This application is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2019/081571, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, claiming priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810769186.5 filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Jul. 13, 2018, and entitled “A touch module, a touch display device, and a method for fabricating the same”, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
This disclosure generally relates to the field of touch technologies, and particularly to a touch module, a method for fabricating the same, and a touch display device.
The existing mobile phone, tablet computer, and other electronic devices typically include a touch display screen, and a physical control button with a specific function is arranged on one side of these electronic devices to control volume, to power on or off the devices, and to perform other functions.
The existing touch screen includes a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen dependent upon the induction principles thereof. The capacitive touch screen with a higher penetrability has been more favored in smart mobile phones than the resistive touch screen. However, the existing touch screen is generally designed to sense an input signal in a single plane due to its durability, stability and other factors.
An embodiment of this disclosure provides a touch module including a touch area and a bezel area, the touch module further including: a first touch electrode structure located in the touch area, and configured to sense a touch signal in the touch area; a second touch electrode structure located in the bezel area, and configured to sense a touch signal in the bezel area; and the second touch electrode structure sharing touch signal traveling lines with at least a part of the first touch electrode structure.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the first touch electrode structure includes first touch sense electrodes and first touch scan electrodes arranged to intersect with and to be insulated from each other; and the second touch electrode structure includes: a second touch sense electrode formed by the first touch sense electrodes located at an edge of the touch area and extending to the bezel area, and a second touch scan electrode formed by the first touch scan electrodes located at the edge of the touch area and extending to the bezel area.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch electrode structure includes the second touch sense electrode formed by one first touch sense electrode extending to the bezel area, and at least two second touch scan electrodes formed by at least two first touch scan electrodes adjacent to the first touch sense electrode, which extend respectively to the bezel area.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch sense electrode includes a first extension section and a first branch section intersecting and connected with each other; and the first extension section is connected with the first touch sense electrode.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, both the first touch sense electrodes and the first touch scan electrodes include a plurality of block electrodes shaped like a diamond; and the first extension section and the first branch section constitute the second touch sense electrode of T-shape.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the respective second touch scan electrodes are parallel to the first branch section.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch electrode structure includes the second touch scan electrode formed by one first touch scan electrode extending to the bezel area, and at least two second touch sense electrodes formed by at least two first touch sense electrodes adjacent to the first touch scan electrode, which extend respectively to the bezel area.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch scan electrode includes a third extension section and a second branch section intersecting and connected with each other; and the third extension section is connected with the first touch scan electrode.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, both the first touch sense electrodes and the first touch scan electrodes include a plurality of block electrodes shaped like a diamond; and the third extension section and the second branch section constitute the second touch scan electrode of T-shape.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the respective second touch sense electrodes are parallel to the second branch section.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the touch signal traveling lines include first traveling lines connected with the first touch electrodes, and second traveling lines connected with the second touch electrodes; the second touch scan electrode shares the first traveling lines with the first touch scan electrodes; and the second touch sense electrode shares the second traveling lines with the first touch sense electrodes.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the touch module above further includes an underlying substrate, wherein: there is a specified angle between a part of the underlying substrate corresponding to the touch area, and a part of the underlying substrate corresponding to the bezel area.
Correspondingly, an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a touch display device including the touch module above, wherein the touch display device further includes a display area located in the touch area of the touch module.
Optionally in an embodiment of this disclosure, the touch display device includes virtual touch buttons including at least one second touch electrode structure.
Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for fabricating the touch module above, the method including: forming the first touch electrode structure in the touch area, wherein the first touch electrode structure is configured to sense a touch signal in the touch area; and forming the second touch electrode structure in the bezel area, wherein the second touch electrode structure is configured to sense a touch signal in the bezel area, wherein: the second touch electrode structure and at least a part of the first touch electrode structure are connected with the same touch signal traveling lines.
This disclosure will be described below in further details with reference to the drawings and embodiments thereof. As can be appreciated, the particular embodiments described here are only intended to set forth this disclosure, but not to limit this disclosure thereto. It shall be further noted that only components related to this disclosure are illustrated in the drawings for the sake of a convenient description.
It shall be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure, and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless they conflict with each other. This disclosure will be described below in details with reference to the drawings and in connection with the embodiments thereof.
As illustrated in
As illustrated, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a touch module including a touch area A1 and a bezel area A2. The dotted line L1 as illustrated represents a boundary between the touch area A1 and the bezel area A2, that is, the touch area A1 and the bezel area A2 intersect with each other at the dotted line L1. The touch module further includes: a first touch electrode structure 10 located in the touch area A1, and configured to sense a touch signal in the touch area A1; a second touch electrode structure 20 located in the bezel area A2, and configured to sense a touch signal in the bezel area A2. The second touch electrode structure 20 shares touch signal traveling lines 40 with at least a part of the first touch electrode structure 10.
In an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch electrode structure 20 can be arranged in the bezel area A2 to thereby design virtual buttons instead of original physical buttons with a specified control function so as to advantageously save a space and a cost. Moreover, the second touch electrode structure and the first touch electrode structure can share the touch signal traveling lines to thereby simplify the structure by designing the virtual touch buttons without increasing the area of the bezel area of the touch module, and the number of touch signal traveling lines.
In the touch module according to an embodiment of this disclosure, touch signals can be sensed in the touch area and the bezel area in different planes. For example, in order to configure the touch module for a mobile phone, the second touch electrode structure can be arranged on one side of the mobile phone instead of the existing physical buttons, e.g., a volume control button, a power button, etc., to thereby improve the experience of a user, and save a space. It shall be noted that the corresponding touch area and bezel area may not be planar structures, but may be curved surfaces with some arc, although an embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.
In a particular implementation, the touch signal traveling lines can be arranged at the edge of the touch area A1, or can be arranged in the bezel area A2, to thereby improve a screen to panel ratio of the touch display device so as to improve touch and display effects.
Particularly in an embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The second touch electrode structure in an embodiment of this disclosure includes a part of the extending first touch electrode structure to thereby simplify the structure by enabling the second touch electrode structure to sense a touch signal without increasing the number of touch signal traveling lines.
As illustrated in
Since the first touch scan electrodes 11 and the second touch sense electrodes 12 in the first touch electrode structure 10 are arranged to intersect with each other, a touch position can be determined by detecting a change in capacitance at the intersections to thereby detect a touch. While a finger is touching, a mutual capacitance at a corresponding position is decreased, and particularly while the finger is touching, capacitances of a plurality of groups of touch electrodes around the position where the finger touches are changed. There is the largest change in capacitances of touch electrodes at the central position touched by the finger, and a touch detection circuit can determine the position of the touching finger by analyzing the distribution of a plurality of sets of changes in capacitances.
Alike as illustrated in
While the finger is touching the touch area of the common touch signal traveling lines, the position with the largest change in capacitance is changed, and changes in capacitances of the touch electrodes proximate to the position are also changed, so the touch detection circuit can determine the position of the touching finger according to the distribution of the respective changes in capacitances. In this way, even if the touch signal traveling lines are shared, then the particular position of the touch may be recognized according to the distribution of the changes in capacitances of the touch electrodes.
In some embodiment, as illustrated in
In order not to introduce additional traveling lines, a part of the first touch sense electrodes 12, and a part of the first touch scan electrodes 11, located at the edge of the touch area A1, in the first touch electrode structure extend directly to the bezel area A2 to form a different distribution of mutual capacitors from the first touch electrode structure so that there is a different capacitance in the second touch electrode structure from those in the first touch electrode structure, so when there is an external object pressing, the position of the pressing can be determined according to different capacitances in the first touch electrode structure and the second touch electrode structure.
Particularly in an embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated in
The second touch scan electrodes 22 share the first traveling lines 41 with the first touch scan electrodes 11.
The second touch sense electrode 21 shares the second traveling lines 42 with the first touch sense electrodes 12.
It shall be noted that an arrangement area of the touch signal traveling lines 40 will not be limited to any particular arrangement area, but can alternatively be arranged in the touch area or another area as needed. For example, the first traveling lines 41 and the second traveling lines 42 can be arranged at the edge of the touch area A1, or a part or all of them can be arranged in the bezel area A2, as needed in reality. The second touch sense electrode 21 can share the second traveling lines 42 with the first touch sense electrodes 12 extending and connected therewith, and the second touch scan electrodes 22 can share the first traveling lines 41 with the first touch scan electrodes 11 extending and connected therewith, to thereby simplify the structure of the touch module, and detect a touch in the bezel area without increasing the number of touch signal traveling lines in the touch module.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated in
The first extension section 211 is connected with the first touch sense electrodes.
In a particular implementation, both the first touch sense electrodes 12 and the first touch scan electrodes 11 include a plurality of block electrodes shaped like a diamond.
The first extension section 211 and the first branch section 212 constitute the second touch sense electrode of T-shape 21, that is, the first extension section 211 may or may not be perpendicular to the first branch section 212, and the angle between the first extension section 211 and the first branch section 212 will not be limited to any particular angle.
As can be appreciated, the first extension section 211 is connected with the first branch section 212, and both of them are extensions of the first touch sense electrodes 12.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the respective second touch scan electrodes 22 are parallel to the first branch section 212 so that the second touch scan electrodes 22 and the first branch section 212 constitute a mutual-capacitive structure to thereby facilitate detection of a touch position, and wiring.
It shall be noted that as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch electrode structure 20 includes a second touch scan electrode 31 formed by one first touch scan electrode 11 extending to the bezel area, and at least two second touch sense electrodes 32 formed by at least two first touch sense electrodes 12 adjacent to the first touch scan electrode 11, which extend respectively to the bezel area.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch scan electrode 31 includes a third extension section 311 and a second branch section 312 intersecting and connected with each other.
The third extension section 311 is connected with the first touch scan electrode.
In a particular implementation, both the first touch sense electrodes 12 and the first touch scan electrodes 11 include a plurality of block electrodes shaped like a diamond.
The third extension section 311 and the second branch section 312 constitute the second touch scan electrode of T-shape 31, that is, the third extension section 311 may or may not be perpendicular to the second branch section 312, and the angle between the third extension section 311 and the second branch section 312 will not be limited to any particular angle.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the respective second touch sense electrodes 32 are parallel to the second branch section 312.
It shall be noted that as illustrated in
There is a specified angle between a part of the underlying substrate 100 corresponding to the touch area, and a part the underlying substrate 100 corresponding to the bezel area.
As illustrated in
For example, when the touch module is configured for a mobile phone, the second touch electrode structure can be arranged on one side of the mobile phone instead of the existing physical buttons, e.g., a volume control button, a power button, etc., to thereby improve the experience of a user, and save a space. It shall be noted that the corresponding touch area and bezel area may not be planar structures, but may be curved surfaces with some arc, although an embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.
Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a touch display device including the touch module according to any one of the embodiments above of this disclosure.
The touch area of the touch module can correspond to a display face of the touch display device, and the bezel area of the touch module can correspond to a face where a side of the touch display device is located.
For example, when the touch display device is configured as a mobile phone, the second touch electrode structure can be arranged on one side of the mobile phone instead of the existing physical buttons, e.g., a volume control button, a power button, etc., to thereby improve the experience of a user, and save a space. It shall be noted that the corresponding touch area and bezel area may not be planar structures, but may be curved surfaces with some arc, although an embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.
Optionally in some embodiment of this disclosure, the touch display device above includes a display area.
The display area is located in the touch area of the touch module.
In this way, a touch function can also be performed in the display area of the touch display device, or the touch area of the touch module can alternatively be arranged at another position as needed in reality, and the positional relationship between the display area and the touch area will not be limited to any particular positional relationship.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the touch display device includes at least one virtual touch button.
The at least one virtual touch button includes at least one second touch electrode structure.
In a particular implementation, the second touch electrode structures can be arranged consecutively or at an interval as illustrated in
Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for fabricating the touch module, where the method includes the steps of: forming the first touch electrode structure in the touch area, where the first touch electrode structure is configured to sense a touch signal in the touch area; and forming the second touch electrode structure in the bezel area, where the second touch electrode structure is configured to sense a touch signal in the bezel area. The second touch electrode structure and at least a part of the first touch electrode structure are connected with the same touch signal traveling lines.
In an embodiment of this disclosure, the second touch electrode structure can be arranged in the bezel area to thereby design a virtual keyboard including virtual buttons.
Moreover the second touch electrode structure and at least a part of the first touch electrode structure can be connected with the same touch signal traveling lines to thereby design the virtual touch buttons without increasing the area of the bezel area of the touch module, and the number of touch signal traveling lines.
In some embodiment of this disclosure, the touch module is formed on an underlying substrate. There is a specified angle between a part of the underlying substrate corresponding to the touch area, and a part of the underlying substrate corresponding to the bezel area, so that touch signals can be sensed in the touch area and the bezel area in different planes.
The foregoing description is only illustrative of embodiments of the disclosure, and their technical principle. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the disclosure of the disclosure will not be limited to the technical solution including the specific combination of the technical features above, and shall cover the other technical solutions including any combination of the technical features above or their equivalent features without departing from the scope of this disclosure, e.g., technical solutions including the technical features above replacing the technical features, with functions similar thereto, as disclosed in the context (without any limitation thereto), or the latter technical features replacing the former technical features.
Although the preferable embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art can make additional modifications and changes to these embodiments without departing from their underlying inventive ideas. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover the preferable embodiments, and all the modifications and changes falling into the scope of this disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
201810769186.5 | Jul 2018 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/CN2019/081571 | 4/4/2019 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2020/010881 | 1/16/2020 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
9958981 | Yang | May 2018 | B2 |
10409433 | Kwak | Sep 2019 | B2 |
10671226 | Hayashi | Jun 2020 | B2 |
20130169567 | Shih | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20130181938 | Takashima | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20140225843 | Kuo | Aug 2014 | A1 |
20140354902 | Shih | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150109243 | Jun | Apr 2015 | A1 |
20150234502 | Kubo | Aug 2015 | A1 |
20150268797 | Kurasawa | Sep 2015 | A1 |
20150346850 | Vandermeijden | Dec 2015 | A1 |
20160054828 | Lien | Feb 2016 | A1 |
20160178974 | Li | Jun 2016 | A1 |
20160187994 | La | Jun 2016 | A1 |
20160218151 | Kwon | Jul 2016 | A1 |
20160370904 | Wang | Dec 2016 | A1 |
20160378240 | Li | Dec 2016 | A1 |
20170131811 | Watanabe | May 2017 | A1 |
20170228068 | Pu | Aug 2017 | A1 |
20170285794 | Tanemura | Oct 2017 | A1 |
20190034013 | Hu | Jan 2019 | A1 |
20190041912 | Ha | Feb 2019 | A1 |
20190265832 | Chan | Aug 2019 | A1 |
20190369833 | Kubo | Dec 2019 | A1 |
20200019282 | Luo et al. | Jan 2020 | A1 |
20200233530 | Xie | Jul 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
205193771 | Apr 2016 | CN |
205281452 | Jun 2016 | CN |
205899517 | Jan 2017 | CN |
107450775 | Dec 2017 | CN |
107450775 | Dec 2017 | CN |
108958562 | Dec 2018 | CN |
108984033 | Dec 2018 | CN |
20150078764 | Jul 2015 | KR |
Entry |
---|
Office Action for corresponding Chinese Application 201810769186.5 dated Sep. 4, 2019. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20210026486 A1 | Jan 2021 | US |