In-cell Touch Display Structure Using TFT Electrode Merging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional touch display panels require a sensing layer made of ITO material on glass substrates, increasing manufacturing costs, complicating the process, and leading to higher power consumption due to low aperture rates, which is disadvantageous for mobile devices.

Innovation Solution

The in-cell touch display structure eliminates the need for a sensing electrode layer on the upper or lower substrate by integrating a thin film transistor and sensing electrode layer between the substrates, with sensing conductor lines and segments forming blocks to detect touch inputs without obstructing light penetration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sensing layer made of ITO material is provided on the upper or lower glass substrate, then the touch sensing function is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases and the manufacturing process is complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch sensing functionVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the touch sensing function with the existing TFT electrode structure by integrating sensing conductor lines and segments into the gate line sub-layer and source line sub-layer. This merging eliminates the need for a separate ITO sensing layer, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining touch sensing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The electrode structures in the display panel are designed to serve dual functions: driving the display pixels and sensing touch inputs. The gate lines, source lines, and conductor segments collectively perform both display driving and touch sensing, reducing the need for dedicated sensing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a sensing layer made of ITO material is provided on the upper or lower glass substrate, then the touch sensing function is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch sensing functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent discards the traditional separate ITO sensing layer and recovers/repurposes the existing TFT electrode structures (gate lines, source lines, conductor segments) to perform both display driving and touch sensing functions, thereby reducing material costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If a conventional touch panel is overlapped with the display unit, then the touch panel function is achieved, but the additional weight and thickness increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch panel functionVSAvoidtouch display panel weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the touch panel function with the display unit by integrating the sensing electrode layer into the TFT structure. This eliminates the need for a separate overlapped touch panel, thereby reducing the overall weight and thickness of the touch display assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The display unit is designed to perform multiple functions including display and touch sensing. The same electrode structures that drive the display pixels also serve as touch sensing elements, eliminating the need for additional touch panel layers and reducing overall weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If a conventional touch panel is overlapped with the display unit, then the touch panel function is achieved, but the light penetration rate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch panel functionVSAvoidlight penetration rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the touch sensing function with the existing TFT electrode structure by integrating sensing conductor lines and segments into the gate line sub-layer and source line sub-layer. This merging eliminates the need for a separate ITO sensing layer, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining touch sensing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the sensing function from the traditional separate ITO sensing layer and integrates it into the TFT electrode structure. This extraction eliminates the additional opaque layer that would block light, thereby maintaining high light penetration rate while achieving touch sensing functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10156919B2In-cell touch display structure

Publication Date: 2018.12.18 SUPERC TOUCH CORP

AI summary

An in-cell touch display structure includes: an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a display material layer configured between the upper and lower substrates, and a thin film transistor and sensing electrode layer. The thin film transistor and sensing electrode layer includes a gate line sub-layer having a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of connection segments separated by the gate lines, and a source line sub-layer having a plurality of source lines, a plurality of sensing conductor lines, and a plurality of sensing conductor segments separated by the source lines and the sensing conductor lines, wherein part of the sensing conductor segments and part of the connection segments are electrically connected together to form a plurality of sensing conductor blocks.