Flexible Substrate Electronic Device with Oxide Transistor Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices with touch-input functionality face challenges in reducing power consumption and improving impact resistance, while also requiring a flexible and lightweight design for portable applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of a flexible substrate and a transistor with an oxide semiconductor layer to minimize off-current, combined with a pixel structure that optimizes the light-receiving area of photo sensors and pixel electrodes, allows for efficient power management and touch-input functionality on a single screen displaying both still and moving images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hard substrate such as glass substrate is used, then structural strength and durability are improved, but device weight increases and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible substrate instead of a hard glass substrate to support the display elements and photo sensors. This flexible substrate provides sufficient mechanical strength while being significantly lighter and more flexible, enabling the device to bend or flex without breaking. The substrate maintains the structural integrity needed for the electronic device while eliminating the weight and rigidity constraints of glass substrates.
2Reliability
If photo sensors and pixel electrodes occupy large area, then touch-input function and light-receiving capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the photo sensor and pixel electrode into a unified pixel structure where the photo sensor is positioned to detect light from the display portion while the pixel electrode serves as both the display element and part of the touch sensing mechanism. This merging of functions allows the touch-input capability and light-receiving capability to coexist within the same spatial footprint, reducing the overall device complexity while maintaining both functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pixel structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: the photo sensor detects external light for touch input recognition, the pixel electrode displays images and responds to touch, and together they enable both still image display and touch-sensitive interaction. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components for each function, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If display elements are continuously powered, then image quality and responsiveness are maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic refreshing of the display elements rather than continuous power supply. The display elements are updated at specific intervals to maintain image quality, and the photo sensors are activated periodically to detect touch input. This periodic operation significantly reduces power consumption compared to continuous operation, while still maintaining acceptable image quality and responsiveness for the application.
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 reduces power consumption by maintaining a still image state for extended periods and enables a portable, flexible, and touch-sensitive display capable of showing both still and moving images using external light, with improved durability and reduced weight.
Implementation Method 1
The photo sensors detect external light entering the display portion
Data Source
AI summary
One object of an embodiment is to provide a novel electronic device which is configured so that a user can read data regardless of a location, input data by directly touching a keyboard displayed on a screen or indirectly touching the keyboard with a stylus pen or the like, and use the input data. The electronic device includes a first transistor electrically connected to a reflective electrode and a photo sensor over a flexible substrate. A touch-input button is displayed as a still image on a first screen region of a display portion, and a video signal is output so that a moving image is displayed on a second screen region of the display portion. A video signal processing portion supplying different signals between the case where a still image is displayed on the display portion and the case where a moving image is displayed on the display portion is provided. After writing of a still image is performed, a display element control circuit is put in a non-operation state, whereby power consumption can be reduced.