Optical Plate Hides Touch Sensors in Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of non-transparent functional elements, such as touch sensors and RFID antennas, into display screens poses challenges due to visibility issues and space conflicts with the display screen, requiring a solution to mask these elements while maintaining image quality and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An optical plate with a lenticular or prismatic film is positioned above the display screen, featuring zones of transparency and non-transparent functional elements, guiding light through transparent zones to maintain image clarity and allowing for the integration of various functional elements like touch sensors and antennas without visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-transparent conductive metal lines are used to replace TCO material for touch screen integration, then electrical conductivity and cost are improved, but transparency and image quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical compensating film as an intermediary element positioned between the display and the viewer. This film contains optical elements (lenticules or prisms) that redirect light paths to bypass the non-transparent conductive metal lines, allowing the metal lines to remain hidden while maintaining their electrical conductivity function for touch sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent solves the transparency problem by shifting from a two-dimensional planar view to a three-dimensional optical path manipulation. The optical compensating film creates alternative light paths that travel through different spatial dimensions, allowing light to reach the viewer without passing through the opaque metal conductive lines that lie in the original light path plane.
2Area of stationary object
If the screen occupies the entire front face of the device, then display area is maximized, but space for additional hardware functions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions (display, touch sensing, RFID communication, and other hardware functions) into a single unified structure. The front face simultaneously serves as the display screen, the touch sensor interface, and the RFID antenna, eliminating the need for separate hardware components and maximizing space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges previously separate functional layers into a single integrated assembly. The display screen, touch sensor with conductive metal lines, and RFID antenna are combined into one multi-functional front face structure, allowing maximum display area while incorporating additional hardware capabilities.
3Illumination intensity
If transparent TCO material is used for touch sensors, then image quality is maintained, but electrical conductivity and cost-effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical compensating film acts as a mediator that decouples the transparency requirement from the conductive metal lines. By redirecting light paths through optical elements, the film allows opaque metal lines to be positioned in the light path without degrading image quality, thus enabling the use of highly conductive metal materials.
4Ease of manufacture
If the tactile network is made non-transparent, then cost is reduced and availability is improved, but visibility and image quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical compensating film serves as a visual mask that hides the non-transparent tactile network from the viewer. The film's optical elements redirect light around the metal lines, making them invisible while allowing their electrical function to remain operational, thus enabling cost-effective manufacturing with abundant metal materials.
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 the discreet integration of multiple functional elements within the display screen without degrading image quality, providing a cost-effective and reliable solution for devices like mobile phones and tablets, while minimizing electromagnetic wave impact on human health.
Implementation Method 1
An optical plate with a lenticular or prismatic film is positioned above the display screen, featuring zones of transparency and non-transparent functional elements, guiding light through transparent zones to maintain image clarity
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a display device (1) including a plurality of pixels (7) forming an image, and an optical plate (4) arranged opposite the image and comprising transparency areas (11) configured to allow the light from the pixels (7) to at least partially pass therethrough. Said display device (1) is characterized in that: said optical plate (4) further comprises at least one array of functional elements (10) corresponding to an electronic and/or mechanical function; and said functional elements (10) are inserted between the transparency areas (11) and arranged such that the light emitted by the pixels (7) is directed so as to pass through the transparency areas (11) without intercepting the arrays of functional elements (10), so as to render said arrays of functional elements (10) invisible or quasi-invisible to an observer of the display device (1). The invention can be used in any type of display device in which functions other than display itself must be integrated in a visually discreet manner.