Touch Display Electrode Layout Around Holes With Crack Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices face difficulties in disposing touch electrodes and conductive lines around holes in the active area due to structural challenges, particularly when sensors or modules are present, leading to inefficiencies in touch sensing.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves arranging touch electrodes and connecting lines in a specific pattern around holes in the active area, with increased density and altered orientations between holes, along with auxiliary electrodes and dummy metals to enhance touch sensitivity and ease of placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a hole is formed in the second area to reduce the number of transistors, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but crack detection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of transistorsVSAvoidcrack detection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The crack detecting pattern is divided into multiple separate patterns (first crack detecting pattern and second crack detecting pattern) located in different areas (first area and second area). This segmentation allows the pattern to be distributed across the display panel, enabling crack detection even when transistors are removed from certain regions, thus maintaining detection capability while reducing transistor count.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The crack detecting pattern acts as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between the hole (where transistors are removed) and the crack detection function. By placing the crack detecting pattern in the first area and extending it to the second area, the pattern serves as a mediator that maintains crack detection capability in regions where transistors are absent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the crack detecting pattern is extended into the second area, then crack detection coverage is improved, but the number of transistors increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrack detection coverageVSAvoidnumber of transistors
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The crack detecting pattern is merged with the existing transistor structure in the first area, and then extended into the second area. By combining the crack detection function with the existing display structure and utilizing the hole region, the pattern achieves extended coverage without requiring a proportional increase in transistors, as the pattern leverages the existing transistor infrastructure and the hole space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If transistors are removed from the second area to reduce device complexity, then manufacturing is simplified, but the ability to detect cracks in that area is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcrack detection in second area
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The crack detecting pattern is designed in advance to extend into the second area before the hole is formed. This preliminary design ensures that the crack detection capability is pre-established in the region where transistors will be removed, allowing crack detection to be maintained even after transistor removal simplifies manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4336327B1Touch display device
Publication Date: 2026.05.20 LG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP4336327B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4336327B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4336327B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a touch display device comprising: an active area (AA) including a first area (A1) in which a plurality of subpixels (SP) are disposed; a second area (A2) surrounded by the first area (A1); a hole (H1, H2) located in the second area (A2); a substrate (SUB) including the hole (H1, H2); at least one transistor (T1, T2) disposed on the substrate (SUB); a touch buffer layer (T-BUF) disposed on the at least one transistor (T1, T2); at least one touch electrode connecting line (X-CL, Y-Cl) disposed on the touch buffer layer (T-BUF); a touch insulating film (ILD) disposed on the at least one touch electrode connecting line (X-CL, Y-Cl); at least one touch electrode (X-TE, Y-TE) disposed on the touch insulating film (ILD); and at least one crack detecting pattern (CDP1, CDP2) disposed at a periphery of the hole (H1, H2) while being located in the first area (A1).