Touch panel and display device with built-in touch panel
The touch panel design with layered connection lines between touch detection electrodes improves touch coordinate detection accuracy by allowing signal acquisition from both electrodes, even when the indicator touches between them, addressing the issue of reduced cover glass distance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023104578
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-15
AI Technical Summary
The reduction in distance between sensor elements and an indicator due to the elimination or thinning of the cover glass in touch panels leads to inaccurate determination of touch coordinates, as the signal from adjacent sensor elements becomes negligible, hindering accurate touch detection.
A touch panel design with first and second touch detection electrodes connected by first and second connection lines in different layers, allowing signals from both electrodes to be acquired even when the indicator touches between them, improving detection accuracy.
Enhances the accuracy of touch coordinate detection by enabling signal acquisition from multiple electrodes, preventing brightness unevenness and ensuring precise touch positioning.
Smart Images
Figure 2025004709000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a touch panel and a display device with a built-in touch panel. [Background technology]
[0002] The touch panel of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of cross-shaped sensors, which are sensor elements having a cross shape, a plurality of L-shaped sensors, which are sensor elements having an L shape, a plurality of convex-shaped sensors, and a cover glass. The plurality of cross-shaped sensors are arranged in a matrix. The L-shaped sensors are arranged in corner portions of the touch panel. The convex-shaped sensors are arranged in edge portions of the touch panel. The touch panel determines the center of gravity of a contact area, which is an area where the touch panel is touched by a pointer, based on the capacitance of the plurality of sensor elements. The touch panel determines touch coordinates based on the center of gravity of the contact area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-049659 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Here, in the touch panel described in the above Patent Document 1, if the cover glass is eliminated or made thinner, the distance between the sensor element and the indicator (such as a pen) that is the detection target becomes closer. As a result, the signal from the sensor element (touch detection electrode) contacted by the indicator becomes larger, while the signal from the sensor element adjacent to the sensor element becomes smaller. Since the signal from the adjacent sensor element is small, the signal from the adjacent sensor element cannot be used. For this reason, there is a problem that the center of gravity of the contact area necessary for calculating the touch coordinates cannot be accurately calculated, and the accuracy of detection of the touch coordinates decreases.
[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a touch panel and a display device with a built-in touch panel that can improve the detection accuracy of touch coordinates. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a touch panel according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a touch panel including: a substrate; a first touch detection electrode arranged on the substrate and generating a capacitance between the substrate and a pointer; a second touch detection electrode formed in a first layer in which the first touch detection electrode is formed, the second touch detection electrode being arranged at a position in a first direction relative to the first touch detection electrode; a first touch detection electrode line connecting the first touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the first touch detection electrode; and a second touch detection electrode line connecting the second touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the second touch detection electrode, wherein the first touch detection electrode is the second touch detection electrode includes a first main portion to which the first touch detection electrode line is connected and a first sub-portion arranged away from the first main portion, the second touch detection electrode includes a second main portion to which the second touch detection electrode line is connected and a second sub-portion arranged away from the second main portion, the first sub-portion and the second sub-portion are arranged between the first main portion and the second main portion, and the touch panel further includes a first connection line formed in a second layer different from the first layer, the first connection line connecting the first main portion and the first sub-portion, and a second connection line formed in a third layer different from the first layer, the second connection line connecting the second main portion and the second sub-portion.
[0007] A display device with a built-in touch panel according to a second aspect includes the touch panel according to the first aspect and pixel electrodes formed on the substrate. Effect of the Invention
[0008] According to the above configuration, the first sub-part disposed away from the first main part is electrically connected to the first main part by the first connection line. The second sub-part disposed away from the second main part is electrically connected to the second main part by the second connection line. The first sub-part disposed away from the first main part is disposed between the first main part and the second main part, and the second sub-part disposed away from the second main part is disposed between the first main part and the second main part. This allows the detection circuit to obtain signals from both the first touch detection electrode and the second touch detection electrode even when the indicator touches between the first main part and the second main part. As a result, the touch coordinates can be obtained based on signals from the multiple touch detection electrodes of the first touch detection electrode and the second touch detection electrode, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a touch panel built-in display device 100 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the touch panel 1 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the touch panel 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram for explaining the relationship between the thin film transistor 41 and the touch detection electrode 21. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the TFT substrate 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view showing the configuration of the touch detection electrode 21 in the region A in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of the touch detection electrode 21. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the connection relationship between the main portion 71a and the sub-portion 72a. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a touch panel 201 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of region C in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the connection between the main portion 271a and the sub portion 272a. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel 201 taken along the line DD in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a configuration of a touch panel 301 according to a comparative example. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the detection result of the signal intensity by the touch panel 301 according to the comparative example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the detection results of signal intensity by the touch panel 1 according to the example of the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and appropriate design changes can be made within the scope of satisfying the configuration of the present disclosure. In addition, in the following description, the same parts or parts having similar functions are commonly used with the same reference numerals in different drawings, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted. In addition, each configuration described in the embodiment and the modified example may be appropriately combined or changed within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, in order to make the description easier to understand, in the drawings referred to below, the configuration is shown in a simplified or schematic manner, and some components are omitted. In addition, the dimensional ratio between the components shown in each figure does not necessarily indicate the actual dimensional ratio.
[0011] [First embodiment] (Configuration of display device with built-in touch panel) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a touch panel built-in display device 100 (hereinafter referred to as "display device 100") according to a first embodiment. The display device 100 includes a touch panel 1 and a controller 2. Note that in FIG. 1, the touch panel 1 and the controller 2 are illustrated as separate blocks. However, the controller 2 may be disposed on the touch panel 1. The controller 2 includes a processor (integrated circuit) that performs control processing related to touch detection of the touch panel 1 and control processing related to display. The controller 2 outputs a touch detection result (touch coordinates) acquired by the touch panel 1 to a host controller (not shown). The controller 2 also receives a video signal from the host controller and causes the touch panel 1 to display an image or video based on the image signal or video signal.
[0012] (Touch panel configuration) FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the touch panel 1. The touch panel 1 detects a touch by a pointer P. The "pointer" includes a pen and a finger. The touch panel 1 includes a thin film transistor substrate 11 (hereinafter referred to as "TFT substrate 11"), a color filter substrate 12 (hereinafter referred to as "CF substrate 12"), and a liquid crystal layer 13. The liquid crystal layer 13 is disposed between the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 12. In the first embodiment, the touch panel 1 is not provided with a cover glass. Note that optical members are not shown in FIG. 2.
[0013] The touch panel 1 is, for example, an in-cell touch panel. The touch detection electrodes 21 serve as electrodes for detecting a touch and as counter electrodes (common electrodes) for generating an electric field between the touch detection electrodes 21 and pixel electrodes 42 (see FIG. 4) for displaying an image. As shown in FIG. 3, the touch detection electrodes 21 are arranged, for example, in a matrix. Note that the normal direction of the touch panel 1 is the Z direction, one direction in which the touch detection electrodes 21 are arranged (to the right on the paper) is the X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction is the Y direction.
[0014] The touch panel 1 further includes a drive circuit 22. The drive circuit 22 includes a touch detection driver (detection circuit). The touch detection electrodes 21 and the drive circuit 22 (touch detection driver) are connected to each other via touch detection lines 31.
[0015] In detail, the touch panel 1 is a self-capacitance touch panel. As shown in FIG. 2, the capacitance of the touch detection electrodes 21 changes due to capacitive coupling between the touch detection electrodes 21 and the indicator P. The drive circuit 22 supplies touch drive signals (pulse signals) to the touch detection electrodes 21. The waveform of the pulse signal changes depending on the magnitude of the capacitance of the touch detection electrodes 21. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the magnitude of the capacitance of the touch detection electrode 21a directly above which the indicator P is located changes the most. The capacitance of the touch detection electrodes 21b and 21c adjacent to the touch detection electrode 21a also changes. The drive circuit 22 detects the touch position (touch coordinates) by the indicator P based on the waveform of the pulse signal (hereinafter referred to as "detection signal") from the touch detection electrodes 21. For example, the drive circuit 22 generates a map of the intensity of the detection signal based on the detection signals from the touch detection electrodes 21, and sets the center of gravity position obtained from the map as the touch position (touch coordinates). It should be noted that the term "touch" is a concept that includes not only the pointing device P coming into contact with the touch panel 1, but also the pointing device P approaching the touch panel 1.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram for explaining the relationship between the thin film transistor 41 and the touch detection electrode 21. The drive circuit 22 (see FIG. 3) further includes a gate driver and a source driver. The gate driver of the drive circuit 22 is connected to a gate line 43. The source driver of the drive circuit 22 is connected to a source line 44. A gate electrode of the thin film transistor 41 is connected to the gate line 43, and a source electrode of the thin film transistor 41 is connected to the source line 44. A drain electrode of the thin film transistor 41 is connected to a pixel electrode 42. The pixel electrode 42 forms a capacitance with the touch detection electrode 21. The touch detection electrode 21 is provided in common to the plurality of pixel electrodes 42 and functions as a common electrode.
[0017] The gate driver of the drive circuit 22 sequentially supplies a gate signal (scanning signal) to each of the multiple gate lines 43. The source driver of the drive circuit 22 supplies a data signal based on a video signal to each of the multiple source lines 44. As a result, the thin film transistor 41 to which the gate signal is supplied is turned on, and the data signal (source signal) is written to the pixel electrode 42. In the touch panel 1, the liquid crystal layer 13 (see FIG. 2) is driven by an electric field generated by the pixel electrode 42 and the touch detection electrode 21 (common electrode), and an image is displayed.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the TFT substrate 11. The TFT substrate 11 includes a substrate 51, a gate electrode layer 52, a gate insulating layer 53, a source line layer 54, a first interlayer insulating layer 55, a touch detection line layer 56 (second layer, third layer, and fourth layer), a second interlayer insulating layer 57, a touch detection electrode layer 58 (first layer), a third interlayer insulating layer 59, and a pixel electrode layer 60, which are laminated in this order. The substrate 51 is a substrate made of glass or resin. The gate electrode layer 52 is a layer in which the gate line 43 and the gate electrode of the thin film transistor 41 are formed. The gate electrode layer 52 is, for example, a layer of a metal film. The gate insulating layer 53, the first interlayer insulating layer 55, the second interlayer insulating layer 57, and the third interlayer insulating layer 59 are each made of an inorganic insulating material or an organic insulating material. In the source line layer 54, a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor 41 and a source line 44 are formed. The source line layer 54 is, for example, a metal film layer. In the touch detection line layer 56, a touch detection line 31 and a connection line 32 described later are formed. The touch detection line layer 56 is, for example, a metal film layer. In the touch detection electrode layer 58, a touch detection electrode 21 is formed. In the pixel electrode layer 60, a pixel electrode 42 is formed. The touch detection electrode layer 58 and the pixel electrode layer 60 are, for example, made of a conductive transparent material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide).
[0019] FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view showing the configuration of the touch detection electrode 21 in the region A of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of the touch detection electrode 21. As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of touch detection electrodes 21 are arranged adjacent to each other. In order to distinguish the plurality of touch detection electrodes 21, the first touch detection electrode is referred to as the touch detection electrode 21a, and the second touch detection electrode arranged at a position in the X direction with respect to the touch detection electrode 21a is referred to as the touch detection electrode 21b. The touch detection electrode 21b is formed in the touch detection electrode layer 58, which is the layer in which the touch detection electrode 21a is formed. The touch detection electrodes 21a and 21b are each connected to the drive circuit 22 via a touch detection line 31. Note that in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the portion constituting the touch detection electrode 21a is illustrated by hatching.
[0020] The touch detection electrode 21a includes a main portion 71a and a plurality of sub-portions 72a. The touch detection electrode 21b includes a main portion 71b and a plurality of sub-portions 72b. The touch detection line 31 is connected to the main portion 71a. The touch detection line 31 is connected to the main portion 71b.
[0021] 7, the main portion 71a is disposed in the center of the touch detection electrode 21a. That is, the sub-portions 72a are disposed in a position on the right side of the main portion 71a in FIG. 7, and the sub-portions 72a are disposed in a position on the left side of the main portion 71a in FIG. 7. The area of the main portion 71a is larger than the area of the sub-portions 72a. The length of the main portion 71a in the X direction is larger than the length of each of the sub-portions 72a in the X direction, and the length of the main portion 71a in the Y direction is larger than the length of each of the sub-portions 72a in the Y direction. The configuration of the main portion 71b is similar to that of the main portion 71a, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.
[0022] The sub-portions 72a are arranged apart from the main portion 71a. The sub-portions 72b are arranged apart from the main portion 71b. "Apart from" means that the sub-portions 72a and 72b are not continuous in the same layer (for example, the touch detection electrode layer 58). As shown in FIG. 6, the sub-portions 72a and 72b are arranged between the main portion 71a and the main portion 71b. As shown in FIG. 6, the sub-portions 72a and 72b are arranged alternately in the X direction between the main portion 71a and the main portion 71b. The sub-portions 72a and 72b each have a rectangular shape and are arranged in a checkered pattern in a plan view.
[0023] 6, the main portion 71a includes a protruding portion 71aa extending toward the main portion 71b. The main portion 71b includes a protruding portion 71ba extending toward the main portion 71a.
[0024] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a connection relationship between the main portion 71a and the sub-portion 72a. The touch detection line 31 extends in the Y direction at a position overlapping the main portion 71a in a plan view. The main portion 71a is connected to the touch detection line 31 in a plurality of contact holes 73a. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the touch detection line 31 is arranged on the left side of the page in the region R in which the touch detection line 31 is arranged. However, the touch detection electrode 21 on the negative side of the touch detection electrode 21a in the Y direction is arranged on the right side of the page of the touch detection line 31 shown in FIG. 8. In addition, the touch panel 1 is provided with a plurality of capacitance forming lines 74 in parallel with the direction in which the touch detection line 31 extends (Y direction) at a position overlapping the main portion 71a in a plan view. The plurality of capacitance forming lines 74 are connected to the main portion 71a in a plurality of contact holes 73b, respectively. The plurality of capacitance forming lines 74 uniformize the distribution of capacitance in the main portion 71a.
[0025] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 9, the touch panel 1 has connection lines 75a and 75b (see FIG. 8) formed in the touch detection line layer 56, which is a layer different from the touch detection electrode layer 58. That is, the connection lines 75a and 75b are formed in the same layer as the layer in which the touch detection lines 31 are formed. This allows the number of manufacturing steps of the touch panel 1 to be reduced compared to the case in which the connection lines are formed in a layer different from the layer in which the touch detection lines are formed. In addition, the connection lines 75a and 75b can be arranged to overlap the touch detection electrodes 21 in a plan view. As a result, the touch panel 1 can be miniaturized in a direction along the plane. The connection lines 75a and 75b extend parallel to the direction in which the touch detection lines 31 extend (Y direction). This prevents the touch detection lines 31 and the connection lines 75a and 75b from intersecting, so that the touch detection lines 31 and the connection lines 75a and 75b can be formed in the same layer as described above.
[0026] The connection line 75a is a wiring that connects the main portion 71a and the sub portion 72a. The connection line 75b is a wiring that connects the main portion 71b and the sub portion 72b. The connection line 75a extends from the protrusion 71aa in parallel to the extension direction of the touch detection line 31. The connection line 75b extends from the protrusion 71ba in parallel to the extension direction of the touch detection line 31.
[0027] 9, a contact hole 73c is provided in the second interlayer insulating layer 57 at a position overlapping with the sub-portion 72a in a plan view. The connection line 75a is connected to the protruding portion 71aa of the main portion 71a and each of the sub-portions 72a within the contact hole 73c. The connection line 75a is insulated from the sub-portion 72b by the second interlayer insulating layer 57. The connection line 75b is connected to the protruding portion 71ba of the main portion 71b and each of the sub-portions 72b within the contact hole 73d.
[0028] According to the above configuration, the sub-part 72a arranged away from the main part 71a is electrically connected to the main part 71a by the connection line 75a. The sub-part 72b arranged away from the main part 71b is electrically connected to the main part 71b by the connection line 75b. The sub-part 72a is arranged between the main part 71a and the main part 71b, and the sub-part 72b is arranged between the main part 71a and the main part 71b. This allows the drive circuit 22 to obtain signals from both the touch detection electrodes 21a and 21b even when the indicator P touches between the main part 71a and the main part 71b. As a result, the touch coordinates can be obtained based on signals from the multiple touch detection electrodes 21, i.e., the touch detection electrodes 21a and 21b, and the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates can be improved.
[0029] Furthermore, when the touch detection electrodes are composed of only the main portions, slight differences in the loads of the touch detection electrodes can easily cause gradation shifts (differences in brightness) along the boundaries between the touch detection electrodes, which can lead to uneven brightness along the boundaries. In contrast, with the above configuration, the sub-portions 72a and 72b make the shape of the boundaries complex, making it possible to prevent uneven brightness.
[0030] [Second embodiment] Next, a configuration of a touch panel 201 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 13. In the second embodiment, sub-portions 272a and 272c are arranged between a touch detection electrode 221a and a touch detection electrode 221c adjacent thereto in the Y direction. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0031] Fig. 10 is a schematic plan view of a touch panel 201 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan view of a region C in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 10, the touch panel 201 includes a plurality of touch detection electrodes 221. The plurality of touch detection electrodes 221 are formed in a touch detection electrode layer 258 (see Fig. 13).
[0032] 11, the multiple touch detection electrodes 221 include a touch detection electrode 221a and a touch detection electrode 221c located in the Y direction with respect to the touch detection electrode 221a. The touch detection electrode 221a includes a main portion 271a and sub-portions 72a and 272a. The touch detection electrode 221c includes a main portion 271c and a sub-portion 272c. The sub-portion 72a is disposed between the touch detection electrode 221a and a main portion of the touch detection electrode 221 adjacent to the touch detection electrode 221a in the X direction. The main portion 271c of the touch detection electrode 221c is connected to the drive circuit 22 via a touch detection line 31 (see FIG. 10).
[0033] The sub-portion 272a is disposed away from the main portion 271a. Moreover, the sub-portion 272c is disposed away from the main portion 271c. The sub-portions 272a and 272c are disposed between the main portion 271a and the main portion 271c. The sub-portions 272a and the sub-portions 272c are disposed alternately between the main portion 271a and the main portion 271c. Moreover, the sub-portions 272a and the sub-portions 272c are disposed in a checkered pattern between the main portion 271a and the main portion 271c.
[0034] Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the connection between the main portion 271a and the sub portion 272a. As shown in Fig. 12, the touch panel 201 includes a connection line 275a that connects the main portion 271a and the sub portion 272a, and a connection line 275c that connects the main portion 271c and the sub portion 272c. The connection lines 275a and 275c extend parallel to the Y direction. At least a part of the multiple connection lines 275a and at least a part of the multiple connection lines 275c are arranged at positions that overlap with the region Ra in which the touch detection lines 31 are arranged in a plan view.
[0035] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel 201 taken along line DD in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 13, the connection lines 275a and 275c are formed in the pixel electrode layer 260 in which the pixel electrode 42 is formed. That is, the connection lines 275a and 275c are formed in a layer (above the touch detection electrode layer 258) different from the touch detection electrode layer 258 in which the touch detection electrode 221 is formed, and are formed in a layer (above the touch detection line layer 56) different from the touch detection line layer 56 in which the touch detection line 31 is formed.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 13, the touch panel 201 includes a third interlayer insulating layer 259. The third interlayer insulating layer 259 is provided with a plurality of contact holes 273c and 273d (see FIG. 12). The connection line 275a is connected to the main portion 271a in the contact hole 273c. The connection line 275a is connected to the sub-portion 272a in the contact hole 273c. As shown in FIG. 12, the connection line 275c is connected to the main portion 271c in the contact hole 273d. The connection line 275c is connected to the sub-portion 272c in the contact hole 273d. Although the capacitance forming line 74 is not shown in FIG. 12, the capacitance forming line 74 is provided on the touch panel 201 as in the first embodiment.
[0037] According to the second embodiment, even when the indicator P touches between the main portion 271a and the main portion 271c, the drive circuit 22 can obtain signals from both the sub-portion 272a of the touch detection electrode 221a and the sub-portion 272c of the touch detection electrode 221c. As a result, the touch coordinates can be obtained based on the signals from the touch detection electrodes 221a and 221c, so that the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates can be improved in the Y direction as well. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0038] [Comparison results] Next, a comparison result between touch panel 301 according to a comparative example and touch panel 1 according to an example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Figs. 14 to 16. Fig. 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of touch panel 301 according to the comparative example. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the detection result of signal intensity by touch panel 301 according to the comparative example. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the detection result of signal intensity by touch panel 1 according to the example of the first embodiment.
[0039] (Results from Comparative Examples) 14, in a touch panel 301 according to the comparative example, rectangular touch detection electrodes 321 are arranged in a matrix. The plurality of touch detection electrodes 321 include touch detection electrodes 321a to 321c. The touch detection electrodes 321c, 321a, and 321b are arranged in this order in the X direction. In this example, a pointer is moved from position P1a to position P3a (in the X direction) while touching the touch panel 301, and the signal intensity of each of the touch detection electrodes 321a to 321c is measured.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 15, at a center position P3a of the touch detection electrode 321a, which is a midpoint between the positions P1a and P2a, the touch detection electrodes 321b and 321c have a capacitance of 9.02×10 -14 It became.
[0041] (Results from the Example) 2, in the touch panel 1 according to the example of the first embodiment, the touch detection electrodes 21 are arranged in the X direction in the order of the touch detection electrodes 21c, 21a, and 21b. In this example, a pointer is moved (in the X direction) from position P1 to position P2 while touching the touch panel 1, and the signal intensity of each of the touch detection electrodes 21a to 21c is measured.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 16, at a center position P3 of the touch detection electrode 21a, which is a midpoint between the positions P1 and P2, the touch detection electrodes 21b and 21c have a capacitance of 1.62×10 -13As a result, in the touch panel 1 according to the example of the first embodiment, the signal strength of the touch detection electrodes 21b and 21c adjacent to the touch detection electrode 21a was 9.02×10 -14 ) is larger than that of the touch detection electrode 21a. This makes it possible to obtain touch coordinates (center of gravity position) based on signals not only from the touch detection electrode 21a but also from the touch detection electrodes 21b and 21c, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates.
[0043] [Variations] Although the embodiments have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0044] (1) In the above first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the touch panel is configured to have a function for displaying an image, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the touch panel may be configured to have a touch detection function without having a function for displaying an image.
[0045] (2) In the above first and second embodiments, the connection lines are formed in the same layer as the touch detection lines and the pixel electrodes, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The connection lines may be formed in a layer dedicated to the connection lines, separate from the layer in which the touch detection lines or the pixel electrodes are formed.
[0046] (3) In the above first and second embodiments, the touch detection electrode layer and the pixel electrode layer are made of ITO, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the touch detection electrode layer and the pixel electrode layer may be made of a mesh-shaped metal.
[0047] (4) In the above first and second embodiments, the sub-portion is formed in a rectangular shape, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the sub-portion (and the main portion) may be formed in a circular or polygonal shape.
[0048] (5) In the above first and second embodiments, the connection lines are formed parallel to the touch detection lines, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The connection lines may be formed to intersect with the touch detection lines.
[0049] (6) In the above first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the area of the main portion is larger than the area of the sub-portions, the X-direction length of the main portion is larger than the X-direction length of each sub-portion, and the Y-direction length of the main portion is larger than the Y-direction length of each sub-portion, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the area of the main portion may be equal to or smaller than the area of the sub-portions. Also, the X-direction length of the main portion may be equal to or smaller than the X-direction length of each sub-portion. The Y-direction length of the main portion may be equal to or smaller than the Y-direction length of each sub-portion.
[0050] The above-mentioned configuration can also be explained as follows.
[0051] A touch panel according to a first configuration includes a substrate, a first touch detection electrode arranged on the substrate and generating a capacitance between the substrate and a pointer, a second touch detection electrode formed in a first layer in which the first touch detection electrode is formed, the second touch detection electrode being arranged at a position in a first direction relative to the first touch detection electrode, a first touch detection electrode line connecting the first touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the first touch detection electrode, and a second touch detection electrode line connecting the second touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the second touch detection electrode, wherein the first touch detection electrode is a first touch detection electrode line. the second touch detection electrode includes a second main portion to which the second touch detection electrode line is connected and a second sub portion disposed away from the first main portion, the second touch detection electrode includes a second main portion to which the second touch detection electrode line is connected and a second sub portion disposed away from the second main portion, the first sub portion and the second sub portion are disposed between the first main portion and the second main portion, and the touch panel further includes a first connection line formed in a second layer different from the first layer, the first connection line connecting the first main portion and the first sub portion, and a second connection line formed in a third layer different from the first layer, the second connection line connecting the second main portion and the second sub portion (first configuration).
[0052] According to the first configuration, the first sub-part disposed away from the first main part is electrically connected to the first main part by the first connection line, and the second sub-part disposed away from the second main part is electrically connected to the second main part by the second connection line. The first sub-part disposed away from the first main part is disposed between the first main part and the second main part, and the second sub-part disposed away from the second main part is disposed between the first main part and the second main part. This allows the detection circuit to obtain signals from both the first touch detection electrode and the second touch detection electrode even when the indicator touches between the first main part and the second main part. As a result, the touch coordinates can be obtained based on signals from the multiple touch detection electrodes of the first touch detection electrode and the second touch detection electrode, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates.
[0053] In the first configuration, the second layer may be the same layer as the third layer (second configuration).
[0054] According to the second configuration, the number of manufacturing steps for the touch panel can be reduced, compared to a case in which the second layer is configured as a layer separate from the third layer.
[0055] In the first or second configuration, the first touch detection electrode line may be formed in a fourth layer different from the first layer. The second layer may be the same layer as the fourth layer (third configuration).
[0056] According to the third configuration, the first touch detection electrode line can be arranged to overlap the first touch detection electrode or the second touch detection electrode in a plan view, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the touch panel in a direction along the plane.
[0057] In the third configuration, the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line may be configured to extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The first connection line may be configured to extend in the second direction (fourth configuration).
[0058] According to the fourth configuration, the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line do not intersect with the first connection line, so that the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line and the first connection line can be formed in the same layer.
[0059] In the third or fourth configuration, the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line may be configured to extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The touch panel may further include a third touch detection electrode disposed in a position in the second direction relative to the first touch detection electrode, the third touch detection electrode being formed in the first layer, and a third touch detection curve connecting the third touch detection electrode and a detection circuit receiving a signal from the third touch detection electrode. The third touch detection electrode may further include a third main portion to which the third touch detection electrode line is connected, a third sub-portion disposed away from the third main portion, and the first touch detection electrode may further include a fourth sub-portion disposed between the first main portion and the third main portion. The touch panel may further include a third connection line connecting the third main portion and the third sub-portion, and a fourth connection line connecting the first main portion and the fourth sub-portion. At least one of the third connection line and the fourth connection line may be formed in a fifth layer different from the fourth layer (fifth configuration).
[0060] According to the fifth configuration, even when a pointer touches between the first main portion and the third main portion, the detection circuit can obtain signals from both the fourth sub-portion of the first touch detection electrode and the third sub-portion of the third touch detection electrode. As a result, the touch coordinates can be obtained based on signals from the plurality of touch detection electrodes of the first touch detection electrode and the third touch detection electrode, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the touch coordinates in the second direction as well.
[0061] In any one of the first to fifth configurations, the first sub-portions and the second sub-portions may be arranged in a checkered pattern in a plan view (sixth configuration).
[0062] According to the sixth configuration, the first sub-portions and the second sub-portions can be arranged in a mixed manner, so that it is possible to prevent the indicator from approaching (touching) only one of the first sub-portions or the second sub-portions.
[0063] A display device with a built-in touch panel according to a seventh configuration includes the touch panel according to any one of the first to eighth configurations, and pixel electrodes formed on the substrate (seventh configuration).
[0064] According to the seventh configuration, it is possible to provide a display device with a built-in touch panel that can improve the detection accuracy of touch coordinates. [Explanation of symbols]
[0065] 1, 201: touch panel, 2: controller, 11: TFT substrate, 12: CF substrate, 13: liquid crystal layer, 21, 21a to 21c, 221, 221a, 221c: touch detection electrodes, 22: drive circuits, 31: touch detection lines, 32: connection lines, 41: thin film transistors, 42: pixel electrodes, 43: gate lines, 44: source lines, 51: substrate, 52: gate electrode layer, 53: gate insulating layer, 54: source line layer, 55: first interlayer insulating layer, 56: touch detection line layer, 5 7: second interlayer insulating layer, 58, 258: touch detection electrode layer, 59, 259: third interlayer insulating layer, 60, 260: pixel electrode layer, 71a, 71b, 271a, 271c: main portion, 71aa, 71ba: convex portion, 72a, 72b, 272a, 272c: sub portion, 73a to 73d, 272c, 273d: contact hole, 74: capacitance forming line, 75a, 75b, 275a, 275c: connection line, 100: touch panel built-in display device, 221c: touch detection electrode
Claims
1. A substrate; a first touch detection electrode disposed on the substrate and configured to generate capacitance between the first touch detection electrode and a pointer; a second touch detection electrode formed in a first layer in which the first touch detection electrode is formed, the second touch detection electrode being disposed at a position in a first direction relative to the first touch detection electrode; a first touch detection electrode line connecting the first touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the first touch detection electrode; a second touch detection electrode line connecting the second touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the second touch detection electrode, The first touch detection electrode includes a first main portion to which the first touch detection electrode line is connected and a first sub-portion disposed away from the first main portion; The second touch detection electrode includes a second main portion to which the second touch detection electrode line is connected and a second sub-portion disposed away from the second main portion; the first sub-portion and the second sub-portion are disposed between the first main portion and the second main portion, The touch panel includes: a first connection line formed in a second layer different from the first layer, the first connection line connecting the first main portion and the first sub portion; The touch panel further comprises a second connecting line formed in a third layer different from the first layer, the second connecting line connecting the second main portion and the second sub portion.
2. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is the same layer as the third layer.
3. the first touch detection electrode line is formed in a fourth layer different from the first layer, The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is the same layer as the fourth layer.
4. the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction; The touch panel of claim 3 , wherein the first connection lines extend in the second direction.
5. the first touch detection electrode line and the second touch detection electrode line extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction; The touch panel includes: a third touch detection electrode disposed in the first layer and arranged at a position in the second direction with respect to the first touch detection electrode; a third touch detection electrode line connecting the third touch detection electrode and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the third touch detection electrode; The third touch detection electrode includes a third main portion to which the third touch detection electrode line is connected, and a third sub-portion disposed apart from the third main portion. the first touch detection electrode further includes a fourth sub-portion disposed between the first main portion and the third main portion; the touch panel further includes a third connecting line connecting the third main portion and the third sub portion, and a fourth connecting line connecting the first main portion and the fourth sub portion; The touch panel according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the third connection line and the fourth connection line is formed in a fifth layer different from the fourth layer.
6. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-portions and the second sub-portions are arranged in a checkered pattern in a plan view.
7. The touch panel according to claim 1 ; A display device with an integrated touch panel comprising: a pixel electrode formed on the substrate.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Touch sensor and display having touch sensor built therein
JP2017049659A