Detection circuit, method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a detection circuit, a method, an apparatus, an electronic device and a storage medium. The detection circuit provided by the present disclosure comprises at least one detection unit, each detection unit comprising a plurality of conductors insulated from each other; wherein different conductors in the detection unit are located in different conductor layers insulated from each other in a functional module having a multi-layer structure; and the detection circuit is configured to determine a structure state of the functional module according to electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit. The circuit can greatly improve the accuracy of the structure state detection of the functional module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display module crack detection technology, and in particular to a detection circuit, method, apparatus, electronic device and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of foldable display modules and the trend of thinning display module units, the structural strength of display modules is getting lower and lower, and quality problems such as edge cracks and black spots in the axis area are becoming increasingly prominent.

[0003] For samples with minor internal damage but intact functionality, special detection circuits are often required for screening and interception. However, there is still considerable room for improvement in the detection performance of the detection circuits in related technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a detection circuit, method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a detection circuit, including at least one detection unit, each detection unit including a plurality of conductors that are insulated from each other;

[0006] Wherein, the different conductors in the detection unit are located at:

[0007] In a multi-layered functional module, there are different conductor layers that are mutually insulated from each other.

[0008] The detection circuit is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit.

[0009] Optionally, the functional module includes at least one functional layer, each functional layer including multiple stacked conductor layers, with an insulating layer between two adjacent conductor layers;

[0010] The different conductors of the detection unit are located in different conductor layers of the same functional layer.

[0011] Optionally, the conductor extends along part or all of the edge of the functional module, and the distance between the conductors belonging to different detection units within the same conductor layer and the edge of the functional module is different.

[0012] Optionally, the functional module includes a display layer, and the at least one detection unit includes at least one first detection unit and at least one second detection unit, wherein the projection of the conductor included in the first detection unit on the display layer is located between the display area of ​​the display layer and the blocking structure of the display layer, and the projection of the conductor included in the second detection unit on the display layer is located on the side of the blocking structure away from the display area.

[0013] Optionally, some or all of the detection units in the at least one detection unit contain conductors with multiple connection ends, and the detection circuit is further used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different connection ends of the same conductor.

[0014] Optionally, the conductor has at least one bent segment that bends along the plane of the functional module.

[0015] And / or, multiple conductors within each detection unit overlap in the thickness direction of the functional module.

[0016] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a detection method, the method comprising:

[0017] At least one measurement parameter value is acquired, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in different conductor layers that are mutually insulated within a functional module with a multi-layer structure;

[0018] The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the value of at least one measurement parameter.

[0019] Optionally, acquiring at least one measurement parameter value includes:

[0020] A voltage is applied between a first preset contact and a second preset contact, and the current value or resistance value from the first preset contact to the second preset contact is collected, wherein the first preset contact and the second preset contact are connected to the same or different conductors in the detection circuit;

[0021] And / or, for each detection unit, a voltage is applied between different conductors in the detection unit to determine the capacitance value between the different conductors in the detection unit.

[0022] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0023] For each functional module, when the functional module enters the preset process, at least one reference parameter value of the functional module is determined, wherein the at least one reference parameter value corresponds one-to-one with the at least one measurement parameter value;

[0024] Determining the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measured parameter value includes:

[0025] The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the at least one measured parameter value and the reference parameter value corresponding to each measured parameter value.

[0026] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a detection apparatus, comprising:

[0027] A data acquisition module is used to acquire at least one measurement parameter value, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in mutually insulated conductor layers within a multi-layered functional module;

[0028] The status determination module is used to determine the structural status of the functional module based on the value of at least one measurement parameter.

[0029] Optionally, the data acquisition module is used to acquire at least one measurement parameter value, including:

[0030] A voltage is applied between a first preset contact and a second preset contact, and the current value or resistance value from the first preset contact to the second preset contact is collected, wherein the first preset contact and the second preset contact are connected to the same or different conductors in the detection circuit;

[0031] And / or, for each detection unit, a voltage is applied between different conductors in the detection unit to determine the capacitance value between the different conductors in the detection unit.

[0032] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0033] A calibration module is used to determine at least one reference parameter value for each functional module when the functional module enters a preset process, wherein the at least one reference parameter value corresponds one-to-one with the at least one measurement parameter value.

[0034] The state determination module is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measured parameter value, including:

[0035] The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the at least one measured parameter value and the reference parameter value corresponding to each measured parameter value.

[0036] This disclosure provides a fourth aspect of a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0037] The fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a display module including the detection circuit described in the first aspect.

[0038] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides an electronic device including the detection circuit described in the first aspect;

[0039] And / or, including display modules as described in the first aspect;

[0040] And / or, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method as described in the third aspect.

[0041] The seventh aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the second aspect.

[0042] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0043] In this embodiment, the detection circuit includes at least one detection unit, each detection unit comprising multiple mutually insulated conductors; wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are located in mutually insulated conductor layers within a multi-layered functional module; the detection circuit is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between the different conductors in each detection unit. Since the structural state of the functional module is determined based on the electrical characteristics between the different conductors, and these electrical characteristics are related to the insulating medium between the conductors, this circuit can broadly detect the structural state of various parts of the functional module. Even if the cracks generated during the manufacturing process of the functional module are minor and do not affect the conductors themselves, they can still be detected normally by the above-mentioned detection circuit, significantly improving the accuracy of structural state detection.

[0044] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0045] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hierarchical structure of a functional module, illustrating some exemplary embodiments.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a functional module through some exemplary embodiments.

[0048] Figure 3 These are schematic diagrams illustrating a detection circuit through some exemplary embodiments.

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another detection circuit illustrated by some exemplary embodiments.

[0050] Figure 5 These are schematic diagrams illustrating another detection circuit using some exemplary embodiments.

[0051] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating one detection method using some exemplary embodiments.

[0052] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating a detection device through some exemplary embodiments.

[0053] Figure 8 These are hardware structure diagrams of an electronic device illustrating some exemplary embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0055] As described in the background section, the detection circuits used to detect the structural state of display modules and other functional modules in the current related technologies still have considerable room for improvement in their detection performance. Often, the structure is damaged but is not detected properly.

[0056] In view of the above, this disclosure provides a detection circuit, method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium.

[0057] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail.

[0058] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a detection circuit that can be exemplarily assembled in any functional module having a multi-layered structure. The detection circuit includes at least one detection unit, each detection unit comprising a plurality of mutually insulated conductors; wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are located in different mutually insulated conductor layers within a multi-layered functional module; the detection circuit is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between the different conductors in each detection unit.

[0059] A functional module is a module used to perform a specific function. It can be a mechanical structure such as a housing or structural support plate that provides separation or support, or an electrical module such as a touch module, display module, or a combination of touch and display modules. Please see below. Figure 1This is a simplified cross-sectional diagram of a touch display module, with the vertical direction representing the thickness of the module. In this example, the touch display module may include a touch layer (for implementing touch functionality) and a display layer (for implementing display functionality). The display layer consists of an array layer (display substrate) and an organic light-emitting layer (typically including structures such as organic planarization layers and organic light-emitting materials) attached to the array layer. The array layer can be used to drive or control the emission of pixels in the organic light-emitting layer to enable the touch display module to display images.

[0060] The display layer can typically be divided into the display area (also known as the AA area, which is the area where the image is displayed) and the edge area surrounding the display area (peripheral area). A blocking structure is usually also provided in the transition portion of the edge area near the display area. See also... Figure 2 This is also a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a touch display module, with the vertical direction representing the thickness of the touch display module. IJP represents organic light-emitting material, "organic layer" represents organic planarization layer, CVD represents sealing layer (which may include a chemical vapor deposition layer, acting as a barrier), and DAM represents barrier structure (…). Figure 2 The DAM in the image includes a first barrier structure DAM1 and a second barrier structure DAM2 arranged from the inside out around the display area. The barrier structures can be used to reduce the possibility of water / oxygen intrusion into the organic light-emitting material. The portion from the array layer (LTPO substrate) to CVD2 can be connected to... Figure 1 Corresponding to the display layer, the touch layer can be attached to the side of CVD2 away from the LTPO substrate (i.e., Figure 2 Above CVD2; the touch layer is... Figure 2 Only three discrete parts are shown, but in reality these parts can be continuous. Figure 2 The "detection unit" marked in the text is only a general indication of its location.

[0061] In the embodiments provided in this disclosure, different conductors within the same detection unit are located in different conductor layers that are insulated from each other. In a functional module, a structural layer composed of conductors (or used to house conductors) can be called a conductor layer. For example, for a touch module (i.e., the touch layer of a touch display module), touch operation can typically be implemented based on a two-layer metal structure, a first metal layer M1 and a second metal layer M2 separated by an insulating layer. For instance, when a user places their finger on the touch module, the capacitance between the metal at a certain position in M1 and the corresponding position in M2 may change, thereby identifying the user's touch operation. The conductors (taking two conductors as an example) within the same detection unit in the above detection circuit can, exemplarily, be respectively disposed in M1 and M2. As for the array layer, it typically includes a source-drain layer SD1, a first gate layer GE1, and a second gate layer GE2 (GE1 and GE2 usually have the same structure, and their names can be interchanged; in addition, there can be multiple source-drain layers, which will not be elaborated here). Therefore, the conductors in the same detection unit of the above detection circuit can be distributed in any two of the conductor layers SD1, GE1, and GE2. It should be understood that some circuits may also have more or fewer source-drain layers and gate layers; for example, they may have only one gate layer. This disclosure does not limit this, and such variations do not affect the realization of the technical concept of this disclosure.

[0062] In addition, to prevent the conductors in the detection circuit from conducting with the inherent conductors in the conductor layer (such as the metals in M1 and M2 used to implement the touch function), an insulating layer can be actively wrapped around the conductors in the detection circuit, or the conductors in the detection circuit can be deployed in the empty area of ​​the conductor layer (for example, the part of the touch layer above the edge area can usually be removed because touch operation is usually not required in this area, so the conductors in the detection circuit can be etched in this area).

[0063] Structural state refers to the physical state of a functional module in terms of its structure (or shape). It can be simply understood as whether the functional module is structurally damaged (e.g., material cracks; in other words, the detection circuit can detect cracks in the functional module). For example, structural state can include: functional module fracture, functional module partial cracking, and functional module intact. Since conductors within the same detection unit are mutually insulated, electrical characteristics such as capacitance and insulation resistance will occur between different conductors within the same detection unit. Furthermore, since different conductors are located in different insulated conductor layers within the functional module, the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit (and also the electrical characteristics within the same conductor) will inevitably change with the structural state of the functional module. For example, when the functional module undergoes slight deformation or minor breakage, it will also cause changes in the capacitance between different conductors. Therefore, the electrical characteristics between different conductors within the same detection unit can reflect the structural state of the functional module. Since the form of functional modules such as touch display modules is usually fixed after manufacturing, the changes in capacitance (and other electrical properties) between different conductors can more accurately reflect the unpredictable morphological changes that occur inside the functional module.

[0064] Since the structural state of the functional module is determined based on the electrical characteristics between different conductors (i.e., these electrical characteristics are jointly embodied by at least two different conductors), and these electrical characteristics are related to the insulating medium between the conductors, it can broadly detect the structural state of various parts of the functional module. Even if the cracks generated during the manufacturing process of the functional module are minor and do not affect the conductors themselves (e.g., they do not cause significant deformation or breakage), they can still be detected normally by the aforementioned detection circuit (because as long as they affect the insulation between different conductors, they will affect the electrical characteristics between the different conductors), greatly improving the accuracy of structural state detection.

[0065] It should be understood that in the description related to "the detection circuit is used based on the electrical characteristics between different conductors in 'each' detection unit," "each" means "each of some or all of the detection units in at least one detection unit," and not necessarily all the detection units in the physical circuit. Alternatively, if a detection process only uses the electrical characteristics between a subset of conductors assembled in the functional module, then it can be considered that these utilized conductors constitute the detection circuit, and the other conductors assembled in the functional module can be considered equivalent to "not existing."

[0066] In some embodiments, some or all of the detection units in the at least one detection unit include conductors with multiple connection ends, and the detection circuit is further configured to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different connection ends of the same conductor.

[0067] For example, please see Figure 1 A rectangle marked with a single capital Latin letter represents a connection end. For example, A and B can be two different connection ends of the same conductor, E and F can be two different connection ends of another conductor, and I and J can be two different connection ends of yet another conductor. Similarly, C and D can be connected to the same conductor, G and H can be connected to the same conductor, K and L can be connected to the same conductor, M and N can be connected to the same conductor, and O and P can be connected to the same conductor (this is an example of each conductor having two connection ends, but in reality, each conductor can have more connection ends; for example, the conductors connected to A, B, E, and F can be interwoven in a network structure in the first metal layer to form the same conductor). When the conductor in the detection unit is a wire, the two ends of the wire can naturally become two connection ends of that conductor.

[0068] In this scenario, the detection circuit can determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different connection points of the same conductor. Since the electrical characteristics are those between different connection points of the same conductor (each connection point being connected to a different location on the same conductor), these characteristics can be considered as the conductivity of the conductor. The electrical characteristics between different conductors mentioned above can be considered as the dielectric properties of the insulating medium between them. The conductivity of a conductor can change with its shape (e.g., deformation, fracture), and the dielectric properties between conductors can change with the relative shape changes between them (and the changes in the insulating medium between them).

[0069] Conductivity refers to the current conduction property of a conductor material under the influence of an electric field, and its parameters can include resistivity, conductivity, current carrying capacity, and temperature coefficient. Dielectric properties refer to the polarization response property of an insulating dielectric material (such as air, plastic, ceramics, etc.) under the influence of an electric field, and its parameters can include dielectric constant, loss factor, insulation resistance, and breakdown field strength. In this disclosure, the dielectric properties of the insulating medium between different conductors in the same detection unit can refer to the electrical parameters presented (or determined by) the insulating medium between two mutually insulated conductors, such as the capacitance between different conductors, insulation resistance (such as the leakage current withstand capability of high-voltage cable insulation), dielectric loss (energy loss caused by high-frequency signals passing through the insulating medium), and breakdown strength (such as the maximum electric field strength that the insulating medium can withstand).

[0070] In the above embodiments, by comprehensively applying the conductivity characteristics at different locations on the same conductor and the dielectric properties of the insulating materials between different conductors, the detection circuit can handle multi-dimensional signal detection: changes in conductivity caused by conductor breakage can be used to identify macroscopic structural damage, while changes in dielectric properties caused by dielectric cracks can capture microscopic deformation. These two types of characteristics complement each other, providing multi-dimensional data materials for large models or algorithms, further eliminating misjudgments that may be caused by environmental interference under single-dimensional parameters, and significantly improving the accuracy of functional recognition.

[0071] The detection units in the detection circuit provided in this disclosure can be divided into multiple groups, and these detection units can have various optional extended implementation methods in both the thickness direction of the functional module and the surrounding directions of the plane where the functional module is located. These optional implementation methods are described below. It should be understood that optional implementation methods in different dimensions can be applied individually or in combination (when applied in combination, different implementation methods can be applied to some detection units of multiple detection units, or some or all detection units can possess the features of optional embodiments in multiple dimensions).

[0072] Optionally, in the thickness direction of the functional module (i.e., the stacking direction of multiple structural layers), the functional module includes at least one functional layer, each functional layer including multiple stacked conductor layers, with an insulating layer between two adjacent conductor layers; the different conductors of the detection unit are located in different conductor layers of the same functional layer.

[0073] In this context, a functional layer refers to the structural hierarchy within a functional module used to implement specific business functions (i.e., different functional layers implement different business functions, and each sub-layer within the same functional layer is used to implement the same specific business function; different functional layers can be separated to independently implement specific functions). From another perspective, a functional layer can refer to a structure composed of several conductor layers separated by insulating layers (these conductor layers are structurally separated by insulating layers, but functionally form a whole). In other words, a multi-level structure formed by alternating conductor layers and insulating layers, used to jointly implement a specific function, can be considered a functional layer. The touch layer and array layer described above for the touch display module can each be considered as separate functional layers, because the touch layer implements the touch function through the structure of M1, insulating layer, and M2, and the array layer implements the driving function of the organic light-emitting layer (or can also be considered as implementing the display function) through the structure of SD1, insulating layer, GE2, insulating layer, and GE1.

[0074] In response to Figure 1In the example shown, I, E, A, B, F, and J are connected to conductors in detection circuit M1; K, G, C, D, H, and L are connected to conductors in detection circuit M2; M and N are connected to conductors in detection circuit SD1; and O and P are connected to conductors in detection circuit GE2. This allows the conductors in M1 and M2 to constitute at least one detection unit, and the conductors in SD1 and GE2 to constitute another at least one detection unit. In other words, each detection unit can correspond to only one functional layer; and the conductors in each detection unit can be distributed across multiple adjacent (continuous) conductor layers within the same functional layer. Based on this configuration, the detection circuit can not only detect the structural characteristics of each functional layer with finer granularity but also avoid the influence of complex structural relationships between different functional layers on the accuracy of the detection results. This improves the accuracy and robustness of structural state detection, allowing the circuit provided in this disclosure to be more easily adapted to various complex functional modules without affecting detection accuracy.

[0075] Optionally, in the radial direction around the plane where the functional module is located, the conductor extends along part or all of the edge of the functional module, and the distance between the conductors belonging to different detection units within the same conductor layer and the edge of the functional module is different.

[0076] In other words, the conductor can extend circumferentially along the functional module and cover part or all of the edge of the functional module radially. This edge can include not only the outermost edge of the functional module, but also the inner edge formed by holes or notches in the functional module (such as the edge formed by the hole for the front camera).

[0077] Please see Figure 3 It is shown in the form of a top view (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the paper is the thickness direction of the functional module). Figure 1 The internal structure of the first metal layer (M1) is optional. Hereinafter, A and B belong to the same conductor (hereinafter referred to as "conductor AB" to refer to the conductors connected to A and B, and the same applies to other conductors), E and F belong to the same conductor, and I and J belong to the same conductor. All these conductors are in the form of wires (wires may or may not have insulation; they can be solid wires or wires etched onto the circuit board). Therefore, conductors AB, EF, and IJ can belong to different detection units; or conductors AB and EF can belong to the same detection unit, while IJ belongs to another detection unit; or conductors EF and IJ can belong to the same detection unit, while conductor AB belongs to another detection unit (it should be understood that...). Figure 3The diagram only shows the portion of the detection unit located within one conductor layer; portions of the detection units located in other conductor layers are not shown. It can be seen that, under each of the above partitioning methods, the distance between the portions of different detection units located within the same conductor layer and the edge of the functional module varies. Simply put, on the plane where the functional module is located, multiple detection units can be deployed in multiple layers along the edge of the functional module in a manner from far to near (of course, in a three-dimensional structure, the conductors are not necessarily completely parallel to the plane where the functional module is located, and there can be overlap between different conductors).

[0078] The advantages of this approach are twofold. First, cracks in display modules or other functional modules are often most common at the edges. Deploying multiple detection units in layers at the edges can minimize missed detections and further improve the accuracy of circuit crack detection. Second, because the conductors in different detection units within the same conductor layer are at different distances from the edge, when a crack extends from the screen edge inwards or outwards (towards the screen edge), multiple detection units can clearly identify the current extent of the crack and its location. This allows for more accurate crack localization and severity analysis, facilitating subsequent classification and repair. It should be understood that when these layered detection units are located in other functional layers (such as the touch layer) outside the display layer, the potential impact of the detection units on the screen display effect can be further avoided.

[0079] Furthermore, the functional module may include a display layer, and the at least one detection unit may include at least one first detection unit and at least one second detection unit, wherein the projection of the conductor included in the first detection unit on the display layer is located between the display area of ​​the display layer and the blocking structure of the display layer, and the projection of the conductor included in the second detection unit on the display layer is located on the side of the blocking structure away from the display area.

[0080] See still Figure 1 The organic light-emitting layer has a blocking structure outside (i.e., Figure 2The blocking structure (DAM1 and DAM2 in the diagram) can be considered as part of the display layer (or as an auxiliary structure of the display layer). Multiple conductors within each detection unit can overlap (including partial overlap) in the thickness direction of the functional module. For example, conductors AB and CD can form detection unit 1, conductors EF and GH can form detection unit 2, conductors IJ and KL can form detection unit 3, and conductors MN and OP can form detection unit 4 (of course, the conductors of detection unit 4 can also be located in GE2 and GE1, or in each conductor layer; only one optional arrangement is shown in the figure). Detection unit 1 can be located between the blocking structure and the display area ("between" also includes the transition portion from the blocking structure to the display area and the transition portion from the display area to the blocking structure), and detection units 2 and 3 can be located on the side of the blocking structure near the edge. That is, at least one first detection unit includes one first detection unit: detection unit 1; at least one second detection unit includes multiple detection units: detection unit 2 and detection unit 3.

[0081] Based on this, on the one hand, the minute space between the display area and the blocking structure can be fully utilized to provide a warning before a crack spreads from the edge to the display area, preventing problems such as screen leakage and black spots caused by the crack spreading to the display area. On the other hand, it can detect cracks as soon as they appear at the edge of the screen. In addition, it can integrate the detection results of multiple detection units to determine the development trend of the crack (such as its current distance from the display area).

[0082] By aligning the multiple conductors within each detection unit along the thickness direction of the functional module (i.e., aligning the projections of the multiple conductors onto the plane of the functional module; "alignment" in this disclosure includes both partial and complete alignment), not only can different detection units naturally adapt to the common stacking structure of functional modules, but the dielectric properties of the insulating medium between different conductors can also be amplified. For example, if the conductor as a whole presents a flat structure (e.g., Figure 3 The conductors shown actually extend within the plane of the conductor layer. Furthermore, the cross-section of the conductor itself can be flat (i.e., the width in the direction parallel to the plane where the functional module is located is smaller than the width in the thickness direction of the functional module), and their projections on the plane where the functional module is located coincide. In this case, a capacitor with better performance can be formed between different conductors, which helps to improve the detection accuracy.

[0083] Some or all of the conductors in this disclosure may also have other features.

[0084] For example, please see Figure 4In part (a) of the aforementioned embodiments concerning "the conductor extending along part or all of the edge of the functional module," the conductor may have gaps (breaks) during its extension along the edge of the functional module. This means that multiple mutually insulated conductors can be used to discretely cover the edge of the functional module. Based on this, not only is circuit design and manufacturing more convenient, but more conductors can be deployed in a limited space (such as the small area between the display area and the blocking structure), thereby forming more detection units. This increases the dimension and amount of electrical characteristics that may arise between different conductors in the detection unit, improving the detection accuracy of the detection circuit.

[0085] For another example, see Figure 4 In section (b), different detection units can be deployed at different edges of the functional module (such as the outer edge of the functional module and the edge of the internal hole of the functional module). Figure 3 The detection of cracks around the camera hole is handled by the detection unit where conductor AB is located. This allows for the deployment of multiple hierarchical detection units for each edge of the functional module, avoiding the problem of "needing to cross the obstruction structure of the display area" that would arise when a single detection unit tries to handle multiple discontinuous edges of the functional module. It also makes the detection granularity of the detection circuit finer.

[0086] For another example, see Figure 5 The conductor may have at least one bent segment, which bends along the plane of the functional module (i.e., the bending angle has a radial component of the functional module). The bent segment is the portion of the conductor formed by bending (which can be understood as bending or twisting), for example... Figure 5 The diagram illustrates an "S"-shaped structure. In other words, within the bend, the difference between the conductor's length in the extending direction and the straight-line distance between the two ends of the bend is a positive number, and this positive number can be greater than a certain threshold. For example, within the bend, the conductor in the extending direction can include multiple sequentially connected arc-shaped wires (each arc's degree can be between π and 2π; a broken-line wire can also be considered an arc-shaped wire), where each arc can have the same degree of curvature, and adjacent arc-shaped wires can have opposite opening directions. The advantage of this is that cracks in the various radial directions of the functional module are more likely to affect the parameters acquired by the detection unit (for example, cracks are more likely to tear conductors perpendicular to the crack, and the same applies to insulating media), further improving the accuracy of the detection circuit.

[0087] When the functional module is a foldable functional module (taking a foldable display module as an example), the aforementioned bending area can be deployed within the folding area of ​​the display module, for example, passing through the folding area of ​​the display module, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The folded area is the region where the display module bends or folds when in a folded state (i.e.,...). Figure 5The area shown is near the folding axis (the arrow on the folding axis indicates its axial direction). This area is typically where the display module connects to the hinge structure, that is, the part around the folding axis of the display module. Based on this, the detection of vulnerable areas of the display module can be specifically strengthened.

[0088] In summary, since the structural state of a functional module is determined by the electrical properties between different conductors, and these electrical properties are related to the insulating medium between the conductors, this method can broadly detect the structural state of various parts of the functional module. Even if the cracks that occur during the manufacturing process of the functional module are minor and do not affect the conductor itself, they can still be detected by the above detection method, significantly improving the accuracy of the structural state detection process.

[0089] The second aspect of this disclosure provides a detection method that can be used, by way of example, in conjunction with the detection circuit provided in any embodiment of the first aspect and other similar circuits. Please see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 It may include steps S601 to S602.

[0090] Step S601: Acquire at least one measurement parameter value, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in different conductor layers that are mutually insulated within a functional module with a multi-layer structure.

[0091] Taking the method applied to the detection circuit provided in the first aspect as an example, the measurement parameter values ​​collected in the above steps may include multiple aspects, such as the various conductivity characteristics between different connection points on the same conductor, and the dielectric characteristics (insulation characteristics) exhibited by the insulating materials between different conductors.

[0092] This approach can also be simplified. For example, acquiring at least one measurement parameter value can include any of the following steps: applying a voltage between a first preset contact and a second preset contact, and acquiring the current value or resistance value from the first preset contact to the second preset contact, wherein the first preset contact and the second preset contact are connected to the same or different conductors in the detection circuit; for each detection unit, applying a voltage between different conductors in the detection unit to determine the capacitance value between different conductors in the detection unit.

[0093] Applying a voltage between the first and second preset contacts means creating a potential difference between them. This can be achieved by applying a voltage to one contact (while leaving the other floating), or by applying different voltages to the two contacts (the same applies to other "applying voltage" operations described later). When the first and second preset contacts are connected to the same conductor, a known current should flow between them (i.e., a known resistance should exist between them); when they are connected to different conductors, no current should flow between them, and their resistance should be within the insulation range. For example, it can be done by... Figure 1 If a voltage is applied to contact A and all other contacts remain floating, then if the functional module is in a normal state, a current of a preset value should be collected at contact B, and no leakage current should be collected at any other contact; if not, then the functional module is in an abnormal state.

[0094] Applying voltages between different conductors in the detection unit results in different potentials for different conductors within the same detection unit (it should be understood that if a detection unit includes more than three conductors, each conductor can have a different potential, or multiple subsets can be selected to perform step S601). At this point, the capacitance value between different conductors can be determined based on the rate of change of voltage or the amount of charge flowing between them. For example, based on a first voltage at contacts A and B, a second voltage (different from the first voltage) can be applied to contacts C and D to obtain the capacitance value of the capacitor formed between conductors AB and CD (this capacitance value reflects the dielectric properties of the insulating medium between conductors AB and CD, thus indicating whether the structures of M1, the insulating layer, and M2 have changed). It is understood that since the current flowing through different conductors is very small, the mutual interference between conductors in different detection units is usually negligible.

[0095] Step S602: Determine the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measured parameter value.

[0096] The structural state of the functional module can be obtained from a pre-trained large model based on at least one measurement parameter value, or it can be obtained by matching within a preset mapping relationship. For example, determining the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measurement parameter value includes: determining the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measurement parameter value and a reference parameter value corresponding to each measurement parameter value.

[0097] In other words, the corresponding preset parameters can be collected using preset steps, and then each preset parameter can be compared with the corresponding reference value. If the difference between a preset number of parameters and the corresponding reference value (or the difference determined by other methods) is greater than the corresponding preset threshold, then the functional module can be considered to be damaged.

[0098] The reference value can be obtained based on experience, provided by the equipment manufacturer, or calibrated individually for different functional modules. For example, the method may also include: for each functional module, when the functional module enters a preset process, determining at least one reference parameter value for the functional module, wherein the at least one reference parameter value corresponds one-to-one with the at least one measured parameter value.

[0099] The preset process can be the Demura process (i.e., the "mura effect") used in the display module manufacturing process to eliminate screen brightness or color unevenness (i.e., "mura effect") through pixel-level brightness compensation; alternatively, it can be the cell assembly process, etc. This is because this process is at the beginning of the production process, and at this time the display module has completed the circuit connection, but has not yet undergone subsequent mechanical processing steps such as cutting or bonding. It can be considered that the display module at this time presents a structural state before being damaged by external forces. In addition, during the Demura process, an external device is usually required to connect to the DDIC (Display Driver Integrated Circuit) and perform data burning. At this time, the calibration work of the relevant detection circuit is completed simultaneously, which can achieve the adaptation of the detection circuit without adding any other processes. By performing the calibration process separately for each different display module, the inherent differences between different functional modules can be excluded as much as possible from the variables, so that the sensitive detection principle in this disclosure can reflect more of the actual structural state of the functional module.

[0100] The method steps provided in this disclosure can be triggered during the factory production phase or during the user usage phase. For example, the conductors can be connected to the DDIC (or other logic modules of the device assembling the detection circuit, such as a central processing unit). When the display module is first powered on at the factory (or during the Demura process), step S601 can be executed to acquire at least one measurement parameter value and burn this measurement parameter value into the DDIC as a reference parameter value for the display module. Then, when the overall process is completed or about to be shipped, step S601 is executed again to determine whether the display module has cracked during the aforementioned processing. For example, an operation entry point can be preset at the software level of the device, thereby responding to the user's query command (or executing periodically, or executing according to the query command issued by the server) to execute steps S601 and S602, thereby informing the user (or reporting to the server) the current damage level of the functional module (for example, the current structural status can be presented to the user in the form of a health percentage; if the current functional module has cracks or other structural damage, it can also be marked in the image of the functional module to be presented to the user visually), thereby improving the richness of the device's functions and making it easier for the device manufacturer to optimize the process.

[0101] Corresponding to the embodiments of the foregoing methods, this disclosure also provides embodiments of the apparatus and the terminal to which it is applied.

[0102] This third aspect of the disclosure provides a detection apparatus, which can be exemplarily applied to the detection circuit shown in any embodiment of the first aspect or other similar circuits; please refer to Figure 7 The device includes:

[0103] The data acquisition module 701 is used to acquire at least one measurement parameter value, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in mutually insulated conductor layers within a multi-layered functional module;

[0104] The status determination module 702 is used to determine the structural status of the functional module based on the value of the at least one measurement parameter.

[0105] Optionally, the data acquisition module is used to acquire at least one measurement parameter value, including:

[0106] A voltage is applied between a first preset contact and a second preset contact, and the current value or resistance value from the first preset contact to the second preset contact is collected, wherein the first preset contact and the second preset contact are connected to the same or different conductors in the detection circuit;

[0107] And / or, for each detection unit, a voltage is applied between different conductors in the detection unit to determine the capacitance value between the different conductors in the detection unit.

[0108] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0109] A calibration module is used to determine at least one reference parameter value for each functional module when the functional module enters a preset process, wherein the at least one reference parameter value corresponds one-to-one with the at least one measurement parameter value.

[0110] The state determination module is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measured parameter value, including:

[0111] The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the at least one measured parameter value and the reference parameter value corresponding to each measured parameter value.

[0112] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each module in the above device can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] This disclosure provides a fourth aspect of a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0114] For the device embodiments and computer program product embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. Furthermore, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; the modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, i.e., they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this disclosure according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any inventive effort.

[0115] Fifthly, the embodiments of the detection circuit and detection device provided in this disclosure can all be applied to electronic devices. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 The illustration exemplifies a hardware schematic of an electronic device. For example, device 800 could be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcasting terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness equipment, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0116] Device 800 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 801, memory 802, power supply component 803, multimedia component 804, audio component 805, input / output (I / O) interface 806, sensor component 807, and communication component 808.

[0117] Processing component 801 typically controls the overall operation of device 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording. Processing component 801 may include one or more processors 809 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Furthermore, processing component 801 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 801 and other components. For example, processing component 801 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 804 and processing component 801.

[0118] Memory 802 is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of device 800. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method operating on device 800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 802 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0119] Power supply component 803 provides power to various components of device 800. Power supply component 803 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to device 800.

[0120] Multimedia component 804 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, swipe, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of the touch or swipe action but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 804 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When the device 800 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front-facing camera and / or the rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0121] Audio component 805 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 805 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when device 800 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 802 or transmitted via communication component 808. In some embodiments, audio component 805 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0122] Input / output (I / O) interface 806 provides an interface between processing component 801 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0123] Sensor assembly 807 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessments of various aspects of device 800. For example, sensor assembly 807 can detect the on / off state of device 800, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of device 800, changes in the position of device 800 or a component of device 800, the presence or absence of user contact with device 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of device 800, and temperature changes of device 800. Sensor assembly 807 may also include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 807 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 807 may also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0124] Communication component 808 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between device 800 and other devices. Device 800 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, 4G or 5G, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 808 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 808 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0125] In an exemplary embodiment, device 800 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the detection method of the aforementioned electronic device.

[0126] Sixthly, in exemplary embodiments, this disclosure also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, such as a memory 802 including instructions, which can be executed by a processor 809 of device 800 to complete the detection method of the electronic device described above. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0127] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this disclosure. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0128] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention applied herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not claimed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0129] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0130] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A detection circuit, characterized in that, It includes at least one detection unit, and each detection unit includes multiple conductors that are insulated from each other; The different conductors in the detection unit are located in different conductor layers that are insulated from each other within a multi-layered functional module. The detection circuit is used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit.

2. The detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional module includes at least one functional layer, each functional layer including multiple stacked conductor layers, with an insulating layer between two adjacent conductor layers; the different conductors of the detection unit are located in different conductor layers of the same functional layer.

3. The detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductor extends along part or all of the edge of the functional module, and the distance between the conductors belonging to different detection units within the same conductor layer and the edge of the functional module is different.

4. The detection circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The functional module includes a display layer, and the at least one detection unit includes at least one first detection unit and at least one second detection unit, wherein the projection of the conductor included in the first detection unit on the display layer is located between the display area of ​​the display layer and the blocking structure of the display layer, and the projection of the conductor included in the second detection unit on the display layer is located on the side of the blocking structure away from the display area.

5. The detection circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The conductors contained in some or all of the at least one detection unit have multiple connection ends, and the detection circuit is further used to determine the structural state of the functional module based on the electrical characteristics between different connection ends of the same conductor.

6. The detection circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The electrical properties between the different conductors include the dielectric properties of the insulating medium between the different conductors; and / or, the electrical properties between the different connection terminals include the conductive properties between the different connection terminals.

7. The detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductor has at least one bent segment, the bent segment being bent along the plane of the functional module; and / or, Multiple conductors within each detection unit overlap in the thickness direction of the functional module.

8. A detection method, characterized in that, The method includes: At least one measurement parameter value is acquired, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in different conductor layers that are mutually insulated within a functional module with a multi-layer structure; The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the value of at least one measurement parameter.

9. The detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The acquisition of at least one measurement parameter value includes: A voltage is applied between a first preset contact and a second preset contact, and the current or resistance value between the first preset contact and the second preset contact is collected, wherein the first preset contact and the second preset contact are connected to the same or different conductors in the detection circuit; and / or, For each detection unit, a voltage is applied between different conductors in the detection unit to determine the capacitance value between the different conductors in the detection unit.

10. The detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: For each functional module, when the functional module enters the preset process, at least one reference parameter value of the functional module is determined, wherein the at least one reference parameter value corresponds one-to-one with the at least one measurement parameter value; Determining the structural state of the functional module based on the at least one measured parameter value includes: The structural state of the functional module is determined based on the at least one measured parameter value and the reference parameter value corresponding to each measured parameter value.

11. A detection device, characterized in that, include: A data acquisition module is used to acquire at least one measurement parameter value, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value is used to characterize the electrical characteristics between different conductors in each detection unit of the detection circuit, wherein the different conductors in the detection unit are mutually insulated and located in mutually insulated conductor layers within a multi-layered functional module; The status determination module is used to determine the structural status of the functional module based on the value of at least one measurement parameter.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 10.

13. A display module, characterized in that, Includes the detection circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the detection circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; and / or, Including the display module as described in claim 13; and / or, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 10.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 10.

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