3D touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method

The present disclosure provides a three-dimensional (3D) touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method. Touch sensing electrodes and liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other in a 3D grating cell. The touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged between an insulating layer and a second substrate, and the liquid crystal driving electrode is configured to drive liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode and a first substrate to deflect horizontally at a display stage. An electrode layer arranged on a third or fourth substrate is configured to receive a touch driving signal at a touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive a first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is the U.S. national phase of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2015/070194 filed on Jan. 6, 2015, which claims a priority of the Chinese Patent Application No. 201410508803.8 filed on Sep. 28, 2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, in particular to a three-dimensional (3D) touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method.

BACKGROUND

Due to a naked-eye 3D technique, a viewer may be free of spectacles and observe a 3D image in a more convenient and comfortable manner, so the naked-eye 3D technique has become a new trend of the 3D display technique.

The naked-eye 3D imaging technique may include Active Barrier, Lenticular Lens and Directional Backlight 3D techniques. The Active Barrier 3D technique may be compatible with a process for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) and it is superior in terms of the mass-production and the production cost, so it is commonly used in a naked-eye 3D product.

The 3D technique may provide vivid visual perception, and a touch technique may facilitate the operation, so the combination thereof has attracted more and more attentions.

Currently, most of the products using the 3D technique and the touch technique include an Add-on touch panel and a 3D display device. The process for manufacturing this structure is complex and the production cost thereof is high. In addition, the entire display device is of a relatively large thickness, and the light transmission and the resultant display effect of the 3D display device and the entire LCD display module will be affected adversely.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a 3D touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method, so as to simplify a process for manufacturing the 3D touch display device, reduce the production cost, improve the yield thereof, and detect a touch operation in an accurate manner while ensuring a 3D display effect.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides in one embodiment a 3D touch display device, including a 3D grating cell and a liquid crystal module. The 3D grating cell includes a first polarizer, a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, an insulating layer and a second substrate sequentially arranged in a direction close to the liquid crystal module. The liquid crystal module includes a third substrate and a fourth substrate, and the third substrate is located between the 3D grating cell and the fourth substrate.

The 3D grating cell further includes touch sensing electrodes and liquid crystal driving electrodes arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other. The touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged between the insulating layer and the second substrate, and the liquid crystal driving electrode is configured to drive liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode and the first substrate to deflect horizontally at a display stage.

The liquid crystal module further includes an electrode layer arranged on the third substrate or the fourth substrate. The electrode layer is configured to receive a touch driving signal at a touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive a first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image.

Alternatively, the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are all strip-like electrodes, and the electrode layer is of a strip-like pattern.

Alternatively, each touch sensing electrode is formed by binding a plurality of slit strip-like electrodes.

Alternatively, a pattern of the electrode layer includes a plurality of block electrodes electrically connected to each other.

Alternatively, the liquid crystal driving electrodes include a plurality of pixel electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes which are arranged alternately, parallel to each other, and interact with each other so as to drive the liquid crystals above the liquid crystal driving electrodes to deflect horizontally.

Alternatively, one end of each pixel electrode is connected to a pixel electrode signal transmission line of the 3D grating cell, and one end of each common electrode is connected to a common electrode signal transmission line of the 3D grating cell.

Alternatively, the pixel electrodes and the common electrodes are all strip-like electrodes.

Alternatively, one touch sensing electrode and one liquid crystal driving electrode form an electrode group which is arranged at a position corresponding to a pixel unit on the fourth substrate.

Alternatively, a width of the touch sensing electrode and a width of the liquid crystal driving electrode are each half a width of the pixel unit.

Alternatively, the second substrate further includes dummy electrodes arranged at an identical layer to, and insulated from, the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes, and each dummy electrode is arranged between two adjacent touch sensing electrodes.

Alternatively, the touch sensing electrodes intersect electrodes on the electrode layer in different planes.

Alternatively, a second polarizer is arranged at a side of the third substrate close to the 3D grating cell.

Alternatively, the third substrate is a color filter substrate, and the fourth substrate is an array substrate.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides in one embodiment a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned 3D touch display device, including steps of: providing a second substrate; forming patterns of touch sensing electrodes and liquid crystal driving electrodes arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other on the second substrate by a single patterning process, each liquid crystal driving electrode being configured to drive liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode and a first substrate to deflect horizontally at a display stage; and forming an insulating layer, a liquid crystal layer, the first substrate and a first polarizer sequentially on the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes. The method further includes forming a pattern of an electrode layer on a third substrate or a fourth substrate, the electrode layer being configured to receive a touch driving signal at a touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive a first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image.

Alternatively, when forming the patterns of the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other on the second substrate by a single patterning process, the method further includes forming dummy electrodes arranged at an identical layer to, and insulated from, the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes, each dummy electrode being arranged between two adjacent touch sensing electrodes.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides in one embodiment a method for driving the above-mentioned 3D touch display device, including steps of: at a display stage within a time period, sending a liquid crystal driving signal including a pixel electrode signal and a common electrode signal to a liquid crystal driving electrode so as to drive liquid crystals above the liquid crystal driving electrode to deflect horizontally by a predetermined angle, and sending a first common electrode signal to an electrode layer; and at a touch stage within the time period, sending a driving touch signal to the electrode layer.

Alternatively, the time period is the time desired for displaying one frame.

Alternatively, at the display stage, the touch sensing electrode is at a potential of 0V identical to a common electrode of the 3D grating cell, and at the touch stage, a pixel electrode of the 3D grating cell is at a potential of 0V identical to the common electrode of the 3D grating cell.

According to the 3D touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other in the 3D grating cell. The touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged between the insulating layer and the second substrate, and the liquid crystal driving electrode is configured to drive the liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode and the first substrate to deflect horizontally at the display stage. The electrode layer arranged on the third or fourth substrate is configured to receive the touch driving signal at the touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive the first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image. As a result, it is able to simplify a process for manufacturing the 3D touch display device, reduce the production cost, improve the yield thereof, and detect the touch operation in an accurate manner while ensuring a 3D display effect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, the present disclosure provides in one embodiment a 3D touch display device which may include a 3D grating cell1and a liquid crystal module2, one on top of the other.

The 3D grating cell may include a first polarizer11, a first substrate12, a liquid crystal layer13, an insulating layer14and a second substrate15arranged sequentially in a direction close to the liquid crystal module. The liquid crystal module2may include a third substrate21and a fourth substrate22, and the third substrate21is arranged between the 3D grating cell1and the fourth substrate22.

The 3D grating cell further includes touch sensing electrodes3and liquid crystal driving electrodes4arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other. The touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4are arranged between the insulating layer14and the second substrate15, and the liquid crystal driving electrode4is configured to drive liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode4and the first substrate12to deflect horizontally at a display stage.

The liquid crystal module2may further include an electrode layer5arranged on the third substrate21or the fourth substrate22. The electrode layer5is configured to receive a touch driving signal at a touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive a first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image.

InFIG. 1, the electrode layer5is arranged at a side of the fourth substrate22close to the third substrate21. Of course, in the actual application, the electrode layer5may also be arranged at a side of the third substrate21.

As shown inFIG. 1, the 3D touch display device in the embodiments of the present disclosure consists of the 3D grating cell1and the liquid crystal module (LCM)2. The touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4are arranged alternately at an identical layer on the second substrate15, i.e., a lower substrate, and insulated from each other. The touch sensing electrode3is configured to, at the touch stage within a time period (e.g., one frame), interact with the electrode layer5on the third substrate21or the fourth substrate22, so as to detect the touch operation. The liquid crystal driving electrode4is configured to, at the display stage within the time period, drive the nematic liquid crystals above a pixel unit to which the liquid crystal driving electrode4belongs (i.e., above the liquid crystal driving electrode4) to deflect in a horizontal direction. In other words, the 3D touch display device in the embodiments of the present disclosure may adopt an In-Plane Switching (IPS) technique, so as to drive the liquid crystal molecules.

According to the 3D touch display device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch sensing electrodes3for detecting the touch and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4for driving the liquid crystals to deflect horizontally are arranged on the second substrate15, i.e., the lower substrate, of the 3D grating cell, and no electrodes are arranged on the first substrate12, i.e., an upper substrate, of the 3D grating cell, so it is able to arrange the first substrate12and the second substrate15directly opposite to each other to form a cell, thereby to remarkably simplify the process for manufacturing the 3D touch display device, reduce the production cost and improve the yield thereof.

In addition, the 3D touch display device in the embodiments of the present disclosure is driven in a time-division manner, i.e., the 3D display driving and the touch detection are performed at different stages within the time period, so as to prevent the mutual interference between the touch detection and the 3D displaying, thereby to detect the touch operation in an accurate manner while ensuring the naked-eye 3D display effect and to achieve a perfect combination of the 3D displaying with the touch detection.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown inFIG. 2, the liquid crystal driving electrode4may include pixel electrodes41and common electrode42. In this way, when a pixel electrode signal is inputted into the pixel electrode41and a common electrode signal is inputted into the common electrode42through corresponding signal transmission lines, respectively, the pixel electrode41may interact with the common electrode42so as to generate a voltage (Cvp) for deflecting the liquid crystals, thereby to drive the nematic liquid crystals above the liquid crystal driving electrode4to deflect in the horizontal direction and enable a display region where the liquid crystal driving electrode4is located to be a bright field.

Meanwhile, as shown inFIG. 2, no voltage is applied to drive the liquid crystals above the touch sensing electrode3to deflect, so the display region where the touch sensing electrode3is located is a dark field.

In the horizontal direction, there may exist a plurality of electrode groups (each including one touch sensing electrode3and one 3D driving electrode4) in the 3D grating cell as shown inFIG. 2. In this way, an active barrier effect, that the bright and dark fields are generated alternately, occurs in the 3D touch display device, thereby to achieve the naked-eye 3D display.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrode group inFIG. 2may be arranged at a position corresponding to a pixel unit on the fourth substrate22(e.g., an array substrate), i.e., arranged above the pixel unit, and cover the pixel unit. In addition, in each electrode group, a width of the touch sensing electrode3and a width of the liquid crystal driving electrode4are each half a width of the pixel unit, i.e., each of the touch sensing electrode3and the liquid crystal driving electrode4shields a corresponding half of the pixel unit, so that the active barrier effect occurs at the position where the pixel unit is located.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 3, the pixel electrodes41and the common electrodes42may be arranged alternately, and connected to each other, respectively, at a periphery of the display region. In other words, one end of each pixel electrode41is connected to a pixel electrode signal transmission line43, and one end of each common electrode42is connected to a common electrode signal transmission line44. The pixel electrode signal transmission line43and the common electrode signal transmission line44may be connected to a pad region.

As also shown inFIG. 3, the pixel electrodes41and the common electrodes42may be strip-like electrodes.

As further shown inFIG. 3, the touch sensing electrodes3may also be strip-like electrodes, and each touch sensing electrode3may be formed by binding a plurality of slit strip-like electrodes.

Referring toFIG. 4, the electrode layer5may be of a strip-like pattern. Of course, in another embodiment, the electrode layer5may include a plurality of block electrodes electrically connected to each other.

As shown inFIG. 4, the touch sensing electrodes3and the pattern of the electrode layer5may intersect, e.g., perpendicularly intersect, each other in different planes.

At the touch stage, the electrode layer5receives a touch driving signal TX (i.e., the electrode layer5serves as a touch driving electrode at the touch stage), and at this time, a coupling capacitance Ctx is formed between the touch driving electrode and the touch sensing electrode3that receives a touch sensing signal RX. When a touch operation has been made, an electric field between the touch sensing electrode3and the touch driving electrode is changed by an object (e.g., a stylus or a finger), so the touch driving signal and the touch sensing signal are changed correspondingly. Based on this change, it is able to determine an X-axis coordinate and a Y-axis coordinate of a touch point, thereby to determine position information about the touch point.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown inFIG. 3, dummy electrodes6, at an appropriate amount, may be arranged between two adjacent touch sensing electrodes3, so as to prevent the occurrence of a parasitic capacitance between the touch sensing electrode3and the liquid crystal driving electrode4, thereby to detect the touch operation in a more accurate manner. In other words, the second substrate15further includes the dummy electrodes6arranged at an identical layer to, and insulated from, the touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4, and each dummy electrode6is arranged between two adjacent touch sensing electrodes3.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 1, a second polarizer23may be arranged at a side of the third substrate21close to the 3D grating cell1.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the third substrate21may be a color filter substrate, and the fourth substrate22may be an array substrate.

The present disclosure further provides in one embodiment a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned 3D touch display device, which may include steps of: providing the second substrate15; forming patterns of the touch sensing electrodes3and liquid crystal driving electrodes4arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other on the second substrate15by a single patterning process, each liquid crystal driving electrode4being configured to drive the liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode4and the first substrate12to deflect horizontally at the display stage; and forming the insulating layer14, the liquid crystal layer13, the first substrate12and the first polarizer11sequentially on the touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4.

The method further includes forming a pattern of the electrode layer5on the third substrate21or a fourth substrate22, the electrode layer5being configured to receive a touch driving signal at the touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive a first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image.

In an alternative embodiment, when forming the patterns of the touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other on the second substrate15by a single patterning process, the method further includes forming the dummy electrodes6arranged at an identical layer to, and insulated from, the touch sensing electrodes3and the liquid crystal driving electrodes4, each dummy electrode6being arranged between two adjacent touch sensing electrodes3.

The processes for manufacturing the patterns and layers are not particularly defined herein.

The present disclosure further provides in one embodiment a method for driving the above-mentioned 3D touch display device, which may include steps of: at the display stage within a time period, sending a liquid crystal driving signal including a pixel electrode signal and a common electrode signal to the liquid crystal driving electrode4so as to drive the liquid crystals above the liquid crystal driving electrode4to deflect horizontally by a predetermined angle, and sending a first common electrode signal to the electrode layer5; and at the touch stage within the time period, sending a driving touch signal to the electrode layer5.

In order to meet the requirements on the 3D display effect and the touch detection, the 3D touch display device in the embodiments of the present disclosure is driven in time-division manner, i.e., the 3D display driving and the touch detection performed at different stages within the time period, so as to prevent the mutual interference between the touch detection and the 3D display driving, thereby to detect the touch operation in an accurate manner while ensuring the 3D display effect, and achieve a perfect combination of the 3D display driving with the touch detection.

The time period involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be the time desired for displaying one frame, e.g., 16.67 ms. A part of this time, e.g., 12.67 ms, may be taken as the 3D display stage at which no touch detection is performed, and the other part of this time, e.g., 4 ms, may be taken as the touch stage at which no 3D display driving is performed.

The implementation of the method for driving the 3D touch display device will be described hereinafter in conjunction with the signal sequence shown inFIG. 5.

At the display stage, all gate lines (Gn) in the 3D touch display device are turned on progressively, and a corresponding grayscale signal is normally inputted into the data lines (Data). A signal of 3V is inputted into the pixel electrode41of the 3D grating cell and a signal of 0V is inputted into the common electrode42of the 3D grating cell via the corresponding signal transmission lines. To be specific, the common electrode42may be grounded, so as to enable a voltage difference between the pixel electrode41and the common electrode42to be equal to 3V. This voltage difference is sufficient to enable the nematic liquid crystals above the liquid crystal driving electrode4to deflect horizontally, thereby to enable the display region where the liquid crystal driving electrode4is located to be a bright field.

At the display stage, the touch sensing electrode3is connected to a zero-potential signal input end, e.g., the ground, so that the potential at the touch sensing electrode3is zero. At this time, no driving voltage is applied to the liquid crystals above the touch sensing electrode3and the liquid crystals cannot deflect, so the display region where the touch sensing electrode3is located is a dark field.

In this way, an active barrier effect occurs in the 3D touch display device so as to generate the bright and dark fields alternately, thereby to achieve the naked-eye 3D display.

The potential at the touch sensing electrode3may be zero at the display stage, so no touch detection is performed at the display stage, so as to prevent the 3D display effect from being adversely affected.

At the display stage, the electrode layer5arranged on the third substrate21or the fourth substrate22serves as the common electrode in the liquid crystal module, so a common electrode signal, e.g., a signal of −1V, may be inputted to the electrode layer5as a reference voltage for the liquid crystal display.

At the touch stage, the electrode layer5serves as a touch driving electrode, and a touch driving signal may be inputted to the electrode layer5. At this time, a touch sensing signal with a certain potential may be inputted to the touch sensing electrode3, so as to detect a touch operation.

At the touch stage, a signal of 0V is inputted to the pixel electrode41, and the potential at the common electrode42still remains as 0V, so the voltage difference between the pixel electrode41and the common electrode42is 0. In addition, since the time for the touch stage is short, e.g., merely 4 ms, the liquid crystals cannot deflect at the touch stage, and the display effect may be ensured at the touch stage. Meanwhile, the potentials at the pixel electrode41and the common electrode42are both 0V, so it is able to reduce the interference of the pixel electrode41and the common electrode42on the touch sensing electrode3, thereby to improve the touch detection.

According to the 3D touch display device, its manufacturing method and driving method in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged alternately at an identical layer and insulated from each other in the 3D grating cell. The touch sensing electrodes and the liquid crystal driving electrodes are arranged between the insulating layer and the second substrate, and the liquid crystal driving electrode is configured to drive the liquid crystals between the liquid crystal driving electrode and the first substrate to deflect horizontally at the display stage. The electrode layer arranged on the third or fourth substrate is configured to receive the touch driving signal at the touch stage so as to detect a touch operation, and receive the first common electrode signal at the display stage so as to display an image. As a result, it is able to simplify a process for manufacturing the 3D touch display device, reduce the production cost, improve the yield thereof, and detect the touch operation in an accurate manner while ensuring the 3D display effect.