at right angles. The planar shape of the display panel 100 is not limited to a quadrilateral shape, and may be other polygonal shapes, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape. The display panel 100 may be formed to be flat, but is not limited thereto according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the display panel 100 includes a curved portion formed at the left and right distal ends and having a constant curvature or a varying curvature. In addition, the display panel 100 may be flexibly formed to be curved, bent, folded, or curled.

[0043] The display panel 100 includes a main area MA and a sub area SBA.

[0044] The main area MA includes a display area DA capable of displaying an image and a non-display area NDA, which is a peripheral area of ​​the display area DA in a plan view (e.g., outside the periphery or coverage area). The display area DA includes pixels configured to display an image together. The sub-area SBA may protrude from one side of the main area MA in the second direction (Y-axis direction).

[0045] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIG. 4 shows that the sub-area SBA is expanded, but the sub-area SBA can be as follows: Figure 3 , and in this case, the sub-region SBA may be located on the lower surface of the display panel 100. When the sub-region SBA is bent, the sub-region SBA may overlap with the main region MA in a third direction (Z-axis direction), which is a thickness direction of the substrate SUB. The display driving circuit 200 may be located in the sub-region SBA.

[0046] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 includes a display module DU and a touch sensing unit TSU formed on a front surface of the display module DU, and the display module DU includes a substrate SUB, a thin film transistor layer TFTL, a light emitting element layer EML, and an encapsulation layer TFEL.

[0047] The thin film transistor layer TFTL may be located on the substrate SUB. The thin film transistor layer TFTL may be located in the main area MA and the sub-area SBA. The thin film transistor layer TFTL includes a thin film transistor.

[0048] The light emitting element layer EML may be located on the thin film transistor layer TFTL. The light emitting element layer EML may be located in the display area DA of the main area MA. The light emitting element layer EML includes a light emitting element located in the light emitting portion.

[0049] The encapsulation layer TFEL may be located on the light emitting element layer EML. The encapsulation layer TFEL may be located in the display area DA and the non-display area NDA of the main area MA. The encapsulation layer TFEL includes at least one inorganic layer and at least one organic layer for encapsulating the light emitting element layer.

[0050] The touch sensing unit TSU may be formed or mounted on the encapsulation layer TFEL. The touch sensing unit TSU may be located in the display area DA of the main area MA. The touch sensing unit TSU may sense a touch of a person or an object using a touch electrode.

[0051] A cover window for protecting the upper portion of the display panel 100 may be located on the touch sensing unit TSU. The cover window may be attached to the touch sensing unit TSU by a transparent adhesive member such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA) film or an optically clear resin (OCR) film. The cover window may also be made of an inorganic material such as glass, or may also be made of an organic material such as a plastic or polymer material. In order to prevent or reduce degradation of image visibility due to reflection of external light, a polarizing layer may be additionally provided between the touch sensing unit TSU and the cover window.

[0052] The display driving circuit 200 may generate a control signal and a data voltage for driving the display panel 100. The display driving circuit 200 may be formed as an integrated circuit (IC) and may be attached to the display panel 100 in a chip on glass (COG) manner, a chip on plastic (COP) manner, or an ultrasonic bonding manner, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the display driving circuit 200 may be attached to the display circuit board 300 in a chip on film (COF) method.

[0053] The display circuit board 300 may be attached to one end of the sub-area SBA of the display panel 100. Therefore, the display circuit board 300 may be electrically connected to the display panel 100 and the display driving circuit 200. The display panel 100 and the display driving circuit 200 may receive digital video data, timing control signals, and driving voltages through the display circuit board 300. The display circuit board 300 may be a flexible film such as a flexible printed circuit board, a printed circuit board, or a chip-on-film.

[0054] The touch driving circuit 400 may be located on the display circuit board 300. The touch driving circuit 400 may be formed as an integrated circuit (IC) and attached to the display circuit board 300.

[0055] The touch drive circuit 400 may be electrically connected to the touch electrodes of the touch sensing unit TSU. The touch drive circuit 400 applies a touch drive signal to the touch electrodes of the touch sensing unit TSU, and measures the amount of charge change in the mutual capacitance of each of the plurality of touch nodes formed by the touch electrodes. For example, the touch drive circuit 400 measures the capacitance change of the plurality of touch nodes according to the change in the voltage magnitude or the change in the current amount of the touch sensing signal received through the touch electrodes.

[0056] The touch driving circuit 400 can determine whether a user's touch is performed, whether a user's approach is performed, etc. according to the amount of charge change in the mutual capacitance of each of the plurality of touch nodes. The user's touch indicates that the user's finger or an object such as a pen is in direct contact with one surface of the cover window located on the touch sensing unit TSU. The user's approach indicates that the user's finger or an object such as a pen is hovering over one surface of the cover window.

[0057] The touch driving circuit 400 can extract the touch coordinates by itself or switch the driving mode by compensating the touch sensing signal according to the noise application level according to low temperature driving, charging mode, high frequency application, and electromagnetic noise application state, etc. For example, the touch driving circuit 400 can sense the user's touch by selectively changing the touch sensing area according to whether a body part located in front of the display panel 100 is detected, and can also change the driving mode to a low power mode or a standby mode.

[0058] Figure 4 It is schematically shown Figures 1 to 3 . For example, Figure 4 is a layout diagram showing a display area DA and a non-display area NDA of a display module DU before forming a touch sensing unit TSU.

[0059] Reference Figure 4 The display area DA may be defined as a central area of ​​the display panel 100, and the display area DA is an area where an image may be displayed. The display area DA may include a plurality of pixels SP, a plurality of gate lines GL, a plurality of data lines DL, and a plurality of power lines VL. Each of the plurality of pixels SP may be defined as a minimum unit for outputting light.

[0060] The plurality of gate lines GL may supply the plurality of pixels SP with gate signals received from the gate driver 210. The plurality of gate lines GL may extend in the X-axis direction and may be spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction.

[0061] The plurality of data lines DL may supply data voltages received from the display driving circuit 200 to the plurality of pixels SP. The plurality of data lines DL may extend in the Y-axis direction and may be spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction.

[0062] The plurality of power lines VL may supply the plurality of pixels SP with a power voltage received from the display driving circuit 200. Here, the power voltage may be at least one of a driving voltage, an initialization voltage, and a reference voltage. The plurality of power lines VL may extend in the Y-axis direction and may be spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction.

[0063] The non-display area NDA may surround (e.g., outside the periphery or coverage of the display area DA) the display area DA. The non-display area NDA may include a gate driver 210, a fan-out line FOL, and a gate control line GCL. The gate driver 210 may generate a plurality of gate signals based on a gate control signal, and may sequentially supply the plurality of gate signals to a plurality of gate lines GL according to a set order.

[0064] The fan-out line FOL may extend from the display driving circuit 200 to the display area DA. The fan-out line FOL may supply a data voltage received from the display driving circuit 200 to the plurality of data lines DL.

[0065] The gate control line GCL may extend from the display driving circuit 200 to the gate driver 210. The gate control line GCL may supply a gate control signal received from the display driving circuit 200 to the gate driver 210.

[0066] The sub-area SBA may include the display driving circuit 200 , the display pad area DPA, and first and second touch pad areas TPA1 and TPA2 .

[0067] The display driving circuit 200 may output a timing control signal and a data voltage for driving the display panel 100 to the fan-out line FOL. The display driving circuit 200 generates a gate control signal according to a display driving frequency set in the firmware based on a preset display control firmware, and generates a data voltage corresponding to the image data. In addition, the display driving circuit 200 may supply a data voltage to the data line DL through the fan-out line FOL according to the display driving frequency set in the firmware. Here, the data voltage may be supplied to a plurality of pixels SP, and the brightness of the plurality of pixels SP may be determined. In addition, the display driving circuit 200 may supply a gate control signal generated according to the display driving frequency and the gate voltage value of the firmware to the gate driver 210 through the gate control line GCL.

[0068] The display pad area DPA, the first touch pad area TPA1, and the second touch pad area TPA2 may be located at the edge of the sub-area SBA. The display pad area DPA, the first touch pad area TPA1, and the second touch pad area TPA2 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 300 using an anisotropic conductive layer or a low resistance and high reliability material such as a super absorbent resin (SAP).

[0069] The display pad area DPA may include a plurality of display pad portions. The plurality of display pad portions may be connected to a separate host processor via the circuit board 300. The plurality of display pad portions may be connected to the circuit board 300 to receive digital video data and supply the digital video data to the display driving circuit 200.

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 3 Layout diagram of further details of the structure of the first example of the touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0071] Mainly in Figure 5 The touch electrode SE of the main area MA described in the figure includes two types of electrodes (for example, touch drive electrodes TE and touch sensing electrodes RE), and is driven in a mutual capacitance manner. The mutual capacitance manner refers to sensing the charge change in the mutual capacitance of each of a plurality of touch nodes through the touch sensing electrode RE after a touch drive signal is applied to the touch drive electrode TE, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0072] exist Figure 5 In the figure, for convenience of explanation, only the touch driving electrodes TE, the touch sensing electrodes RE, the dummy patterns DE, the touch lines SL, and the first and second touch pads TP1 and TP2 are shown.

[0073] Reference Figure 5 The main area MA of the touch sensing unit TSU includes a touch sensing area TSA for sensing a user's touch and a touch peripheral area TPA arranged around the touch sensing area TSA. The touch sensing area TSA may be connected to the touch sensing area TSA. Figures 1 to 4 The touch peripheral area TPA may overlap the display area DA, and the touch peripheral area TPA may overlap the non-display area NDA.

[0074] The touch driving electrodes TE, the touch sensing electrodes RE, and the dummy patterns DE are located in the touch sensing area TSA. The touch driving electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE may be electrodes for forming mutual capacitance to sense a touch of an electronic pen or a human body.

[0075] The touch sensing electrodes RE may be arranged in parallel in a first direction (X-axis direction) and a second direction (Y-axis direction). The touch sensing electrodes RE may be electrically connected to each other in the first direction (X-axis direction). The touch sensing electrodes RE adjacent to each other in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be connected to each other. The touch sensing electrodes RE adjacent to each other in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be electrically separated from each other. As a result, a touch node TN at which mutual capacitance is formed may be provided at each of the intersections between the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE. A plurality of touch nodes TN may correspond to the intersections between the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE.

[0076] The touch drive electrodes TE may be arranged in parallel in a first direction (X-axis direction) and a second direction (Y-axis direction). The touch drive electrodes TE adjacent to each other in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be electrically separated from each other. The touch drive electrodes TE may be electrically connected to each other in the second direction (Y-axis direction). The touch drive electrodes TE adjacent to each other in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be connected to each other through separate connection electrodes.

[0077] Each of the dummy patterns DE may be arranged to be surrounded by the touch drive electrode TE or the touch sensing electrode RE. Each of the dummy patterns DE may be separated from the touch drive electrode TE or the touch sensing electrode RE. Each of the dummy patterns DE may be spaced apart from the touch drive electrode TE or the touch sensing electrode RE. Each of the dummy patterns DE may be electrically floated.

[0078] exist Figure 5 , each of the touch drive electrode TE, the touch sensing electrode RE, and the dummy pattern DE is shown to have a rhombus plane shape, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, each of the touch drive electrode TE, the touch sensing electrode RE, and the dummy pattern DE may have a plane shape (such as a quadrilateral other than a rhombus, a polygon other than a quadrilateral, a circle, or an ellipse). In addition, the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE may also be formed in a coil-shaped pattern.

[0079] The touch lines SL may be located in the touch peripheral area TPA. The touch lines SL include first and second touch drive lines TL1 and TL2 connected to the touch drive electrodes TE, and a touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrodes RE.

[0080] Each of the touch sensing electrodes RE located at the end on one side or the other side of the touch sensing area TSA may be connected to the touch sensing line RL in a one-to-one manner. Figure 5As shown in the figure, each of the touch sensing electrodes RE located at the right end (the right side in the figure) among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected to each other in the first direction (X-axis direction) can be connected to a corresponding one of the touch sensing lines RL. In addition, each of the touch sensing lines RL can be connected to the second touch pad TP2 located on the pad portion PD in a one-to-one manner. Different from this, each of the touch sensing electrodes RE located at the left end (the left side in the figure) among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected to each other in the first direction (X-axis direction) can also be connected to each of the touch sensing lines RL. The structure in which each touch sensing line RL is connected in different directions will be further described in more detail below.

[0081] The touch drive electrodes TE located at the ends on one side of the touch sensing area TSA may be connected to the first touch drive line TL1 in a one-to-one manner, and the touch drive electrodes TE located at the ends on the other side of the touch sensing area TSA may be connected to the second touch drive line TL2 in a one-to-one manner. For example, the touch drive electrodes TE located at the ends on the lower side (e.g., the lower direction in the figure) among the touch drive electrodes TE electrically connected to each other in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be respectively connected to the first touch drive line TL1, and the touch drive electrodes TE located at the ends on the upper side (e.g., the upper direction in the figure) among the touch drive electrodes TE electrically connected to each other in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be respectively connected to the second touch drive line TL2. The second touch drive line TL2 may be connected to the touch drive electrode TE at the upper side of the touch sensing area TSA via the left outer side of the touch sensing area TSA.

[0082] The first touch drive line TL1 and the second touch drive line TL2 may be connected to the first touch pad TP1 located on the pad portion PD in a one-to-one manner. The touch drive electrode TE is connected to the first touch drive line TL1 and the second touch drive line TL2 at both sides (e.g., the upper direction and the lower direction in the figure) of the touch sensing area TSA to receive a touch drive signal. Therefore, the occurrence of a difference in electrical characteristics (e.g., voltage magnitude) between the touch drive signal applied to the touch drive electrode TE located on the lower side of the touch sensing area TSA and the touch drive signal applied to the touch drive electrode TE located on the upper side of the touch sensing area TSA due to RC delay may be prevented or reduced.

[0083] like Figures 1 to 3As shown in , when the display circuit board 300 is connected to one side of the flexible film, the display pad area DPA and the first touch pad area TPA1 and the second touch pad area TPA2 of the pad portion PD may correspond to the pads of the display panel 100 connected to the display circuit board 300. Therefore, the pads of the display panel 100 may contact the display pads DP, the first touch pads TP1 and the second touch pads TP2. The display pads DP, the first touch pads TP1 and the second touch pads TP2 may be electrically connected to the pads of the display circuit board 300 using an anisotropic conductive layer or a low resistance and high reliability material such as SAP. Therefore, the display pads DP, the first touch pads TP1 and the second touch pads TP2 may be electrically connected to the touch drive circuit 400 located on the display circuit board 300.

[0084] The touch driving circuit 400 generates a touch driving signal based on the touch driving firmware according to a touch driving frequency and a driving voltage value set in the firmware.

[0085] The touch drive circuit 400 outputs a touch drive signal from the touch drive electrode TE located at the leftmost side of the touch sensing area TSA to the touch drive electrode TE located at the rightmost side of the touch sensing area TSA at a certain speed according to the touch drive frequency. In this case, the touch drive circuit 400 may sequentially output the touch drive signal from the touch drive electrode TE located at the leftmost side to the touch drive electrode TE located at the rightmost side. Different from this, the touch drive circuit 400 may group the touch drive electrodes TE into a preset number of groups according to the programming of the firmware, and may output a touch drive signal to the touch drive electrode TE for each group. In this case, the touch drive signal may be output as a plurality of pulse signals generated in a range of about 1.8V to 2.2V based on the driving voltage value of the firmware.

[0086] The touch drive circuit 400 senses the charge change amount of the mutual capacitance of each of the touch nodes TN from the touch sensing line RL and the second touch pad TP2 of the touch sensing unit TSU. The touch drive circuit 400 may include an operational amplifier for sensing the charge change amount of the mutual capacitance of the touch node TN. Therefore, the touch drive circuit 400 can sequentially convert the output voltage according to the charge change amount of each of the touch nodes TN amplified by the operational amplifier into touch data as digital data. In addition, the touch drive circuit 400 extracts the difference data value by sequentially comparing the touch data for the touch sensing signal with the preset sensing reference data. Therefore, the touch drive circuit 400 can calculate the touch position coordinates for the touch data and supply the touch position coordinates to the display drive circuit 200, and the touch data has a difference data value greater than the average value among the sequentially detected touch data.

[0087] As reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As described, the display driving circuit 200 drives the pixels SP of the display area DA based on the previously stored display control firmware (ie, using the display driving frequency, control signal output timing, and output voltage value of the display control firmware).

[0088] On the other hand, the touch driving circuit 400 drives the touch electrodes SE with the display driving frequency and the touch driving signal according to the touch driving firmware in units of at least one frame period based on the previously stored touch driving firmware.

[0089] As described above, the touch drive electrodes TE arranged in parallel in the second direction (Y-axis direction) are connected to the first touch drive line TL1 and the second touch drive line TL2 on both sides and receive the touch drive signal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce the problem of RC delay occurring between the touch drive signals applied to both sides of the touch drive electrode TE. In particular, the resistance difference between all the touch drive electrodes TE arranged in parallel in the second direction (Y-axis direction) can be minimized or reduced to close to zero.

[0090] At the same time, one end or the other end of the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) is connected to the touch sensing line RL, respectively, but the length of the touch sensing line RL is different. In other words, the length of the touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrode RE located at the end (for example, the end in the upper direction) on one side of the touch sensing area TSA is the longest, and the length of the touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrode RE located at the end (for example, the end in the lower direction) on the other side of the touch sensing area TSA is the shortest. Therefore, the resistance of the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) increases toward the end on one side of the touch sensing area TSA, and decreases toward the end on the other side of the touch sensing area TSA. As a result, the resistance difference between the touch drive electrodes TE arranged in parallel in the second direction (Y-axis direction) can be minimized or reduced to close to 0, but the resistance difference between the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) is different from each other.

[0091] When checking the touch of the touch drive electrode TE, the touch sensing electrode RE and the touch node TN, the touch nodes TN are each formed at the intersection between the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE arranged in the touch sensing unit, and the display panel 100 on which / in which the touch sensing unit TSU is formed, and the display device 10 are located in the touch inspection device.

[0092] During the touch inspection, the touch driving circuit 400 of the display device 10 drives the touch driving electrode TE based on the preset inspection driving firmware, and detects the touch sensing signal through the touch sensing electrode RE. In addition, the touch driving circuit 400 can calculate the charge change amount of the mutual capacitance of each of the touch nodes TN, and can convert the output voltage according to the charge change amount of each of the touch nodes TN into touch data as digital data, and send the touch data to the touch inspection device.

[0093] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 3 Layout diagram of further details of the structure of a second example of a touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0094] Reference Figure 6 Among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected in the first direction (X-axis direction), among the touch sensing electrodes RE located in the upper direction of the touch sensing area TSA relative to the center of the touch sensing area TSA, each of the touch sensing lines RL can be connected to the touch sensing electrode RE located at the end in the first side direction (right direction in the figure).

[0095] On the other hand, among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected in the first direction (X-axis direction) and located in the lower direction of the touch sensing area TSA relative to the center of the touch sensing area TSA, each of the touch sensing lines RL can be connected to the touch sensing electrode RE located at the end in the second side direction (left direction in the figure).

[0096] In addition, each of the touch sensing lines RL may be connected to the second touch pad TP2 located on the pad portion PD along the periphery of the touch sensing area TSA in a one-to-one manner.

[0097] like Figure 6 As shown in , the lengths of the touch sensing lines RL connected to the touch sensing electrodes RE in the first side direction or the second side direction, respectively, are different from each other. For example, the length of the touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrode RE at the end (e.g., the end in the upper direction) located on one side of the touch sensing area TSA may be the longest, and the length of the touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrode RE at the end (e.g., the end in the lower direction) located on the other side of the touch sensing area TSA may be the shortest. Therefore, the resistance of the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) increases toward the end on one side of the touch sensing area TSA, and decreases toward the end on the other side of the touch sensing area TSA. As a result, the resistance differences between the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) are different from each other.

[0098] At the same time, among the touch sensing electrodes RE located in the upper direction of the touch sensing area TSA among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected in the first direction (X-axis direction), each of the touch sensing lines RL is connected to the touch sensing electrode RE located at the end in the first side direction. In addition, a resistance difference also occurs between the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in the second side direction compared to the touch sensing electrodes RE in the first side direction to which the touch sensing lines RL are connected. That is, the resistance of the touch sensing electrode RE in the first side direction to which the touch sensing lines RL are directly connected is the smallest, and as the touch sensing electrode RE moves further away from the touch sensing electrode RE to which the touch sensing lines RL are connected in the second side direction, the resistance of the touch sensing electrode RE becomes larger.

[0099] On the other hand, among the touch sensing electrodes RE electrically connected in the first direction (X-axis direction), which are arranged in the lower direction of the touch sensing area TSA, each of the touch sensing lines RL is connected to the touch sensing electrode RE arranged at the end in the second side direction. Similarly, a resistance difference also occurs between the touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in the first side direction, compared with the touch sensing electrodes RE in the second side direction to which the touch sensing lines RL are connected. That is, the resistance of the touch sensing electrode RE in the second side direction to which the touch sensing lines RL are directly connected is the smallest, and as the touch sensing electrode RE moves further away from the touch sensing electrode RE to which the touch sensing lines RL are connected in the first side direction, the resistance of the touch sensing electrode RE becomes larger.

[0100] The touch sensing electrodes RE arranged in parallel in the first direction (X-axis direction) have different resistance differences due to one connection direction of the touch sensing line RL and different lengths of the touch sensing line RL. During the touch inspection, considering the connection direction of the touch sensing line RL and the influence of the length of the touch sensing line RL with respect to the touch sensing electrode RE, defects in the touch sensing electrode RE can also be detected through an arithmetic processing process (such as analyzing touch data and comparing and canceling touch data).

[0101] However, although the resistance difference between the touch drive electrodes TE themselves is close to 0, the touch drive electrodes TE intersect with the touch sensing electrodes RE and are affected by the resistance difference between the touch sensing electrodes RE. For example, because the touch drive electrodes TE are electrically connected in the second direction (Y-axis direction), the touch drive electrodes TE are arranged to intersect with the touch sensing electrodes RE having different resistance sizes according to the up and down directions and the first and second side directions of the touch sensing area TSA. Therefore, the touch node TN formed at the intersection of the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE can be affected by the resistance difference of the touch sensing electrode RE.

[0102] During the touch inspection, the touch sensing defect and the defect sensing position can be detected by detecting the touch data according to the capacitance change of the touch node TN and comparing and analyzing the touch data for each touch node TN. As described above, considering the connection direction of the touch sensing line RL and the influence of the length of the touch sensing line RL relative to the touch sensing electrode RE, the defect in the touch sensing electrode RE can also be detected by the arithmetic processing process of the touch data. However, because the touch drive electrode TE is affected by the touch sensing electrode RE having a resistance difference, it is difficult to find or point out the defect in the touch drive electrode TE, especially to find or point out which touch drive electrode TE has a defect among the touch drive electrodes TE. Therefore, the touch inspection device performs a touch inspection to find and point out which touch drive electrode TE has a defect among the touch drive electrodes TE.

[0103] For example, the touch driving circuit 400 detects touch data through a touch node TN where the touch driving electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE intersect, and during a touch check, the touch check device arranges the touch data in units of at least one frame.

[0104] The touch inspection apparatus can detect touch error data and at least one touch node TN generating the touch error data by calculating a deviation of touch data for each touch node TN according to an arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE and canceling the deviation of touch data for each of touch nodes TN adjacent to each other.

[0105] The touch inspection device can determine the position of at least one touch node TN where touch error data occurs as the defect occurrence position, and can detect the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs and detect at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the touch drive electrode TE where the defect occurs.

[0106] Figure 7 is a perspective view briefly showing a touch inspection device and a touch inspection process of a display device according to some embodiments. In addition, Figure 8 is a simplified diagram showing the Figure 7 0 is a block diagram of components of a touch inspection device for a display device shown in FIG.

[0107] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 , also refer to Figure 1 The touch inspection device 600 of the display device 10 includes a loading unit 601 on which the display device 10 is loaded, a first flexible circuit unit 602, an inspection processing circuit unit (or inspection processing circuit, or inspection processor) 604, a second flexible circuit unit 605, and a power supply unit 606.

[0108] The display device 10 in which the touch sensing unit TSU is formed or the display panel 100 in which the touch sensing unit TSU is formed is loaded on the loading unit 601 of the touch inspection device 600 .

[0109] The power supply unit 606 supplies a preset power signal to the display device 10, the display panel 100 and the touch driving circuit 400. The power signal may include a DC driving voltage source, a timing pulse signal, a gate pulse signal, an AC driving voltage source and the like.

[0110] The touch drive circuit 400 supplies a touch drive signal to the touch drive electrode TE in the touch sensing unit TSU of the display device 10, and detects the output voltage and current through the touch drive electrode TE and the touch sensing electrode RE and the capacitance of the touch node TN. In addition, the touch drive circuit 400 digitally converts the detected output voltage and capacitance, and detects touch signal data for the touch drive electrode TE, sensing signal data for the touch sensing electrode RE, and touch data of the touch node TN. The touch drive circuit 400 may be located on a display circuit board 300 formed separately from the display device 10. The touch drive circuit 400 may also be formed in a touch inspection device 600 separated from the display device 10.

[0111] During the touch inspection, the touch drive circuit 400 supplies a touch drive signal to the touch drive electrode TE through the first touch drive line TL1 and the second touch drive line TL2 of the touch sensing unit TSU. In addition, the touch drive circuit 400 can receive the touch drive signal applied to each touch drive electrode TE through the first touch drive line TL1 as feedback to detect the voltage and current of the touch drive signal applied to each of the touch drive electrodes TE. The touch drive circuit 400 converts the touch drive signal into touch signal data as digital data according to the change in the voltage magnitude and current amount of the touch drive signal, and sends the touch signal data to the inspection processing circuit 604 of the touch inspection device 600.

[0112] In addition, the touch driving circuit 400 detects the touch sensing signal for the touch sensing electrode RE through the touch sensing line RL connected to the touch sensing electrode RE respectively. The touch driving circuit 400 converts the touch sensing signal into sensing signal data as digital data according to the change of the voltage magnitude and current amount of the touch sensing signal, and sends the sensing signal data to the inspection processing circuit 604.

[0113] The touch driving circuit 400 calculates the charge change amount of the capacitance of each of the touch nodes TN by comparing and calculating the change in the voltage magnitude and current amount of the touch sensing signal and the change in the voltage magnitude and current amount of the touch driving signal using a preset calculation formula. The touch driving circuit 400 converts the output voltage according to the charge change amount of each of the touch nodes TN into touch data as digital data, and sends the touch data to the inspection processing circuit 604.

[0114] The first flexible circuit unit 602 transmits the touch signal data of the touch driving electrode TE, the sensing signal data of the touch sensing electrode RE, and the touch data of the touch node TN detected from the touch driving circuit 400 to the inspection processing circuit 604 .

[0115] The inspection processing circuit 604 sequentially receives touch data detected from the touch nodes TN by the touch driving circuit 400 and arranges the touch data in units of at least one frame. In addition, the inspection processing circuit 604 calculates a deviation of touch data for each touch node TN according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE.

[0116] The inspection processing circuit 604 detects touch error data and at least one touch node TN in which the touch error data occurs by canceling deviations of touch data for touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch driving electrodes TE.

[0117] The inspection processing circuit 604 can determine the position of at least one touch node TN where touch error data occurs as the defect occurrence position, and can detect the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs and detect at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the touch drive electrode TE where the defect occurs.

[0118] Reference Figure 8 , also refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 The inspection processing circuit 604 of the touch inspection device 600 includes a touch data storage unit 641 , a touch data arrangement unit 642 , a node deviation calculation unit 643 , a touch data calculation unit 644 and an inspection result output unit 645 .

[0119] The touch data storage unit 641 of the inspection processing circuit 604 receives and stores the touch signal data of the touch driving electrode TE, the sensing signal data of the touch sensing electrode RE, and the touch data of the touch node TN detected from the touch driving circuit 400 .

[0120] The touch data arrangement unit 642 sequentially arranges the touch signal data in units of at least one frame according to the arrangement order and arrangement structure of the touch drive electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE. In addition, the touch data arrangement unit 642 sequentially arranges the touch data in units of at least one frame according to the intersection structure of the touch drive electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE and the arrangement structure of the touch nodes TN.

[0121] The node deviation calculation unit 643 may calculate a deviation value of touch data for each touch node TN using a preset deviation calculation equation according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE.

[0122] The touch data calculation unit 644 detects touch error data and at least one touch node TN in which the touch error data occurs by canceling deviations of touch data for touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch driving electrodes TE.

[0123] For example, the touch data calculation unit 644 may use a preset deviation offset calculation formula to offset the deviation of the touch data for the touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrode TE. In addition, the touch data calculation unit 644 may detect the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result and at least one touch node TN in which the touch error data TNerr occurs.

[0124] The inspection result output unit 645 determines the position of at least one touch node TN where the touch error data TNerr occurs as a defect occurrence position, detects and determines the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs, and detects and determines at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the touch drive electrode TE where the defect occurs. The inspection result output unit 645 transmits the determined result to a separate monitor, etc.

[0125] Fig. 9 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a touch inspection method of a display device according to some embodiments.

[0126] Reference Fig. 9 , also refer to Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 8During the touch inspection, the touch drive circuit 400 supplies a touch drive signal to the touch drive electrode TE located in the touch sensing unit TSU. In addition, the touch drive circuit 400 detects the voltage and current amount of the touch drive signal applied to each of the touch drive electrodes TE, and detects the touch sensing signal for the touch sensing electrode RE and the voltage and current amount of the touch sensing signal. The touch drive circuit 400 detects the touch signal data and the sensing signal data by digitally converting the detected touch drive signal and the touch sensing signal and the capacitance size of the touch node TN. In this case, the touch drive circuit 400 calculates the charge change amount of the mutual capacitance of each of the touch nodes TN by comparing and calculating the change in the voltage size and current amount of the touch sensing signal and the change in the voltage size and current amount of the touch drive signal. In addition, the touch drive circuit 400 converts the output voltage according to the charge change amount of each of the touch nodes TN into digital touch data, and sends the digital touch data to the inspection processing circuit 604 (SS1).

[0127] Fig.10 is a diagram showing a method for Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a view of alignment of touch capacitance data of each touch node of a touch sensing unit shown in FIG.

[0128] Reference Fig.10 , also refer to Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the touch data storage unit 641 receives the touch signal data of the touch driving electrode TE, the sensing signal data of the touch sensing electrode RE, and the touch data of the touch node TN detected from the touch driving circuit 400 through the first flexible circuit unit 602. Tx0, Tx1, Tx2, ..., and Tx9 represent driving signal input channels of the touch driving electrode TE, and Rx0, Rx1, Rx2, ..., and Rx19 represent sensing signal output channels of the touch sensing electrode RE.

[0129] The touch data arrangement unit 642 sequentially arranges the touch signal data in units of at least one frame according to the arrangement order and arrangement structure of the touch drive electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE. For example, the touch data arrangement unit 642 can distinguish the touch signal data of the touch drive electrodes TE, the sensing signal data of the touch sensing electrodes RE, and the touch data of the touch nodes TN according to the arrangement order and arrangement structure of the touch drive electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE, and store them in separate memories or registers. In this case, the touch data arrangement unit 642 sequentially arranges the touch data in units of at least one frame according to the intersection structure of the touch drive electrodes TE and the touch sensing electrodes RE and the arrangement structure of the touch nodes TN.

[0130] Fig.11 is a view showing a deviation calculation result of touch capacitance data for each touch node of a touch sensing unit according to some embodiments.

[0131] Reference Fig.11 , also refer to Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , the node deviation calculation unit 643 calculates a deviation value TNre(x) (SS2) of touch data for each touch node TN using a preset deviation calculation equation (ie, the following Equation 1) according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE.

[0132] Equation 1

[0133] TNre(x)=|Cm(RE(x)ave-TN(n))|

[0134] Here, Cm refers to a touch data value according to capacitance, RE(x)ave is an average data value in an arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE, and TN(n) is a touch data value of each of the touch nodes TN.

[0135] Fig.12 is a diagram illustrating a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments.

[0136] Reference Fig.12 , also refer to Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The touch data calculation unit 644 detects touch error data and at least one touch node TN where the touch error data occurs by canceling deviations of touch data for touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch driving electrodes TE.

[0137] For example, the touch data calculation unit 644 may use a preset deviation offset calculation formula (i.e., the following equation 2) to offset the deviation of the touch data for the touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrode TE. In addition, the touch data calculation unit 644 may detect the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result and at least one touch node TN (SS3) in which the touch error data TNerr occurs.

[0138] Equation 2

[0139] TNerr=|Yn-1(TNre(x))-Yn(TNre(x))|

[0140] Here, TNerr is a cancellation result value of the deviation value, that is, a touch error data value for each of the touch nodes TN. In addition, Yn-1(TNre(x)) and Yn(TNre(x)) are deviation values ​​(TNre_x) for touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrode TE.

[0141] like Fig.12 As shown in , when the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result does not occur or is detected as 0, it can be confirmed that no defect occurs in the touch node TN or the touch driving electrode TE.

[0142] The inspection result output unit 645 determines the position of at least one touch node TN where the touch error data TNerr occurs as a defect occurrence position, detects the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs, and detects at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the touch drive electrode TE where the defect occurs. The inspection result output unit 645 transmits the detected result to a separate monitor, etc. (SS4).

[0143] Fig.13 is a view showing a deviation calculation result of touch capacitance data for each touch node of a touch sensing unit according to some embodiments.

[0144] Touch data arrangement unit 642 (see Figure 8 ) According to the touch drive electrode TE (refer to Figure 6 ) and the touch sensing electrode RE (refer to Figure 6 ) and the touch nodes TN with respect to sequential and continuous inputs (refer to Figure 6 ), and sequentially arranges the touch data of the touch nodes TN in units of each frame.

[0145] Reference Fig.13 , also refer to Figure 6 and Figure 8 The node deviation calculation unit 643 calculates a deviation value TNre(x) of the touch data for each touch node TN using a preset deviation calculation equation (ie, Equation 1) according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes RE.

[0146] Fig.14 is a diagram illustrating a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments.

[0147] Reference Fig.14 , also refer to Figure 6 and Figure 8, the touch data calculation unit 644 can use the preset deviation offset calculation formula (i.e., the above equation 2) to offset the deviation of the touch data for the touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrode TE. In addition, the touch data calculation unit 644 can detect the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result and at least one touch node TN in which the touch error data TNerr occurs.

[0148] like Fig.14 As shown in , when the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result does not occur or is detected as 0, it can be confirmed that no defect occurs in the touch node TN or the touch driving electrode TE.

[0149] However, when the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result has occurred, it may be confirmed that a defect has occurred in the touch node TN or the touch driving electrode TE.

[0150] The inspection result output unit 645 determines the position of at least one touch node TN where the touch error data TNerr occurs as a defect occurrence position, detects the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs, and detects at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the touch drive electrode TE where the defect occurs. The inspection result output unit 645 transmits the detected result to a separate monitor, etc.

[0151] Fig.15 is a diagram showing the result of vertical deviation cancellation of touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments. In addition, Fig.16 is a diagram illustrating a result of vertical deviation cancellation for touch capacitance data for each touch node according to some embodiments.

[0152] like Fig.15 and Fig.16 As shown in Figure 6 and Figure 8 The touch data calculation unit 644 detects the touch error data TNerr and at least one touch node TN in which the touch error data TNerr occurs by canceling deviations of touch data for touch nodes TN adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch driving electrodes TE.

[0153] When the touch error data TNerr does not occur or is detected as 0, it is confirmed that no defect occurs in the touch node TN or the touch drive electrode TE. That is, it is confirmed to be normal. However, if Fig.15 and Fig.16As shown in , when the touch error data TNerr according to the deviation offset result has occurred, it can be confirmed that a defect has occurred in the touch node TN or the touch driving electrode TE.

[0154] The inspection result output unit 645 determines the position of at least one touch node TN where the touch error data TNerr occurs as the defect occurrence position, detects the touch position coordinates for the touch node TN where the defect occurs, and detects at least one touch drive electrode TE forming the touch node TN where the defect occurs as the defective touch drive electrode TE.

[0155] Fig.17 and Fig.18 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0156] Fig.17 and Fig.18 The display device 10 is shown to be a foldable display device that is folded in a first direction (X-axis direction). The display device 10 can maintain both a folded state and an unfolded state. The display device 10 can be folded in an inner folding manner, wherein the front surface of the display device 10 is located on the inner side. When the display device 10 is bent or folded in an inner folding manner, the front surfaces of the display device 10 can be arranged to face each other. Alternatively, the display device 10 can be folded in an outer folding manner, wherein the front surface of the display device 10 is located on the outer side. When the display device 10 is bent or folded in an outer folding manner, the rear surfaces of the display device 10 can be arranged to face each other.

[0157] The first non-folding area NFA1 may be located on one side (e.g., the right side) of the folding area FDA. The second non-folding area NFA2 may be located on the other side (e.g., the left side) of the folding area FDA. The touch sensing unit TSU according to some embodiments of the present specification may be formed and located on the first non-folding area NFA1 and the second non-folding area NFA2, respectively.

[0158] The first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 may extend in the second direction (Y-axis direction), and the display device 10 may be folded in the first direction (X-axis direction). Therefore, since the length of the display device 10 in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be reduced by about half, the user may conveniently carry the display device 10.

[0159] Meanwhile, the extending direction of the first folding line FOL1 and the extending direction of the second folding line FOL2 are not limited to the second direction (Y-axis direction). For example, the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 may extend in the first direction (X-axis direction), and the display device 10 may be folded in the second direction (Y-axis direction). In this case, the length of the display device 10 in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be reduced by about half. Alternatively, the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 may extend in a diagonal direction between the first direction (X-axis direction) and the second direction (Y-axis direction) of the display device 10. In this case, the display device 10 may be folded into a triangle.

[0160] When the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 extend in the second direction (Y-axis direction), the length of the folding area FDA in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be shorter than the length of the folding area FDA in the second direction (Y-axis direction). In addition, the length of the first non-folding area NFA1 in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be longer than the length of the folding area FDA in the first direction (X-axis direction). The length of the second non-folding area NFA2 in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be longer than the length of the folding area FDA in the first direction (X-axis direction).

[0161] The first display area DA1 may be located on the front surface of the display device 10. The first display area DA1 may overlap the folding area FDA, the first non-folding area NFA1, and the second non-folding area NFA2. Therefore, when the display device 10 is unfolded, an image may be displayed in the folding area FDA, the first non-folding area NFA1, and the second non-folding area NFA2 of the display device 10 in a front direction.

[0162] The second display area DA2 may be located on the rear surface of the display device 10. The second display area DA2 may overlap with the second non-folding area NFA2. Therefore, when the display device 10 is folded, an image may be displayed in the second non-folding area NFA2 of the display device 10 in a front direction.

[0163] Fig.17 and Fig.18 It is shown that the through hole TH in which the camera SDA is formed is located in the first non-folding area NFA1, but embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto. The through hole TH or the camera SDA may be located in the second non-folding area NFA2 or the folding area FDA.

[0164] Fig.19 and Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0165] exist Fig.19 and Fig. 20 , the display device 10 is a foldable display device that is folded in the second direction (Y-axis direction). The display device 10 can maintain both the folded state and the unfolded state. The display device 10 can be folded in an inner folding manner, wherein the front surface of the display device 10 is located on the inner side. When the display device 10 is bent or folded in an inner folding manner, the front surfaces of the display device 10 can be arranged to face each other. Alternatively, the display device 10 can be folded in an outer folding manner, wherein the front surface of the display device 10 is located on the outer side. When the display device 10 is bent or folded in an outer folding manner, the rear surfaces of the display device 10 can be arranged to face each other.

[0166] The display device 10 may include a folding area FDA, a first non-folding area NFA1, and a second non-folding area NFA2. The folding area FDA may be an area in which the display device 10 is folded, and the first non-folding area NFA1 and the second non-folding area NFA2 may be areas in which the display device 10 is not folded. The first non-folding area NFA1 may be located on one side (e.g., the lower side) of the folding area FDA. The second non-folding area NFA2 may be located on the other side (e.g., the upper side) of the folding area FDA.

[0167] The touch sensing unit TSU according to some embodiments of the present specification may be formed and located on the first non-folding area NFA1 and the second non-folding area NFA2 , respectively.

[0168] On the other hand, the folding area FDA may be an area bent at a predetermined curvature at the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2. Therefore, the first folding line FOL1 may be a boundary between the folding area FDA and the first non-folding area NFA1, and the second folding line FOL2 may be a boundary between the folding area FDA and the second non-folding area NFA2.

[0169] like Fig.19 and Fig. 20 As shown in , the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 can extend in the first direction (X-axis direction), and the display device 10 can be folded in the second direction (Y-axis direction). Therefore, since the length of the display device 10 in the second direction (Y-axis direction) can be reduced by about half, the user can conveniently carry the display device 10.

[0170] Meanwhile, the extending direction of the first folding line FOL1 and the extending direction of the second folding line FOL2 are not limited to the first direction (X-axis direction). For example, the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 may extend in the second direction (Y-axis direction), and the display device 10 may be folded in the first direction (X-axis direction). In this case, the length of the display device 10 in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be reduced by about half. Alternatively, the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 may extend in a diagonal direction between the first direction (X-axis direction) and the second direction (Y-axis direction) of the display device 10. In this case, the display device 10 may be folded into a triangle.

[0171] like Fig.19 and Fig. 20 As shown in , when the first folding line FOL1 and the second folding line FOL2 extend in the first direction (X-axis direction), the length of the folding area FDA in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be shorter than its length in the first direction (X-axis direction). In addition, the length of the first non-folding area NFA1 in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be longer than the length of the folding area FDA in the second direction (Y-axis direction). In addition, the length of the second non-folding area NFA2 in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be longer than the length of the folding area FDA in the second direction (Y-axis direction).

[0172] The first display area DA1 may be located on the front surface of the display device 10. The first display area DA1 may overlap the folding area FDA, the first non-folding area NFA1, and the second non-folding area NFA2. Therefore, when the display device 10 is unfolded, an image may be displayed in the folding area FDA, the first non-folding area NFA1, and the second non-folding area NFA2 of the display device 10 in a front direction.

[0173] The second display area DA2 may be located on the rear surface of the display device 10. The second display area DA2 may overlap with the second non-folding area NFA2. Therefore, when the display device 10 is folded, an image may be displayed in the second non-folding area NFA2 of the display device 10 in a front direction.

[0174] Fig.19 and Fig. 20 It is shown that the through hole TH in which the camera SDA is positioned is located in the second non-folding area NFA2 , but embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto. The through hole TH may be located in the first non-folding area NFA1 or the folding area FDA.

[0175] Any suitable hardware, firmware (e.g., application specific integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware may be utilized to implement the electronic or electrical device and / or any other related device or component according to the embodiments of the present invention described herein. For example, various components of these devices may be formed on an integrated circuit (IC) chip or on a separate IC chip. In addition, various components of these devices may be implemented on a flexible printed circuit film, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or may be formed on a substrate. In addition, various components of these devices may be processes or threads running on one or more processors in one or more computing devices, executing computer program instructions and interacting with other system components for performing the various functions described herein. Computer program instructions are stored in a memory, which may be implemented in a computing device using a standard memory device (such as a random access memory (RAM) as an example). Computer program instructions may also be stored in other non-temporary computer-readable media such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a flash drive as an example. In addition, those skilled in the art should recognize that without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments disclosed herein, the functionality of various computing devices may be combined or integrated into a single computing device, or the functionality of a particular computing device may be distributed across one or more other computing devices.

[0176] At the end of the detailed description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing substantially from the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure are used only in a general and descriptive sense, and not for the purpose of limitation.

Claims

1. A touch inspection device for a display device, wherein: The touch inspection device comprises: a loading unit on which the display device is loaded; a touch driving circuit configured to drive touch driving electrodes and touch sensing electrodes on a touch sensing unit of the display device and detect touch data for a touch node formed at an intersection of the touch driving electrode and the touch sensing electrode; and An inspection processing circuit is configured to calculate a deviation of the touch data, detect touch error data and at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs by canceling the deviation of the touch data for each of the touch nodes adjacent to each other, and detect a defect occurrence position of the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs.

2. The touch inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The touch sensing electrodes are arranged in parallel in a touch sensing region of the touch sensing unit in a first direction, and the touch driving electrodes are arranged in parallel in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The touch sensing electrodes in an upper direction in the second direction relative to the center of the touch sensing area among the touch sensing electrodes are electrically connected to the touch driving circuit through touch sensing lines connected in the first side direction, and Touch sensing electrodes in a lower direction in the second direction relative to the center of the touch sensing area among the touch sensing electrodes are electrically connected to the touch driving circuit through a touch sensing line connected in a second side direction opposite to the first side direction.

3. The touch inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The inspection processing circuit is configured as follows: arranging the touch data for the touch node in units of at least one frame; calculating a deviation of the touch data for the at least one frame according to an arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes; detecting the touch error data and the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs by canceling the deviation of the touch data adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrodes; as well as The position of the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs is determined as a defect occurrence position.

4. The touch inspection device according to claim 3, wherein: The inspection processing circuit is configured as follows: detecting at least one touch position coordinate for the at least one touch node determined as the defect occurrence position; detecting at least one touch drive electrode intersecting with the at least one touch node determined as the defect occurrence position as a touch drive electrode where a defect occurs; as well as The at least one touch position coordinate determined as the defect occurrence position and the detection result of the touch driving electrode where the defect occurs are displayed on a monitor.

5. The touch inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The inspection processing circuit comprises: a touch data storage unit configured to arrange the touch data for the touch node in units of at least one frame according to an arrangement order and an arrangement structure of the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes; a node deviation calculation unit configured to calculate the deviation of the touch data for the at least one frame according to an arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes; a touch data calculation unit configured to detect the touch error data and the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs by canceling the deviation of the touch data adjacent to each other according to an arrangement direction of the touch drive electrodes; and The inspection result output unit is configured to determine the position of the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs as a defect occurrence position.

6. The touch inspection device according to claim 5, wherein: The node deviation calculation unit is configured to calculate an average data value for the touch data in the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes, and calculate the deviation of the touch data for the touch node using the average data value according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes.

7. The touch inspection device according to claim 5, wherein: The node deviation calculation unit is configured to calculate the deviation of the touch data for the touch node according to the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes using a preset deviation calculation equation: TNre(x)=|Cm(RE(x)ave-TN(n))| Cm is a touch data value according to capacitance, RE(x)ave is an average data value in the arrangement direction of the touch sensing electrodes, and TN(n) is a touch data value of each of the touch nodes.

8. The touch inspection device according to claim 5, wherein: The touch data calculation unit is configured to detect the touch error data and the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs by canceling the deviation of the touch data of the touch nodes adjacent to each other according to the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrodes.

9. The touch inspection device according to claim 5, wherein: The touch data calculation unit is configured as follows: The deviation of the touch data for the touch nodes adjacent to each other is offset according to the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrodes using a preset deviation offset calculation equation: TNerr=|Yn-1(TNre(x))-Yn(TNre(x))|; and detecting the touch error data and the at least one touch node where the touch error data occurs according to the offset result of the deviation, Here, TNerr is a touch error data value according to the cancellation result of the deviation, and Yn-1(TNre(x)) and Yn(TNre(x)) are deviation values ​​for the touch nodes adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction of the touch drive electrodes.

10. The touch inspection device according to claim 5, wherein: The inspection result output unit is configured as follows: detecting at least one touch position coordinate for the at least one touch node determined as the defect occurrence position; detecting at least one touch drive electrode intersecting with the at least one touch node determined as the defect occurrence position as a touch drive electrode where a defect occurs; as well as The at least one touch position coordinate determined as the defect occurrence position and the detection result of the touch driving electrode where the defect occurs are displayed on a monitor.

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