Hybrid Touch Panel Electrode Placement in LCD Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing liquid crystal display (LCD) devices with integrated touch panels face challenges such as increased overall size, higher fabrication costs, signal interference, and degraded image quality due to touch wiring, as well as complexity in the manufacturing process when the touch panel is attached externally, and when attempted to be integrated fully within the liquid crystal panel, it leads to thickness issues and reduced size potential.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal display device design where one portion of the touch panel is formed within the liquid crystal panel and another portion is formed outside, allowing for a hybrid structure that combines the advantages of internal and external touch panels, with electrodes formed from materials like metal and indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO), simplifying the fabrication process and minimizing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the touch panel is fully integrated within the liquid crystal panel, then the device structure is compact, but the overall size increases and fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel is divided into two parts: the first electrode is formed within the liquid crystal panel structure, while the second electrode is formed outside the liquid crystal panel on the touch panel structure. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function and simplifies the overall fabrication process by avoiding the need to fully integrate the touch panel within the LCD structure.
2Volume of moving object
If the touch panel is fully integrated within the liquid crystal panel, then the structure is compact, but signal interference and image quality degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The second electrode of the touch panel is extracted from the internal structure and placed outside the liquid crystal panel on the touch panel structure. This extraction eliminates the source of signal interference that would occur if the touch panel wiring were fully integrated within the LCD, while still maintaining the compact hybrid structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If the touch panel is attached externally to the liquid crystal panel, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the overall device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first electrode is formed within the liquid crystal panel structure, merging the touch panel functionality with the LCD structure. This merging approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while reducing the overall device size compared to a fully external touch panel attachment.
4Ease of manufacture
If the touch panel is attached externally to the liquid crystal panel, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first electrode is nested within the liquid crystal panel structure, specifically positioned in the lower electrode region. This nesting approach allows the touch panel functionality to be integrated within the existing thickness envelope of the LCD, minimizing the overall device thickness while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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 hybrid touch panel structure enables a compact, cost-effective LCD device with improved image quality by reducing signal interference and maintaining a thin profile, while simplifying the manufacturing process and avoiding the drawbacks of fully internal or external touch panel integration.
Implementation Method 1
a second metal layer formed on a rear surface of the second substrate to form capacitance with the first metal layer, a touched portion being sensed by detecting the variation of the capacitance caused by touch
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal display device including a touch panel having a simple structure and minimized thickness is provided. The liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to an embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel and a touch panel structure. The liquid crystal panel includes a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate, a color filter substrate having a black matrix therein, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate. The touch panel structure includes at least one touch sensor. Each touch sensor includes a first electrode disposed within the liquid crystal panel, and a second electrode disposed outside the liquid crystal panel.