Sensor Wires Overlapping Signal Lines in Display Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices with capacitance sensors face the challenge of reducing wiring resistance to minimize waveform degradation while maintaining the visual integrity of sensor wires, which are often noticeable when increased in number.
Innovation Solution
The display device incorporates sensor wires that overlap signal lines, with widened coupling parts at specific positions to reduce visibility and wiring resistance, and alternates pixel configurations to minimize light shielding effects, allowing for higher resolution and accurate capacitance detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the number of sensor wires coupled to the detection electrode is increased, then wiring resistance is reduced and waveform degradation is suppressed, but the sensor wires become more visually noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor wire with the signal line by making them overlap in the display region. The sensor wire is configured to overlap at least one signal line, effectively combining their spatial paths. This allows multiple sensor wires to share the visual space of existing signal lines, reducing their individual visual prominence while maintaining electrical functionality for capacitance detection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sensor wires are made thinner to reduce visibility, then visual noticeability decreases, but wiring resistance increases and waveform degradation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coupling part as an intermediary element that connects the sensor wire to the detection electrode. This coupling part has a larger area than the sensor wire itself, serving as a mediator that enhances the coupling capacity and reduces wiring resistance without requiring the sensor wire itself to be thick. The coupling part acts as an intermediate structure that resolves the conflict between wire thickness and resistance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sensor wires are positioned to overlap signal lines, then visual noticeability is reduced, but the complexity of wiring layout increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the signal line serve multiple functions: it acts as both a signal transmission line for pixel data and as a visual mask for the sensor wire. By overlapping the sensor wire with the multi-functional signal line, the design achieves capacitance detection functionality while using the existing signal line structure to hide the sensor wire, thereby reducing layout complexity despite the overlapping configuration.
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 effectively reduces the visibility of sensor wires, suppresses waveform degradation, and enhances capacitance detection accuracy, improving the overall display quality and resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of detection electrodes arrayed in a matrix... a plurality of sensor wires coupled to one of the detection electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect, a display device with a sensor includes: a first substrate; detection electrodes arrayed in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction above the first substrate; sensor wires coupled to one of the detection electrodes; pixels each including sub-pixels and arrayed in a matrix in the first and second directions; scanning lines scanning switching elements of the sub-pixels and extending in the first direction; and signal lines coupled to the switching elements and extending in the second direction. One of the sensor wires overlaps one of the signal lines. The sensor wires each have, at a part thereof, a coupling part coupled to the corresponding detection electrode. The pixels include a first pixel with the coupling part and a second pixel without the coupling part. The first and second pixels are alternately disposed in the first and second directions.