Electronic device and operation method thereof in folded state

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device in a folded state. The electronic device includes a flexible element and a controller. The flexible element includes a plurality of sensing electrodes. In the folded state, the flexible element of the first portion overlaps the flexible element of the second portion. The controller is electrically connected with the plurality of sensing electrodes. The controller is configured to receive a first signal from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the second portion of the flexible element and a second signal from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the first portion of the flexible element.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of October 30, 2020, application number 202011190880.5, and invention name “Touch panel and touch panel operation method thereof”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a touch panel and a touch panel operating method thereof, and more particularly to a flexible touch panel and a touch panel operating method thereof. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, flexible electronic devices have become one of the development focuses of the next generation of electronic device technology. Therefore, the demand for display devices that can be integrated into flexible electronic devices has gradually increased. When a flexible display device is in a bent state, the folded area may generate erroneous noise, thereby interfering with the operation of the flexible display device. How manufacturers can improve the signal processing quality of flexible display devices remains an important issue. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure discloses an electronic device, comprising a flexible element, comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes, wherein, in a folded state, the first portion of the flexible element overlaps the second portion of the flexible element; and a controller, electrically connected to the plurality of sensing electrodes, wherein the controller is used to receive a first signal from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the second portion of the flexible element and a second signal from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the first portion of the flexible element.

[0005] The present disclosure discloses an operating method for an electronic device in a folded state, wherein the electronic device includes a flexible element and a controller, wherein the flexible element includes a plurality of sensing electrodes, and wherein the plurality of sensing electrodes are electrically connected to the controller. For the electronic device in the folded state, a first portion of the flexible element overlaps a second portion of the flexible element, and the operating method includes receiving a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal comes from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the second portion of the flexible element, and the second signal comes from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the first portion of the flexible element; and allowing one of the first signal and the second signal to be subsequently processed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a touch panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic top view of a touch panel is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a touch panel operation method of a touch panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figures 4 to 6 They are schematic diagrams of a touch panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figures 7 to 9 They are respectively cross-sectional schematic diagrams of a touch panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figures 10 to 13 They are respectively cross-sectional schematic views of a flexible element in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Explanation of reference numerals: (X1, Y1) to (Xn, Ym) - coordinates; 11 - electronic device; 10, 30 to 90 - touch panel; 110, 810 - housing; 110DG - edge; 120 - flexible element; 120F - functional layer; 120K - composite layer; 120S1, 120S2, 122S1, 122S2 - surface; 121a, 121b - adhesive layer; 122 - flexible substrate; 123 - buffer layer; 124 - display layer; 1241 - driving element; 1241C - semiconductor layer; 1241D - leakage 1241G-gate; 1241S-source; 1242, 3242-display unit; 1242a, 3242a-first electrode; 1242b, 3242b-light-emitting layer; 1242c, 3242c-second electrode; 1242d-protective layer; 1244-1247, 3244-dielectric layer; 126-encapsulation layer; 127-sensing layer; 128-characteristic layer; 129-covering layer; 190-controller; 3242m1-first semiconductor layer; 3242m2-second semiconductor layer; 3242n1, 324 2n2-bonding material; 3242p-protective member; 3242t1, 3242t2-bonding pad; 3244h-recess; 3248-insulating layer; 350, 450R, 450R1, 450R2, 450L, 550, 650, 950a1~950a6-positioning element; 750a-first positioning element; 750b1~750bk-second positioning element; 760, 861, 862-guiding element; 810P-opening; 920A-first part; 920B-second part; CC-capacitor; D1-second One direction; D2-second direction; G1-rotation direction; LE-light-emitting unit; LE1-first light-emitting unit; LE2-second light-emitting unit; PLN1~PLN5-plane; PT1~PT5-part; Raa-actuation area; Rdd-display area; Rnn-non-actuation area; Rpp-peripheral area; Rpp1-first area; Rpp2-second area; RX, TX, RX1~RXn, TX1~TXm-sensing electrodes; S(x+1)-actuation touch signal; S2-non-actuation touch signal; S300~S316-steps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to the embodiments and their specific features. The embodiments set forth below should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0014] Before further describing each embodiment, specific terms used throughout the text are explained below.

[0015] The meanings of the terms "on," "over," and "over" should be interpreted in the broadest manner. When an element or a layer is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element or layer, it may be directly on or directly connected to the other element or layer, or there may be an intervening element or layer (indirect case) between the two. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening element or layer between the two.

[0016] In addition, the terms "bottom", "below", "above", "top", etc. are used to describe the relative positions of different components in the drawings. However, when the drawings are turned upside down, the aforementioned "above" becomes "below". It should be understood that in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings, the spatially relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation.

[0017] The terms "forming" or "disposing" are used hereinafter to describe the act of applying a material layer to a substrate. These terms are intended to describe any feasible layer formation technique, including but not limited to thermal growth, sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, epitaxial growth, electroplating, etc.

[0018] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first", "second", etc., to modify the elements of the claims, do not themselves imply or represent any previous ordinal numbers of the claimed elements, nor do they represent the order of one claimed element and another claimed element, or the order in the manufacturing method. The use of these ordinals is only used to clearly distinguish a claimed element with a certain name from another claimed element with the same name.

[0019] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, and / or part from another element, component, region, layer, and / or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this disclosure, the first element, first component, first region, first layer, or first part discussed below may also be referred to as the second element, second component, second region, second layer, or second part.

[0020] In addition, phrases such as "in the range between a first value and a second value" or "in the range between the first value and the second value" mean that the range includes the first value, the second value, and other values ​​therebetween.

[0021] It should be understood that the following lists a plurality of embodiments to illustrate different technical features respectively, but these technical features can be mixed and used or combined with each other in different ways without conflicting with each other.

[0022] Certain words are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. However, those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure should understand that manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. Moreover, the specification and claims do not use the difference in name as a way to distinguish components, but rather use the difference in the overall technology of the components as the criterion for distinction.

[0023] The term "including" mentioned throughout the specification and claims is an open term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". When the terms "including" and / or "having" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the features, regions, steps, operations and / or elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, steps, operations, elements and / or combinations thereof.

[0024] Furthermore, the term "coupled" includes any direct and indirect connection means. Therefore, if a first device is described as being coupled to a second device, it means that the first device can be directly connected to the second device, or can be indirectly connected to the second device through other devices or other connection means.

[0025] In order to enable those skilled in the art to further understand the present disclosure, the following specifically lists the embodiments of the present disclosure, and describes in detail the components and intended effects of the present disclosure with the help of the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, and therefore only show the components and combination relationships related to the present disclosure, and omit some components to provide a clearer description of the basic architecture or implementation method of the present disclosure, while the actual components and layout may be more complicated.

[0026] In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the components shown in the drawings of the present disclosure are not drawn in proportion to the number, shape, and size of actual implementation, and the detailed proportions can be adjusted according to design requirements.

[0027] The electronic device disclosed herein may include, for example, a display device, an antenna device, a sensing device, a touch display, a curved display, or a free shape display, and may also be a spliced ​​electronic device, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device may be, for example, a liquid crystal antenna, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device disclosed herein may be any arrangement or combination of the aforementioned, but is not limited thereto. The appearance of the electronic device may be rectangular, circular, polygonal, a shape with curved edges, or other suitable shapes. The electronic device may have peripheral systems such as a drive system, a control system, a light source system, a shelf system, etc. to support the display device or antenna device. The electronic device disclosed herein may be used in electronic products that can display images, such as laptop computers and smart phones, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel 10 in one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a top view of the touch panel 10 shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 11 includes a touch panel 10. The touch panel 10 includes a housing 110, a flexible element 120 and a controller 190. In an operating state, the touch panel 10 has an active area Raa and a non-active area Rnn. The touch panel 10 includes a plurality of sensing electrodes, which are arranged in the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. The controller 190 can be used to receive an active touch signal from a plurality of sensing electrodes located in the active area Raa and a non-active touch signal from a plurality of sensing electrodes located in the non-active area Rnn. The controller 190 can manage the active touch signal and the non-active touch signal so that only the active touch signal is subjected to a subsequent processing. The operating state may be defined as an operating state in which at least a portion of the flexible element 120 is pulled out when the touch panel 10 is activated, for example, an operating state in which at least a portion of the flexible element 120 is exposed after the power of the touch panel 10 is activated (for example, at least a portion of the flexible element 120 is pulled out from the housing 110). According to some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, in the operating state, at least a portion of the flexible element 120 can be received in the housing 110 .

[0029] The flexible element 120 of the touch panel 10 has a flexible property, for example, it can be repeatedly bent along at least one bending axis. According to some embodiments, the touch panel 10 can be a flexible touch panel. A flexible display panel refers to a display panel that can be curved, folded, stretched, rolled, flexed, bent, or other similar deformations. Figure 1 As shown, the touch panel 10 is rollable.

[0030] The flexible element 120 of the touch panel 10 may have an active area Raa and a non-active area Rnn. Figure 1 As shown, the touch panel 40 can be pulled out or retracted along a first direction D1. The non-active area Rnn can be the part where the flexible element 120 of the touch panel 10 is retracted in the housing 110, and the active area Raa can be the part where the flexible element 120 of the touch panel 10 is pulled out of the housing 110. The housing 110 has an edge 110DG. For example, at Figure 1 In the embodiment, the flexible element 120 located in the non-actuating area Rnn is rolled into the housing 110 and shielded by the housing 110. The flexible element 120 located in the active area Raa is pulled out of the housing 110 and is not shielded by the housing 110. Therefore, the edge 110DG of the housing 110 can be used to define the active area Raa and the non-actuating area Rnn.

[0031] The flexible element 120 includes a composite layer 120K, a flexible substrate 122 and a functional layer 120F. Figure 1 As shown, the flexible substrate 122 has a surface 122S1 and a surface 122S2 . The composite layer 120K is disposed on the surface 122S1 of the flexible substrate 122 , and the functional layer 120F is disposed on the surface 122S2 of the flexible substrate 122 .

[0032] The composite layer 120K may include a plurality of sensing electrodes. The sensing electrodes may perform touch sensing or fingerprint recognition sensing. The sensing electrodes may include receiving electrodes RX, transmitting electrodes TX, or a combination thereof. According to some embodiments, Figure 2The case where the sensing electrode includes a receiving electrode RX and a transmitting electrode TX is used for illustration, but the present invention is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the sensing electrode may include only the receiving electrode RX but not the transmitting electrode TX. According to some embodiments, when the sensing electrode includes both the receiving electrode RX and the transmitting electrode TX, for convenience of description, RX and TX may both be referred to as sensing electrodes. The sensing method of the sensing electrode is not limited, and may be capacitive sensing, mutual capacitance sensing, self-capacitance sensing, resistive sensing, or a combination thereof.

[0033] According to some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the sensing electrode RX can be arranged in the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn, and the sensing electrode RX can be divided into the sensing electrode RX1, the sensing electrode RX2, ..., the sensing electrode RX(x-1), the sensing electrode RXx, the sensing electrode RX(x+1), ..., the sensing electrode RXn, where n and x are positive integers. The sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) are distributed in the non-active area Rnn, and the sensing electrode RXx to the sensing electrode RXn are distributed in the active area Raa. Similarly, the sensing electrode TX can also be divided into the sensing electrode TX1 to the sensing electrode TXm, where m is a positive integer. According to some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the sensing electrodes RX-RXn may be arranged along a first direction D1, and the sensing electrodes TX-RXm may be arranged along a second direction D2. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 may be different, for example, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 may be perpendicular.

[0034] The flexible element 120 may have a surface 120S1 and a surface 120S2 . In some embodiments, the controller 190 may be disposed on the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the controller 190 may also be disposed on the surface 120S2 of the flexible element 120 .

[0035] The controller 190 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an integrated circuit (IC), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a gate driver, a data driver, a timing controller, other functional circuits, or a combination thereof.

[0036] The controller 190 can be used to receive an active touch signal and a non-active touch signal. The active touch signal can come from the sensing electrodes RXx to RXn located in the active area Raa. For example, the active touch signal S(x+1) can come from the sensing electrode RX(x+1) located in the active area Raa. The non-active touch signal can come from the sensing electrodes RX1 to RX(x-1) located in the non-active area Rnn. For example, the non-active touch signal S2 can come from the sensing electrode RX2 located in the non-active area Rnn.

[0037] The folded flexible element 120 may generate friction, or the distance between adjacent sections of the flexible element 120 may become closer or contact, or the sensing electrodes RX1 to RX(x-1) located in the non-acting area Rnn may sense the signal of the adjacent functional layer 120F, or the sensing electrodes RX1 to RX(x-1) located in the non-acting area Rnn may sense the signal of the adjacent functional layer 120F. Figure 1 The capacitor CC shown may cause the sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) located in the non-actuating area Rnn to mistakenly sense a non-actuating touch signal. According to some embodiments, the controller 190 may perform touch signal management so that only the actuating touch signal is subsequently processed. In this way, the noise (e.g., the non-actuating touch signal) generated by the sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) distributed in the non-actuating area Rnn can be reduced or avoided from interfering with the operation of the touch panel 10. In this way, the noise interference problem can be solved.

[0038] For more information, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel operation method of a touch panel 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The structure of the touch panel 30 shown is similar to Figure 1 The touch panel 10 is shown in FIG. 1 , and thus the same elements are represented by the same symbols.

[0039] The touch panel 30 further includes a positioning element 350 for determining the range of the active area Raa- and the non-active area Rnn. The positioning element 350 may be coupled to the controller 190. According to some embodiments, the positioning element 350 may transmit signals to the controller 190. Figure 3The positioning element 350 shown may be a detector. For example, the detector may include an optical sensor, an electromagnetic wave sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a photographic device, a magnetic sensor, a flexure state detector, other suitable detectors, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the positioning element 350 may be a position detection element that detects the relative position relationship between the housing 110 and the flexible element 120 to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. In some embodiments, the positioning element 350 may be a state detection element that detects the flexure state of the flexible element 120 to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. Several embodiments will be given below to illustrate the specific implementation of the positioning element 350.

[0040] The operation of the touch panel 30 can be summarized as follows: Figure 3 The touch panel operation method shown may include the following steps:

[0041] Step S300: Start.

[0042] Step S301: Entering an operating state.

[0043] Step S302 : The controller 190 may transmit signals to the positioning element 350 to divide the touch panel 10 into zones including the active zone Raa and the non-active zone Rnn.

[0044] Step S304: Perform sensing, such as touch sensing, wherein the controller 190 may receive an active touch signal from the sensing electrodes RXx to RXn located in the active area Raa and a non-active touch signal from the sensing electrodes RX1 to RX(x-1) located in the non-active area Rnn.

[0045] Step S306: The controller 190 manages the actuation touch signal and the inactive touch signal. The controller 190 can determine whether the touch position is located in the actuation area Raa or in the inactive area Rnn. If the controller 190 determines that it has received an actuation touch signal, step S308 is executed; if the controller 190 determines that it has received an inactive touch signal, step S312 is executed.

[0046] Step S308 : The controller 190 allows only the actuation touch signal to undergo a subsequent process, and executes step S310 .

[0047] Step S310: performing corresponding operations according to the actuation touch signal.

[0048] Step S312: The controller 190 bypasses the non-actuated touch signal and executes step S314.

[0049] Step S314: No corresponding operation is performed.

[0050] Step S316: End.

[0051] The steps of the touch panel operation method are described in detail as follows.

[0052] In step S301 , the touch panel 10 may enter an operating state. At this time, the touch panel 10 may have an active area Raa and a non-active area Rnn in an operating state.

[0053] In step S302 , the positioning element 350 may operate according to the instruction (eg, a trigger signal) of the controller 190 , and may report a partition signal to the controller 190 .

[0054] Furthermore, the positioning element 350 or the controller 190 can determine that the actuation area Raa is located at Figure 2 The coordinates (Xx, Y1) to (Xn, Ym) shown in the figure can be used to determine whether the non-actuating area Rnn is located at Figure 1 The coordinates (X1, Y1) to the coordinates (X(x-1), Ym) shown are between. Since the ranges of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn are variable, the ranges of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can be determined by the positioning element 350 or the controller 190.

[0055] For example, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 40 in an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein: Figure 4 A partial enlarged cross-sectional view between the housing 110 and the flexible element 120 of the touch panel 40 is also shown. Figure 4 The structure of the touch panel 40 shown is similar to Figure 1 The touch panel 10 is shown in FIG. 1 , and thus the same elements are represented by the same symbols.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, the touch panel 40 may have a display area Rdd and a peripheral area Rpp. The peripheral area Rpp may be disposed on at least one side of the display area Rdd. In this embodiment, the peripheral area Rpp may surround the display area Rdd. Figures 10 to 13The display unit 1242 shown), sensing electrodes RX1 to sensing electrodes RXn, sensing electrodes TX1 to sensing electrodes TXm or other sensing units may be arranged in the display region Rdd. The peripheral circuit of the display device 10 may be arranged in the peripheral region Rpp, and the peripheral circuit may include, for example, peripheral wires, gate drivers, data drivers, demultiplexers (demultiplexers, DeMux) or / and other functional circuits, and the peripheral circuit may be electrically connected to the controller 190, the sensing electrodes RX1 to sensing electrodes RXn or / and the sensing electrodes TX1 to sensing electrodes TXm.

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown, the touch panel 40 further includes a plurality of positioning elements 450R and a plurality of positioning elements 450L, which are used to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. Figure 4 As shown, the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be located in the peripheral area Rpp of the touch panel 40, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may also be located in the display area Rdd of the touch panel 40. Figure 4 As shown, the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is disposed on the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may also be disposed within the flexible element 120, for example, in a display layer (eg Figures 10 to 13 Display layer 124 is shown).

[0058] In some embodiments, the positioning elements 450R or the positioning elements 450L may be arranged regularly or randomly. Figure 4As shown, the touch panel 40 has a first side S41 and a second side S42, and the first side S41 is connected to the second side S42. The first side S41 may be parallel to the first direction D1, and the second side S42 may be parallel to the second direction D2. The touch panel 40 may be pulled out along the first direction D1. The peripheral area Rpp of the touch panel 40 may be divided into a first area Rpp1 and a second area Rpp2. In the second direction D2, the first area Rpp1 and the second area Rpp2 may be located on both sides of the display area Rdd, respectively. The positioning element 450R may be disposed in the first area Rpp1 and may be disposed along the first direction D1. The positioning element 450L may be disposed in the second area Rpp2 and may be disposed along the first direction D1. In some embodiments, the positioning element 450R is aligned to the positioning element 450L, that is, it may be aligned along the second direction D2. In some embodiments, the positioning element 450R and the positioning element 450L are staggered so that the positioning element 450R will not be aligned to the positioning element 450L. In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent positioning elements 450R or positioning elements 450L may be greater than or equal to the distance between two adjacent sensing electrodes RX. In some embodiments, only positioning element 450R or only positioning element 450L may be provided.

[0059] In some embodiments, the positioning element 450R and the positioning element 450L may include an optical sensor or an electromagnetic wave sensor. In some embodiments, the signal emitted by the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be an electromagnetic wave (e.g., infrared). In some embodiments, the signal emitted by the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be a pulse or an amplitude modulation (AM) signal. In some embodiments, the frequency, amplitude, and waveform of the signal emitted by the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be all the same, partially the same, or all different. In some embodiments, an additional positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be used to emit a signal, or a light-emitting unit (e.g., Figures 10 to 13 The light emitting unit LE shown is used to emit a signal, so that the light emitting unit is defined as a part of the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L.

[0060] In step S302 , in one embodiment, the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may send a signal according to a trigger signal of the controller 190 , or send a signal at a fixed time, or send a signal due to the bending or rolling of the flexible element 120 .

[0061] The signal emitted by the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L may be reflected by the surface 110S of the housing 110, or reflected by the edge 110DG of the housing 110, or reflected by a farther object. Based on the reflected signal received by the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L, the positioning element 450R, the positioning element 450L or the controller 190 may determine whether the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is shielded by the housing 110. When the time difference between the time when the positioning element (e.g., the positioning element 450R2) receives the signal and the time when the signal is emitted from the positioning element (i.e., the positioning element 450R2) is less than or equal to a preset time length, it may be determined that the positioning element (i.e., the positioning element 450R2) is shielded by the housing 110, and the positioning element (i.e., the positioning element 450R2) is located in the non-actuating area Rnn. When the time difference between the time when (for example, positioning element 450R1) receives a signal and the time when the signal is emitted from the positioning element (i.e., positioning element 450R1) is greater than a preset time length, it can be determined that the positioning element (i.e., positioning element 450R1) is exposed outside the shell 110, and the positioning element (i.e., positioning element 450R1) is determined to be located in the actuation area Raa.

[0062] In step S302, through the detection of the positioning element, a partition signal can be reported to the controller 190. In this way, the positioning element can determine the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn.

[0063] In step S304, sensing is performed, such as touch sensing. Figure 2 The sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn shown can perform sensing according to the instructions (e.g., driving signals) of the controller 190, and can report the sensing results (e.g., touch signals) to the controller 190. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm can perform sensing at regular intervals. In some embodiments, the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm can perform sensing due to the bending or rolling of the flexible element 120.

[0064] In some embodiments, the frequency of sensing performed by the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm may be higher than the detection frequency of the positioning element 350 for determining the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. In some embodiments, time sharing may be used so that the detection time of the positioning element 350 for determining the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn does not overlap with the sensing time of the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm. In this way, signal coupling or signal interference may be further reduced. In some embodiments, in order to perform partitioning, Figure 2 The detection is performed in the range of coordinates (Xx, Y1) to coordinates (Xn, Ym) shown, or only part of the coordinates are detected.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, according to some embodiments, the execution of step S302 and step S304 can be exchanged in order or performed in parallel according to different design considerations, which will not be described in detail here.

[0066] In step S306 , the controller 190 may manage the touch signal and determine whether the received signal is an active touch signal or a non-active touch signal according to whether the touch point is located in the active area Raa or the non-active area Rnn.

[0067] The positioning element 350 or the controller 190 can determine whether the touch point is located in the active area Raa or in the non-active area Rnn. The touch point can be the intersection of the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm and the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn corresponding to the change in capacitance. In some embodiments, when the coordinates of the touch point are Figure 2 When the coordinates (Xx, Y1) are shown, since the coordinates (Xx, Y1) are located Figure 2 The controller 190 can determine that the touch point is located in the activation area Raa when the coordinate (Xx, Y1) to the coordinate (Xn, Ym) shown in FIG. Figure 2 When Xx is shown, since the X coordinate is between Xx and Xn, the controller 190 can determine that the touch point is located in the activation area Raa.

[0068] In step S308, the controller 190 determines that the received signal is an actuation touch signal, and the controller 190 causes the actuation touch signal to undergo a subsequent process. Alternatively, the controller 190 performs a corresponding operation according to the actuation touch signal.

[0069] In step S310, a subsequent processing is performed on the actuation touch signal. The subsequent processing may be to change the state of the display screen. For example, an image (icon) moves, a cursor (cursor) moves, the display screen size changes, the display screen content changes, a new pattern is generated, a new screen is generated, the screen wakes up, or a combination thereof... etc., but is not limited to this. According to some embodiments, specifically, the screen wakes up means that the touch panel 10 can switch from a low power mode to a high power mode according to the actuation touch signal, for example, waking up the touch panel 10 to make the screen (screen) change from darker to brighter. The screen wakes up can also be to wake up from the original black screen to present the display screen. In some embodiments, step S310 can be omitted or adjusted.

[0070] In step S312, the controller 190 determines that the received signal is a non-actuated touch signal, and the controller 190 causes the non-actuated touch signal to not be subjected to a subsequent process. Alternatively, the controller 190 does not determine or analyze the non-actuated touch signal, for example, does not measure the level voltage of the non-actuated touch signal. Alternatively, the controller 190 skips the non-actuated touch signal. Alternatively, the controller 190 does not perform a corresponding operation according to the non-actuated touch signal.

[0071] In step S314, the controller 190 does not perform a corresponding operation according to the non-actuated touch signal. For example, the touch panel 10 does not detect an object touching the non-actuated area Rnn, and does not perform fingerprint recognition. Alternatively, the touch panel 10 does not change the display state according to the non-actuated touch signal. For example, the touch panel 10 does not move the cursor. Alternatively, the touch panel 10 does not reduce or enlarge the image. Alternatively, the touch panel 10 maintains the image originally displayed. Alternatively, the touch panel 10 does not switch between the low power consumption mode and the high power consumption mode. In some embodiments, step S314 may be omitted or adjusted.

[0072] As can be seen from the above, according to some embodiments, the controller 190 can skip the non-actuated touch signal so that only the activated touch signal is subsequently processed. That is to say, in terms of signal processing, the non-actuated touch signal is an erroneous or abnormal signal, and therefore, according to some embodiments, it can be regarded as noise and excluded. In this way, even if the flexible element 120 located in the non-actuated area Rnn generates friction after folding, or the distance between the adjacent sections of the flexible element 120 in the non-actuated area Rnn becomes closer or contacts, so that the sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) located in the non-actuated area Rnn mistakenly senses the non-actuated touch signal, the controller 190 will skip the non-actuated touch signal and will not perform signal processing on the non-actuated touch signal, thereby avoiding the noise (e.g., non-actuated touch signal) generated by the sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) distributed in the non-actuated area Rnn interfering with the operation of the touch panel 10.

[0073] The above are only embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can make different changes and modifications accordingly. The following will describe different embodiments of the present disclosure, and for the sake of simplicity, the following description will not repeat the same parts. In addition, the same elements in each embodiment of the present disclosure are marked with the same reference numerals to facilitate comparison between the embodiments.

[0074] For example, in addition to optical sensors or electromagnetic wave sensors. In some embodiments, Figure 4 The positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L shown may also include a photographing device (such as a camera or a video camera), which can be used as an optical sensor. The positioning element 450R can obtain external images, and the positioning element 450R or the controller 190 can analyze the images to determine whether the positioning element 450R is shielded by the housing 110. In this way, the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can be determined.

[0075] In some embodiments, Figure 4 The positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L shown may also include a flexure sensor or a resistive sensor, which can detect the resistance change of the wires in the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L or the surrounding wires to know the bending state of the flexible element 120. When the flexible element 120 is in a folded or bent state, the wires or surrounding wires in different positions may produce different degrees of deformation, so that the resistance of each wire or surrounding wire may be different. By analyzing the output signal and input signal of the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L, the folding degree or curvature of the flexible element 120 can be known. Alternatively, by calculating the different degrees of resistance change of the wires or surrounding wires, the folding degree or curvature of the flexible element 120 can be known.

[0076] like Figure 4As shown, when the touch panel 40 is in an operating state, the non-actuating area Rnn of the flexible element 120 may be bent, curved, folded, stretched, flexed or otherwise deformed, while the active area Raa of the flexible element 120 may not be deformed or may remain flat. In some embodiments, when the positioning element 450R, the positioning element 450L or the controller 190 determines that the folding degree or curvature of the flexible element 120 adjacent to the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is greater than or equal to a threshold, the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is determined to be located in the non-actuating area Rnn. When the positioning element 450R, the positioning element 450L or the controller 190 determines that the folding degree or curvature of the flexible element 120 adjacent to the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is less than a threshold, the positioning element 450R or the positioning element 450L is determined to be located in the active area Raa. In this way, the ranges of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can be determined.

[0077] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The structure of the touch panel 50 shown is similar to Figure 4 The touch panel 40 shown in the figure is the same as the one shown in the figure, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Figure 5 As shown, the touch panel 50 includes a plurality of positioning elements 550 for determining the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn.

[0078] In some embodiments, the positioning element 550 may be a protrusion that protrudes from the surface 110S of the housing 110 toward the flexible element 120. In some embodiments, when the positioning element 550 touches the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120, the sensing electrode (e.g., the sensing electrode RX(x-1)) may detect the touch of the positioning element 550, for example, and correspondingly generate a non-actuated touch signal. Since the positioning element 550 is located inside the housing 110, the positioning element 550 corresponds to the non-actuated area Rnn, and the controller 190 may determine that the sensing electrode (e.g., the sensing electrode RX(x-1)) is located in the non-actuated area Rnn. In this way, the range of the active area Raa and the non-actuated area Rnn can be determined.

[0079] In some embodiments, the positioning elements 550 may be arranged regularly or randomly, and the arrangement of the positioning elements 550 may present a special pattern, so that the controller 190 may identify the positioning elements 550 by pattern matching. Figure 5As shown, the positioning elements 550 located in the non-actuating area Rnn are arranged into three aligned but dispersed points. When the controller 190 detects touch at the coordinates (X(x-1), Y1), the coordinates (X(x-1), Yy) and the coordinates (X(x-1), Ym), and the coordinates (X(x-1), Y1), the coordinates (X(x-1), Yy) and the coordinates (X(x-1), Ym) are aligned but dispersed, the controller 190 determines that the positioning element 550 corresponds to the coordinates (X(x-1), Y1), the coordinates (X(x-1), Yy) and the coordinates (X(x-1), Ym), and the coordinates (X(x-1), Y1), the coordinates (X(x-1), Yy) and the coordinates (X(x-1), Ym) are located in the non-actuating area Rnn, and accordingly determines the range of the active area Raa and the non-actuating area Rnn, where y is a positive integer. In some embodiments, the positioning element 550 may be spaced apart from the edge 110DG of the housing 110 by a distance along the direction X to avoid interfering with the touch detection of the active area Raa.

[0080] In some embodiments, when the positioning element 550 touches the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120, the touch of the positioning element 550 may be detected by using additional sensing electrodes that are different from the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm. It is worth noting that the sensing electrodes RX1 to RXn and the sensing electrodes TX1 to TXm may perform sensing at a frequency that is different from (e.g., higher than) the frequency that the additional sensing electrodes perform sensing.

[0081] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The structure of the touch panel 60 shown is similar to Figure 5 The touch panel 50 shown in the figure is the same as the one shown in the figure, so the same symbols are used to represent the same elements. Figure 6 As shown, the positioning element 650 of the touch panel 60 is a continuous structure, so that the controller 190 can use pattern comparison to identify the positioning element 650, thereby determining the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. In some embodiments, the positioning elements 550, 650 may include a dielectric material. In some embodiments, the positioning elements 550, 650 may include the same material as the housing 110.

[0082] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 70 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The structure of the touch panel 70 shown is similar to Figure 1 The touch panel 10 is shown in FIG. 1 , and thus the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Figure 7 and Figure 1 The main difference lies in the design of the positioning element. Figure 7 As shown, the touch panel 70 includes a first positioning element 750a, a plurality of second positioning elements 750b1 to second positioning elements 750bk, which are used to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn, where k is a positive integer. The touch panel 70 includes a guide element 760, which can be disposed in the housing 110. According to the rotation of the guide element 760, the flexible element 120 can be pulled out or retracted. For example, the guide element 760 rotates in the rotation direction G1, and the flexible element 120 can be pulled out along the first direction D1.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first positioning element 750a may be disposed on the surface 110S of the housing 110, and the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk may be disposed on the guide element 760. The guide element 760 is fixed in the housing 110 and may serve as a rotating shaft. When the flexible element 120 is pulled out of the housing 110, the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk on the guide element 760 may rotate continuously. The second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk may serve as alignment marks. In some embodiments, the relative positional relationship between the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk and the first positioning element 750a may be determined by using capacitive sensing or mechanism design (e.g., latch). In some embodiments, the frequency, amplitude, and waveform of the signals emitted by the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk may be different, so that the relative positional relationship between the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk and the first positioning element 750a may be determined. The relative position relationship between the second positioning elements 750b1 to 750bk and the first positioning element 750a can be used to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. Figure 7 As shown, when the first positioning element 750a is aligned with the second positioning element 750b6, the range of the active area Raa and the range of the non-active area Rnn are as follows: Figure 7 As shown. When the flexible element 120 is pulled outward in the first direction D1, the guide element 760 can rotate in the rotation direction G1, so that the first positioning element 750a is aligned with the second positioning element 750b4. At this time, the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can have different ranges. In some embodiments, the controller 190 can determine the angle of rotation of the guide element 760, thereby calculating the length of the flexible element 120 pulled out from the housing 110. In this way, the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can be determined.

[0084] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 80 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 The structure of the touch panel 80 shown is similar to Figure 1 The touch panel 10 shown in the figure is the same as the one shown in the figure, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Figure 8 As shown, the touch panel 80 may have two guide elements 861 and 862, which are disposed in the housing 810. Figure 8 As shown by the dotted line, as the flexible element 120 moves out of the housing 810, the range of the active area Raa increases. In the operating state, the touch panel 80 may have an active area Raa and a non-active area Rnn. The active area Raa may be the portion of the flexible element 120 that is not shielded by the housing 810, and the non-active area Rnn may be the portion of the flexible element 120 that is shielded by the housing 810. The touch panel 80 may include a positioning element (not shown), and the type and positioning method of the positioning element can be seen in the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here. The operation method of the touch panel can also be seen in the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0085] Please refer to Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel 90 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 The structure of the touch panel 90 shown is similar to Figure 1 The touch panel 10 shown in the figure is the same as the one shown in the figure, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Fig. 9 As shown, the touch panel 90 is foldable. In addition, the touch panel 90 further includes positioning elements 950a1 to 950a6 for determining the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn. The positioning elements 950a1 to 950a6 may be disposed on the surface 120S2 of the flexible element 120, for example, may be disposed on the functional layer 120F. In some embodiments, the positioning elements 950a1 to 950a6 may be state detection elements that detect whether the touch panel 90 is in a folded state (or folded state) or an unfolded state (or non-folded state) to determine the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn.

[0086] like Fig. 9 As shown by the dotted line, as the flexible element 120 is unfolded, different parts of the flexible element 120 will not shield each other, so the active area Raa increases and the non-active area Rnn decreases. As the flexible element 120 is folded, part of the flexible element 120 is shielded, so the active area Raa decreases and the non-active area Rnn increases. As in the above embodiment, the controller 190 (not shown) can perform touch signal management and skip the non-actuated touch signal to prevent the noise (e.g., non-actuated touch signal) generated by the sensing electrodes RX distributed in the non-actuated area Rnn from interfering with the operation of the touch panel 90.

[0087] like Fig. 9 As shown, the flexible element 120 may have a surface 120S1 (also referred to as an outer side) and a surface 120S2 (also referred to as an inner side), the outer side 120S1 may be a display side, and the inner side 120S2 may be a non-display side. The viewer may view the display screen of the touch panel 90 on the display side 120S1. The flexible element 120 may include a first portion 920A and a second portion 920B. In detail, in the folded state, the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120 may be folded and shielded by the second portion 920B of the flexible element 120. For example, the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120 may be folded and disposed on the inner side 120S2 of the second portion 920B. The second portion 920B of the flexible element 120 is not shielded by other portions of the flexible element 120. Thus, according to some embodiments, the active region Raa may include the second portion 920B of the flexible element 120, and the non-active region Rnn may include the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120. At least one of the sensing electrodes RX located in the non-active region Rnn may be shielded by the sensing electrode RX of the active region Raa. The sensing electrode RX located in the active region Raa may not be shielded by the sensing electrodes RX in other regions, and may be provided for touch sensing by the viewer. In the unfolded state, the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120 may be unfolded. In this state, the active region Raa may include the first portion 920A and the second portion 920B of the flexible element 120.

[0088] In addition to optical sensors, photographic devices, bending sensors, resistive sensors, etc., in some embodiments, the positioning elements 950a1 to 950a6 may also include magnetic sensors or other suitable detectors. The following description takes the positioning elements 950a1 and 950a4 as magnetic sensors as an example. The positioning elements 950a1 and 950a4 may be disposed on the inner side 120S2 of the flexible element 120. Furthermore, the positioning element 950a1 may be disposed on the second portion 920B of the flexible element 120, and the positioning element 950a4 may be disposed on the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120. In the folded state, the first portion 920A may be folded so that the inner side 120S2 of the first portion 920A faces the inner side 120S2 of the second portion 920B. In this way, the positioning element 950a1 and the positioning element 950a4 facing each other can be attracted by magnetism, so it can be determined that the non-acting area Rnn includes the first portion 920A of the flexible element 120.

[0089] According to some embodiments, a positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a1) can measure the magnetic field, and its corresponding sensing electrode or another positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a4) can generate a magnetic field, so that it can be determined whether the positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a1) is shielded by the flexible element 120 or other positioning elements (e.g., positioning element 950a4). In this way, the range of the active area Raa and the non-active area Rnn can be determined. For example, the positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a4) can include an electromagnetic coil or a permanent magnet to provide a magnetic field. In some embodiments, the positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a1) can include a Hall effect sensor, whose output voltage is proportional to the applied magnetic field strength and can be used to measure the magnetic field.

[0090] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the positioning element (e.g., positioning element 950a1) may include a reed switch (ReedSwitch), which can be used as a magnetic sensor. A reed switch is an electronic switch that is operated by applying a magnetic field, and includes two pairs of ferromagnetic flexible metal contacts, and can therefore be used to measure a magnetic field. When a magnetic field is applied, the two ferromagnetic flexible metal contacts may attract each other, thereby turning on the reed switch. When the magnetic field is removed, the elastic force of the two ferromagnetic flexible metal contacts will cause the two ferromagnetic flexible metal contacts to separate and return to their original positions, thereby disconnecting the reed switch.

[0091] In some embodiments, the positioning element 950a2, the positioning element 950a3, and the positioning element 950a6 can be omitted. In some embodiments, the positioning element 950a2, the positioning element 950a3, the positioning element 950a4, and the positioning element 950a6 can be omitted.

[0092] Please refer to Fig.10 , Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible element 120A in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10 The structure of the flexible element 120A shown is similar to Figure 1 The flexible element 120 shown in the figure is the same as the one shown in the figure, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Fig.10 As shown, the composite layer 120K1 of the flexible element 120A may include a flexible substrate 122, a buffer layer 123, a display layer 124, a packaging layer 126, a sensing layer 127, a property layer 128, and a cover layer 129. The property layer 128 may provide physical properties, such as optical properties, impact resistance, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0093] The flexible substrate 122 may be adhered to the functional layer 120F via an adhesive layer. The flexible substrate 122 may include a polymer material, thin glass, or any suitable material. The material of the flexible substrate 122 and the support film 1022 may include, for example, polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI) or polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), other suitable materials or a combination of the foregoing materials, but is not limited thereto. The light transmittance of the flexible substrate 122 is not limited, that is, the flexible substrate 122 may be a transparent substrate or a semi-transparent substrate.

[0094] The buffer layer 123 may be disposed between the flexible substrate 122 and the display layer 124. In the present embodiment, the buffer layer 123 may include an oxide layer, a nitride layer, an oxynitride layer or other suitable insulating layers, but is not limited thereto.

[0095] The display layer 124 may include a plurality of light emitting units LE located in the display region Rdd of the flexible element 120A. In the present embodiment, the display layer 124 may include three types of light emitting units LE, such as a plurality of first light emitting units LE1, a plurality of second light emitting units LE2, and a plurality of third light emitting units (not shown). For example, the first light emitting unit LE1 may emit blue light, the second light emitting unit LE2 may emit green light, and the third light emitting unit may emit red light, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0096] The display layer 124 may include a plurality of driving elements 1241 and a plurality of display units 1242 arranged in an array, wherein each display unit 1242 may serve as one of the above-mentioned light-emitting units LE. The display unit 1242 may be any type of display unit (cell) or display element (element), for example, may include liquid crystal (liquid crystal), fluorescence (fluorescence), phosphor (phosphor), light-emitting diode (light-emitting diode, LED), quantum dot (quantum dot, QD), other suitable display media, or a combination thereof, but not limited thereto. The light-emitting diode may include, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an inorganic light-emitting diode (inorganic light-emitting diode), a micro light-emitting diode (micro-LED), a sub-millimeter light-emitting diode (mini-LED) or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (quantum dot, QD) (for example, QLED, QDLED), or other suitable materials or any combination thereof, but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the size of the sub-millimeter light-emitting diode may range from 100 micrometers (micrometer, μm) to 300 micrometers. Fig.10 Take an organic light emitting diode as an example. The display unit 1242 includes a first electrode 1242a, a second electrode 1242c, and a light emitting layer 1242b disposed between the first electrode 1242a and the second electrode 1242c. The light emitting area of ​​each display unit 1242 can be defined by a dielectric layer 1244 as a pixel defining layer (PDL). A protective layer 1242d can be selectively disposed and covered on the second electrode 1242c.

[0097] The driving element 1241 may include a semiconductor layer 1241C, a dielectric layer 1245 , a dielectric layer 1246 , a dielectric layer 1247 , a gate 1241G, a drain 1241D, and a source 1241S.

[0098] The sensing layer 127 may be disposed on the display layer 124 and may include a plurality of sensing electrodes RX. The sensing electrodes RX are disposed in the display region Rdd. In the top-view direction (direction Z) of the flexible element 120A, at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes RX is disposed between at least two adjacent light-emitting units LE among the plurality of light-emitting units LE and is spaced apart from the at least two adjacent light-emitting units LE. In other words, in the top-view direction of the flexible element 120A, at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes RX does not overlap with at least two adjacent light-emitting units LE. In the present embodiment, all the sensing electrodes RX are spaced apart from the light-emitting units LE and do not overlap with each other, but this is not limited thereto.

[0099] The sensing electrodes RX forming the sensing layer 127 may include metal materials and / or metal oxide materials, but are not limited thereto. The metal material may, for example, include magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) or an alloy of one or more of the above materials. The metal oxide material may, for example, include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide or indium oxide. In some embodiments, the sensing electrodes RX forming the sensing layer 127 may include nanosilver wires. The sensing electrodes RX forming the sensing layer 127 may independently be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure, for example, the sensing electrodes RX forming the sensing layer 127 may independently be a molybdenum (Mo) / aluminum (Al) / molybdenum (Mo) multilayer or a titanium (Ti) / copper (Cu) / titanium (Ti) multilayer structure.

[0100] The flexible element 120 may further include other sensing layers, for example, a sensing layer including the sensing electrode TX or a sensing layer of other sensing electrodes. The sensing electrode RX extends along the direction X, and the sensing electrode TX extends along the direction Y. In some embodiments, the sensing electrode RX and the sensing electrode TX may be straight lines (e.g., Figure 2 ). In some embodiments, the sensing electrode RX and the sensing electrode TX may be non-linear but substantially extend in one direction, such as wavy or sawtooth, or may include a curved shape. For example, the sensing electrode RX is wavy but still substantially extends in the direction X. The sensing layer 127 of the flexible element 120 may further include an insulating layer, located between the sensing electrode RX and the sensing electrode TX, for electrically isolating different sensing layers.

[0101] The functional layer 128 is disposed on and covers the sensing layer 127. The functional layer 128 may be a polarizing layer, an optical layer, or an anti-impact layer. The functional layer 128 may include an insulating material and provide protection for the sensing layer 127. The functional layer 128 may include an organic material, such as a hydrophobic organic material, a piezoelectric material (such as polyvinylidene (PVDF)) and / or a dielectric elastomer (such as rubber, acrylic elastomer, polyurethane elastomer, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene or a composite thereof, but not limited thereto. When the functional layer 128 is an organic material, a suitable functional layer 128 may have a Young's modulus ranging from 0.01 GPa to 10 GPa, and may have a thickness in the direction Z ranging from 0.8 micrometers to 10 micrometers, but not limited thereto. On the other hand, the functional layer 128 may include an inorganic material, such as silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead titanate (PbTiO3) or lead zirconate titanate (lead When the functional layer 128 is an inorganic material, the suitable functional layer 128 may have a dielectric constant ranging from 3 to 30, and may have a thickness ranging from 0.01 micrometers to 1 micrometers in the direction Z, but is not limited thereto. Through the special design of the functional layer 128, better flexural properties and better sensitivity can be obtained, and the probability of cracking during bending can be reduced.

[0102] The covering layer 129 may be adhered to the functional layer 128 via an adhesive layer. The covering layer 129 may include a polymer material, thin glass, or any suitable material. The covering layer 129 may be formed of transparent tempered glass so that the transparent substrate 140 may serve as a cover glass, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The material of the covering layer 129 may, for example, include polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), or polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), other suitable materials, or a combination of the foregoing materials, but is not limited thereto. The light transmittance of the covering layer 129 is not limited, that is, the covering layer 129 may be a light-transmitting substrate or a semi-transmitting substrate.

[0103] The functional layer 120F of the flexible element 120A can be used as a support layer, an antistatic layer or a heat dissipation layer. The functional layer 120F of the flexible element 120A can be a conductive film layer or a non-conductive film layer. The material of the functional layer 120F of the flexible element 120A can include, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), but is not limited thereto. The material of the functional layer 120F of the flexible element 120A can include, for example, a stainless steel plate, but is not limited thereto.

[0104] Please refer to Fig.11 , Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible element 120B in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 The structure of the flexible element 120B shown is similar to Fig.10 The flexible element 120A shown in the figure is the same as the flexible element 120A, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Fig.11 As shown, the composite layer 120K2 of the flexible element 120B may further include an adhesive layer 121a and an adhesive layer 121b. The adhesive layer 121a is disposed between the flexible substrate 122 and the functional layer 120F, and the adhesive layer 121b is disposed between the packaging layer 126 and the functional layer 128. The adhesive layer 121a and the adhesive layer 121b used for bonding may include optically clear adhesive (OCA) or pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), but not limited thereto. The adhesive layer 121a and the adhesive layer 121b may include light curing adhesive or heat curing adhesive (Heat Cure Adhesive), but not limited thereto.

[0105] Please refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible element 120C in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.12 The structure of the flexible element 120C shown is similar to Fig.10 The flexible element 120A is shown, and thus like elements are indicated by like reference numerals.

[0106] like Fig.12As shown, the display unit 3242 of the flexible element 120C is a micro-LED. In some embodiments, the size of the micro-LED can range from 1 micron to 100 microns. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the micro-LED can be minimized to micrometer-level, so that the LED can have a cross-sectional area of ​​300 micrometers (micrometer, μm) × 300 μm, 30 μm × 30 μm, or 10 μm × 10 μm, but not limited to this. Fig.12 As shown, the light emitting unit LE may be a flip chip-type structure. In some embodiments, the light emitting unit LE may also be a vertical type structure. The light emitting unit LE may include a first electrode 3242a, a second electrode 3242c, a first semiconductor layer 3242m1, a light emitting layer 3242b, and a second semiconductor layer 3242m2. For example, the light emitting layer 3242b may be a multiple quantum well (MQW) layer, but is not limited thereto. Fig.12 As shown, the first electrode 3242a of the light emitting unit LE can be electrically connected to the bonding pad 3242t1 via the bonding material 3242n1, and the bonding pad 3242t1 can be further electrically connected to a common source. The second electrode 3242c of the light emitting unit LE can be electrically connected to the bonding pad 3242t2 via the bonding material 3242n2, and the bonding material 3242n2 can be electrically connected to the drain 1241D of the driving element 1241 via the bonding pad 3242t2. Therefore, the driving element 1241 can drive the corresponding light emitting unit LE.

[0107] The dielectric layer 3244 may include a plurality of recesses 3244h for disposing at least one of the plurality of light-emitting units LE (e.g., the first light-emitting unit LE1). The protective member 3242p is used to protect at least one of the plurality of light-emitting units LE (e.g., the first light-emitting unit LE1). The protective member 3242p may cover and fill the recess 3244h in which the light-emitting unit LE is disposed. In some embodiments, the protective member 3242p may include an organic material, and the organic material may be an acryl-based resin, an epoxy resin, a silicon-based resin, or a combination thereof. The protective member 3242p may be a single layer or multiple layers. In some embodiments, the protective member 3242p may have a water-blocking and / or oxygen-blocking function.

[0108] Please refer to Fig.13 , Fig.13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible element 120D in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.13 The structure of the flexible element 120D shown is similar to Fig.12 The flexible element 120C shown in the figure is the same as the flexible element 120C, so the same elements are represented by the same symbols. Fig.13 As shown, the sensing layer 127 of the flexible element 120D can be arranged in the display layer 124 and between the dielectric layer 1247 and the dielectric layer 3244. The sensing layer 127 includes a plurality of sensing electrodes RX. The sensing electrode RX is arranged in the display region Rdd. In the top view direction of the flexible element 120D, at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes RX is arranged between at least two adjacent light-emitting units LE in the plurality of light-emitting units LE and is spaced from the at least two adjacent light-emitting units LE. The sensing layer 127 of the flexible element 120D may also include an insulating layer 3248, which is located between the dielectric layer 1247 and the dielectric layer 3244 to ensure electrical isolation.

[0109] The following describes how to prove whether a product uses a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The proof method, for example, can be to confirm whether the controller in the product skips the inactive touch signal. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Take the touch panel 10 as an example. The touch panel 10 can skip the non-actuated touch signal. In some embodiments, it can be known from the specification sheet (datasheet) of the touch panel 10 that the touch panel 10 will skip the non-actuated touch signal. In some embodiments, in order to determine whether the controller 190 skips the non-actuated touch signal, a non-actuated touch signal can also be generated in the non-actuated area Rnn in different ways, and the operation status of the touch panel 10 can be detected to determine or analyze the touch signal management of the controller 190. For example, the shell 110 can be disassembled or a hole can be drilled in the shell 110 so that an object (such as a human finger) touches the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120 located in the non-actuated area Rnn, so that the sensing electrode RX1 to the sensing electrode RX(x-1) located in the non-actuated area Rnn generates a non-actuated touch signal.

[0110] Further, in order to determine whether the controller 190 skips the non-actuated touch signal, in some embodiments, when an object (such as a human finger) touches the surface 120S1 of the flexible element 120 located in the non-actuated area Rnn, it can be determined whether the touch panel 10 changes the display state according to the non-actuated touch signal. For example, if the controller 190 cannot wake up the touch panel 10 with the non-actuated touch signal generated by the object touch, it is determined that the controller 190 can skip the non-actuated touch signal and not execute the non-actuated touch signal. Alternatively, if the controller 190 cannot move the cursor with the non-actuated touch signal generated by the object touch, it is determined that the controller 190 can skip the non-actuated touch signal and not execute the non-actuated touch signal. In contrast, the controller 190 can move the cursor or wake up the touch panel 10 with the active touch signal because the controller 190 will execute the active touch signal.

[0111] Alternatively, in some embodiments, according to the upper limit of the number of multi-touch (for example, supporting ten-point touch) provided in the specification of the touch panel 10, the same number of touch points as the upper limit (for example, ten touch points) can be provided in the active area Raa, and it is determined whether the controller 190 can successfully execute the actuation touch signal (for example, the actuation touch signal corresponding to the ten touch points). Generally speaking, when the number of touch points exceeds the upper limit, the controller 190 may not operate normally, but if the number of touch points is less than or equal to the upper limit, the controller 190 can operate normally. Therefore, other touch points (for example, two touch points) can then be provided in the non-active area Rnn so that the total number of touch points is greater than the upper limit, and it is confirmed whether the controller 190 can successfully execute the actuation touch signal (for example, the actuation touch signal corresponding to the ten touch points located in the active area Raa) or whether it can operate normally. If the controller 190 can successfully execute the actuation touch signal or can operate normally, it is determined that the controller 190 can skip the non-actuation touch signal and does not perform signal processing on the non-actuation touch signal.

[0112] In summary, according to some embodiments, the controller of the touch panel can manage touch signals so that only the active touch signals are subsequently processed. According to some embodiments, the noise generated by the sensing electrodes arranged in the inactive area (e.g., the inactive touch signals) can be prevented from interfering with the operation of the touch panel, thereby improving the accuracy of the signal.

[0113] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A flexible element comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes, wherein in a folded state, a first portion of the flexible element overlaps a second portion of the flexible element; and A controller is electrically connected to the plurality of sensing electrodes, wherein the controller is used to receive first signals from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the second portion of the flexible element and second signals from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the first portion of the flexible element.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible element of the first portion is shielded by the second portion.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first signal is an actuation signal, and the second signal is a non-actuation signal.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible element further includes a display layer, and the display layer includes a plurality of light emitting units.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of sensing electrodes are disposed on the display layer.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes is disposed between at least two adjacent light emitting units and is spaced apart from the at least two adjacent light emitting units.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic device also includes a first positioning element and a second positioning element, wherein the first positioning element is disposed on the second portion, and the second positioning element is disposed on the first portion, wherein in the folded state, the first positioning element is attracted by the second positioning element and folded, so that the first portion is determined to be located in the non-active area.

8. A method for operating an electronic device in a folded state, the electronic device comprising a flexible element and a controller, the flexible element comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes, the plurality of sensing electrodes being electrically connected to the controller, wherein for the electronic device in the folded state, a first portion of the flexible element overlaps a second portion of the flexible element, characterized in that: The operation method comprises the following steps: receiving a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal comes from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the second portion of the flexible element, and the second signal comes from the plurality of sensing electrodes located at the first portion of the flexible element; and One of the first signal and the second signal is allowed to be subjected to a subsequent process.

9. The operating method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The other of the first signal and the second signal is skipped.

10. The operating method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first signal is an actuation signal, and the second signal is a non-actuation signal.

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