Display panel, fabricating method thereof, display device and charging method thereof

A display panel and a method for fabricating the same, and a display device and a method for charging the same are provided. The display panel includes: an array substrate; an opposite substrate arranged opposite to the array substrate; a charging coil located between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, wherein the charging coil is configured to generate electrical energy through electromagnetic induction. In this way, a battery for charging the battery is integrated inside the display panel to thereby make the display panel thin and lightweight.

This application is a US National Stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2018/110710, filed Oct. 17, 2018, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810170434.4, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Mar. 1, 2018, and entitled “Display panel, method for fabricating the same, and display device and method for charging the same”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technologies, and particularly to a display panel, a method for fabricating the same, a display device and a method for charging the same.

BACKGROUND

As the high-sciences and technologies are innovating constantly, electronic products have been popularized gradually in our live. By way of an example, a mobile phone, a digital camera, a personal digital assistant, a walkman, etc., are popularly favored due to their low weight, small thickness, and small size. However the existing electronic product is generally charged by a wired charging battery using an electrical outlet and a connection line, but this is not convenient. If the pre-charged battery is exhausted but cannot be charged timely, then the electronic product cannot operate any longer, thus discouraging it from being accessed by its user. At present, a wireless charging function has been widely applied, but a display panel with the wireless charging function is so thick and heavy that it remains difficult to make the display panel thin and lightweight.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of this disclosure provides a display panel. The display panel includes: an array substrate; an opposite substrate opposite to the array substrate; and a charging coil between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, wherein the charging coil is configured to generate electrical energy to the display panel through electromagnetic induction.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the display panel further includes a plurality of pixel elements, wherein an orthographic projection of the charging coil on the opposite substrate does not overlap with orthographic projections of the plurality of the pixel elements on the opposite substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil includes a plurality of sub-charging coil segments connected in sequence, and each of the sub-charging coil segments is located in a gap between adjacent pixel elements.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the pixel elements are arranged in an array, and the charging coil is located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of the pixel elements.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the plurality of sub-charging coil segments are arranged at a same layer, and made of a same material.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the opposite substrate includes a first base substrate, and the charging coil is located on a side of the first base substrate facing the array substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the display panel further includes a black matrix located on the side of the first base substrate facing the array substrate, and an orthographic projection of the black matrix on the first base substrate covers an orthographic projection of the charging coil on the first base substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil is located between the first base substrate and a layer where the black matrix is located.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil is located on the side of the layer where the black matrix is located away from the first base substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the array substrate includes a second base substrate, and the charging coil is located on a side of the second base substrate facing the opposite substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil directly contacts with the second base substrate.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the display panel further includes two charging terminals on the array substrate, wherein one of the two charging terminals corresponds to an inner end of the charging coil, and the other charging terminal corresponds to an outer end of the charging coil; and the outer end and the inner end of the charging coil are electrically connected respectively with their corresponding charging terminals.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the display panel further includes: a first coil lead corresponding to the inner end, a second coil lead corresponding to the outer end, and an insulation layer located between a layer where the first coil lead is located and a layer where the second coil lead is located; wherein the inner end and the outer end are electrically connected with the first coil lead and the second coil lead respectively through via-holes running through the insulation layer, the first coil lead is electrically connected with the charging terminal corresponding to the inner end, and the second coil lead is electrically connected with the charging terminal corresponding to the outer end.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the insulation layer is a black matrix.

Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a display device including the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

Optionally in the embodiment of this disclosure, the display device further includes: a flexible printed circuit, a main board electrically connected with the flexible printed circuit, and a battery electrically connected with the main board; and two charging terminals on the array substrate are electrically connected with the main board through the flexible printed circuit, and electrically connected with the battery through the main board.

Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for fabricating a display panel. The method includes: forming a charging coil between an array substrate and an opposite substrate, wherein the charging coil is configured to generate electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

Correspondingly an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for charging a display device. The method includes: charging the battery through the charging coil in another time than a display time and a touch time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below clearly and fully with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of this disclosure. Apparently the embodiments to be described are only a part but not all of the embodiments of this disclosure. Based upon the embodiments here of this disclosure, all of other embodiments which can occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art without any inventive effort shall come into the scope of this disclosure as claimed.

Unless defined otherwise, technical terms or scientific terms throughout this disclosure shall convey their usual meaning as appreciated by those ordinarily skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first”, “second”, or the like throughout this disclosure do not suggest any order, number or significance, but is only intended to distinguish different components from each other. Alike the terms “include”, “comprise”, or the like refer to that an element or an item preceding to the term encompasses an element(s) or an item(s) succeeding to the term, and its (or their) equivalence(s), but shall not preclude another element(s) or item(s). The term “connect”, “connected”, or the like does not suggest physical or mechanical connection, but may include electrical connection no matter whether it is direct or indirect. The terms “above”, “below”, “left”, “right”, etc., are only intended to represent a relative positional relationship, and when the absolute position of an object as described is changed, the relative positional relationship may also be changed accordingly.

For the sake of clarity and conciseness of the following description of the embodiments of this disclosure, a detailed description of known functions and components will be omitted in this disclosure.

In order to provide a display device with a wireless charging function, a charging coil is generally arranged in a main board in the display device configured to control the display device to operate, so a large space has to be occupied in the main board by the charging coil, thus making it difficult to make the display device thin and lightweight. In view of this, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a display panel so as to make the display device thin and lightweight.

Referring toFIG.1aandFIG.1b, a display panel according to an embodiment of this disclosure can include: an array substrate2, an opposite substrate1opposite to the array substrate2, and a charging coil10between the array substrate2and the opposite substrate1. The charging coil10is configured to generate electrical energy to the display panel through electromagnetic induction.

In the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil configured to generate electrical energy through electromagnetic induction is arranged between the array substrate and the color filter substrate, so that the charging coil for charging a battery is integrated inside the display panel to thereby avoid a wireless charging component from being arranged separately on a main board. When the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure is applied to a display device, then the display device may be provided with a wireless charging function, but also the thickness of the display device may be reduced, thus making the display device with the wireless charging function thin and lightweight. Furthermore the charging coil is integrated inside the display panel to thereby dispense with the wireless charging component so as to lower a cost.

In a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.2, the display panel can include a plurality of pixel elements20, and the orthographic projection of the charging coil10on the opposite substrate1does not overlap with the orthographic projections of the pixel elements20on the opposite substrate1, thus alleviating the charging coil10from affecting a display effect of the display panel.

It shall be noted that respective coil sections of the charging coil can be arranged in a helical pattern based upon the electromagnetic induction. The helical pattern of the respective coil sections of the charging coil may not be smooth due to a limited process precision, so in a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.2, the charging coil10can include a plurality of sub-charging coil segments connected in sequence, and each sub-charging coil segment is located in a gap between adjacent pixel elements20, so that the plurality of sub-charging coil segments can be electrically connected in sequence to form the charging coil in a square helical pattern. Furthermore the pixel elements20can be distributed in an array, and the charging coil10can be located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of pixel elements20. For example, the charging coil10includes sub-charging coil segments A-B, B-C, C-D, D-E, E-F, F-G etc., connected in sequence, and each sub-charging coil segment is located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of pixel elements20.

Furthermore in a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, the respective sub-charging coil segments can be arranged at the same layer, and made of the same material. Since it is difficult to arrange the charging coil exactly on a plane due to the limited process precision, in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil is substantially arranged at the same layer in one pattering process so that the charging coil can be arranged in a planar helical pattern to further reduce the thickness of the display panel. In a specific implementation, the material of the charging coil10can be metal, e.g., gold, silver, copper, aluminum, etc.

Generally the process of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel is mature technology, and in a specific implementation, the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure can be an LCD panel, so that a liquid crystal layer is further encapsulated between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, and pixel electrodes of the respective pixel elements, and Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) for controlling the pixel electrodes to be charged are further arranged on the array substrate.

An Organic Light-Emitting (OLED) display panel generally has the advantages of low power consumption, a low production cost, self-emission, a wide angle of view, a high response speed, etc., and in a specific implementation, the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure can alternatively be an OLED display panel, so that OLEDs of the respective elements, and pixel circuits for driving the OLEDs to emit light are further arranged on the array substrate. Furthermore only the array substrate, or both the array substrate and the opposite substrate may be arranged in the OLED display panel, although the embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.

In some possible implementation, since a large number of electrical signal lines are generally arranged in the array substrate, so the charging coil10can be located in the opposite substrate. In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.3, the opposite substrate can include a first base substrate11, and the charging coil10can be located on the side of the first base substrate1facing the opposite substrate.

Optionally in a specific implementation, a color filter layer is further arranged on the opposite substrate1, and the color filter layer can include color-resist elements14in the respective pixel elements. The charging coil10includes a plurality of sub-charging coil segments connected in sequence, and each sub-charging coil segment is located in a gap between adjacent color-resist elements. Specifically as illustrated inFIG.2andFIG.3, the charging coil10is located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of color-resist elements14. Specifically, for example, the charging coil10includes sub-charging coil segments A-B, B-C, C-D, D-E, E-F, F-G etc., connected in sequence, and each sub-charging coil segment is located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of color-resist elements14. Specifically as illustrated inFIG.3, each color-resist element14can include a plurality of different color sub-color-resist elements141. As illustrated inFIG.3, for example, each color-resist element14can include three different color sub-color-resist elements141, where the three different color sub-color-resist elements141can include a red sub-color-resist element, a green sub-color-resist element, and a blue sub-color-resist element. Of course, each color-resist element can alternatively include four or five sub-color-resist elements, although the embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto. Furthermore each sub-charging coil segment can be located in a gap between any two sub-color-resist elements141of each color-resist element14.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.4, the display panel can further include a black matrix12located on the side of the first base substrate11facing the array substrate. The orthographic projection of the black matrix12on the first base substrate11cover the orthographic projection of the charging coil10on the first base substrate11.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.4, the charging coil10can be located between the first base substrate11, and the layer where the black matrix12is located. In the embodiment of this disclosure, the first base substrate can be a glass substrate, and the material of the charging coil10can be metal, so the metal charging coil10can be arranged directly on the glass substrate to thereby improve the adherence of the charging coil10to the glass substrate so as to provide the charging coil10with good charging performance.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.5, the charging coil10can alternatively be located on the side of the layer where the black matrix12is located, away from the first base substrate11. When firstly the charging coil10is formed directly on the base substrate15, and then the black matrix12is formed on the charging coil10, in order to display an image on the display panel, ambient light can be firstly incident directly on the charging coil10through the first base substrate11, but since the material of the charging coil10is metal, the ambient light incident on the charging coil10can be reflected, thus discouraging the user from watching the display panel. Accordingly in the embodiment of this disclosure, firstly the black matrix is formed on the base substrate15, and then the charging coil10is formed on the black matrix12, so that the user may not be discouraged from watching the display panel because the ambient light is reflected by the charging coil10while the image is being display on the display panel.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.4andFIG.5, the black matrix12can be located between the sub-color-resist elements141and the first base substrate11, and the black matrix12can be arranged between every two adjacent sub-color-resist elements141.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.6andFIG.7, the display panel can further include two charging terminals41and42located on the array substrate2. One charging terminal41corresponds to an inner end A of the charging coil10, and the other charging terminal42corresponds to an outer end H of the charging coil10. The outer end H and the inner end A of the charging coil10are electrically connected respectively with their corresponding charging terminals, that is, the inner end A of the charging coil10is electrically connected with the charging terminal41, and the outer end H of the charging coil10is electrically connected with the charging terminal42.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.6andFIG.7, the display panel can further include: a first coil lead131corresponding to the inner end A, a second coil lead132corresponding to the outer end H, and an insulation layer located between the layer where the first coil lead131is located, and the layer where the charging coil10is located. The inner end A and the outer end H of the charging coil10are electrically connected with the first coli lead131and the second coil lead132respectively through via-holes running through the insulation layer, the first coil lead131is electrically connected with the charging terminal41corresponding to the inner end A, and the second coil lead132is electrically connected with the charging terminal42corresponding to the outer end H, so that the first coil lead131is located at a different layer from the charging coil10, and the first coil lead131is connected with the inner end A of the charging coil10through the via-hole. In a specific implementation, the second coil lead132can be arranged at the same layer as the charging coil10, and made of the same material as the charging coil10, so that the second coil lead132is electrically connected directly with the outer end H of the charging coil10. Of course, the second coil lead132can alternatively be arranged at the same layer as the first coil lead131, and made of the same material as the second coil lead131, so that the second coil lead132is connected with the outer end H of the charging coil10through the via-hole.

In a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.7, the first coil lead131can be located on the side of the black matrix12away from the first base substrate11, and the charging coil10can be located between the black matrix12and the first base substrate11, so that the insulation layer can be the layer where the black matrix12is located. In this way, the insulation layer may not be additionally arranged to thereby make the display panel thin and lightweight. Of course, the charging coil10can alternatively be located on the side of the black matrix12away from the first base substrate11, and the first coil lead131can be located between the black matrix12and the first base substrate11, although the embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.

In a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.7, the sealant5can be further arranged between the array substrate2and the first base substrate11, so that when the display panel is an LCD panel, the liquid crystal layer can be sealed with the sealant5.

Furthermore in a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.6andFIG.7, a first charging connection line151and a second charging connection line152are further arranged on the array substrate2. The first charging connection line151has one end electrically connected with the first coil lead131, and the other end electrically connected with the charging terminal41, and the second charging connection line152has one end electrically connected with the second coil lead132, and the other end electrically connected with the charging terminal42. Furthermore since the first coil lead131and the second coil lead132are arranged on the first base substrate11, the sealant5is punched so that the first coil lead131is electrically connected with the first charging connection line151through the via-hole running through the sealant5, and the second coil lead132is electrically connected with the second charging connection line152through the via-hole running through the sealant5. Furthermore the via-hole in the sealant5can be filled with conductive adhesive51so that the first coil lead131is electrically connected with the first charging connection line151, and the second coil lead132is electrically connected with the second charging connection line152. In a specific implementation, the material of the conductive adhesive can be silver paste or silver adhesive.

In some other possible implementation, in a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging coil10can alternatively be located on the array substrate. Specifically as illustrated inFIG.8andFIG.9, the array substrate2can include a second base substrate21, and the charging coil10can be located on the side of the second base substrate21facing the opposite substrate. The array substrate2is further arranged with a first coil lead131corresponding to an inner end A of the charging coil10, a second coil lead132corresponding to an outer end A of the charging coil10, and an insulation layer located between the layer where the first coil lead131is located, and the layer where the charging coil10is located. The inner end A and the outer end H of the charging coil10are electrically connected with the first coli lead131and the second coil lead132respectively through via-holes running through the insulation layer, the first coil lead131is electrically connected with the charging terminal41corresponding to the inner end A, and the second coil lead132is electrically connected with the charging terminal42corresponding to the outer end H, so that the first coil lead131is located at a different layer from the charging coil10, and the first coil lead131is connected with the inner end A of the charging coil10through the via-hole. In a specific implementation, the second coil lead132can be arranged at the same layer as the charging coil10, and made of the same material as the charging coil10, so that the second coil lead132is electrically connected directly with the outer end H of the charging coil10. Of course, the second coil lead132can alternatively be arranged at the same layer as the first coil lead131, and made of the same material as the second coil lead131, so that the second coil lead132is connected with the outer end H of the charging coil10through the via-hole.

In a specific implementation, the charging coil can directly contact with the second base substrate. The second base substrate is generally a glass substrate, and since the metal coil is generally attached easily onto the glass substrate, the charging coil is arranged directly on the surface of the second base substrate so that the formed charging coil can be adhered firmly onto the second base substrate. Of course, other layers, e.g., respective functional layers of thin film transistors, can be further formed above the charging coil on the array substrate, although the embodiment of this disclosure will not be limited thereto.

Furthermore in order to improve a charging effect, in some other possible implementation, in a specific implementation, both the array substrate and the opposite substrate can be provided with the charging coil10. Reference can be made to the implementation above for a specific implementation thereof, so a repeated description thereof will be omitted here.

Based upon the same inventive idea, an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for fabricating a display panel. The fabricating method can include: forming a charging coil between an array substrate and an opposite substrate, where the charging coil is configured to generate electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

In a specific implementation, as illustrated inFIG.10, the fabricating method can include the following steps.

The step S1001is to prepare an array substrate and/or an opposite substrate.

The step S1002is to form a charging coil on the array substrate and/or the opposite substrate.

In a specific implementation, the charging coil is formed on the opposite substrate, and as illustrated inFIG.11, in the fabricating method according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the step of preparing the opposite substrate specifically includes the step S1101of preparing a first base substrate. The step of forming the charging coil on the opposite substrate specifically includes the step S1102of forming the charging coil on the first base substrate of the opposite substrate. Furthermore after the charging coil is formed on the first base substrate, the method can further include the step S1103of forming a black matrix on the side of the charging coil away from the first base substrate, where the orthographic projection of the black matrix on the first base substrate cover the orthographic projection of the charging coil on the first base substrate. Furthermore after the black matrix is formed, the fabricating method can further include the step S1104of forming a color filter layer on the black matrix away from the first base substrate, where the color filter layer can include a plurality of color-resist elements located in respective pixel elements, and the charging coil can include a plurality of sub-charging coil segments connected in sequence, where each sub-charging coil segment is located in a gap between two adjacent rows or columns of color-resist elements.

Optionally the step S1102of forming the charging coil on the first base substrate of the opposite substrate can specifically include: forming the charging coil on the first base substrate using a first mask, where the first mask is a mask obtained by adding a plurality of first slit openings extending in a first direction to the pattern of a second mask, where the second mask is a mask for forming touch signal lines of the display panel, the second mask includes a plurality of second slit openings extending in a second direction, the first slit openings and a part of the second slit openings are combined into a helical opening pattern matching with the charging coil, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. In the embodiment of this disclosure, the helical charging coil is formed on the base substrate using the first mask, where the first mask is a mask obtained by adding the plurality of first slit openings extending in the first direction to the pattern of the second mask, where the second mask is the mask for forming the touch signal lines of the display panel, and the second mask includes the plurality of second slit openings extending in the second direction, so that the charging coil can be fabricated on the base substrate without adding any new mask, so as not to increase a cost of fabricating the display panel.

It shall be noted that since the display panel is generally further arranged with a touch function, for example, the display panel includes a plurality of touch electrodes arranged in an array, and touch leads connected with the respective touch electrodes in a one-to-one manner. Specifically the plurality of touch leads can extend in the same direction, and for example, the respective touch leads extend in the same direction as data lines. Correspondingly the touch leads shall be fabricated using the second mask arranged with the plurality of second slit openings extending in the second direction. In the embodiment of this disclosure, the second mask can be reused, that is, the plurality of first slit openings extending in the first direction are added to the second mask. Of course, since there are different sizes of the respective sub-charging coil segments of the charging coil, only a part of the second slit openings may be applied, but the first slit openings, and the part of the second slit openings shall be combined into a helical opening pattern to thereby fabricate the charging coil.

Based upon the same inventive idea, an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a display device which can include the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The display device can address the problem under a similar principle to the display panel above, reference can be made to the implementation of the display panel above for an implementation of the display device, and a repeated description thereof will be omitted here.

In a specific implementation, in the embodiment of this disclosure, as illustrated inFIG.12, the display device can further include: a flexible printed circuit31, a main board32electrically connected with the flexible printed circuit31, and a battery33electrically connected with the main board32. Two charging terminals41on the array substrate2(the charging terminals41are illustrated only by way of an example) are electrically connected with the main board32through the flexible printed circuit31, and electrically connected with the battery33through the main board32.

Specifically taking the charging coil being arranged on the first base substrate11of the opposite substrate as an example, as illustrated inFIG.12, and the two ends (A and H) of the charging coil10are electrically connected with the two charging connection lines (the first charging connection line151and the second charging connection line152) of the array substrate2respectively through the conductive adhesive51through the two coil leads (the first coil lead131and the second coil lead132), connected with the corresponding charging terminals41and42through the two charging connection lines of the array substrate2, and further electrically connected with the flexible printed circuit31through the charging terminals41and42to thereby be connected with the main board32through the flexible printed circuit31, and connected with the battery33through the main board32to charge the battery33through electromagnetic induction. It shall be noted thatFIG.12illustrates a schematic diagram of the opposite substrate1stacked above the array substrate2by way of an example.

Based upon the same inventive idea, an embodiment of this disclosure further provides a method for charging the display device according to the embodiment of this disclosure, where the charging method can include: charging the display device in another time than a display time and a touch time.

It shall be noted that the display device can generally operate in a display time, a touch time, and a blanking time, where a display function is performed in the display time, and a touch performance is performed in the touch time. In the charging method according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the charging function of charging the batter can be performed in the blanking time so as not to affect the display and touch functions.

Advantageous effects of the embodiments of the invention are as follows: in the display panel and a method for fabricating the same, and the display device and the method for charging the same according to the embodiments of this disclosure, the charging coil configured to generate electrical energy through electromagnetic induction is arranged between the array substrate and the color filter substrate so that the charging coil for charging a battery is integrated inside the display panel to thereby avoid a wireless charging component from being arranged separately on the main board. When the display panel according to the embodiment of this disclosure is applied to the display device, then the display device may be provided with the wireless charging function, but also the thickness of the display device may be reduced, thus making the display device with the wireless charging function thin and lightweight. Furthermore the charging coil is integrated inside the display panel to thereby dispense with the wireless charging component so as to lower a cost.