Flexible OLED Back-Plate Integrated Pressure Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capacitive touch screen panels cannot measure the intensity of touch inputs, limiting their functionality in modern electronic devices, and integrating separate pressure sensors increases the thickness of flexible OLED devices, compromising their flexibility and thinness.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pressure sensor into the back-plate of flexible OLED devices, which also serves as a support to prevent warping and tearing, allowing the touch electrodes to function as both position and intensity sensors, eliminating the need for additional pressure sensors and maintaining device thinness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a separate pressure sensor is attached to the display device, then the intensity of touch input can be measured, but the thickness of the display device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pressure sensor function with the back-plate structure by integrating a lower electrode and elastic member into the back-plate. This merging eliminates the need for a separate pressure sensor layer, thereby maintaining thinness while enabling touch intensity measurement through capacitance changes detected by the integrated sensor components.
Solution Approach 2:
The back-plate is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support to prevent warping, and simultaneously functions as a pressure sensor through its integrated lower electrode and elastic member. This multi-functionality allows the same component to both reinforce the display and measure touch intensity, avoiding additional thickness.
2Strength
If a back-plate with greater thickness is used to support the substrate, then the substrate warping and tearing are prevented, but the flexibility of the device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin-film back-plate structure with an elastic member that provides both mechanical support and flexibility. The back-plate is designed as a thin component that can bend and flex with the display, preventing substrate warping while maintaining the overall flexibility of the device. The elastic member within the back-plate allows it to deform elastically under touch pressure without permanent deformation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for touch position sensing and pressure sensing, then both functions can be performed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touch position sensing and pressure sensing functions into a single integrated system. The touch electrodes and back-plate components work together to provide both position detection (through capacitance changes at electrode intersections) and pressure measurement (through capacitance changes in the back-plate), eliminating the need for separate sensor systems and reducing overall device complexity.
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
Enables flexible OLED devices to accurately measure touch input intensity without additional thickness, enhancing their flexibility and reducing the risk of warping, while maintaining precise position sensing.
Implementation Method 1
When a touch input is made on the OLED device, the elastic member is compressed in response to the touch input
Implementation Method 2
the intensity of a touch input by measuring a capacitance between the upper electrode and the lower electrode
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light-emitting display (OLED) device with an integrated pressure sensor is provided. The OLED device includes a substrate, an organic light-emitting element, and a back-plate. The substrate has a thin-film transistor and has flexibility. The organic light-emitting element is connected to the thin-film transistor on the substrate. The back-plate supports the substrate under the substrate and has a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a touch input. The OLED device with an integrated pressure sensor includes a pressure sensor configured to support a substrate and measure the intensity of a touch input, so that a separate pressure sensor attached to the display device in an add-on type touch screen panel can be eliminated.