Energy recovery system for recovering pressure energy of touch input to touch screen panel

Embodiments provide the energy recovery system capable of converting mechanical energy of a touch input to a touch screen panel into electrical energy and storing the converted electrical energy. The energy recovery system may include a touch screen panel including a piezoelectric material, an energy recovery device recovering electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric material, and an electrical energy storage device storing the recovered electrical energy.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0035924, filed on Apr. 2, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an energy recovery system for recovering mechanical energy of touch input to a touch screen panel, and more specifically, to an energy recovery system for recovering mechanical energy of touch input to a touch screen panel including a piezoelectric layer.

Description of the Related Art

A touch screen panel is an input device that allows a user's instruction to be input by selecting an instruction content displayed on a screen of a display device or the like with a user's hand or object.

To this end, the touch screen panel is formed on a front face of the display device to convert a contact position into an electrical signal. Here, the user's hand or object is directly in contact with the touch screen panel at the contact position. Accordingly, the instruction content selected at the contact position is input as an input signal to the image display device. Since such a touch screen panel can be substituted for a separate input device connected to a display device, such as a keyboard or mouse, its application fields have been gradually extended.

Meanwhile, with the development of technologies in electronic and communication fields, the use of a mobile device, e.g., a smart phone or tablet PC has recently been increased. The mobile device receives electrical energy supplied from a battery built therein. Studies on a technique for increasing electrical capacity of a battery or decreasing power consumption of a mobile device so as to increase the use time of the mobile terminal have been actively conducted, but studies on a technique for producing electrical energy from the use of a mobile device have hardly been conducted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments provide an energy recovery system capable of converting mechanical energy of a touch input to a touch screen panel into electrical energy and storing the converted electrical energy.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an energy recovery system may include a touch screen panel including a piezoelectric material, an energy recovery device recovering electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric material, and an electrical energy storage device storing the recovered electrical energy.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen panel may include a first substrate, a first electrode formed on the first substrate, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode and including the piezoelectric material, a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and a second substrate formed on the second electrode.

The touch screen panel may further include a first insulation layer formed between the first electrode and the piezoelectric layer; and a second insulation layer formed between the second electrode and the piezoelectric layer.

The piezoelectric material may be disposed in a pillar shape between the first and second insulation layers.

The piezoelectric layer may further include a plurality of spacers arranged between the first and second insulation layers.

According to another embodiment, the touch screen panel may include a first substrate, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first substrate and including the piezoelectric material, a first electrode formed on the piezoelectric material, an elastic deformation layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the elastic deformation layer, and a second substrate formed on the second electrode.

The touch screen panel may further include an insulation layer formed between the piezoelectric layer and the first electrode.

According to still another embodiment, the touch screen panel may include a first substrate, a first electrode formed on the first substrate, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode and including the piezoelectric material, a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and a second substrate formed on the second electrode.

The touch screen panel may further include a first insulation layer formed between the first electrode and the piezoelectric layer; and a second insulation layer formed between the second electrode and the piezoelectric layer.

The piezoelectric layer may be made of a mixture of the piezoelectric material and the elastic deformation material.

The piezoelectric material may have elastic deformation characteristics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a block diagram showing an energy recovery system constructed as an embodiment according to the principles of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, an energy recovery system1includes a touch screen panel10, an energy recovery device20and an energy storage device30.

The touch screen panel10is disposed on a front face of a display device in a mobile device. The touch screen panel10recognizes a user's touch input to the display device and transmits a coordinate value of the recognized touch input to a processor (not shown). In this case, the processor performs a process corresponding to the coordinate value received from the touch screen panel10.

The touch screen panel10may include a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. That is, the piezoelectric material outputs current having a voltage value corresponding to a mechanical strain applied to the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material may be a mixture configured with one or a combination of two or more among materials having piezoelectric characteristics, such as crystal, ceramic and biological matter.

The energy recovery device20recovers electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric material included in the touch screen panel10. Specifically, the energy recovery device20receives current output from the piezoelectric material, and rectifies the received current to be output to the energy storage device30.

The energy storage device30receives the current rectified from the energy recovery device20, and stores the electrical energy converted by the piezoelectric material. The energy storage device30supplies the stored energy to the mobile device including the energy recovery system1.

InFIG. 1, the energy recovery device20and the energy storage device30are distinguished as circuits separated from each other, but the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the energy recovery device20and the energy storage device30may be implemented as one circuit.

FIG. 2is a sectional view schematically showing an embodiment of a touch screen panel shown inFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 2, the touch screen panel10includes a first substrate100, a first electrode110, a piezoelectric element130, a second electrode150, and a second substrate160.

The first and second substrates100and160support other components110,120,130,140and150of the touch screen panel10. Each of the first and second substrates100and160may be implemented with a transparent glass substrate or plastic substrate.

As shown inFIG. 2, the first electrode110is formed on the first substrate100, and the second electrode150is formed beneath the second substrate160. The touch screen panel10recognizes a user's touch input according to a change in dielectric constant between the first and second electrodes110and150, and outputs a coordinate value of the recognized touch input to the processor. The first and second electrodes110and150may be made of a transparent metal.

The piezoelectric element130converts mechanical energy of the user's touch input into electrical energy, and supplies the converted electrical energy to the energy recovery device20.

The first electrode110and the piezoelectric element130are electrically connected to each other, and the second electrode150and the piezoelectric element130are electrically connected to each other. To this end, the touch screen panel10may include a first insulation layer120formed between the first electrode110and the piezoelectric element130, and a second insulation layer140formed between the second electrode150and the piezoelectric element130.

The piezoelectric element130includes a first piezoelectric plate131, a second piezoelectric plate133spaced-apart from the first piezoelectric plate131, a plurality of piezoelectric pillars135, and a plurality of spacers132made of an elastic deformation material. The first and second piezoelectric plates131and133may be disposed parallel to each other. The plurality of piezoelectric pillars135and the plurality of spacers132are interposed between the first piezoelectric plate131and the second piezoelectric plate133. More specifically, the plurality of spacers may be dispersed among the plurality of piezoelectric pillars135. Each spacer132may be disposed spaced-apart from immediately adjacent piezoelectric pillars135. The piezoelectric element130continuously extends across the entire area of the touch screen panel10, or at least continuously extends across the display area of the touch screen panel10.

The first piezoelectric plate131is formed between the first insulation layer120, and the plurality of piezoelectric pillars135and spacers132, and is electrically connected to one input terminal (not shown) of the energy recovery device20. The piezoelectric plate133is formed between the second insulation layer140, and the plurality of piezoelectric pillars135and spacers132, and is electrically connected to another input terminal (not shown) of the energy recovery device20. If a user's touch input is applied, the first and second piezoelectric plates131and133and the plurality of piezoelectric pillars135convert mechanical energy of the touch input into electrical energy according characteristics of the piezoelectric material, and supplies the converted electrical energy to the energy recovery device20. Alternatively, the first and second piezoelectric plates131and133may not be included in the piezoelectric element130. Thus, the plurality of piezoelectric pillars135and spacers132are formed directly between the first and second insulation layer120and140.

The plurality of spacers132are formed in a pillar shape between the first and second insulation layers120and140. The plurality of spacers132restores deformation of the touch screen panel according to the user's touch input.

FIG. 3is a sectional view schematically showing another embodiment of the touch screen panel shown inFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 3, the touch screen panel10includes a first substrate200, a piezoelectric layer210, a first electrode230, an elastic deformation layer240, a second electrode250and a second substrate260.

The first and second substrates200and260support other components210,220,230,240,250and260of the touch screen panel10. Each of the first and second substrates200and260may be implemented as a transparent glass substrate or plastic substrate.

The piezoelectric layer210is formed on the first substrate200, and is made of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric layer210is electrically connected to the energy recovery device20. If a user's touch input is applied, the piezoelectric layer210converts mechanical energy of the touch input into electrical energy according to characteristics of the piezoelectric material, and supplies the converted electrical energy to the energy recovery device20. The piezoelectric layer210continuously extends across the entire area of the touch screen panel10, or at least continuously extends across the display area of the touch screen panel10.

The first electrode230is formed on the piezoelectric layer210, and the second electrode250is formed beneath the second substrate260. The touch screen panel10recognizes a user's touch input according to a change in dielectric constant between the first and second electrodes230and250, and outputs a coordinate value of the recognized touch input to the processor. The first and second electrodes230and250may be made of a transparent metal.

The piezoelectric layer210and the first electrode230are electrically connected to each other. To this end, the touch screen panel10may include an insulation layer220formed between the piezoelectric layer210and the first electrode230.

The elastic deformation layer240is formed between the first and second electrodes230and250. The elastic deformation layer240is made of an elastic deformation material, for example, silicone or polymer material such as polyurethane, so as to restore deformation of the touch screen panel according to the user's touch input. Young's modulus of the elastic deformation layer may be about 2000 kg/cm2.

FIG. 4is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the touch screen panel shown inFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 4, the touch screen panel10includes a first substrate300, a first electrode310, a piezoelectric layer330, a second electrode350and a second substrate360.

The first and second substrates300and360support other components310,320,330,340and350of the touch screen panel10. Each of the first and second substrates300and360may be implemented as a transparent glass substrate or plastic substrate.

The first electrode310is formed on the first substrate300, and the second electrode350is formed beneath the second substrate360. The touch screen panel10recognizes a user's touch input according to a change in dielectric constant between the first and second electrodes310and350, and outputs a coordinate value of the recognized touch input to the process. The first and second electrodes230and250may be made of a transparent metal.

The piezoelectric layer330is formed between the first and second electrodes310and350. The piezoelectric layer330is made of a mixture of a piezoelectric material and an elastic deformation material. The piezoelectric layer330is electrically connected to the energy recovery device20. If a user's touch input is applied, the piezoelectric layer330converts mechanical energy of the touch input into electrical energy according to characteristics of the piezoelectric material, and supplies the converted electrical energy to the energy recovery device20. The piezoelectric layer330restores deformation of the touch screen panel, caused by the user's touch input, according to elastic deformation characteristics.

The piezoelectric layer330and the first electrode310are electrically insulated from each other, and the piezoelectric layer330and the second electrode350are electrically insulated from each other. To this end, the touch screen panel10may include a first insulation layer320formed between the piezoelectric layer330and the first electrode310, and a second insulation layer340formed between the piezoelectric layer330and the second electrode350. The piezoelectric layer330continuously extends across the entire area of the touch screen panel10, or at least continuously extends across the display area of the touch screen panel10.

The substrates100,160,200,260,300and360, the electrodes110,150,230,250,310and350, the insulation layers120,140,220,320and340, the piezoelectric layers130,210and330, and the elastic deformation layer240may be made of a flexible material. That is, the touch screen panel10according to this embodiment may have flexibility.

The energy recovery system according to an embodiment converts mechanical energy of a touch input to a touch screen panel into electrical energy and stores the converted electrical energy, thereby increasing the operating time of a mobile device.