Elastic Member Hardness Gradient for Uniform Force Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid crystal display devices with force sensing capabilities face challenges in detecting pressing forces uniformly across the display surface due to the need for increased air layer thickness to detect larger forces, which contradicts the goal of slimming down the device, and the use of cushion materials creates points of inflection that vary by location, making uniform force detection difficult.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a backlight unit and an elastic member featuring different hardness regions in the thickness direction, where a softer central region and harder peripheral regions in the cushion material allow for greater warping in the center and controlled deformation in the periphery, ensuring consistent force detection across the display surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the thickness of the air layer is increased to detect larger pressing forces, then the force detection range is improved, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is divided into a first region with first hardness and a second region with second hardness, where the hardness differs between regions. Specifically, the central portion has higher hardness while the peripheral portions have lower hardness, creating local quality differences that enable uniform force detection across the display surface while maintaining compact device thickness.
2Measurement precision
If a cushion material is provided to secure the amount of displacement, then the electrode displacement is improved, but points of inflection are created that vary by location making uniform force detection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member has different hardness values in different regions: the first region (central portion) has higher hardness while the second region (peripheral portions) has lower hardness. This local quality differentiation ensures that the point of inflection occurs at consistent positions across the display surface, enabling uniform force detection. The harder central region provides sufficient displacement while the softer peripheral regions control deformation to prevent location-dependent detection errors.
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 precise and uniform force sensing over the entire display surface by adjusting the displacement of detection electrodes based on the location of the applied force, allowing for accurate detection of pressing forces without increasing the device thickness.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member between the backlight device and the second detection electrode, including a first region opposing a central portion of the backlight device and a second region located to surround the first region. The first region and the second region are different in hardness in a thickness direction of the elastic member.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel including a first substrate including a display area and a first detection electrode, a backlight device opposed to the first substrate with a gap therebetween, a second detection electrode opposing the first detection electrode via the backlight device, and an elastic member between the backlight device and the second detection electrode, including a first region opposing a central portion of the back light device and a second region located to surround the first region. The first region and the second region are different in hardness in a thickness direction of the elastic member.