Organic Electroluminescent Module with Integrated Touch Sensing Electrode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional organic electroluminescent modules for smart devices have a large thickness due to separate assemblies for light-emitting and touch sensing functions, leading to increased costs, thickness, and production complexity.
Innovation Solution
An organic electroluminescent module where one of the electrodes functions as a touch sensing electrode, with a combined capacitive touch sensing circuit and light-emitting device driving circuit, allowing for integrated touch sensing and light emission without detecting interelectrode capacitance during touch detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate assemblies are used for light-emitting and touch sensing functions, then each function can be independently optimized, but the device thickness and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light-emitting electrode and touch sensing electrode into a single integrated electrode structure. The organic electroluminescent panel uses one electrode that simultaneously serves as both the light emission electrode and the capacitive touch sensing electrode, eliminating the need for separate assemblies and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining functional independence through dual-mode operation
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the light-emitting electrode during display operation and as the touch sensing electrode during touch detection. This multi-functional design allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require separate dedicated components for each function
2Reliability
If separate assemblies are used for light-emitting and touch sensing functions, then each function can be independently optimized, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light-emitting electrode and touch sensing electrode into a single integrated electrode structure within the organic electroluminescent panel. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate electrode assemblies and their associated spacing layers, directly reducing the overall device thickness while maintaining both light-emitting and touch sensing functionalities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a multi-layer stacked architecture (separate light-emitting layers and touch sensing layers at different positions) to a planar integrated architecture where both functions coexist within the same electrode plane, effectively reducing the vertical dimension (thickness) of the device
3Reliability
If separate assemblies are used for light-emitting and touch sensing functions, then functional performance can be optimized, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light-emitting electrode and touch sensing electrode into a single integrated electrode structure, which reduces the number of manufacturing steps, materials required, and assembly operations. This consolidation directly lowers production costs while maintaining the functional performance of both light emission and touch sensing through the dual-mode operation of the integrated electrode
4Reliability
If separate assemblies are used for light-emitting and touch sensing functions, then each function can be independently optimized, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light-emitting electrode and touch sensing electrode into a single integrated electrode structure that occupies the same spatial footprint. This integration eliminates the need for separate dedicated areas for each function, reducing the overall device area while maintaining functional independence through temporal separation of operations (light emission mode and touch sensing mode)
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 the size and thickness of the device, simplifies production, and enables effective touch sensing and light emission in a compact form factor, suitable for smart devices and illumination applications.
Implementation Method 1
an organic electroluminescent panel including paired opposite plate electrodes; a light-emitting device driving circuit unit disposed between the paired opposite plate electrodes of the organic electroluminescent panel
Implementation Method 2
one of the paired opposite plate electrodes of the organic electroluminescent panel is a touch sensing electrode connected to the capacitive touch sensing circuit unit
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL device that includes an electrode having a light-emitting function and a touch sensing function, an organic electroluminescent module that includes a specific controlling circuit and can contribute to reduction in sizes and thickness and simplified production steps of the device, and a smart device and an illumination device each including the organic electroluminescent module. The organic electroluminescent module of the present invention has a touch sensing function and includes a capacitive touch sensing circuit unit and a light-emitting device driving circuit unit including a light-emitting device driving circuit section for driving an organic electroluminescent panel. The organic electroluminescent panel includes paired opposite plate electrodes therein. The paired electrodes are connected to the light-emitting device driving circuit unit, and one of the paired electrodes is a touch sensing electrode that is connected to the touch sensing circuit unit.