Touch panel and display device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of touch panel and display device.The technical scheme provided by the utility model, touch panel includes liquid crystal display unit, and liquid crystal display unit is embedded with touch circuit, and touch circuit includes first touch circuit and second touch circuit, and first touch circuit is set in the display area of touch panel, and second touch circuit is set in the non-display area of touch panel;First touch circuit is used to obtain the touch data of display area;Second touch circuit is used to obtain the touch data of at least one touch key in non-display area, and first touch circuit and second touch circuit share same mask.The technical scheme provided by the utility model integrates the touch function of the display area and non-display area of touch panel in liquid crystal display unit, so as to reduce the thickness of touch panel when realizing touch function, and realize the light and thin of touch panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a touch panel and display device. Background Technology

[0002] Touch technology is the core technology system that enables people to interact with electronic devices through physical contact. It senses touch behavior and converts it into commands that the device can recognize, and it is widely used in consumer electronics, automobiles, industry, medical and other fields.

[0003] With the development of touch technology, some vehicles have eliminated the physical touch buttons distributed around the central control display screen, integrating the button functions into the central control display screen. This allows the central control display screen to not only realize conventional image and information interaction, but also to complete various functional operations through virtual buttons.

[0004] Currently, the touch functionality of virtual buttons can be achieved through add-on touch technology. For example, an additional touch layer can be added to the liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to enable touch functionality in both the display area and the virtual button area of ​​the central control screen. However, this method increases the thickness of the central control screen, thus affecting its display quality. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a touch panel and a display device. The technical solution provided by this invention embeds the touch function into the liquid crystal display unit through in-cell touch technology, thereby reducing the thickness of the touch panel and the implementation cost when implementing the touch function.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a touch panel, including a liquid crystal display unit, wherein the liquid crystal display unit is embedded with touch circuitry, the touch circuitry including a first touch circuitry and a second touch circuitry, the first touch circuitry being disposed in the display area of ​​the touch panel, and the second touch circuitry being disposed in the non-display area of ​​the touch panel; The first touch circuit is used to acquire touch data of the display area; The second touch circuit is used to acquire touch data of at least one touch button in the non-display area. The first touch circuit and the second touch circuit share the same photomask.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second touch circuit is a metal circuit, and is arranged in a grid-like structure.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the liquid crystal display unit further includes: a color filter substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor array substrate, wherein the liquid crystal layer is located between the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate, the liquid crystal layer is disposed in the display area, and both the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate are disposed in the display area and the non-display area.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the touch circuitry is disposed on the thin-film transistor array substrate.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the liquid crystal display unit further includes: a frame adhesive; The frame adhesive is used to separate the display area and the non-display area, and to bond the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the touch panel further includes: a touch chip, the touch chip being disposed in the non-display area; The touch chip is connected to the first touch circuit and the second touch circuit respectively.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the touch chip is disposed on the thin-film transistor array substrate.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the touch chip is an integrated touch and display driver chip.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, a display circuit is further provided on the thin-film transistor array substrate, and the display circuit is connected to the touch and display driver integrated chip; The integrated touch and display driver chip drives the display circuitry and the touch circuitry in a time-division multiplexing manner.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the touch panel further includes: a cover glass, an optical adhesive layer, and a backlight panel arranged sequentially from top to bottom; The liquid crystal display unit is located between the optical adhesive layer and the backlight panel.

[0016] Secondly, the present invention provides a display device, which includes a touch panel as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0017] The technical solution provided by this utility model fully utilizes the advantages of in-cell touch technology, embedding the touch functions of both the display and non-display areas of the touch panel into the liquid crystal display unit, and increasing the coverage of the liquid crystal display unit. This allows the liquid crystal display unit to be positioned in both the display and non-display areas of the touch panel, thereby reducing the thickness of the touch panel while achieving touch functionality in both areas, resulting in a thinner and lighter touch panel and improved display performance in the display area. By sharing the same touch chip between the display and non-display areas, the touch functionality of both areas is integrated, reducing the number of touch chips and lowering costs. Furthermore, by using a touch and display driver integration (TDDI) chip, the display and touch circuits share the same chip, further reducing the number of chips. Additionally, the touch circuits in both the display and non-display areas share a single photomask, improving the continuity of the touch circuitry and the design flexibility of the touch functions.

[0018] The touch panel provided by this utility model includes a cover glass (CG), an optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer, a liquid crystal display unit with embedded touch function, and a backlight panel. The technical solution provided by this utility model can reduce the thickness, number of structural layers, and structural complexity of the touch panel, thereby reducing implementation costs. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a central control display screen. Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a touch panel employing external touch technology; Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a touch panel provided by this utility model; Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal display unit provided by this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of another touch panel provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0021] With the development of touch technology, in-vehicle central control systems are gradually moving towards integration and unification. For example, some vehicles have eliminated the physical touch buttons distributed around the central control display screen, integrating the button functions into the central control display screen itself. This allows the central control display screen to perform both conventional image and information interaction and various functional operations through virtual touch buttons. Virtual touch buttons can be understood as buttons integrated into the central control display screen. In this utility model, virtual touch buttons are simply referred to as touch buttons.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a central control display screen. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, the central control display screen includes a display area (active area, AA) and a non-display area (non-active area, NAA). Touch buttons are located in the non-display area. The touch buttons include: "Return to Home," "Volume Up," and "Volume Down." It should be understood that... Figure 1 The location, number, and type of touch buttons shown are for illustrative purposes only.

[0023] Currently, external touch technology is commonly used to implement the touch functionality of touch buttons on central control displays. External touch technology involves integrating touch circuitry (sensors) onto a glass substrate to form a touch substrate, and then covering the touch substrate with a protective glass (CG) layer using optically clear adhesive (OCA), thus creating a glass-glass (GG) structure for the touch functionality layer. This OCA layer is then applied over a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, forming a physical superposition structure of "touch functionality layer + display layer," thereby enabling touch functionality in both the display area and the touch button area of ​​the central control display. Touch functionality refers to the ability to interact with an electronic device's touchscreen using objects such as fingers or styluses, achieving human-computer interaction.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a touch panel that uses external touch technology. Figure 2 The touch panel shown includes: a touch function layer, an optical adhesive layer, and a liquid crystal display panel. The optical adhesive layer is as follows: Figure 2 OCA2 in the middle is used to bond the touch functional layer and the liquid crystal display panel. The touch functional layer includes: CG, OCA1, and a touch substrate. The touch substrate includes touch circuitry (such as...). Figure 2 The LCD panel consists of a shadow layer and a glass substrate. OCA1 is used to bond the CG and the touch substrate. The LCD panel includes liquid crystal display cells and a backlight (B / L).

[0025] It should be noted that the LCD display panel is located within the display area of ​​the touch panel. The touch function layer is located between the display and non-display areas of the touch panel, thus enabling touch functionality in both the display and touch button areas. The display area refers to the physical area of ​​the touch panel that actually carries and displays pixel data, i.e., the effective display range within which the driving circuit controls the pixel's illumination. The non-display area refers to the physical area of ​​the touch panel that is not used to display pixel data.

[0026] It can be seen that using external touch technology to implement the touch function of the central control display increases the thickness of the display, thus affecting the display effect of the display area. Furthermore, this method increases the structural complexity of the central control display and requires more materials, resulting in higher costs.

[0027] In view of this, the present invention provides a touch panel and a display device. The technical solution provided by the present invention embeds the touch function of the touch panel into the liquid crystal display unit through in-cell touch technology, and increases the coverage area of ​​the liquid crystal display unit. This allows the liquid crystal display unit to be positioned in both the display and non-display areas of the touch panel, thereby reducing the thickness of the touch panel and improving the display effect while achieving touch control in both the display and non-display areas. Furthermore, the technical solution provided by the present invention can also reduce the structural complexity of the touch panel, save materials, and reduce costs.

[0028] It should be noted that the technical solution provided by this utility model can be applied not only to in-vehicle central control displays, but also to other touch-screen devices that integrate button functions into the display screen (such as industrial control terminals). This utility model does not impose any limitations on this. Industrial control terminals include, for example, monitoring equipment and operation panels on production lines.

[0029] The following is combined Figures 3 to 5 The technical solution provided by this utility model will be described.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a touch panel provided by this utility model. Figure 3 As shown, the touch panel 300 includes a liquid crystal display unit 310. The liquid crystal display unit 310 integrates touch functionality. The touch functionality includes a first touch function and a second touch function. The first touch function is located in the display area and is used to implement touch control in the display area. The second touch function is located in the non-display area and is used to implement touch control in the non-display area. In this invention, the non-display area of ​​the touch panel may include at least one touch button.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the liquid crystal display unit 310 embeds a touch sensor to realize the touch function of the touch panel. The touch sensor includes a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor. The first touch sensor can be located in the display area to acquire touch data from the display area. The second touch sensor can be located in a non-display area to acquire touch data from at least one touch button in the non-display area. The touch data can be the change in current or voltage of the touch circuit caused by a user performing a touch operation on the touch panel.

[0032] It should be understood that the coverage area of ​​the liquid crystal display unit 310 includes the display area and the non-display area, or in other words, the liquid crystal display unit is disposed in the display area and the non-display area.

[0033] In this invention, in-cell touch technology integrates touch functionality into the liquid crystal display unit, which covers both the display and non-display areas, thereby enabling touch functionality in both areas. Compared to external touch technology, this invention reduces the thickness and structural complexity of the touch panel while improving the display effect.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first and second touch circuits can share a single mask to improve the continuity of the touch circuitry and the design flexibility of the touch functions.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the second touch circuit can be a metal mesh circuit, or in other words, the touch circuit corresponding to each touch button can be a metal mesh circuit. A metal mesh circuit can be understood as a metal circuit arranged in a mesh-like structure.

[0036] In this implementation, a metal mesh circuit is used as the touch circuit for the touch button, which can improve the light transmittance of the touch button area, thereby improving the display effect of the touch button area in scenarios where the touch button relies on light transmission for display.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal display unit provided by the present invention. Figure 4 Yes Figure 3 Further explanation of the liquid crystal display unit 310.

[0038] like Figure 4As shown, the liquid crystal display unit 310 also includes a color filter (CF) substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate. The liquid crystal layer is located between the CF substrate and the TFT array substrate. The liquid crystal layer is disposed in the display area of ​​the touch panel 300. Both the CF substrate and the TFT array substrate are disposed in both the display area and the non-display area of ​​the touch panel 300, or in other words, the positions of the CF substrate and the TFT array substrate both include the display area and the non-display area.

[0039] Optionally, the touch circuitry can be disposed on the TFT array substrate, such as... Figure 4 As shown. It should be noted that, considering the TFT array substrate includes a multi-layer structure such as a first metal layer (metal 1, M1), a second metal layer (M2), and a transparent electrode layer, this application does not limit the specific location of the touch circuitry; the location of the touch circuitry can be determined according to actual needs. It should be understood that... Figure 4 The placement of the central touch circuit is for illustrative purposes only.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the liquid crystal display unit 310 may further include a frame adhesive. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the frame adhesive can be disposed in the CF substrate and the TFT array substrate to bond the CF substrate and the TFT array substrate. The frame adhesive can also be disposed at the boundary between the display area and the non-display area to separate the display area and the non-display area.

[0041] In this invention, the display area and the non-display area are separated by a frame adhesive, which confines the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to the display area and prevents the liquid crystal molecules from flowing to the non-display area, thereby improving the controllability of the light transmittance in the non-display area.

[0042] In one possible implementation, a touch function layer can be disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the TFT array substrate to realize the touch function of the touch panel. The touch function layer can be an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film layer.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the touch panel may also include a touch chip. The touch chip is located in the non-display area of ​​the touch panel.

[0044] A touch chip can be connected to touch circuits (such as a first touch circuit and a second touch circuit) to enable the touch chip and touch circuits to work together to realize the touch function of the touch panel. For example, the touch chip can send excitation signals (such as high-frequency voltage pulses) to the first and second touch circuits to create a stable electric field between them. The first and second touch circuits sense the user's touch operation on the touch panel, acquire touch data, and send the acquired touch data to the touch chip. Correspondingly, the touch chip receives the touch data, processes it to determine touch coordinates, touch type, and other information, and transmits the processed information to the main control chip (such as a central processing unit (CPU)) to implement the corresponding response operation.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the touch chip can be disposed on the TFT array substrate to shorten the traces between the touch chip and the first and second touch lines, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and reducing power consumption.

[0046] Optionally, the touch chip can be a touch and display driver integration integrated circuit (TDDI IC). TDDI IC is an integrated circuit technology that integrates a touch control chip (touch IC) and a display driver chip (display driver IC) into a single chip. Using TDDI IC can reduce the number of chips in the touch panel, lower the hardware cost of the touch panel, optimize the spatial layout of the touch panel, and achieve a thinner and lighter touch panel.

[0047] It should be noted that display circuitry is also provided on the TFT array substrate. This display circuitry is used to drive the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, thereby presenting a clear image and picture in the display area.

[0048] As an example, display circuitry can include scan lines and data lines. Scan lines, also called gate lines, are connected to the gate of the TFT and are used to turn the TFT on or off. Data lines, also called source lines, are connected to the source of the TFT. When the TFT is on, the voltage signal on the data lines controls the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules through the source of the TFT, thereby determining the brightness and color of the pixels, and ultimately displaying the image.

[0049] The display circuit can be connected to a TDDI IC, which drives the display circuit and thus displays the image.

[0050] Considering that the TDDI IC needs to drive both the display circuitry and the touch circuitry, it can be used to drive the display circuitry and touch circuitry in a time-division manner to reduce interference between them and improve the display and touch performance of the touch panel.

[0051] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of another touch panel provided by this utility model. Figure 5 As shown, the non-display area of ​​the touch panel 300 includes a touch button area. The touch button area includes four touch buttons, each with a corresponding touch circuit connected to the TDDI IC. It should be understood that... Figure 5 The placement and number of TDDI ICs and touch button areas are for illustrative purposes only.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the touch panel 300 also includes, from top to bottom, a CG 320, an OCA layer 330, and a B / L 340.

[0053] The liquid crystal display unit 310 is located between the OCA layer 330 and the B / L layer 340. The OCA layer 330 is used to bond the CG layer 320 and the liquid crystal display unit 310. The liquid crystal display unit 310 and the B / L layer 340 are collectively referred to as the liquid crystal display panel.

[0054] As can be seen, the touch panel provided by this utility model mainly consists of a CG layer, an OCA layer, a liquid crystal display unit with embedded touch function, and a B / L layer. Compared with touch panels using external touch technology, the technical solution provided by this utility model can reduce the thickness, number of structural layers, and structural complexity of the touch panel, thereby reducing the implementation cost.

[0055] The technical solution provided by this utility model fully utilizes the advantages of in-cell touch technology, embedding the touch functions of both the display and non-display areas of the touch panel into the liquid crystal display unit (LCD) and increasing the coverage area of ​​the LCD. This allows the LCD to be positioned in both the display and non-display areas of the touch panel, thereby reducing the thickness of the touch panel while achieving touch functionality in both areas, resulting in a thinner and lighter touch panel and improved display quality in the display area. By sharing the same touch chip between the display and non-display areas, the touch functionality of both areas is integrated, reducing the number of touch chips and lowering costs. Using a TDDI IC further reduces the number of touch chips by allowing the display and touch circuits to share the same chip. Additionally, sharing a photomask between the display and non-display areas improves the continuity of the touch circuitry and the design flexibility of the touch functions.

[0056] The present invention also provides a display device, which includes a touch panel as shown in the foregoing embodiments to realize the touch function of the display device.

[0057] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0058] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "first", "second" and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0059] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this utility model described above can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0060] It should be emphasized that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A touch panel, characterized in that, The device includes a liquid crystal display unit, which has embedded touch circuitry. The touch circuitry includes a first touch circuitry and a second touch circuitry. The first touch circuitry is located in the display area of ​​the touch panel, and the second touch circuitry is located in the non-display area of ​​the touch panel. The first touch circuit is used to acquire touch data of the display area; The second touch circuit is used to acquire touch data of at least one touch button in the non-display area. The first touch circuit and the second touch circuit share the same photomask.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second touch circuit is a metal circuit, and it is arranged in a grid-like structure.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The liquid crystal display unit further includes: a color filter substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin film transistor array substrate. The liquid crystal layer is located between the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor array substrate. The liquid crystal layer is disposed in the display area. The color filter substrate and the thin film transistor array substrate are both disposed in the display area and the non-display area.

4. The touch panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, The touch circuitry is disposed on the thin-film transistor array substrate.

5. The touch panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, The liquid crystal display unit further includes: frame adhesive; The frame adhesive is used to separate the display area and the non-display area, and to bond the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The touch panel further includes a touch chip, which is disposed in the non-display area; The touch chip is connected to the first touch circuit and the second touch circuit respectively.

7. The touch panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, The touch chip is disposed on the thin-film transistor array substrate; The touch chip is an integrated touch and display driver chip.

8. The touch panel according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thin-film transistor array substrate is also provided with display lines, which are connected to the touch and display driver integrated chip. The integrated touch and display driver chip drives the display circuitry and the touch circuitry in a time-division multiplexing manner.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The touch panel also includes, from top to bottom: a cover glass, an optical adhesive layer, and a backlight panel; The liquid crystal display unit is located between the optical adhesive layer and the backlight panel.

10. A display device, characterized in that, Including the touch panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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