Bent Sensor Substrate and Antenna Frame for Narrow-Bezel Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices with integrated touch sensors and antennas face challenges in minimizing bezel size and maintaining antenna performance due to the need for increased thickness and potential mechanical defects from bending, especially when integrating antenna functions into flexible or foldable displays.
Innovation Solution
A display device design featuring a sensor substrate with bent peripheral areas and an antenna frame that supports and guides the bending of the substrate, connected to the display panel's ground, which minimizes bezel size and maintains antenna performance by extending the ground plane to the bent areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the sensor substrate is bent to minimize bezel size, then the display device achieves a smaller form factor and more flexible configuration, but mechanical defects may occur and antenna performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor substrate is divided into different peripheral areas (first peripheral area and second peripheral area) with different bending characteristics. The second peripheral area is configured to bend while the first peripheral area remains relatively flat, allowing the substrate to be segmented into zones with different mechanical properties to accommodate both miniaturization and reliability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sensor substrate are given different local qualities through the antenna frame structure. The bending guide portion creates a localized bending zone in the second peripheral area while maintaining structural integrity in other regions. The antenna frame itself has varying thickness and material properties in different locations to control stress distribution and prevent mechanical defects.
2Area of stationary object
If the sensor substrate is bent to minimize bezel size, then the display device achieves a smaller form factor, but antenna performance may deteriorate due to deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna frame is designed with local quality variations to maintain antenna performance in the bent second peripheral area. The frame structure provides localized support and stress distribution that preserves the electrical characteristics of the antenna pattern even when bent. Different portions of the antenna frame have different structural properties to accommodate the bending while maintaining antenna functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna frame extends in the thickness direction (third direction) to provide ground plane extension and structural support. This three-dimensional structure allows the antenna system to maintain performance by utilizing the vertical dimension for ground plane area while the sensor substrate bends in the horizontal plane, effectively separating the bending deformation from the antenna radiation plane.
3Reliability
If the antenna frame extends the ground plane to maintain antenna performance, then antenna reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna frame serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for bending the sensor substrate, extends the ground plane for antenna performance, and acts as a mechanical guide for the bending process. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and minimizes overall device complexity while achieving both mechanical and electrical objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna frame merges the mechanical support function with the electrical ground plane function into a single integrated structure. Rather than having separate support elements and ground plane elements, the antenna frame combines both functions, reducing the number of components and simplifying the overall device architecture while maintaining both structural integrity and antenna performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device is disclosed that includes a display panel, a sensor substrate, sensing electrodes, an antenna pattern, an antenna signal line, an antenna pad, and an antenna frame. The sensor substrate is disposed on an upper surface of the display panel and includes a touch sensing area, a first peripheral area adjacent to the touch sensing area, and a second peripheral area bent from the first peripheral area. The sensing electrodes and the antenna pattern are disposed on the touch sensing area of the sensor substrate. The antenna signal line is connected from the antenna pattern and extends to the first peripheral area and the second peripheral area. The antenna pad is disposed in the second peripheral area and connects to the antenna signal line. The antenna frame is attached to a lower surface of the display panel and defines a bending shape of the sensor substrate.