Touch input device

Abstract

A touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a touch input device that drives a stylus pen including a resonance circuit unit to sense a pen signal from the stylus pen, and includes a cover layer, a sensor unit disposed under the cover layer and including at least one pattern for driving the stylus pen to sense the pen signal, a display unit disposed under the sensor unit, and a shielding unit disposed under the display unit. The shielding unit has a magnetic permeability and a thickness such that a change rate of an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit becomes -10% to +10% of a reference inductance value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a touch input device, and more particularly, to a touch input device that can interact with a stylus pen, minimizes attenuation of a pen signal received from the stylus pen, and can minimize a change in an inductance value of a resonant circuit portion of the stylus pen due to an approach or tilting operation of the stylus pen.

Background Art

[0002] Various touch input devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, laptop computers, digital broadcast terminals, PDAs (personal digital assistants), PMPs (portable multimedia players), navigation devices, slate PCs, tablet PCs, Ultrabooks, and wearable devices are provided with touch sensors.

[0003] In such a touch input device, the touch sensor can be located on a display panel that displays an image or on a part of the touch input device. When a user touches the touch sensor to interact with the touch input device, the touch input device can provide an intuitive user interface to the user.

[0004] For precise touch input, a user can use a stylus pen. The stylus pen can be classified into an active stylus pen and a passive stylus pen depending on whether it is equipped with a battery and electronic components inside.

[0005] An active stylus pen has better basic performance compared to a passive stylus pen and has the advantage of being able to provide additional functions (pen pressure, hovering, buttons). However, the pen itself is expensive and requires a power source, and since it is a battery charging method, there is a disadvantage that there are not many actual users other than some high-end users.

[0006] A passive stylus pen has the advantages of being cheaper than an active stylus pen and not requiring a battery. However, it has the disadvantage that it is difficult to achieve precise touch recognition compared to an active stylus pen. Recently, however, in order to implement a passive stylus pen capable of precise touch recognition, technologies such as the EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) method, which is an inductive resonance method, and the capacitive resonance method have been proposed.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a touch input device that can minimize the attenuation of the pen signal received from the stylus pen and minimize the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen due to the approach or tilting operation of the stylus pen.

[0008] It is also for providing a touch input device that can clearly distinguish between the approach or tilting operation of the stylus pen and the pen pressure operation of the stylus pen.

[0009] It is also for providing a touch input device that can improve the magnitude of the pen signal emitted from the stylus pen while maintaining the change rate of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] An apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a touch input device that drives a stylus pen including a resonance circuit unit to sense a pen signal from the stylus pen, and includes a cover layer, a sensor unit disposed under the cover layer and including at least one pattern for driving the stylus pen to sense the pen signal, a display unit disposed under the sensor unit, and a shielding unit disposed under the display unit. The shielding unit has a magnetic permeability and a thickness such that a change rate of an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit is from -10% to +10% of a reference inductance value.

[0011] Here, the magnetic permeability of the shielding unit may be from 10 to 300.

[0012] Here, the thickness of the shielding unit may be from 10 μm to 300 μm.

[0013] Here, the shielding unit includes a magnetic field shielding sheet and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, and an increase amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit by the magnetic field shielding sheet and a decrease amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit by the conductive layer are the same, or a sum of the increase amount and the decrease amount may be from -10% to +10% of the reference inductance value.

[0014] Here, when the stylus pen is moved upward from a touch surface of the touch input device to a predetermined height, the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit may be from -10% to +10% based on the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit when the stylus pen is located on the touch surface.

[0015] Here, after the stylus pen is vertically positioned on the touch surface of the touch input device and tilted at a predetermined angle, the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit may be from -10% to +10% based on the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit when the stylus pen is vertically positioned on the touch surface.

[0016] Here, the shielding portion includes a magnetic field shielding sheet and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, and the conductive layer may include at least one or more slits.

[0017] Here, the slit may have a shape that extends long from one side end of the conductive layer in the inner direction of the conductive layer.

[0018] Here, the slit may have a dashed line shape in the horizontal and / or vertical direction of the conductive layer.

[0019] An apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is a touch input device that drives a stylus pen including a resonance circuit portion to sense a pen signal from the stylus pen, and includes a cover layer, a sensor portion disposed under the cover layer and including at least one or more patterns for driving the stylus pen to sense the pen signal, a display portion disposed under the sensor portion, a magnetic field shielding sheet disposed under the display portion, and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, and the conductive layer includes at least one or more slits.

[0020] Here, the slit may have a shape that extends long from one side end of the conductive layer in the inner direction of the conductive layer.

[0021] Here, the slit may have a dashed line shape in the horizontal and / or vertical direction of the conductive layer.

[0022] Here, further includes a frame made of a conductive material disposed under the conductive layer, and the frame may have an opening corresponding to at least a part of the slit of the conductive layer.

[0023] Here, the frame may include a charging member made of a non-conductive material disposed in the opening of the frame.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] According to the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that the attenuation of the pen signal received from the stylus pen can be minimized, and the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen due to the approach or tilting operation of the stylus pen can be minimized.

[0025] In addition, there is an advantage that the approach or tilting operation of the stylus pen and the pen pressure operation of the stylus pen can be clearly distinguished.

[0026] In addition, there is an advantage that the magnitude of the pen signal emitted from the stylus pen can be improved while maintaining the change rate of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen.

[0027] The additional scope of the applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the present disclosure can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, the detailed description and specific examples such as the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure should be understood as being given merely by way of illustration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0073] Hereinafter, various embodiments of this document will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the technology described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of this document. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0074] Also, the sizes and thicknesses of the respective components shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited to the places shown in the drawings. For the purpose of clearly showing various layers and regions in the drawings, the thickness is enlarged and shown. And in the drawings, for convenience of explanation, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are shown exaggerated.

[0075] Also, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is "above" a different part, this includes not only the case where it is "immediately above" the other part, but also the case where there are other parts in between. Conversely, when a part is "immediately above" another part, it means that there are no other parts in between. Also, being "above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "above" in the direction opposite to gravity.

[0076] In this document, expressions such as "have", "may have", "include", or "may include" indicate the presence of the corresponding features (e.g., components such as numerical values, functions, operations, or parts), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0077] In this document, expressions such as "A or B", "at least one of A or / and B", or "one or more of A or / and B" may all include all possible combinations of the items listed together. For example, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least one of A or B" can all indicate the cases of (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including all of at least one A and at least one B.

[0078] Expressions such as "first", "second", "the first", or "the second" used in this document can modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, without limiting the corresponding component. For example, the first user device and the second user device can each indicate different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the rights described in this document, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be renamed the first component.

[0079] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the one component can be directly coupled to the other component or can be coupled via another component (e.g., a third component). In contrast, when a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “directly coupled to” or “directly connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it can be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between the one component and the other component.

[0080] As used herein, the phrase “configured (or set) to” can, depending on the context, be replaced with, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of.” The term “configured (or set) to” does not necessarily mean only something “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some situations, the phrase “an apparatus configured to” can mean that the apparatus can “be capable of” with other apparatuses or components. For example, the phrase “a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C” can mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing the corresponding operations, or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing the corresponding operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0081] The terms used in this document are used merely to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Including technical and scientific terms, the terms used herein can have the same meaning as generally understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field described in this document. Among the terms used in this document, terms defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted to have the same or similar meaning as the meaning they have in the context of the related art, and unless clearly defined in this document, they are not interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense. In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this document.

[0082] Touch input devices according to various embodiments of this document may include, for example, at least one of a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a laptop personal computer, a netbook computer, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may include at least one of an accessory type (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, glasses, contact lenses, or a head-mounted device (HMD)), a fabric or clothing integrated type (e.g., electronic clothing), a body-attached type (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or a bio-implantable type (e.g., an implantable circuit).

[0083] Hereinafter, a touch input device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the necessary drawings.

[0084] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a pen and touch input system including a stylus pen and a touch input device.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 1, the stylus pen 1 can receive a first signal generated by the touch input device 2 and transmit a second signal to the touch input device 2. Here, the second signal may be named a pen signal.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stylus pen 1 includes a resonance circuit section 13. The resonance circuit section 13 can resonate by the first signal from the touch input device 2. The resonance circuit section 13 includes an inductor section having a predetermined inductance value and a capacitor section interconnected with the inductor section and having a predetermined capacitance value. Such a resonance circuit section 13 may include an LC resonance circuit.

[0087] The inductor section may include a core and at least one coil. For example, the core may include a ferrite core. The coil may be in a form covering the core. The inductance of the inductor section is proportional to the magnetic coefficient μ, the cross-sectional area S of the coil 131b, and the square of the number of turns N, and is inversely proportional to the length l of the coil. The capacitor section may include a plurality of capacitors connected in series and / or in parallel. Each capacitor may have a different capacitance from each other and can be trimmed during the manufacturing process. 2 / l, and is inversely proportional to the length l of the coil. The capacitor section may include a plurality of capacitors connected in series and / or in parallel. Each capacitor may have a different capacitance from each other and can be trimmed during the manufacturing process.

[0088] The stylus pen 1 may further include a tip and a housing that houses the tip and the resonance circuit section therein. The tip is configured such that a part thereof is exposed to the outside through an opening provided in the housing, but is not limited thereto. For example, the tip can provide a visual effect to the user with respect to the touch position of the stylus pen 1.

[0089] The housing can accommodate the elements of the stylus pen 1 in the internal empty space. The housing may have a cylindrical shape, a polygonal prism shape, a columnar form with at least a part being a curved surface, an entasis form, a frustum of pyramid form, a circular truncated cone form, etc., and is not limited to such forms.

[0090] For example, the housing can accommodate the chip and the resonance circuit section 13 in the internal empty space. Also, the housing can accommodate a part of the chip in the internal empty space. The rest of the chip may be exposed outside the housing, but is not limited to this.

[0091] The touch input device 2 may include at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., smartphone, tablet PC), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a wearable device, or a household electrical appliance. Also, the touch input device 2 may be a flexible device or a flexible display device.

[0092] The touch input device 2 can generate a first signal for driving the stylus pen 1 and sense a second signal (or pen signal) emitted from the stylus pen 1. The touch input device 2 can sense the second signal to sense or detect the position of the stylus pen 1.

[0093] The first signal may include a signal (e.g., sine wave, rectangular wave, etc.) having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit section 13. The resonance frequency is based on the design value of the resonance circuit section of the stylus pen 1. For resonance, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit section and the frequency of the first signal of the touch input device 2 must be the same or very similar. The second signal is generated by the resonance of the resonance circuit section 13.

[0094] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, embodiments of the touch input device 2 will be specifically described.

[0095] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 2, a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cover layer 150, a display unit 200, a digitizer 300, and a shielding unit 400. Here, the touch input device may further include at least one or more electronic components 500 disposed under the shielding unit 400 and a substrate 600 to which the electronic components 500 are mounted.

[0097] The cover layer 150 is disposed on the display unit 200 and may be made of a transparent material. The tip of the stylus pen 1 can directly contact the surface of the cover layer 150.

[0098] The display unit 200 is disposed under the cover layer 150 and visually provides predetermined information under the control of a control unit in the touch input device. For example, the display unit 200 may be an LCD module or an OLED module.

[0099] Although not shown in the drawings, a touch sensor capable of sensing the position of an object such as a finger may be disposed between the cover layer 150 and the display unit 200 or inside the display unit 200. The touch sensor may be a capacitive touch sensor, but is not limited thereto, and may be a touch sensor of various types such as a resistive film method.

[0100] The digitizer 300 is disposed under the display unit 200. The digitizer 300 can emit a first signal for resonating the resonance circuit unit 13 of the stylus pen 1 under the control of the control unit and receive a second signal from the stylus pen 1.

[0101] The shielding unit 400 can block a magnetic field so that the electronic components 500 are not affected by the magnetic field. In addition, the shielding unit 400 can dissipate heat emitted from the electronic components 500 and can also block electromagnetic wave EMI from the electronic components 500.

[0102] The electronic component 500 includes a battery, a processor, a sensor, and digital or analog circuits for performing the operations and specific functions of the touch input device.

[0103] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 3, a touch input device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a cover layer 150, a sensor unit 100, a display unit 200, and a shielding unit 400. Here, the touch input device may further include at least one or more electronic components 500 disposed under the shielding unit 400 and a substrate 600 to which the electronic components 500 are mounted.

[0105] Here, the cover layer 150, the display unit 200, and the shielding unit 400 are the same as the cover layer 150, the display unit 200, and the shielding unit 400 shown in FIG. 2, so the specific description will be replaced by what has been described above.

[0106] The sensor unit 100 is disposed between the cover layer 150 and the display unit 200. The sensor unit 100 can sense the position of an object such as a finger, generate a first signal (or pen drive signal) for resonating the resonance circuit unit 13 of the stylus pen 1, and receive a second signal (or pen signal) emitted from the stylus pen 1. The sensor unit 100 capable of performing such various functions will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 45.

[0107] Although not shown in a separate drawing, the touch input device further includes a control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of the sensor unit 100, and the control unit (not shown) may be electrically connected to the sensor unit 100 and disposed inside the touch input device. The control unit (not shown) may be implemented as an integrated circuit IC. Here, the control unit (not shown) can also perform the function of controlling the display unit 200 and can also perform the function of controlling the electronic components 500 inside the touch input device.

[0108] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a shielding portion 400. Prior to explaining the shielding portion 400, problems of a shielding structure used in a conventional touch input device will be explained.

[0109] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a problem that the magnitude (amplitude) of a pen signal Vpen received from a stylus pen decreases due to a shielding structure of a conventional touch input device.

[0110] The shielding structure of a conventional touch input device is composed of a magnetic field shielding sheet and a conductive layer. The magnetic field shielding sheet is disposed on the conductive layer.

[0111] FIG. 4(a) shows the magnitude of a pen signal Vpen (the magnitude of a reference pen signal) emitted from a resonance circuit portion 13 of a stylus pen 1 when there is no shielding structure. FIG. 4(b) shows the relative magnitude of a pen signal Vpen emitted from a resonance circuit portion 13 of a stylus pen 1 when only a magnetic field shielding sheet exists in the shielding structure of a conventional touch input device. FIG. 4(c) shows the relative magnitude of a pen signal Vpen emitted from a resonance circuit portion 13 of a stylus pen 1 when only a conductive layer exists in the shielding structure of a conventional touch input device. FIG. 4(d) shows the relative magnitude of a pen signal Vpen emitted from a resonance circuit portion 13 of a stylus pen 1 due to the shielding structure of a conventional touch input device.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 4(b), when the shielding structure is composed only of a magnetic field shielding sheet, the pen signal Vpen increases compared to the case where there is no shielding structure (compared with FIG. 4(a)). This is because the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit portion 13 increases due to the magnetic field shielding sheet, and thus the Q value increases.

[0113] Referring to the back side, (c) of FIG. 4, when the shielding structure is only formed on the conductive layer, the pen signal Vpen almost disappears. This is due to the generation of eddy current in the conductive layer.

[0114] Therefore, as shown in (d) of FIG. 4, according to the conventional shielding structure composed of the magnetic field shielding sheet and the conductive layer, the pen signal received from the stylus pen increases compared with the case where there is only the conductive layer, but decreases compared with the case where there is no shielding structure. Also, according to the conventional shielding structure, the pen signal of the stylus pen decreases by about 2 / 3 (66%) in terms of the reference pen signal ratio.

[0115] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the shielding portion 400 of the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention can solve the problems of the conventional shielding structure of the touch input device described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0116] The shielding portion 400 of the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can not only minimize the attenuation of the pen signal received from the stylus pen 1, but also minimize the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion 13 of the stylus pen 1 accompanying the proximity of the stylus pen 1 or / and the tilt operation of the stylus pen 1.

[0117] The shielding portion 400 has a magnetic permeability and a thickness such that the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion 13 of the stylus pen 1 does not substantially change due to the proximity or tilting operation of the stylus pen 1.

[0118] Specifically, the shielding portion 400 may have a predetermined magnetic permeability and thickness. Therefore, the attenuation of the pen signal Vpen from the stylus pen 1 can be minimized.

[0119] Here, the magnetic permeability of the shielding portion 400 may be 10 or more and 300 or less. If the magnetic permeability exceeds 300, the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion 13 becomes large and it is difficult to use. If the magnetic permeability is less than 10, it is difficult to exhibit the magnetic field shielding effect.

[0120] Here, the thickness of the shielding portion 400 may be 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less. If the thickness of the shielding portion 400 is less than 10 μm, it is difficult to exhibit the magnetic field shielding effect, and if it exceeds 300 μm, it is difficult to secure a space in the touch input device where the shielding portion 400 can be arranged.

[0121] The shielding portion 400 may have a magnetic permeability and a thickness such that the change rate of the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit portion 13 of the stylus pen 1 is -10% to +10%. Therefore, the attenuation of the pen signal Vpen from the stylus pen 1 can be minimized.

[0122] An example of the shielding portion 400 of the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0123] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view according to an example of the shielding portion 400 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 5, the shielding portion 400 includes at least one magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and a conductive layer 450 disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet 410. Alternatively, the shielding portion 400 includes a conductive layer 450 and at least one magnetic field shielding sheet 410 disposed on the conductive layer 450.

[0125] The magnetic field shielding sheet 410 blocks the magnetic field so that the electronic component 500 is not affected by the magnetic field of the digitizer 300 in FIG. 2 or the sensor portion 100 in FIG. 3.

[0126] The conductive layer 450 may be a metal such as copper or aluminum, or may be an alloy made by adding other metals or non-metal elements to at least one metal. The conductive layer 450 may have an electrical ground potential.

[0127] The shielding unit 400 including the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and the conductive layer 450 shown in FIG. 5 can minimize the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit 13 of the stylus pen 1 due to the approaching motion and / or the tilting motion of the stylus pen 1. Here, the approaching motion may be an operation in which the user approaches the stylus pen 1 to the touch input device 2 in a hover state where the stylus pen 1 and the touch input device 2 are separated by a predetermined distance. The tilting motion may be an operation in which the user tilts the stylus pen 1 at a predetermined angle above the touch input device 2.

[0128] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 11, a touch input device including the shielding unit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention that can minimize the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit 13 of the stylus pen 1 due to the approaching motion and / or the tilting motion of the stylus pen 1 will be specifically described. Here, in FIGS. 6 to 11, the remaining configuration excluding the shielding unit 400 of the touch input device shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 is omitted for convenience of explanation.

[0129] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the change in the resonance frequency of the pen signal of the stylus pen due to the approaching motion of the stylus pen 1 on the shielding unit 400 of the touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the change in the resonance frequency of the pen signal of the stylus pen due to the tilting motion of the stylus pen 1 on the shielding unit 400 of the touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when the stylus pen 1 performs an approaching operation or a tilting operation on the touch input device including the shielding portion 400 of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the inductance value of the inductor portion of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 does not substantially change, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 does not substantially change either. The reason is that the change amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 due to the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and the change amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 due to the conductive layer 450 cancel each other out. This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11.

[0131] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining that the resonance frequency of the pen signal changes due to the approaching operation of the stylus pen 1 on the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 when only the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 exists, and FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining that the resonance frequency of the pen signal changes due to the tilting operation of the stylus pen 1 on the magnetic field shielding sheet 410.

[0132] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, when the stylus pen 1 performs an approaching operation or a tilting operation, the inductance value of the inductor portion of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 increases, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 decreases. If the resonance frequency of the pen signal of the stylus pen 1 changes, changes in phase shift and amplitude reduction will appear.

[0133] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the principle that the inductance value of the inductor portion of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 increases due to the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 is based on the following Mathematical Formula 1. Mathematical Formula 1

[0134] According to Equation 1, the inductance value is proportional to the electromotive force Vemf, and the electromotive force Vemf is proportional to the change in magnetic flux Φ per unit time t. Therefore, the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 collects magnetic flux (i.e., increases the density), and the change in magnetic flux increases due to the magnetic field shielding sheet 410, so the inductance value increases.

[0135] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining that when the conductive layer 450 exists, the resonance frequency of the pen signal changes due to the approaching operation of the stylus pen 1 on the conductive layer 450, and FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining that the resonance frequency of the pen signal changes due to the tilting operation of the stylus pen 1 on the conductive layer 450.

[0136] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, when the stylus pen 1 performs an approaching operation or a tilting operation, the inductance value of the inductor part of the resonance circuit part of the stylus pen 1 decreases, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit part of the stylus pen 1 increases. If the resonance frequency of the pen signal of the stylus pen 1 changes, changes in phase shift and amplitude decrease will appear.

[0137] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the principle that the inductance value of the inductor part of the resonance circuit part of the stylus pen 1 decreases due to the conductive layer 450 is due to the fact that the conductive layer 450 generates eddy current, which is a current in the direction that blocks the change in the magnetic field, to reduce the magnetic flux change. That is, since the magnetic flux change is reduced by the conductive layer 450, the value of the inductance decreases.

[0138] Again, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shielding portion 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and a conductive layer 450. However, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the increase amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 by the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the decrease amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 by the conductive layer 450 are configured to be substantially the same, or the sum of the increase amount and the decrease amount is configured to be -10% to +10% of the reference inductance value. Here, the reference inductance value means the inductance value when the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen 1 is not affected by the shielding portion 400 at all.

[0139] Therefore, the touch input device including the shielding portion 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention can minimize the change in the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion 13 of the stylus pen 1 due to the proximity operation of the stylus pen 1 or / and the tilting operation of the stylus pen 1.

[0140] The touch input device including the shielding portion 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the inductance value of the resonance circuit portion of the stylus pen from changing due to the proximity or tilting of the stylus pen, so that the phase change of the pen signal received from the stylus pen can be clearly distinguished from that caused by other factors.

[0141] For example, if the frequency of the received pen signal changes in phase at the resonance frequency ratio, the touch input device according to the embodiment of the present invention can determine that the phase change of the frequency is due to pressure being applied to the stylus pen 1.

[0142] Therefore, the touch input device including the shielding portion 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention can clearly distinguish that the phase change of the frequency of the pen signal from the stylus pen 1 is due to the pressure applied to the stylus pen 1, and further, can also determine the magnitude of the pressure applied to the stylus pen 1 based on the amount of phase change.

[0143] Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, the touch input device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further have the following characteristics by including the shielding unit 400.

[0144] 1) In FIG. 6, when the stylus pen 1 is moved upward from the touch surface of the touch input device to a predetermined height, the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 has a characteristic of being -10% to +10% based on the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 when the stylus pen 1 is located on the touch surface. Here, the predetermined height may be 10 mm, but is not limited thereto and may be set to various heights.

[0145] Or, in FIG. 6, when the stylus pen 1 is moved from the predetermined height to the touch surface, the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 has a characteristic of being -10% to +10% based on the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 when the stylus pen 1 is located at the predetermined height.

[0146] 2) In FIG. 7, when the stylus pen 1 is tilted at a predetermined angle from when it is vertically positioned on the touch surface of the touch input device, the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 has a characteristic of being -10% to +10% based on the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 when the stylus pen 1 is vertically positioned on the touch surface. Here, the predetermined angle may be 60 degrees, but is not limited thereto and may be set to various angles.

[0147] Or, in FIG. 7, when the stylus pen 1 is tilted vertically from the predetermined angle to the touch surface, the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 has a characteristic of being -10% to +10% based on the inductance (L) value of the resonance circuit unit 13 when the stylus pen 1 is tilted at the predetermined angle.

[0148] According to the characteristics of 1) or 2) above, there is an advantage that attenuation of the pen signal Vpen from the stylus pen 1 can be minimized.

[0149] Figures (a) to (b) of FIG. 12 are diagrams for explaining modified examples 400' and 400'' of the shielding layer 400 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3.

[0150] Referring to FIGS. 12(a) to (b), the conductive layers 450' and 450'' have at least one or more slits 451 and 451'.

[0151] In FIG. 12(a), the slit 451 may have a shape that extends long in the inner direction of the conductive layer 450' from one side end of the conductive layer 450'. Alternatively, the slit 451 may be a narrow gap extending in the direction of the center of the conductive layer 450' from each corner or / and a part of each side of the conductive layer 450'.

[0152] In FIG. 12(b), the slit 451' may have a broken line shape formed in a large number in the row or / and column direction of the conductive layer 450''.

[0153] The slits 451 and 451' shown in FIGS. 12(a) to (b) can reduce the generation of eddy current in the conductive layers 450' and 450'', and have the effect of improving the amplitude of the pen signal emitted from the stylus pen 1 in FIG. 1. Therefore, a touch input device including the shielding layers 400' and 400'' having such conductive layers 450' and 450'' has the advantage that the inductance change rate of the resonance circuit portion 13 of the stylus pen 1 is maintained almost unchanged, and the amplitude of the pen signal received from the stylus pen can be improved.

[0154] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device further including the shielding layers 400' and 400'' of FIGS. 12(a) or (b) and a frame 700 under the shielding layers 400' and 400''.

[0155] The shielding layer 440 shown in FIG. 13 includes a magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and a conductive layer 450 disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet 410 and having the slit 451 of FIG. 12(a) or (b).

[0156] The frame 700 may be disposed under the shielding layers 400', 400'' as a conductive material. Although not shown in FIG. 13, an electronic component 500 and a substrate 600 shown in FIG. 3 may be disposed under the frame 700. Such a frame 700 may be named a mid-frame or SUS.

[0157] As described in FIG. 12(a) or (b), if the conductive layer 450 has the slit 451, the pen signal of the stylus pen 1 can reduce the eddy current generated from the conductive layer 450, and there is an advantage that the magnitude of the pen signal is improved. However, in the case of the touch input device shown in FIG. 13, since the conductive frame 700 is disposed under the conductive layer 450, it is difficult to obtain the effect of reducing the eddy current by the slit 451.

[0158] Therefore, hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, a structure that can improve the magnitude of the pen signal received by the touch input device including a shielding layer and a frame under the shielding layer will be described.

[0159] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[0160] The touch input device shown in FIG. 14 has a difference in the frame 700' as compared with the touch input device shown in FIG. 13.

[0161] The frame 700' of the touch input device shown in FIG. 14 has an opening 710 corresponding to at least a part of the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450. Here, the opening 710 may have the same size and shape as the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450 as shown in FIG. 14, or may have a shape and a predetermined size that overlap at least a part of the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450 in the vertical direction although not shown in FIG. 14.

[0162] By forming the opening 710 corresponding to at least a part of the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450 in the frame 700' in this way, it is possible to reduce the eddy current due to the pen signal of the stylus pen, and thereby there is an advantage that the magnitude of the received pen signal is improved.

[0163] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a touch input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[0164] The touch input device shown in FIG. 15 has a difference in the frame 700'' as compared with the touch input device shown in FIG. 14.

[0165] The frame 700'' of the touch input device shown in FIG. 15 has an opening corresponding to at least a part of the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450, and a charging member 750 made of a non-conductive material is disposed in the opening. Here, the charging member made of a non-conductive material may be a resin material such as plastic.

[0166] By disposing the opening corresponding to at least a part of the slit 451 of the conductive layer 450 in the frame 700'' and the charging member 750 in the opening in this way, it is possible to reduce the eddy current due to the pen signal of the stylus pen, and thereby there is an advantage that the magnitude of the received pen signal is improved.

[0167] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the sensor unit 100 shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0168] FIG. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of the sensor unit 100 of the touch input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0169] The touch input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be a portrait type touch input device. Such a portrait type touch input device may have a width smaller than its height, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the sensor unit 100 may be disposed below the sensor unit 100. For example, such a touch input device may correspond to the shape of a smartphone.

[0170] The sensor unit 100 can not only detect the position of an object such as a finger located on the screen, but also drive the stylus pen 1 shown in FIG. 1 located on the screen, sense a signal (stylus pen signal) emitted from the stylus pen, and detect the position of the stylus pen located on the screen.

[0171] The sensor unit 100 includes a number of patterns (or a number of electrodes).

[0172] The sensor unit 100 may include a number of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104.

[0173] The first pattern 101 has a shape extending along an arbitrary first direction y. The first direction may be the major axis direction of the screen of the touch input device. The first pattern 101 may also be named ATX (Active TX). The first pattern 101 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along an arbitrary first direction y.

[0174] The second pattern 102 has a shape extending along the first direction y, is disposed adjacent to the first pattern 101, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first pattern 101. The second pattern 102 may also be named DTX (Dummy TX). The second pattern 102 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along the first direction y adjacent to the first pattern 101.

[0175] The third pattern 103 has a shape extending along a second direction x different from the first direction. The second direction x may be a direction perpendicular to the first direction y and may be the short-axis direction of the screen of the touch input device. The third pattern 103 may also be named ARX (Active RX). The third pattern 103 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along an arbitrary second direction x.

[0176] The fourth pattern 104 has a shape extending along the second direction x, is disposed adjacent to the third pattern 103, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the third pattern 103. The fourth pattern 104 may also be named DRX (dummy RX). The fourth pattern 104 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along the second direction x adjacent to the third pattern 103.

[0177] The third and fourth patterns 103 and 104 are disposed on the first and second patterns 101 and 102 and are disposed at a predetermined interval from the first and second patterns 101 and 102. On the other hand, the sensor unit in which the first to fourth patterns are disposed in the same layer will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 27.

[0178] A number of first patterns 101 are arranged along the second direction x, and a number of second patterns 102 are also arranged along the second direction x. A number of third patterns 103 are arranged along the first direction y, and a number of fourth patterns 104 are also arranged along the first direction y.

[0179] Since the first pattern 101 extends along the first direction y, the third pattern 103 extends along the second direction x, and the first direction y is longer than the second direction x, the number of a number of first patterns 101 is smaller than the number of a number of third patterns 103. Therefore, the number of channels of a number of first patterns 101 is smaller than the number of channels of a number of third patterns 103.

[0180] Here, the number of a number of first patterns 101 and the number of a number of third patterns 103 may increase or decrease according to the size of the screen of the touch input device.

[0181] A number of second patterns 102 may correspond one-to-one with a number of first patterns 101 and may be configured in the same number. The other end (or the second side end) of each of the number of second patterns 102 is electrically connected via a conductive pattern. Here, the conductive pattern may be a Metal Mesh or a Silver Trace.

[0182] One end (or the first side end) of a number of second patterns 102 may be electrically connected to a control unit (not shown). Here, as shown in FIG. 17, one ends of two or more of the number of second patterns 102 may be electrically connected via a conductive pattern. With such a configuration, the number of channels of the number of second patterns 102 can be reduced to half of the number of channels of the number of first patterns 101. Here, two or more of the number of second patterns 102 may be adjacent to each other.

[0183] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18, each one end of the number of second patterns 102 may be individually connected to one conductive pattern.

[0184] Referring to FIG. 16 again, since a number of third patterns 103 are arranged along the first direction y, the number of the number of third patterns 103 is larger than the number of the number of first patterns 101. Therefore, the number of channels of the number of third patterns 103 is larger than the number of channels of the number of first patterns 101.

[0185] A number of fourth patterns 104 may correspond one-to-one with a number of third patterns 103 and may be configured in the same number. The other end (or the second side end) of each of the number of fourth patterns 104 is electrically connected via a conductive pattern.

[0186] In the sensor unit 100 of the touch input device shown in FIG. 16, a large number of first patterns 101 and a large number of third patterns 103 basically sense the touch of an object such as a finger. For this purpose, a large number of first patterns 101 can operate as touch driving electrodes (TX electrodes) to which a touch driving signal is applied, and a large number of third patterns 103 can operate as touch sensing electrodes (RX electrodes, or touch receiving electrodes) to which a touch sensing signal is received. Of course, it can also operate in the opposite way.

[0187] In order for the sensor unit 100 of the touch input device shown in FIG. 16 to drive and sense a stylus pen, a large number of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 may be used as various combinations. The various combinations are as shown in below. In below, "1" indicates a large number of first patterns 101, "2" indicates a large number of second patterns 102, "3" indicates a large number of third patterns 103, and "4" indicates a large number of fourth patterns 104.

Table 1

[0188] Referring to above, in various combinations (No. 1 to No. 32), a large number of first patterns 101 and a large number of third patterns 103 are used to sense the touch of an object such as a finger. Specifically, a large number of first patterns 101 operate as touch driving electrodes, and a large number of third patterns 103 operate as touch receiving electrodes. Of course, the opposite is also possible.

[0189] At least one or two of the plurality of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 can operate as a stylus drive electrode for driving a stylus pen. A current loop for driving a stylus pen can be formed using at least one or two of the first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104. For example, the X-axis drive may be any one of the plurality of first patterns 101 and the plurality of second patterns 102, and the Y-axis drive may be any one of the plurality of third patterns 103 and the plurality of fourth patterns 104. The stylus pen can be driven by either one of the X-axis drive and the Y-axis drive, or both.

[0190] At least one or two of the plurality of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 can operate as a sensing electrode for sensing a stylus pen signal emitted from the stylus pen. For example, in order to sense a stylus pen signal, since both X-axis sensing and Y-axis sensing are required, two of the plurality of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 can be used. The X-axis sensing may be any one of the plurality of first patterns 101 and the plurality of second patterns 102, and the Y-axis sensing may be any one of the plurality of third patterns 103 and the plurality of fourth patterns 104.

[0191] In the above , the "size of the uplink signal" means the size of the drive signal for driving the stylus pen 1 in FIG. 1. If the same stylus pen drive signal is applied to the plurality of first patterns 101 and the plurality of second patterns 102 respectively and the sizes of the signals received by the stylus pen are compared, when the stylus pen drive signal is applied to the plurality of second patterns 102, the uplink signal is relatively larger than when the stylus pen drive signal is applied to the plurality of first patterns 101.

[0192] This is because, for a number of second patterns 102, at least one current loop is formed if at least two second patterns whose other ends (or second side ends) are electrically connected and to which a stylus pen drive signal is applied are appropriately selected. However, the other ends (or second side ends) of a number of first patterns 101 are not electrically connected to each other, and thus a current loop cannot be formed. When current flows through each first pattern 101, the RC of each first pattern 101 is charged, so that current cannot flow well from one end (or first side end) to the other end (or second side end) of each first pattern 101. Also, the stylus pen drive signal applied through a number of first patterns 101 is transmitted to a number of second patterns 101 in which a current loop is formed through capacitive coupling. At this time, signal attenuation occurs due to the capacitive coupling.

[0193] Similarly, when a stylus pen drive signal is applied to a number of fourth patterns 104, the uplink signal is relatively larger than when a stylus pen drive signal is applied to a number of third patterns 103.

[0194] In the above , the "size of the downlink signal" means the size of the stylus pen signal received from the stylus pen 1 in FIG. 1. If the size of the signal is compared by receiving the same stylus pen signal through a number of first patterns 101 and a number of second patterns 102 respectively, the downlink signal is relatively larger when the stylus pen signal is received through a number of second patterns 102 than when the stylus pen signal is received through a number of first patterns 101.

[0195] The reason is that for a large number of second patterns 102, the other ends (the second side ends) are electrically connected to form a current loop, while for a large number of first patterns 101, the other ends (the first side ends) are not electrically connected to each other. In particular, since a stylus pen signal is transmitted from a large number of second patterns 101 in which a current loop is formed via capacitive coupling to a large number of first patterns 101, at this time, attenuation of the downlink signal occurs.

[0196] Similarly, when receiving a stylus pen signal via a large number of fourth patterns 104, the downlink signal is relatively even larger than when receiving a stylus pen signal via a large number of third patterns 103.

[0197] In the above , "stylus additional channel" means whether an additional channel for the stylus pen has to be configured in addition to touch sensing. When using a large number of second patterns 102 and / or a large number of fourth patterns 104 for driving and sensing of the stylus pen, an additional channel is required (indicated as "yes" in ). On the contrary, when using a large number of first patterns 101 and / or third patterns 103 for touch sensing for driving and sensing of the stylus pen, an additional channel is not required (indicated as "no" in ).

[0198] Hereinafter, some examples among various combinations (No. 1 to No. 32) of the above will be described in detail below. Combinations not described here will be fully understood by those skilled in the art based on the following detailed description.

[0199] In No.1, a number of first patterns 101 are used as touch driving electrodes for touch sensing of an object and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. A number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus driving electrodes for driving the stylus pen. A number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of the object and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing the stylus pen signal. And a number of fourth patterns 104 are electrically floated. Here, the meaning of being electrically floated may mean that only the other ends (second side ends) of the number of fourth patterns 104 are electrically connected to each other, and one end (first side end) of the number of fourth patterns 104 is not connected to other configurations.

[0200] In the case of No.1, since a number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus driving electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively large. Since a number of first patterns 101 and a number of third patterns 103 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively small. And since a number of second patterns 102 are separately used as stylus driving electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving the stylus pen is required, but an additional channel for sensing the stylus pen is not required.

[0201] In No.4, a number of first patterns 101 are used as touch driving electrodes for touch sensing of the object. A number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus driving electrodes for driving the stylus pen and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing the stylus pen signal. A number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of the object. And a number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing the stylus pen signal.

[0202] In the case of No.4, since a large number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus driving electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively large. Since a large number of second patterns 102 and a large number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively large. And, since a large number of second patterns 102 are separately used as both stylus driving electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, and a large number of fourth patterns 104 are separately used as stylus sensing electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving and sensing the stylus pen is required.

[0203] In No.8, a large number of first patterns 101 are used as touch driving electrodes for object touch sensing. A large number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing stylus pen signals. A large number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for object touch sensing. And, a large number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus driving electrodes for driving the stylus pen and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing stylus pen signals.

[0204] In the case of No.8, since a large number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus driving electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively large. Since a large number of second patterns 102 and a large number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively large. And, since a large number of second patterns 102 are separately used as stylus sensing electrodes, and a large number of fourth patterns 104 are separately used as both stylus driving electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving and sensing the stylus pen is required.

[0205] In No. 12, a number of first patterns 101 are used as touch drive electrodes for touch sensing of an object. A number of second patterns 102 are used as stylus drive electrodes for driving a stylus pen and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. A number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of an object. And a number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus drive electrodes for driving a stylus pen and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal.

[0206] In the case of No. 12, since a number of second and fourth patterns 102 and 104 are used as stylus drive electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively large. Since a number of second patterns 102 and a number of fourth patterns 104 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively large. And since a number of second patterns 102 are separately used as stylus drive electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, and a number of fourth patterns 104 are separately used as stylus drive electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, separate additional channels for driving and sensing the stylus pen are required.

[0207] In No. 13, a number of first patterns 101 are used as touch drive electrodes for touch sensing of an object, as stylus drive electrodes for driving a stylus pen, and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. A number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of an object and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. And a number of second and fourth patterns 102 and 104 become electrically floating.

[0208] In the case of No. 13, since a large number of the first patterns 101 are used as stylus driving electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively small. Since a large number of the first patterns 101 and a large number of the third patterns 103 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively small. And, since a large number of the first patterns 102 are used as both stylus driving electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, and a large number of the third patterns 103 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving and sensing the stylus pen is not required.

[0209] In No. 17, a large number of the first patterns 101 are used as touch driving electrodes for touch sensing of an object and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. A large number of the third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of an object, as stylus driving electrodes for driving the stylus pen, and as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. And, a large number of the second and fourth patterns 102, 104 are electrically floating.

[0210] In the case of No. 17, since a large number of the third patterns 103 are used as stylus driving electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively small. Since a large number of the first patterns 101 and a large number of the third patterns 103 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively small. And, since a large number of the first patterns 102 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, and a large number of the third patterns 103 are used as both stylus driving electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving and sensing the stylus pen is not required.

[0211] In No. 21, a number of first patterns 101 are used as touch drive electrodes for touch sensing of an object, used as stylus drive electrodes for driving a stylus pen, and used as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. A number of third patterns 103 are used as touch sensing electrodes for touch sensing of an object, used as stylus drive electrodes for driving a stylus pen, and used as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing a stylus pen signal. And a number of second and fourth patterns 102, 104 are electrically floating.

[0212] In the case of No. 21, since a number of first and third patterns 101, 103 are used as stylus drive electrodes, the magnitude of the uplink signal is relatively small. Since a number of first patterns 101 and a number of third patterns 103 are used as stylus sensing electrodes, the magnitude of the downlink signal is relatively small. And since a number of first patterns 102 are used as stylus drive electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, and a number of third patterns 103 are used as stylus drive electrodes and stylus sensing electrodes, a separate additional channel for driving and sensing the stylus pen is not required.

[0213] Among the various combinations (Nos. 1 to 32) in above, for Nos. 1, 5, 9, 25, and 29, in the column of "Stylus Additional Channel", driving is "Yes" and sensing is "No". For the above Nos. 1, 5, 9, 25, and 29, a number of first and third patterns 101, 103 are used to sense the stylus pen, and a number of second or / and fourth patterns 102, 104 are used to drive the stylus pen. When driving the stylus pen, even when using a number of second or / and fourth patterns 102, 104, it may be somewhat difficult to form a magnetic field for resonating the stylus pen. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, one ends (first side ends) of two or more adjacent second patterns can be electrically connected. Similarly, one ends (first side ends) of two or more adjacent fourth patterns can be electrically connected. With such a configuration, there is an advantage that the additional channels for driving the stylus pen can be reduced.

[0214] The control unit (not shown) controls the sensor unit 100.

[0215] Specifically, as in Nos. 1 to 32 of above, the control unit (not shown) may be for applying a touch driving signal to the above-mentioned number of first patterns 101 and receiving a touch sensing signal from the above-mentioned number of third patterns 103. The control unit (not shown), as in Nos. 1 to 32 of above, may be for applying a stylus pen driving signal with at least one pattern among the above-mentioned number of first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104 and receiving a stylus pen sensing signal with at least one pattern among the above-mentioned number of first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104.

[0216] The control unit (not shown), as in Nos. 13 to 32 of above, may be for applying a stylus pen driving signal with at least one pattern among the above-mentioned number of first patterns 101 or the above-mentioned number of third patterns 103.

[0217] The control unit (not shown) may be configured to receive a stylus pen sensing signal in at least one pattern among the multiple first patterns 101 or the multiple third patterns 103, such as No. 1-3, 5-7, 9-11, 13-15, 17-19, 21-23, 25-27, 29-31 in the above .

[0218] The control unit (not shown) may be configured to apply a stylus pen driving signal in at least one pattern among the multiple second patterns 102 or the multiple fourth patterns 104, such as No. 1-12, 25-32 in the above .

[0219] The control unit (not shown) may be configured to receive a stylus pen sensing signal in at least one pattern among the multiple second patterns 102 or the multiple fourth patterns 104, such as No. 2-4, 6-8, 10-12, 14-16, 19-20, 22-24, 26-28, 30-32 in the above .

[0220] The control unit (not shown) may be configured to select at least one pattern among the multiple first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104 as a pen driving electrode, and apply a stylus pen driving signal with the selected pen driving electrode. Here, selecting at least one pattern among the multiple first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104 as a pen driving electrode may vary according to the position of the stylus pen 1 on the touch input device 2 in FIG. 1. The pattern selected when the stylus pen is in a hover state may be different from the pattern selected when the stylus pen is in a contact state. For example, the control unit (not shown) may select either one of the first and second patterns 101, 102 as the pen driving electrode when the stylus pen is in a hover state, and select either one of the third and fourth patterns 103, 104 as the pen driving electrode when the stylus pen is in a contact state. Of course, the opposite case is also possible.

[0221] The control unit (not shown) may be configured to select at least two patterns out of the multiple first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104 as pen-sensing electrodes, and sense a stylus pen signal emitted from the stylus pen via the selected pen-sensing electrodes. Here, the selection of at least two patterns out of the multiple first patterns 101 to fourth patterns 104 as pen-sensing electrodes may vary according to the position of the stylus pen 1 on the touch input device 2 in FIG. 1. The pattern selected when the stylus pen is in a hover state may be different from the pattern selected when the stylus pen is in a contact state. For example, the control unit (not shown) may select either one of the first and second patterns 101 and 102 as a pen-sensing electrode when the stylus pen is in a hover state, and select either one of the third and fourth patterns 103 and 104 as a pen-sensing electrode when the stylus pen is in a contact state. Of course, the opposite case is also possible.

[0222] FIG. 19 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sensor unit 100' of a touch input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0223] The touch input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a landscape type touch input device. Such a landscape type touch input device has a width larger than its height, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the sensor unit 100' may be disposed under the sensor unit 100'. For example, such a touch input device may correspond to the shape of a tablet PC.

[0224] The configuration of the sensor unit 100' of the touch input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as the configuration of the sensor unit 100 of the touch input device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 16, and is the same as that rotated 90 degrees only in direction.

[0225] The sensor unit 100' of the touch input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a number of first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104. The first pattern 101 and the second pattern 102 are arranged adjacent to each other and have a shape extending along one direction. Alternatively, the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 102 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along one direction. The third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104 are arranged adjacent to each other and have a shape extending along a direction different from the one direction. Alternatively, the third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104 may have a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along the other direction. The other ends (second side ends) of the number of second patterns 102 are electrically connected to each other, and the other ends (second side ends) of the number of fourth patterns 104 are also electrically connected to each other.

[0226] When the sensor unit 100' of the touch input device according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 19 is configured to be about 10 to 14 inches, which is the size of the screen of a landscape-type tablet PC, and is embodied in the example of No. 1 in the above , if the number of the total channels of the sensor unit 100' and the number of drive trace channels (TX Trace Channel) are roughly arranged, it is as shown in the following Table 2.

Table 2

[0227] In the above , the number of channels of the Stylus TX is the value obtained by dividing the number of the number of first patterns 101 by 2. This is because although the number of the number of second patterns 102 is the same as the number of the number of first patterns 101, as shown in FIG. 20, one end (first side end) of the number of second patterns 102 has two adjacent ends electrically connected to each other, reducing the number of channels by half.

[0228] In the above, the number of TX Trace channels is the sum of the number of channels of Finger TX and the number of channels of Stylus TX. The number of TX Trace channels is a major factor that acts to determine the thickness of the widthwise bezel of the touch input device according to the second embodiment. This is because, in the touch input device according to the second embodiment, the control unit (not shown) is arranged below (or above) the sensor unit 100'. The smaller the number of TX Trace channels, the smaller the thickness of the widthwise bezel of the touch input device can be.

[0229] On the other hand, when the size of the screen of the touch input device shown in FIG. 19 is the size of the screen of a smartphone, for example, 6.9 inches, there is no special problem. However, when the size of the screen of the touch input device shown in FIG. 19 becomes larger, such as 11 inches or 12.9 inches, which is the size of the screen of a tablet PC, the lengths of the first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 of the sensor unit 100' also become longer. As a result, the resistance and capacitance values of the sensor unit 100' increase. The increase in the resistance and capacitance values narrows the operating frequency bandwidth of the touch drive signal applied to any one of the patterns used as the touch drive electrodes in the first or third pattern and the stylus drive signal for driving the stylus pen. Therefore, there may be a problem that the required operating frequency bandwidth for the design cannot be obtained. To solve the above problem, it is possible to consider reducing the resistance and capacitance values of the sensor unit 100'. However, there is a limit to reducing this value, and even if this value is reduced to the maximum, the above-mentioned problem still cannot be solved.

[0230] Also, the stylus pen signal received from the stylus pen and input to the control unit of the touch input device is also attenuated only because the sensor unit 100' becomes larger. In particular, there is a problem that the stylus pen sensing signal at the portion farthest from the control unit in the first to fourth patterns 101, 102, 103, 104 of the sensor unit 100' is attenuated during the process of being transmitted to the control unit, and a voltage value required for the design cannot be output.

[0231] The above problems can be solved by using a number of second patterns 102 as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing the stylus pen signal, as in the examples of Nos. 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32 in above, or by using a number of fourth patterns 104 as stylus sensing electrodes for sensing the stylus pen signal, as in the examples of Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 in above. In the above examples, since a number of second and fourth patterns 102, 104 receive direct electromotive force through pre-magnetic induction by the stylus pen, there is no signal attenuation through capacitive coupling from the second pattern 102 to the first pattern 101 and from the fourth pattern 104 to the third pattern 103.

[0232] As a specific example, when the sensor unit 100' of the touch input device according to the second embodiment is configured with a size of about 10 to 14 inches, which is the screen size of a landscape-type tablet PC, and is implemented in the example of No. 3 in above, if the number of the total channels and the number of drive trace channels (TX Trace Channel) of the sensor unit 100' are sorted out, it is as shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3

[0233] In above, the number of channels of Stylus TX is the same as the number of a number of second patterns 102. This is because the number of a number of second patterns 102 is the same as the number of a number of first patterns 101, and as shown in FIG. 21, each of one ends of a number of second patterns 102 is individually connected to one conductive pattern.

[0234] In the above , the number of TX Trace channels is the sum of the number of channels of Finger TX and the number of channels of Stylus TX. The number of TX Trace channels is a major factor that acts to determine the thickness of the bezel of the short axis of the touch input device. The smaller the number of TX Trace channels, the smaller the bezel thickness of the short axis of the touch input device can be reduced.

[0235] The example in the above has the disadvantage that the number of channels increases somewhat compared to the above . However, since the pen sensing signal from the stylus pen is received through a large number of second patterns 102 instead of a large number of first patterns 101, there is an advantage that the voltage value of the stylus sensing signal received by the control unit becomes larger. The applicant of the present application has confirmed through experiments that the voltage value of the stylus sensing signal received by the control unit has the advantage of being about twice or more larger compared to .

[0236] Also, since each of the large number of second patterns 102 is composed of one channel, when a large number of second patterns 102 are used for the stylus drive electrode (Stylus TX), the interval between channels is reduced to half compared to the example of . Therefore, there is an advantage that the resolution in stylus driving is improved.

[0237] As another specific example, when the sensor unit 100' of the touch input device according to the second embodiment is configured with a size of about 10 to 14 inches, which is the size of the screen of a landscape-type tablet PC, and is implemented in the example No. 8 of the above , if the number of total channels and the number of drive trace channels (TX Trace Channel) of the sensor unit 100' are arranged, it is as shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4

[0238] In above, the number of channels of Stylus TX is the same as the number of a large number of fourth patterns 104. This is because the number of a large number of fourth patterns 104' is the same as the number of a large number of third patterns 103, and as shown in FIG. 22, each of one ends of a large number of fourth patterns 104 is individually connected to one conductive pattern.

[0239] In above, the number of TX Trace channels is the same as the number of channels of Finger TX. The number of TX Trace channels is a major factor acting to determine the thickness of the bezel of the short axis of the touch input device. The smaller the number of TX Trace channels, the smaller the bezel thickness of the short axis of the touch input device can be.

[0240] above has the disadvantage that the total number of channels increases somewhat compared to the example of above, but since the pen sensing signal from the stylus pen is received via a large number of fourth patterns 104, there is an advantage that the voltage value of the pen sensing signal received by the control unit becomes larger.

[0241] Also, since each of a large number of fourth patterns 104 is composed of one channel, when a large number of fourth patterns 104 are used as drive electrodes (Stylus TX), the interval between channels is reduced to half compared to the example of above, so there is an advantage that the drive resolution is improved.

[0242] Also, there is an advantage that the number of TX trace channels can be reduced to 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 compared to the example of above, and the thickness of the bezel B in the width direction of the touch input device can be reduced.

[0243] FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram schematically showing still another example of the sensor unit 100' shown in FIG. 19.

[0244] The sensor unit 100'' in Fig. 23 has each first pattern 101' including at least two or more first a-patterns 101a and first b-patterns 101b, and each second pattern 102' including at least two or more second a-patterns 101a and second b-patterns 101b. A number of third and fourth patterns 103, 104 are the same as the sensor unit 100 in Fig. 19.

[0245] The first a-pattern 101a and the first b-pattern 101b are arranged along the extending direction of the first pattern 101'. The second a-pattern 102a and the second b-pattern 201b are arranged along the extending direction of the second pattern 102'.

[0246] The other ends of a number of second a-patterns 102a are electrically connected, and the other ends of a number of second b-patterns 102b are electrically connected. Here, the other ends of a number of second a-patterns 102a and the other ends of a number of second b-patterns 102b face each other.

[0247] One ends of a number of second a-patterns 102a may be electrically connected to each other where two or more adjacent second a-patterns are involved.

[0248] One ends of a number of second b-patterns 102b may also be electrically connected to each other where two or more adjacent second b-patterns are involved. Here, one ends of a number of second a-patterns 102a and one ends of a number of second b-patterns 102b may each be individually electrically connected to a conductive pattern as shown in Fig. 9.

[0249] As a specific example, when the sensor unit 100'' shown in Fig. 23 is configured with a size of about 10 to 14 inches, which is the screen size of a landscape-type tablet PC and is configured according to the example No. 1 in above, sorting out the number of the total channels and the number of drive trace channels of the sensor unit 100'' is as shown in Table 5 below.

Table 5

[0250] In the above , the number of channels of the Stylus TX is the value obtained by dividing the number of a large number of second patterns 102' by 2. This is because the number of a large number of second patterns 102' is the same as the number of a large number of first patterns 101', and for a large number of second patterns 102', it is due to the fact that two adjacent second patterns are electrically connected to each other.

[0251] In the above , the number of TX Trace channels is the sum of the number of channels of the Finger TX and the number of channels of the Stylus TX. The number of TX Trace channels is a major factor that acts to determine the thickness of the bezel in the width direction of the touch input device. The smaller the number of TX Trace channels, the smaller the bezel thickness of the short axis of the touch input device can be reduced.

[0252] Compared with the example of the above , the above has the disadvantage that the number of channels increases slightly, but since the length of each of the first pattern 101' and the second pattern 102' is reduced by half, there is an advantage that the resistance value and capacitance value of the sensor unit 100'' can be reduced, and the operating frequency bandwidth of the touch drive signal applied to the touch drive electrode and the pen drive signal for driving the stylus pen can be widened.

[0253] FIG. 24 is a drawing embodying the touch input device shown in FIG. 20.

[0254] Referring to FIG. 24, the touch input device 500 may include a sensor unit 100A and a control unit 300 for controlling the sensor unit 100A.

[0255] The sensor unit 100A is an example of the sensor unit 100' shown in FIG. 20. Therefore, the sensor unit 100A includes a large number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A, 103A, 104A.

[0256] The first pattern 101A has a shape extending along the first direction (width direction). The first direction may be the major axis direction L of the screen of the touch input device 500. The first pattern 101A may also be named ATX (Active TX).

[0257] The first pattern 101A may include a connecting pattern portion that connects between two adjacent main pattern portions among a number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited to this, and may have various shapes including the connecting pattern portion and other shapes.

[0258] The first pattern 101A may have an opening inside which the second pattern 102A is disposed. The shape of the opening can correspond to the outer shape of the first pattern 101A. The first pattern 101A may have a structure that surrounds the second pattern 102A. The first pattern 101A is disposed at a predetermined interval from the second pattern 102A.

[0259] The second pattern 102A has a shape extending along the first direction, is disposed adjacent to the first pattern 101A, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first pattern 101A. The second pattern 102A may also be named DTX (Dummy TX).

[0260] The second pattern 102A is disposed inside the first pattern 101A.

[0261] The second pattern 102A may include a connecting pattern portion that connects between two adjacent main pattern portions among a number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited to this, and may have various shapes including the connecting pattern portion and other shapes.

[0262] The main pattern portion of the second pattern 102A may have a shape corresponding to the main pattern portion of the first pattern 101A, and the connecting pattern portion of the second pattern 102A may have a shape corresponding to the connecting pattern portion of the first pattern 101A.

[0263] The third pattern 103A has a shape extending along a second direction different from the first direction. The second direction may be a direction perpendicular to the first direction and may be the short axis direction S of the screen of the touch input device. The third pattern 103A may also be named ARX (Active RX).

[0264] The third pattern 103A may include a number of main pattern portions and a connecting pattern portion that connects two adjacent main pattern portions among the number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes and other shapes as the connecting pattern portion.

[0265] The third pattern 103A may have an opening in which the fourth pattern 104A is disposed. The shape of the opening may correspond to the outer shape of the third pattern 103A. The third pattern 103A may have a structure surrounding the fourth pattern 104A. The third pattern 103A is disposed at a predetermined interval from the fourth pattern 104A.

[0266] The fourth pattern 104A has a shape extending along the second direction, is disposed adjacent to the third pattern 103A, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the third pattern 103A. The fourth pattern 104A may also be named DRX (dummy RX).

[0267] The fourth pattern 104A is disposed inside the third pattern 103A.

[0268] The fourth pattern 104A may include a number of main pattern portions and a connection pattern portion that connects between two adjacent main pattern portions among the number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes as well as the connection pattern portion and other shapes.

[0269] The main pattern portion of the fourth pattern 104A may have a shape corresponding to the main pattern portion of the third pattern 103A, and the connection pattern portion of the fourth pattern 104A may have a shape corresponding to the connection pattern portion of the third pattern 103A.

[0270] The third and fourth patterns 103A and 104A are disposed on the first and second patterns 101A and 102A and are disposed at a predetermined distance from the first and second patterns 101A and 102A. On the other hand, the sensor unit in which the first to fourth patterns are disposed in the same layer will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 30.

[0271] One end (the first side end portion) of the number of first patterns 101A is not shown in the drawing, but is electrically connected to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end portion) is electrically open. Here, one end (the first side end portion) is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end portion) is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0272] Each of one ends of the number of first patterns 101A may be electrically connected to each other via a conductive pattern although not shown in the drawing. The conductive pattern connecting the number of first patterns 101A and the control unit 300 may be arranged inside the widthwise bezel B of the touch input device 500.

[0273] One end (the first side end) of a plurality of second patterns 102A may be electrically connected to the control unit 300 via a second conductive pattern after two adjacent one ends are electrically connected by the first conductive pattern. The other end (the second side end) of a plurality of second patterns 102A is electrically connected via a conductive pattern. One end (the first side end) is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end) is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0274] The second conductive pattern connecting the plurality of second patterns 102A and the control unit 300 may be arranged inside the width-direction bezel B of the touch input device 500 as shown in FIG. 24. Here, the second conductive pattern connecting the plurality of second patterns 102A and the control unit 300 may be arranged inside the width-direction bezel B of the touch input device 500 together with a conductive pattern (not shown) connecting the plurality of first patterns 101A and the control unit 300.

[0275] If the other ends of a plurality of second patterns 102A are electrically connected to each other, a capacitance for each second pattern 102A is further added, so the overall impedance will decrease. Therefore, it has the same effect as when the other ends of a plurality of second patterns 102A become AC GND.

[0276] On the other hand, although not shown in the drawings, the other ends of a plurality of second patterns 102A that are electrically connected to each other may be grounded. Also, although not shown in the drawings, the other ends of a plurality of second patterns 102A may not be electrically connected to each other, and a predetermined capacitor may be connected to the other end of each second pattern 102A.

[0277] The plurality of first patterns 101A and the plurality of second patterns 102A may be arranged in the same layer. The plurality of first patterns 101A and the plurality of second patterns 102A can be formed in the same layer using a metal mesh.

[0278] One end (the first side end) of the multiple third patterns 103A is electrically connected to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end) is electrically open. Here, one end (the first side end) is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end) is relatively far from the control unit 300. One ends of the multiple third patterns 103A may be electrically connected to each other via a conductive pattern and the control unit 300.

[0279] One end (the first side end) of the multiple fourth patterns 104A may be electrically open. Here, the other end (the second side end) of the multiple fourth patterns 104A may be electrically connected to the multiple second patterns 102A in the same manner. Here, one end (the first side end) is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end (the second side end) is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0280] On the other hand, although not shown in the drawings, the other ends of the multiple fourth patterns 104A that are electrically connected to each other may be grounded. Also, the other ends of the multiple fourth patterns 104A may not be electrically connected to each other, and a predetermined capacitor may be connected to the other end of each fourth pattern 104A.

[0281] The multiple third patterns 103A and the multiple fourth patterns 104A may be arranged in the same layer. The multiple third patterns 103A and the multiple fourth patterns 104A can be formed in the same layer using a metal mesh. Here, the multiple third patterns 103A and the multiple fourth patterns 104A may be arranged in layers different from the multiple first patterns 101A and the multiple second patterns 102A, respectively. For example, the multiple third patterns 103A and the multiple fourth patterns 104A may be arranged in the first layer, and the multiple first patterns 101A and the multiple second patterns 102A may be arranged in a second layer different from the first layer. On the other hand, the sensor unit in which the first to fourth patterns are arranged in the same layer will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 30.

[0282] The control unit 300 is electrically connected to the sensor unit 100A and can control the operation of the sensor unit 100A. The connection between the control unit 300 and the sensor unit 100A may be electrically connected via a number of conductive patterns.

[0283] The control unit 300 may include a number of drive circuit units 310 and a number of sensing circuit units 330. Here, although not shown in a separate drawing, at least one of the number of drive circuit units 310 and the number of sensing circuit units 330 may not be included in the control unit 300 and may be arranged outside the control unit 300.

[0284] The number of drive circuit units 310 may include a drive circuit unit that provides a touch drive signal for touch position sensing of an object such as a finger to a number of first patterns 101A, and a drive circuit unit that provides a pen drive signal for driving a stylus pen.

[0285] The number of sensing circuit units 330 may include a sensing circuit unit that receives a sensing signal via a number of third patterns 103A for detecting a touch position of an object such as a finger, and a sensing circuit unit for stylus pen sensing. Here, some of the number of sensing circuit units may perform both touch position sensing and stylus pen sensing.

[0286] The control unit 300 can control the sensor unit 100A to operate in any one of a touch drive / sensing mode, an antenna drive mode, and a stylus pen sensing mode. The control unit 300 can control by electrically and selectively connecting a number of drive / sensing circuit units 310, 330 to the sensor unit 100A according to each mode. For this purpose, the control unit 300 may include a number of switches that electrically connect the number of drive / sensing circuit units 310, 330 and the sensor unit 100A according to the instructions of the control unit 300.

[0287] The operation modes of the touch input device 500 shown in FIG. 24 will be specifically described. Here, since FIG. 24 is shown as an example of No. 1 in the above , the description will be based on this.

[0288] In the touch driving / sensing mode, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of driving circuit units 310 to a number of first patterns 101A of the sensor unit 100A for sensing the touch position of an object such as a finger. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A to the number of driving circuit units 310.

[0289] Also, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for touch position sensing to a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of third patterns 103A to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0290] In such a touch driving / sensing mode, the control unit 300 applies driving signals (or touch driving signals) for touch sensing simultaneously or sequentially with a number of first patterns 101A and receives sensing signals (or touch sensing signals) received from the number of third patterns 103A. A number of sensing circuit units of the control unit 300 electrically connected to the number of third patterns 103A can output capacitance change amount information included in the input sensing signals at a predetermined voltage value. The control unit 300 can process the output voltage value to detect the touch position.

[0291] On the one hand, in the touch driving / sensing mode, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of driving circuit units 310 to a number of second patterns 102A so that capacitive coupling does not occur between the number of first patterns 101A and the number of second patterns 102A. At this time, the control unit 300 can control to apply the same driving signal as the driving signal applied to the number of first patterns 101A to the number of second patterns 102A. Or, when a driving signal is applied to the number of first patterns 101A, the control unit 300 can also control to apply a predetermined reference potential to the number of second patterns 102A.

[0292] In the antenna driving mode (or the stylus driving mode, or the stylus uplink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of driving circuit units 310 for antenna driving to a number of second patterns 102A of the sensor unit 100A. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect a conductive pattern connected to the number of second patterns 102A to the number of driving circuit units 310.

[0293] The control unit 300 can control the driving signal (or the pen driving signal) output from each driving circuit unit 310 connected to the number of second patterns 102A. For example, the control unit 300 controls the first driving circuit unit among the number of driving circuit units 310 connected to the number of second patterns 102A to output a pulse signal of a predetermined frequency, controls the second driving circuit unit not to output any pulse signal, and controls the third driving circuit unit to output an inverted pulse signal whose phase is opposite to the pulse signal output from the first driving circuit unit. In this case, a current loop is formed between the second pattern electrically connected to the first driving circuit unit and the second pattern electrically connected to the third driving circuit unit. A magnetic field is generated by the formed current loop, and the stylus pen close to the sensor unit 100A may be driven by the magnetic field.

[0294] The control unit 300 can control such that drive signals opposite to each other are output from any two of a number of drive circuit units 310 electrically connected to a number of second patterns 102A. Therefore, the control unit 300 can variously change and set the size and position of the current loop. For example, when the control unit 300 detects the position of a stylus pen close to the sensor unit 100A, it can control such that pulse signals opposite to each other are output from the drive circuit units electrically connected to two second patterns around the position of the stylus pen. When the position of the stylus pen cannot be detected, it can also control such that pulse signals opposite to each other are output from the drive circuit units electrically connected to two second patterns located around the outermost periphery on both sides among the number of second patterns 102A.

[0295] FIG. 25 is a drawing for explaining a method in which the control unit 300 in FIG. 24 applies a pen drive signal for driving a stylus pen to a number of second patterns 102A. For reference, in FIG. 25, one second pattern 102A shown in FIG. 24 is simply shown by one line Ch, and each line Ch becomes one channel.

[0296] As shown in FIG. 25, two adjacent second patterns are electrically connected to form one channel. When configured in this way, the same signal is simultaneously applied to the two electrically connected second patterns. FIG. 25 shows a configuration in which 84 second patterns are connected in pairs to form 42 channels (Ch0, Ch1,..., Ch41).

[0297] For example, when the stylus pen 50 is located between the second channel Ch2 and the third channel Ch3 among the 42 channels (Ch0, Ch1,..., Ch41), the control unit 300 can control such that a pen drive signal is output to one or more channels located on the Ch2 side of the second channel with respect to the stylus pen 50, and can control such that a pen drive signal having an inverted phase of the pen drive signal is output to one or more channels located on the Ch3 side of the third channel with respect to the stylus pen 50.

[0298] In the stylus sensing mode (or the stylus downlink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for stylus sensing to a number of first patterns 101A and a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A and the number of third patterns 103A to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0299] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the touch input device 500 has an advantage that, due to the configuration of the sensor unit 100A, the output voltage values of the number of sensing circuit units 330 are hardly changed by the position of the stylus pen on the sensor unit 100A in the stylus sensing mode. The specific principle for this will be described with reference to FIGS. 26(a) to 26(f).

[0300] FIGS. 26(a) to 26(f) are diagrams for schematically explaining the operating principle of the touch input device of FIG. 24 in the stylus sensing mode.

[0301] FIG. 26(a) is a circuit diagram schematically modeling any one of the first patterns 101A shown in FIG. 24 and the sensing circuit unit 330 of the control unit 300 electrically connected thereto, and FIG. 26(b) is a circuit diagram schematically modeling the second pattern 102A disposed inside any one of the first patterns 101A. FIG. 26(c) is a voltage distribution graph in the circuit diagram of FIG. 26(a), and FIG. 26(d) is a voltage distribution graph in the circuit diagram of FIG. 26(b).

[0302] Referring to FIGS. 26(a) and (c), when the stylus pen approaches an arbitrary point A on the first pattern 101A as far as possible from the sensing circuit unit 330, a voltage Vemf (hereinafter referred to as "induced voltage") induced by the signal emitted from the stylus pen is generated at the point A. If the induced voltage Vemf is generated at the point A, the equivalent capacitance of the first pattern 101A as viewed from the left side of the point A becomes small, so the equivalent impedance becomes large. Therefore, most of the induced voltage Vemf is applied to the left side of the point A, and a voltage almost close to 0 (V) is applied to the right side of the point A, and the current hardly flows. Moreover, the voltage almost close to 0 (V) on the right side of the point A further drops due to the equivalent resistance of the first pattern 101A, and almost no voltage is applied to the input terminal of the sensing circuit unit.

[0303] Referring to FIGS. 26(b) and (d), if the induced voltage Vemf is generated at the point A, the other ends of the second patterns 102A are electrically connected to each other on the left side of the point A. Therefore, the equivalent capacitance as viewed from the left side of the point A becomes large, so the equivalent impedance approaches almost 0. Therefore, 0 (V) is applied to the left side of the point A, and one end of the second pattern 102A is open on the right side of the point A. Therefore, no voltage drop occurs due to the equivalent resistance, and Vemf is applied as it is.

[0304] Comparing (c) and (d) in FIG. 26, it can be confirmed that there is a potential difference of Vemf at any position between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A. The potential difference of Vemf between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A causes capacitive coupling between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A. Due to the capacitive coupling, as shown in (e) of FIG. 26, current will flow from the second pattern 102A to the first pattern 101A. The farther the position of the stylus pen is from the sensing circuit portion 330 of the control unit 300, the less current is generated by the first pattern 101A itself. However, since current flows into the first pattern 101A from the second pattern 102A, the current output from the first pattern 101A to the sensing circuit portion 330 of the control unit 300 is almost the same regardless of the position of the pen. Therefore, the control unit 300 can sense the position of the stylus pen through the sensing circuit portion 330 electrically connected to the first pattern 101A.

[0305] And as can be seen from (a) to (e) in FIG. 26, it can be seen that the potential difference between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A remains constant as Vemf even when point A moves to the left or right. Therefore, regardless of whether the position of the stylus pen on the sensor unit 100A is close to or far from the sensing circuit portion, the control unit 300 can sense the stylus pen from the constant signal output from the sensing circuit portion 330.

[0306] On the other hand, in the description of (e) in FIG. 26, the current flowing from the second pattern 102A to the first pattern 101A is described as being due to capacitive coupling, but it is not limited to this. For example, the current flowing from the second pattern 102A to the first pattern 101A can also be possible by magnetic coupling (magnetic field coupling).

[0307] The principles of (a) to (e) of FIG. 26 described above are directly applicable to any one of the third patterns 103 and the fourth pattern 104 in the second direction. Further, they are also directly applicable to the touch input device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 16.

[0308] FIG. 26(f) is a voltage distribution graph when the sensing circuit unit 330 is connected to the right open terminal of the modeled circuit diagram of the second pattern 102A shown in FIG. 26(b). That is, the voltage distribution graph of FIG. 26(f) illustrates the case where one end of the second pattern 102A is connected to the sensing circuit unit 330 of the control unit 300. Comparing FIG. 26(f) with (d), in FIG. 26(f), as going to the right side of point A, a voltage drop occurs due to the equivalent resistance. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 26(f), unlike in FIG. 26(e), a potential difference of Vemf between the first pattern and the second pattern cannot be maintained, and current cannot flow from the second pattern to the first pattern. Therefore, as the position of the pen moves farther from the control unit 300, the current output from the first pattern will decrease. In the stylus sensing mode, it is preferable to open and float one end of the second pattern 102A.

[0309] When the screen size of the touch input device shown in FIG. 26 is the screen size of a smartphone, for example, 6.9 inches, there is no special problem. However, when the screen size of the touch input device shown in FIG. 26 becomes larger, about 10 inches to 14 inches, which is the screen size of a tablet PC, the sensor units 100A also become larger, so the resistance and capacitance values of the sensor units 100A increase. The increase in the resistance and capacitance values causes the operating frequency bandwidth of the touch drive signal applied to the touch drive electrode and the pen drive signal for driving the stylus pen to become much narrower than when it is a smartphone (when it is 6.9 inches), and there is a problem that an operating frequency bandwidth sufficient for design cannot be obtained.

[0310] Also, the pen sensing signal received from the stylus pen is only attenuated as the sensor unit 100A becomes larger. In particular, there is a problem that the pen sensing signal at the portion of the sensor unit 100A that is farthest from the control unit 300 is attenuated in the process of being transmitted to the control unit 300, and a voltage value sufficient for the design cannot be output.

[0311] Hereinafter, a touch input device that can solve the above-described problems will be described.

[0312] FIG. 27 is a drawing that embodies the touch input device shown in FIG. 21.

[0313] Referring to FIG. 27, the touch input device 500'' may include a sensor unit 100A'' and a control unit 300 for controlling the sensor unit 100A''.

[0314] The sensor unit 100A'' includes a number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A'', 103A, 104A. Here, since the number of first, third, and fourth patterns 101A, 103A, 104A is the same as the number of first, third, and fourth patterns 101A, 103A, 104A shown in FIG. 24, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0315] Hereinafter, although the number of second patterns 102A'' will be described, the description of the same portions as the number of second patterns 102A in FIG. 12 will be omitted for convenience.

[0316] Each of one ends (first side ends) of the number of second patterns 102A'' may be electrically connected to the control unit 300 by a conductive pattern. This portion is different from the number of second patterns 102A in FIG. 24.

[0317] The other ends (second side ends) of the number of second patterns 102A'' are electrically connected via a conductive pattern. One end is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0318] Specifically describe the operation mode of the touch input device 500'' shown in FIG. 27.

[0319] In the touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 to a number of first patterns 101A of the sensor unit 100A'' for sensing the touch position of an object such as a finger. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A to the number of drive circuit units 310.

[0320] Also, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for touch position sensing to a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A''. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of third patterns 103A to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0321] In such a touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 simultaneously or sequentially applies a drive signal (or touch drive signal) for touch sensing with a number of first patterns 101A and receives a sensing signal (or touch sensing signal) received from a number of third patterns 103A. A number of sensing circuit units of the control unit 300 electrically connected to the number of third patterns 103A can output the capacitance change amount information included in the input sensing signal to a predetermined voltage value. The control unit 300 can process the output voltage value to detect the touch position.

[0322] In the antenna drive mode (or stylus drive mode, or stylus uplink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 for antenna drive to a number of second patterns 102A'' of the sensor unit 100A''. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of second patterns 102A'' to the number of drive circuit units 310.

[0323] The control unit 300 can control the drive signals (or pen drive signals) output to each drive circuit unit 310 connected to a number of second patterns 102A''. The control unit 300 can control such that pulse signals opposite to each other are output from any two drive circuit units among a number of drive circuit units 310 electrically connected to a number of second patterns 102A''. Therefore, the control unit 300 can variously change and set the size and position of the current loop.

[0324] In the stylus sensing mode (or stylus downlink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for stylus sensing to a number of second patterns 101A'' and a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A''. This part is different from the stylus sensing mode of the touch input device shown in FIG. 12.

[0325] The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect conductive patterns connected to a number of second patterns 101A'' and a number of third patterns 103A to a number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0326] The touch input device 500'' shown in FIG. 27 has a difference in the configuration connecting a number of second patterns 102A'' of the sensor unit 100A'' and the control unit 300 as compared with the touch input device shown in FIG. 24. That is, for a number of second patterns 102A in FIG. 24, after two adjacent second patterns are electrically connected by a first conductive pattern, they are connected to the control unit 300 via a second conductive pattern, while for a number of second patterns 102A'' in FIG. 27, each is connected to the control unit 300 by a conductive pattern. Due to such a configuration feature, the touch input device 500'' shown in FIG. 27 has a disadvantage that the number of channels increases compared with the touch input device 500 in FIG. 24, but it has an advantage that power consumption can be reduced because a pen drive signal can be applied only to a specific part where the stylus pen is located in the antenna drive mode for driving the stylus pen.

[0327] Further, in the touch input device 500 shown in FIG. 24, the pattern for sensing the signal emitted from the stylus pen in the stylus sensing mode is a large number of first patterns 101A in the major axis direction L and a large number of third patterns 103A in the minor axis direction S. On the other hand, in the touch input device 500'' shown in FIG. 27, the pattern for sensing the signal emitted from the stylus pen in the stylus sensing mode is a large number of second patterns 102A'' in the major axis direction L and a large number of third patterns 103A in the minor axis direction S.

[0328] In the touch input device 500'' shown in FIG. 27, if the pattern in the major axis direction L for sensing the signal emitted from the stylus pen in the stylus sensing mode is changed to a large number of second patterns 102A'' instead of a large number of first patterns 101A, the coupling capacitance between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A'' can be reduced as compared with the touch input device 500 shown in FIG. 24. Therefore, the operating frequency bandwidth of the touch drive signal and the touch sensing signal for touch position sensing can be improved, and the operating frequency bandwidth of the pen drive signal for stylus pen drive can be improved.

[0329] Also, in the stylus sensing mode, since the control unit 300 receives the pen sensing signal from the stylus pen via a number of second patterns 102A'', there is an advantage that the voltage value of the received pen sensing signal is relatively high. In particular, in the long-axis direction L, the voltage value of the pen sensing signal received at the point farthest from the control unit 300 is relatively larger than in the case of FIG. 24, so there is an advantage that the sensing sensitivity is improved. This is because it is not necessary to consider the capacitive coupling between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A. Specifically, in the case of FIG. 24, as described above in FIG. 26(e), due to the capacitive coupling between the first pattern 101A and the second pattern 102A, current flows from the second pattern 102A to the first pattern 101A, so there is attenuation of the pen sensing signal input to the control unit 300 via the first pattern 101A. However, in the touch input device 500'' of FIG. 27, since it is directly input to the control unit 300 without capacitive coupling via the second pattern 102A'' which is not the first pattern 101A, attenuation of the pen sensing signal due to capacitive coupling does not occur.

[0330] Also, since each of the number of second patterns 102A'' is composed of one channel, when the number of second patterns 102A'' is used as a driving electrode (Stylus TX), the interval between channels is reduced to half compared to the touch input device of FIG. 24, so there is an advantage that the driving resolution is improved.

[0331] FIG. 28 is a drawing that embodies the touch input device shown in FIG. 22.

[0332] Referring to FIG. 28, the touch input device 500''' may include a sensor unit 100A''' and a control unit 300 for controlling the sensor unit 100A'''.

[0333] The sensor unit 100A''' includes a number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A''', 103A, 104A'. Here, since the number of first and third patterns 101A, 103A is the same as the number of first and third patterns 101A, 103A shown in FIG. 24, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0334] Hereinafter, although the number of second and fourth patterns 102A''', 104A' will be described, the description of the same parts as the number of second and fourth patterns 102A, 104A in FIG. 24 will be omitted for convenience.

[0335] One end of the number of second patterns 102A''' may be floating, and the other end of the number of second patterns 102A''' may be electrically connected via a conductive pattern. One end is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0336] Each of one ends of the number of fourth patterns 104A' is electrically connected to the control unit 300 by a conductive pattern, and the other ends of the number of fourth patterns 104A' are electrically connected via a conductive pattern. One end is relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end is relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0337] The operation mode of the touch input device 500''' shown in FIG. 28 will be specifically described.

[0338] In the touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 to a number of first patterns 101A of the sensor unit 100A''' for sensing the touch position of an object such as a finger. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A to the number of drive circuit units 310.

[0339] In addition, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for touch position sensing to a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A'''. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of third patterns 103A to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0340] In such a touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 simultaneously or sequentially applies a drive signal (or touch drive signal) for touch sensing to a number of first patterns 101A and receives a sensing signal (or touch sensing signal) received from the number of third patterns 103A. A number of sensing circuit units of the control unit 300 electrically connected to the number of third patterns 103A can output capacitance change amount information included in the input sensing signal at a predetermined voltage value. The control unit 300 can process the output voltage value to detect the touch position.

[0341] In the antenna drive mode (or stylus drive mode, or stylus uplink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 for antenna drive to a number of fourth patterns 104A' of the sensor unit 100A'''.

[0342] The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of fourth patterns 104A' to the number of drive circuit units 310. The control unit 300 can control the drive signals (or pen drive signals) output from each drive circuit unit 310 connected to the number of fourth patterns 104A'. The control unit 300 can control such that pulse signals opposite to each other are output from any two drive circuit units among the number of drive circuit units 310 electrically connected to the number of fourth patterns 104A'. Therefore, the control unit 300 can variously change and set the size and position of the current loop.

[0343] In the stylus sensing mode (or stylus downlink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for stylus sensing to a number of first patterns 101A and a number of fourth patterns 104A' of the sensor unit 100A'''. This part is different from the stylus sensing mode of the touch input device in FIG. 24.

[0344] The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A and the number of fourth patterns 104A' to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0345] Compared with the touch input device shown in FIG. 24, in the touch input device 500''' shown in FIG. 28, a number of second patterns 102A''' of the sensor unit 100A''' are not used in an electrically floating state, and there is a difference in that a stylus pen is driven through a number of fourth patterns 104A'. Due to such a structural feature, although the touch input device 500''' shown in FIG. 28 has the disadvantage of an increased number of channels compared to the touch input device 500 in FIG. 24, since a number of second patterns 102A are not used, there is no conductive pattern connected to one end of a number of second patterns 102A. Therefore, there is an advantage that the thickness of the left / right bezels B can be relatively significantly reduced compared to FIG. 24.

[0346] Compared with the touch input device in FIG. 24, the touch input device shown in FIG. 28 has the disadvantage that the total number of channels increases slightly, but since it directly receives the pen sensing signal from the stylus pen through a number of fourth patterns 104A', there is an advantage that the voltage value of the pen sensing signal received by the control unit 300 becomes larger. There is an advantage that the voltage value of the pen sensing signal received by the control unit 300 of the touch input device in FIG. 24 becomes about twice or more larger.

[0347] In addition, since each of the multiple fourth patterns 104A' is composed of one channel, when the multiple fourth patterns 104A' are used as drive electrodes (Stylus TX), the interval between channels is reduced by half compared to the touch input device of FIG. 24, so there is an advantage that the drive resolution is improved.

[0348] Also, the number of TX trace channels can be reduced to 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of that of the touch input device shown in FIG. 24, and there is an advantage that the thickness of the bezel B can be reduced.

[0349] FIG. 29 is a drawing embodying the touch input device shown in FIG. 23.

[0350] Referring to FIG. 29, the touch input device 500' may include a sensor unit 100A'' and a control unit 300 for controlling the sensor unit 100A''.

[0351] The sensor unit 100A'' includes multiple first to fourth patterns 101A', 102A', 103A, 104A. Here, since the multiple third and fourth patterns 103A, 104A are the same as the multiple third and fourth patterns 103A, 104A shown in FIG. 24, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0352] Hereinafter, although the multiple first and second patterns 101A', 102A' will be described, the description of the same parts as the multiple first and second patterns 101A, 102A in FIG. 24 will be omitted for convenience.

[0353] The first pattern 101A' has a shape extending along the first direction. The first direction may be the long axis direction L of the screen of the touch input device. The first pattern 101A' includes a first a pattern 101a' and a first b pattern 101b'. The first a pattern 101a' and the first b pattern 101b' are arranged along the first direction and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The first pattern 101A' including the first a pattern 101a' and the first b pattern 101b' may also be named ATX (Active TX).

[0354] The second pattern 102A' has a shape extending along the first direction, is disposed adjacent to the first pattern 101A', and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first pattern 101A'. The second pattern 102A' includes a second a pattern 102a' and a second b pattern 102b'. The second a pattern 102a' and the second b pattern 102b' are arranged in the first direction and are disposed at a predetermined interval from each other. The second pattern 102A' including the second a pattern 102a' and the second b pattern 102b' may also be named DTX (Dummy TX).

[0355] In a number of the first patterns 101A', one end of a number of the first a patterns 101a' is electrically connected to the control unit 300, and the other end is electrically open. Also, one end of a number of the first b patterns 101b' is electrically connected to the control unit 300, and the other end is electrically open. Here, one end is a place relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end is a place relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0356] Each of one ends of a number of the first a patterns 101a' may be electrically connected to each other via a conductive pattern and the control unit 300. The conductive pattern connecting a number of the first a patterns 101a' and the control unit 300 may be arranged along the short axis direction S inside the bezel B of the touch input device 500.

[0357] Each of one ends of a number of the first b patterns 101b' may be electrically connected to each other via a conductive pattern and the control unit 300. The conductive pattern connecting a number of the first b patterns 101b' and the control unit 300 may be arranged along the short axis direction S inside the bezel B of the touch input device 500.

[0358] In a number of second patterns 102A', after one ends of a number of second a-patterns 102a' are electrically connected by a first conductive pattern where two adjacent one ends are electrically connected to each other, they are electrically connected to the control unit 300 via a second conductive pattern, and the other ends of the number of second a-patterns 102a' are electrically connected via a conductive pattern. Similarly, after one ends of a number of second b-patterns 102b' are electrically connected by a first conductive pattern where two adjacent one ends are electrically connected to each other, they are electrically connected to the control unit 300 via a second conductive pattern, and the other ends of the number of second b-patterns 102b' are electrically connected via a conductive pattern. Here, one end is a place relatively close to the control unit 300, and the other end is a place relatively far from the control unit 300.

[0359] The second conductive pattern connecting the number of second a- and second b-patterns 102a', 102b' and the control unit 300 may be arranged in the short-axis direction S inside the bezel B of the touch input device 500'. Here, the second conductive pattern connecting the number of second a- and second b-patterns 102a', 102b' and the control unit 300 may be arranged inside the bezel B of the touch input device 500 together with a conductive pattern (not shown) connecting the number of first patterns 101A' and the control unit 300.

[0360] If the other ends of the number of second a-patterns 102a' are electrically connected to each other, capacitance for each second a-pattern 102a' is added, so the overall impedance will decrease. Therefore, it will have the same effect as when the other ends of the number of second a-patterns 102a' become AC GND. Similarly, if the other ends of the number of second b-patterns 102b' are electrically connected to each other, capacitance for each second b-pattern 102b' is further added, so the overall impedance will decrease. Therefore, it will have the same effect as when the other ends of the number of second b-patterns 102b' become AC GND.

[0361] The operation mode of the touch input device 500' shown in FIG. 29 will be specifically described.

[0362] In the touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 for sensing the touch position of an object such as a finger to a number of first patterns 101A' of the sensor unit 100A'. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of first patterns 101A' to the number of drive circuit units 310.

[0363] Also, the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for touch position sensing to a number of third patterns 103A of the sensor unit 100A'. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of third patterns 103A to the number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0364] In such a touch drive / sensing mode, the control unit 300 simultaneously or sequentially applies a drive signal (or a touch drive signal) for touch sensing to the number of first patterns 101A' and receives a sensing signal (or a touch sensing signal) received from the number of third patterns 103A. A number of sensing circuit units of the control unit 300 electrically connected to the number of third patterns 103A can output the capacitance change amount information included in the input sensing signal at a predetermined voltage value. The control unit 300 can process the output voltage value to detect the touch position.

[0365] In the antenna drive mode (or the stylus drive mode, or the stylus uplink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of drive circuit units 310 for antenna drive to a number of second a patterns 102a' and a number of second b patterns 102b' of the sensor unit 100A'. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect the conductive patterns connected to the number of second a patterns 102a' and the number of second b patterns 102b' to the number of drive circuit units 310.

[0366] The control unit 300 can control drive signals (or pen drive signals) output from each drive circuit unit 310 connected to a number of second a-patterns 102a' and a number of second b-patterns 102b'. The control unit 300 can control so that pulse signals opposite to each other are output from any two drive circuit units among a number of drive circuit units 310 electrically connected to a number of second a-patterns 102a' and a number of second b-patterns 102b'. Therefore, the control unit 300 can variously change and set the size and position of the current loop.

[0367] In the stylus sensing mode (or stylus downlink mode), the control unit 300 can electrically connect a number of sensing circuit units 330 for stylus sensing to a number of first patterns 101A' and a number of third patterns 103A' of the sensor unit 100A'. The control unit 300 can control a number of switches to electrically connect conductive patterns connected to a number of first patterns 101A' and a number of third patterns 103A to a number of sensing circuit units 330.

[0368] The touch input device 500' shown in FIG. 29 has a configurational difference in a number of first and second patterns 101A', 102A' of the sensor unit 100A' as compared with the touch input device shown in FIG. 24. That is, since a number of first and second patterns 101A', 102A' are those obtained by dividing the first and second patterns 101A, 102A of FIG. 24 in half, they are two times more than a number of first and second patterns 101A, 102A of FIG. 24.

[0369] Due to such a configurational feature, the touch input device 500' shown in FIG. 29 has a disadvantage in that the number of channels increases as compared with the touch input device 500 of FIG. 24, but has an advantage in that power consumption can be reduced because a pen drive signal can be applied only to a specific portion where the stylus pen is located in the antenna drive mode for driving the stylus pen.

[0370] In addition, although the touch input device shown in FIG. 29 has a disadvantage in that the number of channels increases somewhat compared to the touch input device of FIG. 24, since each of the first pattern 101A' and the second pattern 102A' has a length reduced by half and the resistance value and capacitance value are lowered, there is an advantage that the operating frequency bandwidth of the touch drive signal applied to the pattern used for the touch drive electrode of the sensor unit 100A' and the pen drive signal for driving the stylus pen can be widened.

[0371] FIG. 30 is a drawing schematically showing a modified example of the sensor units 100, 100' shown in FIG. 16 or FIG. 19.

[0372] The sensor unit 100B shown in FIG. 30 can be used in the sensor unit of the touch input device according to various embodiments of the present invention described above. Therefore, hereinafter, the specific structure and shape of the sensor unit 100B will be described, and the driving method of the touch input device including the sensor unit 100B will replace the content described above.

[0373] Referring to FIG. 30, the sensor unit 100B includes a number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A, 103B, 104B. The number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A, 103B, 104B are arranged together in the same layer.

[0374] The first pattern 101A has a shape extending along the first direction (width direction). The first direction may be the major axis direction of the screen of the touch input device. The first pattern 101A may also be named ATX (Active TX). The first pattern 101A has a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along the first direction (width direction).

[0375] The first pattern 101A may include a number of main pattern portions and a connection pattern portion that connects between two adjacent main pattern portions among the number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes including the connection pattern portion and other shapes.

[0376] The first pattern 101A may have an opening inside which the second pattern 102A is disposed. The shape of the opening can correspond to the outer shape of the first pattern 101A. The first pattern 101A may have a structure surrounding the second pattern 102A. The first pattern 101A is disposed at a predetermined interval from the second pattern 102A.

[0377] The second pattern 102A has a shape extending along the first direction, is disposed adjacent to the first pattern 101A, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first pattern 101A. The second pattern 102A may also be named DTX (Dummy TX). The second pattern 102A has a predetermined shape in which an electrical path is formed along the first direction (width direction) adjacent to the first pattern 101A.

[0378] The second pattern 102A is disposed inside the first pattern 101A.

[0379] The second pattern 102A may include a number of main pattern portions and a connection pattern portion connecting two adjacent main pattern portions among the number of main pattern portions. Here, the main pattern portion may have a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes including the connection pattern portion and other shapes.

[0380] The main pattern portion of the second pattern 102A may have a shape corresponding to the main pattern portion of the first pattern 101A, and the connection pattern portion of the second pattern 102A may have a shape corresponding to the connection pattern portion of the first pattern 101A.

[0381] The other ends (second side ends) of the number of second patterns 102A are electrically connected by the second conductive pattern D2.

[0382] The third pattern 103B is arranged one above and one below with respect to one connection pattern portion of the first pattern 101A. The third pattern 103B may have a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto, and may have a connection pattern portion and other shapes as various shapes. The third pattern 103B may have an opening in which the fourth pattern 104B is arranged. The shape of the opening can correspond to the outer shape of the third pattern 103B. The third pattern 103B may have a structure surrounding the fourth pattern 104B. The third pattern 103B is arranged at a predetermined interval from the fourth pattern 104B. The third pattern 103B may also be named ARX (Active RX), and the fourth pattern 104B may also be named DRX (Dummy RX).

[0383] Among a number of the third patterns 103B, the third patterns arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction are electrically connected by the third conductive pattern D3. Therefore, the third patterns arranged along the second direction are electrically connected by a number of the third conductive patterns D3, and can be the same as the electrical connection direction (electrical path) of the third pattern 103 shown in FIG. 16 or FIG. 19.

[0384] The third conductive pattern D3 is arranged to intersect the connection pattern portion of the first pattern 101A arranged between two adjacent third patterns. The third conductive pattern D3 may also be named a conductive bridge. Both ends of the third conductive pattern D3 are connected to vias connected to the third pattern 103B.

[0385] Among a number of the fourth patterns 104B, the fourth patterns arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction are electrically connected by the fourth conductive pattern D4. Therefore, the fourth patterns arranged along the second direction are electrically connected by a number of the fourth conductive patterns D4, and can be the same as the electrical connection direction (electrical path) of the fourth pattern 104 shown in FIG. 16 or FIG. 19.

[0386] The fourth conductive pattern D4 is arranged to intersect the connection pattern portion of the first pattern 101A disposed between two adjacent fourth patterns. Further, the fourth conductive pattern D4 is disposed farthest from the control unit among a number of fourth patterns 104B and electrically connects the fourth patterns 104B arranged along the first direction. The fourth conductive pattern D4 may also be named a conductive bridge. Both ends of the fourth conductive pattern D4 are connected to vias connected to the fourth pattern 104B.

[0387] A number of first to fourth patterns 101A, 102A, 103B, 104B may be arranged together in the first layer which is the same layer, and the second to fourth conductive patterns D2, D3, D4 may be arranged together in the second layer which is the same layer. Here, the first layer and the second layer are physically and electrically separated from each other.

[0388] FIG. 31 is a modified example of the sensor unit shown in FIG. 30.

[0389] Referring to FIG. 31, in the sensor unit, the first - 1 pattern portions located at the first side and / or the second side ends among a number of first - 1 pattern portions have a shape open in the first direction (or the lateral direction). Therefore, the first - 2 pattern portions located at the first side and / or the second side ends among the number of first - 2 pattern portions can be exposed to the outside.

[0390] The first - 2 pattern portions located at the second side ends among the number of first - 2 pattern portions are electrically connected via a connection pattern without vias. Here, the connection pattern may be a conductive trace. Compared with FIG. 37, the first - 2 pattern portions located at the second side ends among the number of first - 2 pattern portions are not connected via vias and have the advantage of being arranged in the same layer as the connection pattern.

[0391] In the sensor unit, among the numerous second-1 pattern portions, the second-1 pattern portions located at the first side and / or the second side end have a shape that is open in the second direction (or the longitudinal direction). Therefore, among the numerous second-2 pattern portions, the second-2 pattern portions located at the first side and / or the second side end can be exposed to the outside.

[0392] Among the numerous second-2 pattern portions, the second-2 pattern portions located at the second side end are electrically connected via a connection pattern without vias. Here, the connection pattern may be a conductive trace. Compared with FIG. 37, among the numerous second-2 pattern portions, the second-2 pattern portions located at the second side end are not connected via vias and have the advantage of being arranged in the same layer as the connection pattern.

[0393] The sensor unit shown in FIG. 31 is also controlled by the control unit 300 and can be driven in any one of a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus sensing mode. Specifically, in the touch sensing mode, the control unit 300 controls so that touch driving signals are applied at ATX1, ATX2, and ATX3, and can sense the touch position by receiving touch reception signals from ARX1, ARX2, and ARX3. In the antenna driving mode, the control unit 500 can apply a pen driving signal at DTX1, DTX2, and DTX3 or apply a pen driving signal at DRX1, DRX2, and DRX3. In the stylus sensing mode, the control unit 500 can receive a pen reception signal from ATX1, ATX2, ATX3 and ARX1, ARX2, ARX3 and sense the position of the stylus pen. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 200' in FIG. 31. Therefore, the sensor unit in FIG. 31 can be driven in any one of a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus sensing mode in various ways by the control unit 300.

[0394] FIG. 32 is a drawing showing another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0395] Referring to FIG. 32, the structure of the main pattern portions of the first to fourth patterns 101', 102', 103', 104' is different from that of FIG. 24.

[0396] In FIG. 32, the outer contour of the second pattern 102' or the fourth pattern 104' is formed in an uneven structure, and the opening of the first pattern 101' or the fourth pattern 104' has a shape corresponding to the outer contour structure of the second pattern 102' or the fourth pattern 104'.

[0397] Such a structure has the advantage that it can improve the mutual capacitance Cm value between the first pattern 101' and the second pattern 102' in the same layer, and can also improve the mutual capacitance Cm value between the third pattern 103' and the fourth pattern 104' in other same layers. The more the mutual capacitance Cm is improved, the higher the voltage value output from the sensing circuit portion of the control unit 300 in the stylus sensing mode can be. Therefore, the stylus sensing sensitivity can be improved.

[0398] Here, the modified example shown in FIG. 32 can be directly applied to the sensor portion according to various embodiments described above.

[0399] FIG. 33 shows still another modified example of the sensor portion.

[0400] The sensor portion 100'' shown in FIG. 33 further includes a plurality of fifth patterns 105 and a plurality of sixth patterns 106 as compared with the sensor portion 100A shown in FIG. 24.

[0401] The plurality of fifth patterns 105 are arranged in the same layer (2nd layer) as the plurality of first patterns 101 and are arranged in a large number along the first direction and the second direction.

[0402] Each fifth pattern 105 includes a shape that corresponds to and overlaps with a part of the main pattern portion of the third pattern 103 arranged in another layer (1st layer). Also, the fifth pattern 105 is electrically connected via vias to the fourth pattern 104 arranged in another layer (1st layer).

[0403] A number of the fifth patterns 105 can form mutual capacitance Cm with a number of the third patterns 103 in the vertical direction. Also, since the fifth pattern 105 is electrically connected to the fourth pattern 104 inside the third pattern 103, that is, the third pattern 103 can form mutual capacitance Cm not only with the fourth pattern 104 but also with the fifth pattern 105.

[0404] A number of the sixth patterns 106 are arranged in the same layer (1st layer) as a number of the third patterns 103 and are arranged in large numbers along the first direction and the second direction.

[0405] Each sixth pattern 106 includes a shape that corresponds to and overlaps with a part of the main pattern portion of the first pattern 101 arranged in another layer (2nd layer). Also, the sixth pattern 106 is electrically connected via vias to the second pattern 102 arranged in another layer (2nd layer).

[0406] A number of the sixth patterns 106 can form mutual capacitance Cm with a number of the first patterns 101 in the vertical direction. Also, since the sixth pattern 106 is electrically connected to the second pattern 102 inside the first pattern 101, that is, the first pattern 101 can form mutual capacitance Cm not only with the second pattern 102 but also with the sixth pattern 105.

[0407] As described above, the sensor unit 100'' shown in FIG. 33 has the advantage of being able to form mutual capacitances not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction of the first pattern 101, and not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction of the third pattern 103. Therefore, in the stylus sensing mode, the voltage value output from the sensing circuit unit of the control unit 500 can be increased, and the stylus sensing sensitivity can be improved.

[0408] Here, the modified example shown in FIG. 33 can be directly applied to the sensor units according to the various embodiments described above.

[0409] FIG. 34 shows still another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0410] Compared with the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24, in the sensor unit 100''' shown in FIG. 34, a part of the second pattern 102' is arranged in a layer different from the remaining part. Specifically, the second pattern 102' includes a connection pattern part that connects between two main pattern parts adjacent to each other among a plurality of main pattern parts and a plurality of main pattern parts, but the plurality of main pattern parts of the second pattern 102' are arranged in a layer different from the plurality of connection pattern parts of the second pattern 102'.

[0411] The plurality of main pattern parts of the second pattern 102' are arranged in the same layer as the third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104, and the plurality of connection pattern parts of the second pattern 102' are arranged in the same layer as the first pattern 101 as in FIG. 24.

[0412] The sensor unit 100''' shown in FIG. 34 can also be driven by the control unit 300 in the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus pen sensing mode, similarly to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 100''' in FIG. 34. Therefore, the sensor unit 100''' in FIG. 34 can be driven by the control unit 300 in any one of the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus sensing mode in various ways.

[0413] FIG. 35 shows still another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0414] Compared with the sensor unit 100''' shown in FIG. 34, in the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35, a part of the fourth pattern 104' is arranged in a layer different from the remaining part. Specifically, the fourth pattern 104' includes a number of main pattern portions and connection pattern portions that connect between two adjacent main pattern portions among the number of main pattern portions. However, the number of main pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104' is arranged in a layer different from the number of connection pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104'. The number of main pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104' is arranged in the same layer as the first pattern 101, and the number of connection pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104' is arranged in the same layer as the number of main pattern portions of the second pattern 102' and the third pattern 103.

[0415] When sorted out, in the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35, the first pattern 101, the number of connection pattern portions of the second pattern 102', and the number of main pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104' are arranged in the first layer, and the third pattern 103, the number of connection pattern portions of the fourth pattern 104', and the number of main pattern portions of the second pattern 102' are arranged in the second layer. Here, the first layer and the second layer are different layers, and the positional relationship may be such that one of them is arranged on top of the remaining one with a different position.

[0416] The sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35 can also be driven by the control unit 300 in the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus pen sensing mode, similar to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 100'''' in FIG. 35. Therefore, the sensor unit 100'''' in FIG. 35 can be driven by the control unit 300 in any one of the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus sensing mode in various ways.

[0417] FIG. 36 shows still another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0418] The sensor unit 100''''' shown in FIG. 36 is a modification of the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35. Compared with the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35, the second pattern 102'' and the fourth pattern 104'' of the sensor unit 100''''' shown in FIG. 36 are different.

[0419] Specifically, the second pattern 102'' includes a number of main pattern portions 102a'' and a number of connecting pattern portions 102b', but the size of the main pattern portion 102a'' has a form that is even larger than the main pattern portion of the second pattern 102' of the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35. The size of the main pattern portion 102a'' may have a size and shape corresponding to the main pattern portion of the first pattern 101.

[0420] Also, the fourth pattern 104'' includes a number of main pattern portions 104a'' and a number of connecting pattern portions 104b', but the size of the main pattern portion 104a'' has a form that is even larger than the main pattern portion of the fourth pattern 104' of the sensor unit 100'''' shown in FIG. 35. The size of the main pattern portion 104a'' may have a size and shape corresponding to the main pattern portion of the third pattern 103.

[0421] Since the main pattern portion 102a'' of the second pattern 102'' has a larger size than the main pattern portion of the second pattern 102' in FIG. 35, the corresponding area with the first pattern 101 becomes wider, and the mutual capacitance Cm between the second pattern 102'' and the first pattern 101 can be further improved. Therefore, the stylus sensing sensitivity can be further improved in the stylus sensing mode.

[0422] Also, since the main pattern portion 104a'' of the fourth pattern 104'' has a larger size than the main pattern portion of the fourth pattern 104' in FIG. 35, the corresponding area with the third pattern 103 becomes wider, and the mutual capacitance Cm between the fourth pattern 104'' and the third pattern 104 can be further improved. Therefore, the stylus sensing sensitivity can be further improved in the stylus sensing mode.

[0423] FIG. 37 is a drawing showing still another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0424] In the sensor unit 100'''''' shown in FIG. 37, compared with the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24, the other ends (second side ends) of a number of the second patterns 102 and the other ends (second side ends) of a number of the fourth patterns 104 are electrically connected to each other.

[0425] When configured in this way, when the sensor unit 100' is driven in the stylus sensing mode, not only other fourth patterns but also a number of the second patterns 102 are electrically connected to one fourth pattern 104, so there is an advantage that the impedance becomes even lower.

[0426] The sensor unit 100'''''' shown in FIG. 37 can also be driven by the control unit 300 in a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus pen sensing mode, similar to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 100'''''' in FIG. 37. Therefore, the sensor unit 100'''' in FIG. 37 can be driven by the control unit 300 in any one of a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus sensing mode in various ways.

[0427] FIG. 38 shows still another modification of the sensor unit.

[0428] The sensor unit 100''''''' shown in FIG. 38 is different from the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24 in that the second pattern 102' and the fourth pattern 104' are different, and further includes a number of fifth patterns 105' and a number of sixth patterns 106', and further includes a capacitor cap electrically connected to the fifth pattern 105' and the sixth pattern 106'. Since the remaining configuration is the same, the other parts will be described in detail below.

[0429] The second pattern 102' may be a bar pattern disposed inside the first pattern 101 and extending in the second direction. Here, the second pattern 102' may have a constant width. The second pattern 102' is disposed in the same layer (2nd layer) as the first pattern 101.

[0430] The fourth pattern 104' may be a bar pattern disposed inside the third pattern 103 and extending in the first direction. Here, the fourth pattern 104' may have a constant width. The fourth pattern 104' is disposed in the same layer (1st layer) as the third pattern 103.

[0431] A number of fifth patterns 105' are arranged in the same layer (2nd layer) as a number of first patterns 101 and are arranged in large numbers along the first direction and the second direction. A number of fifth patterns 105' may be arranged in large numbers between a number of first patterns 101.

[0432] Each fifth pattern 105' includes a shape that corresponds to and overlaps with the main pattern portion of the third pattern 103 arranged in another layer (1st layer). Also, the fifth pattern 105' is electrically connected to the fourth pattern 104' arranged in another layer (1st layer) via a via.

[0433] Among the number of fifth patterns 105', the fifth pattern 105' electrically connected to one of the fourth patterns 104' is arranged along the second direction. Here, a predetermined capacitor cap is connected to the fifth pattern 105' arranged at the other end among the fifth patterns 105' arranged along the second direction. And the capacitor cap may be grounded. Here, the fifth pattern 105' arranged at the other end among the fifth patterns 105' arranged along the second direction means the pattern that is electrically connected farthest from the control unit 300 shown in FIG. 24. Although not shown in a separate drawing, the capacitor cap may be connected between the fifth pattern 105' and the ELVSS of a display panel (not shown). Also, one end of the capacitor cap is connected to the fifth pattern 105', and the other end may be connected to another layer (1st layer) where the third pattern 103, the fourth pattern 104', and the sixth pattern 106' are arranged.

[0434] A number of fifth patterns 105' can form a mutual capacitance Cm with a number of third patterns 103 in a perpendicular direction. Also, since the fifth pattern 105' is electrically connected to the fourth pattern 104' inside the third pattern 103, that is, the third pattern 103 can form a mutual capacitance Cm not only with the fourth pattern 104' but also with the fifth pattern 105'.

[0435] A number of the sixth patterns 106' are arranged in the same layer (1st layer) as a number of the third patterns 103 and are arranged in a number along the first direction and the second direction. A number of the sixth patterns 106' may be arranged in a number between a number of the third patterns 103.

[0436] Each sixth pattern 106' includes a shape that corresponds to and overlaps with the main pattern portion of the first pattern 101 arranged in another layer (2nd layer). Also, the sixth pattern 106' is electrically connected to the second pattern 102' arranged in another layer (2nd layer) via a via.

[0437] Among a number of the sixth patterns 106', the sixth pattern 106' electrically connected to one of the second patterns 102' is arranged along the first direction. Here, a predetermined capacitor cap is connected to the sixth pattern 106' arranged at the other end among the sixth patterns 106' arranged along the first direction. And the capacitor cap may be grounded. Here, the sixth pattern 106' arranged at the other end among the sixth patterns 106' arranged along the first direction means the pattern that is electrically connected farthest from the control unit 300 shown in FIG. 24. Although not shown in a separate drawing, the capacitor cap may be connected between the sixth pattern 106' and the ELVSS of a display panel (not shown). Also, one end of the capacitor cap may be connected to the sixth pattern 106', and the other end may be connected to another layer (2nd layer) where the first pattern 101, the second pattern 102', and the fifth pattern 105' are arranged.

[0438] A number of the sixth patterns 106' can form a mutual capacitance Cm with a number of the first patterns 101 in a perpendicular direction. Also, since the sixth pattern 106' is electrically connected to the second pattern 102' inside the first pattern 101, that is, the first pattern 101 can form a mutual capacitance Cm not only with the second pattern 102' but also with the sixth pattern 106'.

[0439] Thus, the sensor unit 100''''''' shown in FIG. 38 has the advantage that it can form mutual capacitances not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction of the first pattern 101, and can form mutual capacitances not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction of the third pattern 103. Therefore, the voltage value output from the sensing circuit unit of the control unit 300 in the stylus sensing mode can be increased, and the stylus sensing sensitivity can be improved.

[0440] Further, unlike the second pattern 102' and the fourth pattern 104', and the second pattern 102 and the fourth pattern 104 of the sensor unit 100A in FIG. 24, since it does not have a diamond-shaped main pattern portion, when the display panel is located under the sensor unit 100''''''', there is an advantage that the visibility can be further improved as compared with the sensor unit 100A in FIG. 24.

[0441] The sensor unit 100''''''' shown in FIG. 39 can also be driven by the control unit 300 in the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus pen sensing mode, similar to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 100''''''' in FIG. 39. Therefore, the sensor unit 100''''''' in FIG. 39 can be driven by the control unit 300 in any one of the touch sensing mode, the antenna driving mode, and the stylus sensing mode in various ways.

[0442] On the other hand, although not shown in a separate drawing, capacitors cap can be electrically connected to the other ends of the many second and fourth patterns 102, 104 without the fifth and sixth patterns 105', 106' respectively. Further, in the sensor units according to the various embodiments described above, the other ends of the many second and fourth patterns may not be connected to each other, and capacitors may be connected to the respective other ends.

[0443] FIG. 39 is still another modified example of the sensor unit.

[0444] In the case of the sensor unit 100A in FIG. 24, when the stylus pen 1 is positioned on the right end (or the left end) of the sensor unit 100A, it is difficult to provide a sufficient magnetic field signal with the stylus pen 1, and there may be a problem that the signal emitted from the stylus pen 1 cannot be made sufficiently large. To solve such a problem, the sensor unit 100'''''''' shown in FIG. 39 further includes a first trace t1 and a second trace t2 in addition to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24.

[0445] The first trace t1 and the second trace t2 are directly connected to a conductive trace to that electrically connects the other ends of a number of second patterns 102, and are arranged in an inactive region outside the active region tp (or the touch region) of the touch input device. Here, at least a part of the conductive trace to may also be arranged outside the active region tp. The active region tp means a region where an object, for example, a finger or a stylus pen 50 can be directly touched, and an inactive region is arranged around the active region tp. The inactive region may be, for example, a bezel region.

[0446] Specifically, the first trace t1 is arranged in an inactive region outside the active region tp, one end is directly connected to the conductive trace to, and the other end may be connected to the drive circuit unit of the control unit 300 and the switch sw through one of the touch drive mode, the touch sensing mode, the antenna drive mode, and the stylus sensing mode.

[0447] The second trace t2 is arranged in an inactive region outside the active region tp, one end is directly connected to the conductive trace to, and the other end may be connected to the drive circuit unit of the control unit 500 and the switch sw through the antenna drive mode.

[0448] The first trace t1 may be arranged in an inactive region surrounding one side of the left and right sides of the active region tp, and the second trace t2 may be arranged in an inactive region surrounding the other side of the active region tp.

[0449] When the first trace t1 and the second trace t2 are driven in the same antenna driving mode as in FIG. 25, even if the stylus pen 1 is located at one end of the active region tp, a sufficient magnetic field signal can be provided to the stylus pen 1. Therefore, in the touch input device including the sensor unit 100'''''''' shown in FIG. 39, no matter where the stylus pen 1 is in the active region tp, the stylus pen 1 can receive a sufficient magnetic field signal and emit a sufficient signal.

[0450] Each of the first and second traces t1 and t2 of the sensor unit 100'''''''' shown in FIG. 39 is responsible for one channel in FIG. 25, and the driving method as in FIG. 25 may be directly applied.

[0451] The sensor unit 100'''''''' shown in FIG. 39 can also be driven by the control unit 300 in a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus pen sensing mode, similar to the sensor unit 100A shown in FIG. 24. Also, various combinations in can be applied to the sensor unit 100'''''''' in FIG. 39. Therefore, the sensor unit 100'''''''' in FIG. 39 can be driven by the control unit 300 in any one of a touch sensing mode, an antenna driving mode, and a stylus sensing mode in various ways.

[0452] FIG. 40 is a drawing for explaining a first modified example of the fifth pattern 105 shown in FIG. 33.

[0453] Referring to FIG. 40, the fifth pattern 105' is arranged in a layer different from the layer in which the third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104 are arranged.

[0454] The fifth pattern 105' may have a shape corresponding to the third pattern 103. For example, the fifth pattern 105' may have a diamond shape and may have a diamond-shaped opening inside.

[0455] A part of the fifth pattern 105' may be arranged to overlap the third pattern 103 in the vertical direction, and another part may be arranged to overlap the fourth pattern 104 in the vertical direction. For example, the outer end portion of the fifth pattern 105' can overlap the inner end portion of the third pattern 103 arranged in another layer. The inner end portion of the fifth pattern 105' can overlap the outer end portion of the fourth pattern 104 arranged in another layer.

[0456] The fifth pattern 105' is electrically connected to the fourth pattern 104 arranged in another layer via conductive vias v. Here, there may be a plurality of vias v, and they may be arranged at the outer end portion of the fourth pattern 104.

[0457] Such a fifth pattern 105' can form a mutual capacitance Cm in the vertical direction with the third pattern 103 arranged in another layer. Also, since the fifth pattern 105' is electrically connected to the fourth pattern 104 inside the third pattern 103 via the vias v, that is, the third pattern 103 can form a mutual capacitance Cc_tx not only with the fourth pattern 104 arranged in the same layer but also with the fifth pattern 105' arranged in another layer.

[0458] Although not shown in a separate drawing, the sixth pattern 106 shown in FIG. 33 may also have the same shape as the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIG. 40. At this time, the outer end portion of the sixth pattern (not shown) can overlap with the inner end portion of the first pattern 101 arranged in another layer, and the inner end portion of the sixth pattern (not shown) can overlap with the outer end portion of the second pattern 102 arranged in another layer. And the sixth pattern (not shown) may be electrically connected to the second pattern 102 arranged in another layer via a conductive via. Similarly, such a sixth pattern (not shown) can also form a mutual capacitance in the direction perpendicular to the first pattern 101. Since the sixth pattern (not shown) is electrically connected to the second pattern 102 inside the first pattern 101, that is, the first pattern 101 can form a mutual capacitance Cm not only with the second pattern 102 but also with the sixth pattern (not shown).

[0459] In this way, the sensor unit including the modified example of the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIG. 40 can form a mutual capacitance not only in the horizontal direction of the third pattern 103 but also in the vertical direction. The sensor unit including the modified example of the sixth pattern (not shown) also has the advantage that it can form a mutual capacitance not only in the horizontal direction of the first pattern 101 but also in the vertical direction. Therefore, the voltage value output from the sensing circuit unit of the control unit in the stylus sensing mode can be increased, and the stylus sensing sensitivity can be improved.

[0460] FIG. 41 is a modified example of FIG. 40.

[0461] In FIG. 40, it is shown that the fifth pattern 105' is arranged below the third and fourth patterns 103 and 104. On the contrary, FIG. 41 shows that the fifth pattern 105' is arranged above the third and fourth patterns 103 and 104.

[0462] The structure of the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIGS. 40 to 41 can be applied to the sensor unit according to the various embodiments described above.

[0463] FIG. 42 is a drawing for explaining a modified example of the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIG. 40.

[0464] Referring to FIG. 42, the fifth pattern 105'' is identical in shape and position to the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIG. 40. The difference between the fifth pattern 105'' and the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIG. 40 is that the fifth pattern 105'' is electrically connected to the third pattern 103 disposed in another layer via a conductive via v. And the via v is disposed at the inner end portion of the third pattern 103.

[0465] Such a fifth pattern 105'' is electrically connected to the third pattern 103 disposed in another layer, so that the fourth pattern 104 can form a mutual capacitance Cc_Tx with the fifth pattern 105'' in the vertical direction.

[0466] The sensor unit including the modified example of the fifth pattern 105'' shown in FIG. 42 also has an advantage that it can form mutual capacitance not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction.

[0467] FIG. 43 is a modified example of FIG. 42.

[0468] In FIG. 42, it is shown that the fifth pattern 105'' is disposed below the third and fourth patterns 103, 104, and FIG. 43 shows, on the contrary, that the fifth pattern 105'' is disposed above the third and fourth patterns 103, 104.

[0469] The structure of the fifth pattern 105' shown in FIGS. 42 to 43 can be applied to the sensor unit according to the various embodiments described above.

[0470] FIGS. 44 and 45 are drawings for explaining modified examples of the third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104 in the sensor unit as shown in FIG. 34 or FIG. 35.

[0471] Referring to FIGS. 44 and 45, the third pattern 103 and the fourth pattern 104 according to the modification are arranged in different layers, and a part of the third pattern 103 and a part of the fourth pattern 104 are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction (or, the perpendicular direction). For example, the inner end portion of the third pattern 103 can be arranged so as to overlap the outer end portion of the fourth pattern 104 in the vertical direction. FIG. 51 shows the third pattern 103 arranged on the fourth pattern 104, and FIG. 45 shows the third pattern 103 arranged below the fourth pattern 104.

[0472] The sensor unit including the third and fourth patterns 103 and 104 shown in FIGS. 44 and 45 can form the mutual capacitance Cc_Tx in the vertical direction that is not the horizontal direction. Although not shown in a separate drawing, the first and second patterns 101 and 102 shown in FIGS. 34 and 35 may also have the structure as shown in FIGS. 44 and 45.

[0473] The structure according to the modification shown in FIGS. 44 to 45 can be applied to the sensor units according to the various embodiments described above.

[0474] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modified and improved forms by those having ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention pertains also belong to the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a touch input device that drives a stylus pen including a resonance circuit unit to sense a pen signal from the stylus pen, a cover layer; a sensor unit disposed under the cover layer and including at least one pattern for driving the stylus pen to sense the pen signal; a display unit disposed under the sensor unit; a shielding unit disposed under the display unit, wherein the shielding unit has a magnetic permeability and a thickness such that a change rate of an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit becomes -10% to +10% of a reference inductance value; a touch input device.

2. The touch input device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic permeability of the shielding unit is 10 or more and 300 or less.

3. The touch input device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the shielding unit is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less.

4. The shielding unit includes a magnetic field shielding sheet and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, wherein an increase amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit by the magnetic field shielding sheet and a decrease amount of the inductance value of the resonance circuit unit by the conductive layer are the same, or a sum of the increase amount and the decrease amount becomes -10% to +10% of the reference inductance value. The touch input device according to claim 1.

5. When the stylus pen is moved upward from a touch surface of the touch input device to a predetermined height, an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit becomes -10% to +10% based on an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit when the stylus pen is located on the touch surface. The touch input device according to claim 1.

6. When the stylus pen is vertically positioned on a touch surface of the touch input device and then tilted at a predetermined angle, an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit becomes -10% to +10% based on an inductance value of the resonance circuit unit when the stylus pen is vertically positioned on the touch surface. The touch input device according to claim 1.

7. The shielding unit includes a magnetic field shielding sheet and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, wherein the conductive layer includes at least one slit. The touch input device according to claim 1.

8. The touch input device according to claim 7, wherein the slit has a shape that extends long from one side end of the conductive layer in an inner direction of the conductive layer.

9. The touch input device according to claim 7, wherein the slit has a dashed line shape in the horizontal and / or vertical direction of the conductive layer.

10. In a touch input device that drives a stylus pen including a resonance circuit unit to sense a pen signal from the stylus pen, a cover layer; a sensor unit disposed under the cover layer and including at least one or more patterns for driving the stylus pen to sense the pen signal; a display unit disposed under the sensor unit; a magnetic field shielding sheet disposed under the display unit; and a conductive layer disposed under the magnetic field shielding sheet, wherein the conductive layer includes at least one or more slits, the touch input device.

11. The touch input device according to claim 10, wherein the slit has a shape that extends long in the inner direction of the conductive layer from one side end of the conductive layer.

12. The touch input device according to claim 10, wherein the slit has a dashed line shape in the horizontal and / or vertical direction of the conductive layer.

13. further including a frame made of a conductive material disposed under the conductive layer, wherein the frame has an opening corresponding to at least a part of the slit of the conductive layer, the touch input device according to claim 10.

14. The touch input device according to claim 13, wherein the frame includes a charging member made of a non-conductive material disposed in the opening of the frame.

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