Display Panel Shared Read-Out Lines for Touch and Light Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display panels face challenges in detecting user touch and external light while maintaining performance, due to the presence of various components like electrodes and signal lines, which also lead to image quality degradations.
Innovation Solution
The display panel design includes common electrodes, driving circuits, and read-out lines, where phototransistors are integrated with read-out lines to detect touch and light, minimizing non-open areas and optimizing the layout to prevent image quality degradations by suitably disposing read-out lines for touch sensing and photosensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If phototransistors and read-out lines are added to detect touch and light, then sensing capability is improved, but device complexity and image quality degradation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The common electrode and read-out line are designed to serve multiple functions: they act as both display electrodes for image output and sensing electrodes for touch and light detection. The read-out line simultaneously reads signals from both touch sensing capacitors and phototransistors, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensing components and wire lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the touch sensing function and photosensing function into the existing display structure by integrating phototransistors with the common electrode and sharing read-out lines between touch sensing capacitors and phototransistors, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite adding sensing capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If phototransistors are added for light detection, then photosensing capability is improved, but non-open areas increase
Solution Approach 1:
Phototransistors are selectively disposed in specific regions corresponding to common electrodes, rather than uniformly across the entire display area. This localized placement optimizes photosensing capability in critical areas while minimizing the increase in non-open areas overall.
3Adaptability or versatility
If read-out lines are extended to connect phototransistors, then sensing coverage is improved, but image quality degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same read-out line serves dual purposes: reading signals from touch sensing capacitors and reading signals from phototransistors. This shared read-out approach extends sensing coverage without requiring additional dedicated wire lines that would further degrade image quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables efficient touch and light detection without additional wire lines, reduces non-open areas, and prevents image quality degradations, improving the overall performance of the display panel.
Implementation Method 1
at least one phototransistor of the phototransistors, disposed in the area corresponding to the common electrode, may be connected to the common electrode, thereby being electrically connected to the first read-out line and the second read-out line
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of common electrodes disposed in an active area... the first driving circuit may output a touch driving signal through one or more first read-out lines
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel includes common electrodes in an active area and a first driving circuit on one side of the active area and a second driving circuit on the other side of the active area. First read-out lines are electrically connected to the common electrodes, respectively, and to the first driving circuit. Second read-out lines are electrically connected to the second driving circuit, and to the first read-out lines, respectively. An output signal of phototransistors may be detected using read-out lines connected to a common electrode serving as a touch sensor, such that touch sensing and photosensing can be performed using the shared read-out line. No disconnection areas are provided between the read-out lines driven by the different driving circuits, or the disconnection areas are distributed. Abnormalities in image quality due to the disconnection areas are prevented, and a sensing function using the shared read-out lines is provided.