JP6562613B2 - Touch panel with pressure sensor, manufacturing method thereof, and display device with touch panel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressure sensor-equipped touch panel applied to, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device with a touch panel.

  In recent years, by combining a pressure sensor with a capacitive touch panel and starting the touch panel when the pressure applied to the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold, the power consumption of the battery is reduced or the pressure applied to the pressure sensor There is a thing which realizes a pressure-sensitive touch panel by reproducing as a writing pressure.

  Conventionally, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying images, a touch panel for detecting contact, and a touch panel for detecting contact, and a lower surface of the LCD display surface are arranged to detect pressure. An input device having a pressure sensor that performs a different operation depending on whether the pressure sensor detects contact with the touch panel and when the pressure sensor detects pressure after detecting contact with the touch panel is known ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  That is, in the input device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pressure sensor and the touch panel are provided separately from each other, the touch panel is disposed on the upper surface of the LCD, and the four pressure sensors are disposed on the lower surface of the LCD. ing. The wiring from the pressure sensor is connected to the AD converter.

  FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a general pressure sensor. 7, in this pressure sensor, a pressure sensor electrode 51 and an extraction electrode 52 for connecting the pressure sensor electrode 51 to an external circuit are formed on an FPC (Flexible printed circuit) 50 (FIG. 7). 7 (a)). Further, the pressure sensor electrode 51 is modularized by being arranged and fixed so as to cover a pressure-sensitive rubber 53 that deforms according to pressure (FIG. 7B).

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a general capacitive touch panel. In FIG. 8, in this touch panel, a touch sensor pattern is formed on a cover plate 60 with a transparent electrode 61. The transparent electrode 61 is connected to a low resistance wiring 62 formed of Ag or the like around the transparent electrode 61 on the cover plate 60. Further, the wiring 62 is collected by the FPC 63 and connected to the touch panel controller 64.

  In some touch panel configurations, electrodes and wiring are not directly formed on the cover plate. FIG. 9 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing another general capacitive touch panel. In FIG. 9, in this touch panel, a sensor film 73 on which a transparent electrode 71 and a wiring 72 are formed is attached to a cover plate 70 (FIGS. 9A and 9B). Further, the wiring 72 is collected by the FPC 74 and connected to the touch panel controller 75. Glass may be used instead of the film.

JP 2009-163363 A

  However, the input device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems because the touch panel and the pressure sensor are separate modules. In other words, the input device of Patent Document 1 requires four pressure sensors, and each pressure sensor includes an FPC 50, a pressure sensor electrode 51, an extraction electrode 52, and a pressure sensitive rubber 53, as shown in FIG. It is configured. Further, wiring for connecting the pressure sensor to the AD converter is also necessary. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts increases.

  Currently, the capacitive touch panel shown in FIG. 8 is the mainstream, but the capacitive touch panel requires the touch panel controller 64. Here, when using a pressure sensor like the input device of patent document 1, an AD converter is needed separately and also in CPU, it is necessary to control a touch panel and a pressure sensor separately. Therefore, there is a problem that signal processing becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and provides a touch panel with a pressure sensor and a method for manufacturing the same that can reduce the number of parts to reduce costs and simplify signal processing. The purpose is to obtain.

The pressure sensor-equipped touch panel according to the present invention is a pressure sensor-equipped touch panel in which a pressure sensor is combined with a capacitance type touch panel, and the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel, the wiring of the touch panel, and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor. A pressure-sensitive element formed on the lower surface of the cover plate and deformed according to pressure is disposed and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode, and is supported by a case that is coupled to the lower surface of the cover plate. The sensor is integrated with the touch panel.

The method for manufacturing a touch panel with a pressure sensor according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a touch panel with a pressure sensor in which a pressure sensor is combined with a capacitive touch panel, and the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel is formed on the surface on which the cover plate is formed. Forming a touch panel wiring and a pressure sensor electrode for the pressure sensor on the surface to be formed of the same material, and disposing a pressure sensitive element that deforms according to the pressure so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode And fixing the decompression element in a case where the decompression element is coupled to the surface to be formed .

Another manufacturing method of the pressure sensor with a touch panel according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of the pressure sensor with a touch panel which combines the pressure sensor to a capacitive touch panel, the touch panel to the formation surface of the cover plate touch The step of forming the sensor electrode and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor with the same material, the step of forming the wiring of the touch panel on the surface to be formed, and the pressure sensitive element that deforms according to the pressure so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode And fixing the decompression element in a case where the decompression element is coupled to the surface to be formed .

According to the pressure sensor-equipped touch panel and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel, the wiring of the touch panel, and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor are formed on the same surface and are deformed according to the pressure. The pressure element is arranged and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode, whereby the pressure sensor is integrated with the touch panel.
Therefore, it is possible to obtain a pressure sensor-equipped touch panel and a method for manufacturing the same that can reduce the number of parts and reduce the cost, and can simplify the signal processing.

It is a top view which shows the touchscreen with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is another top view which shows the touchscreen with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an equivalent circuit which shows the pressure sensor of the touch panel with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the touchscreen controller of the touchscreen with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which adhere | attached the LCD panel on the touch panel with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which adhere | attached the LCD panel on the touchscreen with a pressure sensor which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and was attached to the housing | casing. It is a block diagram which shows a general pressure sensor. It is a top view which shows the general electrostatic capacitance type touch panel. It is the top view and sectional drawing which show another general electrostatic capacitance type touch panel.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a touch panel with a pressure sensor and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be described with the same reference numerals.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a plan view showing a pressure sensor-equipped touch panel according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, in the touch panel with pressure sensor, a touch sensor pattern is formed on a cover plate 10 with a transparent electrode 11. The transparent electrode 11 is made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or the like, and the touch sensor pattern is composed of a plurality of touch sensor electrodes (not shown).

  The transparent electrode 11 is connected to the low resistance wiring 12 formed of Ag or the like around the transparent electrode 11 on the cover plate 10. Here, the pressure sensor electrode 13 of the pressure sensor is formed on the cover plate 10 with the same material as the touch sensor electrode or the wiring 12, and is connected to the wiring 12. Further, the wiring 12 is collected by the FPC 14 and connected to the touch panel controller 15.

  FIG. 2 is another plan view showing the pressure sensor-equipped touch panel according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 2, a pressure-sensitive rubber 16, which is a pressure-sensitive element that deforms in response to pressure, is arranged so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode 13, and is fixed with an adhesive or the like. Thereby, the pressure sensor is integrated with the touch panel. Note that the pressure-sensitive rubber 16 is not limited as long as it is a pressure-sensitive element that deforms according to pressure.

  FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit showing the pressure sensor of the touch panel with pressure sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the pressure sensor includes a variable resistor 21 and a reference resistor 22. The variable resistor 21 is a resistor whose resistance value changes according to the pressure applied to the pressure sensor, and the reference resistor 22 changes the resistance value that changes due to the pressure change of the pressure sensor to a voltage value suitable for the AD converter 23 in the subsequent stage. It is a resistance to make.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the touch panel controller of the touch panel with pressure sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the touch panel controller 15 includes a touch detection circuit 31, a pressure detection circuit 32, and a CPU 33. The touch panel controller 15 obtains coordinate data and pressure data based on the voltages from the touch sensor electrode and the pressure sensor electrode 13 and outputs the coordinate data and the pressure data to the host controller 34.

  The touch detection circuit 31 detects the touch position based on the voltage from the touch sensor electrode, and outputs the coordinate data of the touch position to the CPU 33. The pressure detection circuit 32 is the AD converter 23 shown in FIG. 3, detects the pressure applied to the pressure sensor based on the change in voltage from the pressure sensor electrode 13, and outputs the pressure data to the CPU 33.

  The CPU 33 controls the detection timing of the touch detection circuit 31 and the pressure detection circuit 32 and outputs coordinate data and pressure data to the host controller 34. As a result, the pressure detection function of the pressure sensor is taken into the touch panel controller 15.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the LCD panel is bonded to the touch panel with pressure sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 5, this pressure sensor-attached touch panel is attached to an LCD panel 42 with an adhesive 41 to constitute a display device with a touch panel. Note that the touch panel may be attached to an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Display) panel.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the LCD panel is bonded to the touch panel with pressure sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention and attached to the housing. In FIG. 6, the touch panel with a pressure sensor to which the LCD panel 42 is bonded is incorporated into a housing 44 provided with a support portion under the pressure-sensitive rubber 16 by an adhesive 43. Thereby, the pressure-sensitive rubber 16 is deformed according to the pressure, and the pressure applied to the pressure sensor can be detected.

  Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the touch panel with a pressure sensor shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, a touch sensor electrode constituting the transparent electrode 11 is formed of ITO or the like on the cover plate 10 which is a surface to be formed. Subsequently, the wiring 12 and the pressure sensor electrode 13 are formed on the cover plate 10 with the same material such as Ag and in the same process. Finally, the pressure-sensitive rubber 16 is disposed and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode 13.

  Further, another manufacturing process of the touch panel with pressure sensor shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, the touch sensor electrode and the pressure sensor electrode 13 constituting the transparent electrode 11 are formed on the cover plate 10 which is a surface to be formed by the same process using the same material such as ITO. Subsequently, the wiring 12 is formed on the cover plate 10 with Ag or the like. Finally, the pressure-sensitive rubber 16 is disposed and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode 13.

  Thus, by integrating the wiring including the FPC 50 and the take-out electrode 52 of the pressure sensor module shown in FIG. 7, which is necessary in the prior art, the number of components is reduced. Further, by incorporating the pressure detection function into the touch panel controller 15, the host controller 34 can simultaneously control the coordinate data and the pressure data, and the signal processing is simplified.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel, the wiring of the touch panel, and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor are formed on the same surface, and the pressure sensitive element that deforms according to the pressure is provided. The pressure sensor is integrated with the touch panel by being arranged and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode.
Therefore, it is possible to obtain a touch panel with a pressure sensor and a method for manufacturing the same that can reduce the number of parts and simplify signal processing.

  In the first embodiment, the touch sensor-attached touch panel is described as an example in which the touch sensor electrode, the touch panel wiring, and the pressure sensor electrode are directly formed on the cover plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 9, a structure in which a film on which a touch sensor electrode, a touch panel wiring, and a pressure sensor electrode are formed may be attached to a cover plate. Moreover, you may use glass instead of a film. In these cases, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cover plate, 11 Transparent electrode, 12 Wiring, 13 Pressure sensor electrode, 14 FPC, 15 Touch panel controller, 16 Pressure sensitive rubber, 21 Variable resistance, 22 Reference resistance, 23 AD converter, 31 Touch detection circuit, 32 Pressure detection circuit 33 CPU, 34 Host controller, 41 Adhesive, 42 LCD panel, 43 Adhesive, 44 Case.

Claims (8)

A touch panel with a pressure sensor that combines a capacitive touch panel with a pressure sensor,
The touch sensor electrode of the touch panel and the wiring of the touch panel, and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor are formed on the lower surface of the cover plate,
A pressure-sensitive element that deforms according to pressure is disposed and fixed so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode, and is supported by a casing that is coupled to the lower surface of the cover plate, whereby the pressure sensor is connected to the touch panel. The pressure-sensitive element is in direct contact with the housing, and the adhesive for fixing the cover plate and the housing does not overlap when viewed in a plane direction, and the pressure sensor The pressure sensor electrode includes the same material as the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel or the wiring of the touch panel through the same process.
Touch panel with pressure sensor. The touch panel with a pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive element is a pressure-sensitive rubber. The touch panel controller of the touch panel includes a touch detection circuit connected to the touch sensor electrode, a pressure detection circuit connected to the pressure sensor electrode, and a CPU connected to the touch detection circuit and the pressure detection circuit. Have
The touch detection circuit outputs coordinate data of a touch position on the touch panel;
The pressure detection circuit outputs pressure data of pressure applied to the pressure sensor;
The touch panel with a pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the CPU controls detection timings of the touch detection circuit and the pressure detection circuit. The touch panel with a pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the pressure detection circuit is an AD converter. The CPU transmits the coordinate data and the pressure data to a host controller,
The touch panel with a pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the host controller controls the coordinate data and the pressure data simultaneously.   A display device with a touch panel, wherein the touch panel with pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is bonded to an LCD panel or an OELD panel. A method for manufacturing a touch panel with a pressure sensor in which a pressure sensor is combined with a capacitive touch panel,
Forming a touch sensor electrode of the touch panel on a surface of the cover plate;
Forming the touch panel wiring and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor on the surface to be formed with the same material through the same process ;
Arranging and fixing a pressure sensitive element that deforms according to pressure so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode;
A step of supporting the pressure-sensitive element by a casing coupled to the surface to be formed, the pressure- sensitive element being in direct contact with the casing and an adhesive for fixing the cover plate and the casing; Is a step that does not overlap when seen from the plane ,
The manufacturing method of the touch panel with a pressure sensor which has this. A method for manufacturing a touch panel with a pressure sensor in which a pressure sensor is combined with a capacitive touch panel,
Forming the touch sensor electrode of the touch panel and the pressure sensor electrode of the pressure sensor with the same material on the surface to be formed of the cover plate through the same process ;
Forming the wiring of the touch panel on the surface to be formed;
Arranging and fixing a pressure sensitive element that deforms according to pressure so as to cover the pressure sensor electrode;
A step of supporting the pressure-sensitive element by a casing coupled to the surface to be formed, the pressure- sensitive element being in direct contact with the casing and an adhesive for fixing the cover plate and the casing; Is a step that does not overlap when seen from the plane ,
The manufacturing method of the touch panel with a pressure sensor which has this.

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