Light-sensitive type touch panel, display device and touch positioning method

A light-sensitive type touch panel, a display device and a touch positioning method are provided. The light-sensitive type touch panel includes: a first thin film on a support substrate; a second thin film opposite to the first thin film in a direction perpendicular to the support substrate; a fluid layer, which is between the first thin film and the second thin film in the direction perpendicular to the support substrate, adjacent to the first surface, which is close to the first thin film, of the second thin film, and has a refractive index smaller than that of the second thin film; a light source configured to emit incident light which is incident to the second thin film; and a light sensor on a side, away from the second thin film, of the first thin film.

TECHNICAL FIELD

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a light-sensitive type touch panel, a display device and a touch positioning method.

BACKGROUND

Currently, with constant development of various intelligent devices, a human-computer interaction mode has been developed from an original key mode to a touch mode.

An in-cell touch screen and an on-cell touch screen are two common touch screens, a touch sensor of the in-cell touch screen is arranged at the inside of a display panel included by the in-cell touch screen, and a touch sensor of the on-cell touch screen is arranged outside a display panel and is arranged on a substrate included by the display panel.

In addition, in the technical field of touch, touch screens include various types, e.g., a resistive type, a capacitive type, a light-sensitive type, an electromagnetic type or the like. A light-sensitive type touch screen, by arranging a light sensor, senses a light change caused by a touch operation so as to determine a position of the touch operation.

SUMMARY

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a light-sensitive type touch panel, a display device and a touch positioning method, so as to reduce the false touch caused due to the reason that an object which is not a touch object reflects light.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a light-sensitive type touch panel, which includes: a support substrate; a first thin film, on the support substrate; a second thin film, which is on the support substrate, opposite to the first thin film in a direction perpendicular to the support substrate, and provided with a first surface close to the first thin film and a second surface away from the first thin film; a fluid layer, which is between the first thin film and the second thin film in the direction perpendicular to the support substrate, and adjacent to the first surface of the second thin film, and a refractive index of which is smaller than a refractive index of the second thin film; a light source, configured to emit incident light which is incident to the second thin film; and a light sensor, on a side, away from the second thin film, of the first thin film.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a display device which includes the above light-sensitive type touch panel.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a touch positioning method with includes: irradiating incident light to a second thin film which is on a support substrate and is opposite to a first thin film on the support substrate, so that the incident light travels in the second thin film in a case that the second thin film is not applied with a pressure, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the support substrate, a fluid layer is provided between the first thin film and the second thin film; applying a pressure to a preset position of the second thin film to enable a part of the incident light to emerge from a surface, which is in contact with the first thin film, of the second thin film, and to form emergent light; and determining the preset position by detecting the emergent light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A working principle of a currently-used light-sensitive type in-cell touch screen is that: the touch screen includes a display module which includes a display panel and a backlight source, a light sensor capable of sensing light with a set wavelength is formed on, for example, an array substrate of the display panel, a light source capable of emitting the light with the set wavelength can be arranged in the backlight source of the display module, and by using a touch object (e.g., a finger) capable of reflecting light, the light with the set wavelength is reflected to the light sensor on the array substrate so as to achieve a touch function. In research, inventors of the application noted that such a light-sensitive type touch panel usually may generate problems, which are caused due to an object which is not a touch object reflecting light, such as a false touch which is easily to occur.

In addition, in a currently-used light-sensitive type touch screen adopting an on-cell mode, a light source and a light sensor are arranged outside a display panel of the touch screen and are exposed in the air, and a touch function is achieved in a mode that a touch object blocks light irradiated to the light sensor. However, such a light-sensitive type touch screen is also easy to generate the problem of false touch.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a light-sensitive type touch panel, a display device and a touch positioning method. By touch, a first thin film and a second thin film which are respectively on two sides of a fluid layer are in contact with each other at a touch position, so that a part of light travelling in the second thin film can be sensed by a light sensor after being transmitted from the second thin film, thereby implementing touch positioning. A pressure needs to be applied by touch to enable the first thin film and the second thin film to be in contact with each other, and thus, the present disclosure can reduce false touch, which is caused due to the light reflection caused by an object which is not a touch object, in a common light-sensitive type in-cell touch panel.

The light-sensitive type touch panel, the display device and the touch positioning method which are provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated in connection with the drawings.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a light-sensitive type touch panel. As shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, the light-sensitive type touch panel includes: a support substrate101; a first thin film103, arranged on the support substrate101; a second thin film105, arranged on the support substrate101and opposite to the first thin film103in a direction perpendicular to the support substrate101; a fluid layer104, arranged between the first thin film103and the second thin film105in the direction perpendicular to the support substrate101; a light source106, configured to emit incident light107to the second thin film105; and a light sensor102, arranged on a side, which is away from the second thin film105, of the first thin film103. In the light-sensitive type touch panel, the second thin film105has a first surface1051close to the first thin film103and a second surface1052away from the first thin film103; and the fluid layer104is adjacent to the first surface1051of the second thin film105, and a refractive index of the fluid layer104is smaller than a refractive index of the second thin film105.

For example, the support substrate101may be a glass substrate, a quartz substrate or a plastic substrate or the like.

For example, materials of both the first thin film103and the second thin film105may be a resin material. For example, the resin material may include at least one of a polycarbonate material or a polymethyl methacrylate material.

For example, the fluid layer104may be an air layer. The fluid layer104also may be a fluid layer formed by other gas or liquid of which a refractive index is smaller than the refractive index of the second thin film105.

As shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, the second thin film105has a lateral surface1053, and an extension direction of the lateral surface1053intersects with extension directions of the first surface1051and the second surface1052. The refractive index of the second thin film105is greater than the refractive index of the fluid layer104, and thus, by enabling an incident angle α (not shown inFIG. 1b) for the incident light107emitted by the light source106to be incident to the first surface1051to be greater than or equal to a critical angle for the incident light107to be totally reflected at the first surface1051, the total reflection of the incident light107on the first surface1051of the second thin film105can be implemented. For example, the second thin film105may adopt polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the fluid layer104may be an air layer, a refractive index of the PMMA is 1.49, a critical angle of the PMMA with respect to the air is 42.20, and thus, as long as the incident light107is incident to the first surface1051of the second thin film105at an incident angle greater than or equal to 42.2°, the incident light107can be totally reflected at the first surface1051.

For example, the second surface1052can be set as a reflective surface (for example, the reflective surface is formed by coating a reflective material). Or, the incident light107may also be totally reflected at the second surface1052. For example, by enabling an incident angle β for the incident light107to be incident to the second surface1052of the second thin film105to be greater than or equal to a critical angle for the incident light107to be totally reflected at the second surface1052, the incident light107can be totally reflected at the second surface1052.

For example, as shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, the first surface1051and the second surface1052of the second thin film105may be parallel to each other, which is beneficial for simplifying control on the incident angle α (not shown inFIG. 1b) for the incident light107to be incident to the first surface1051.

It should be noted that the incident angle mentioned in the embodiments of the present disclosure refers to an angle between the incident light and a normal of a surface to which the incident light is incident; and the critical angle mentioned in the embodiments of the present disclosure refers to an incident angle when light is irradiated to an optically thinner medium from an optically denser medium and a refractive angle is 90°, and in this case, refracted light just does not appear in the optically thinner medium, so that total reflection occurs between the optically denser medium and the optically thinner medium.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, the light sensor102is arranged on one side, which is away from the second thin film105, of the first thin film103. In this mode, in a case that a preset position (with reference to a concave portion inFIG. 1b) of the second thin film105is applied with a pressure, a part of the incident light107may form emergent light107aafter emerging from the second thin film105at the preset position, and the emergent light107amay be at least partially sensed by the light sensor102after passing through the first thin film103. Therefore, multipoint touch can be implemented. It should be noted that the preset position of the second thin film is a random position of the second thin film, which is applied with the pressure.

A working principle of the touch panel provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated in detail in connection withFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b.

As shown inFIG. 1a, in a case that no touch occurs on a side, which is away from the first thin film103, of the second thin film105, the second thin film105is separated from the first thin film103by the fluid layer104, and the incident light107can travel between the first surface1051and the second surface1052of the second thin film105after being incident to the second thin film105(for example, being incident to the second thin film105from the lateral surface1053as shown inFIG. 1a), and be totally reflected at the first surface1051.

As shown inFIG. 1b, in a case that a touch occurs at the preset position (with reference to the concave portion of the second thin film105inFIG. 1b) of the second thin film105, at the preset position, the second thin film105deforms due to being applied with a pressure toward the first thin film103and then contacts the first thin film103, i.e., an interface at the first surface of the second thin film105is changed into, for example, a resin-resin interface in a case that the touch occurs, from, for example, a resin-fluid interface in a case that no touch occurs, so that a part of the incident light107may be not totally reflected when being incident to the first surface1051, and the part of the incident light107may emerge from the first surface and travel toward the first thin film103, and the emergent light107aemerging from the second thin film105is at least partially sensed by the light sensor102after transmitting the first thin film103. Then, by a touch chip (not shown inFIG. 1b) in signal connection with the light sensor102, a touch position can be determined so as to achieve a touch function.

In order to make the emergent light107aeasier to enter the first thin film103after emerging from the first surface1051of the second thin film105, for example, a refractive index of the first thin film103may be greater than the refractive index of the fluid layer104.

In order to further facilitate the emergent light107ato enter the first thin film103, for example, the refractive index of the first thin film103may be greater than or equal to the refractive index of the second thin film105. In this case, when the second thin film105is in contact with the first thin film103due to the action of a touch pressure and fluidity of the fluid layer104, the incident light107is not likely to be totally reflected at a contact interface (for example, the resin-resin interface) of the second thin film105and the first thin film103so as to benefit for enabling the emergent light107aformed after the part of the incident light107emerges from the second thin film105to enter the first thin film103.

In the embodiments shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, the incident light107emitted by the light source106is incident to the second thin film105from the lateral surface1053. For example, in this case, the light source106may be arranged on a side where the lateral surface1053of the second thin film105is positioned. Or, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 2, the incident light107emitted by the light source106may be incident to the second thin film105from a position, which is close to the lateral surface1053, of the first surface1051.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a mode of enabling the incident light107to be incident to the second thin film105from the lateral surface1053or a position, which is close to the lateral surface1053, of the first surface1051is beneficial for avoiding direct irradiation of the incident light107on the light sensor102in the case that no touch occurs; and the embodiment of the present disclosure preferably adopts a mode of enabling the incident light107to be incident from the lateral surface1053of the second thin film105, which is beneficial for reducing the false touch caused by an object which is not a touch object reflecting light. Certainly, in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a mode of enabling the incident light to be incident from the second surface1052of the second thin film105may also be adopted.

It should be noted that the light source106may be arranged above the support substrate101or arranged below the support substrate101, and in some embodiments, the light source106may adopt a light guiding apparatus (e.g., an optical fiber) to guide emitted light into the second thin film105.

For example, the light source106may be an infrared light source, and correspondingly, the light sensor102may be an infrared sensor. When the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to a display device, by adopting the infrared light source and the infrared sensor, interference caused by a case that light emitted by other light sources (e.g., a backlight source in a liquid crystal display device or a light emitting component in an active light emitting display device) in the display device is received by the light sensor102can be avoided. Certainly, other light sources capable of emitting light with a preset wavelength can also be adopted, and correspondingly, the light sensor can sense the light with the preset wavelength.

For example, as shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1b, in the direction perpendicular to the support substrate101, the light sensor102may be arranged between the support substrate101and the first thin film103, which is beneficial for avoiding a case that the light sensor102influences the pressure generated by the touch to be applied to the thin film in an upper layer. Certainly, a mode of arranging the first thin film103in an upper layer and arranging the second thin film105in a lower layer (i.e., the second thin film105is arranged between the first thin film103and the support substrate101) may also be adopted.

In a case that the first thin film103covers the light sensor102and the second thin film105is arranged on one side, which is away from the light sensor102, of the first thin film103, for example, as shown inFIG. 3a, a light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a covering layer108, and a refractive index of the covering layer108is smaller than the refractive index of the second thin film105. In this case, the incident light107can be guaranteed to be totally reflected at the second surface1052by enabling the incident angle β for the incident light107to be incident to the second surface1052of the second thin film105to be greater than or equal to the critical angle for the incident light107to be totally reflected at the second surface1052, so as to avoid a case that a part of the incident light107is incident to the covering layer108from the second surface1052.

For example, in the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a material of the covering layer108may include a resin material. For example, the resin material may adopt polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like, so long as the refractive index of the covering layer108is smaller than that of the second thin film105.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the arrangement of the covering layer108can avoid direct contact between a touch object and the second thin film105so as to benefit for avoiding a case that the incident light emerges from the second surface1052of the second thin film105and towards a direction away from the light sensor102.

For example, in the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a case that the covering layer108is arranged, as shown inFIG. 3b, at a position, which is not applied with a pressure, of the second thin film105, the incident light107is irradiated to the second surface1052at a first angle θ1(with reference to the position of the second thin film105, which is not applied with the pressure, inFIG. 3b) with respect to the second surface1052after being incident to the second thin film105; and at a position (i.e., the preset position) of the second thin film, which position is applied with a pressure, a part of the incident light107has a second angle θ2with respect to the second surface1052, and a difference between the second angle θ2and the first angle θ1may be greater than or equal to 1° and smaller than or equal to 2°. Namely, at the preset position of the second thin film105, a change quantity of an angle between the incident light107and the second surface1052of the second thin film105before and after the touch is from 1° to 2°. In this range, a case that the incident light107emerges from the second surface1052at the preset position of the second thin film105can be avoided.

For example, in the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a thickness d (as shown inFIG. 3a) of the fluid layer104may be smaller than or equal to 0.1 mm (millimeter). It should be noted that the thickness of the fluid layer104is not suitable to be too large so as to avoid a case that when a touch occurs, the second thin film105and the first thin film103are difficult to contact or avoid a case that due to a relatively large deformation generated by the second thin film105, the incident light107emerges from the second surface1052of the second thin film105. Certainly, by selecting a manufacturing material of the second thin film105, the transmission thin film105can also generate a required deformation quantity after being touched.

For example, as shown inFIG. 4a, the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure can further include a spacer109arranged between the first thin film103and the second thin film105in the direction perpendicular to the support substrate101. The spacer109can be used for keeping a distance between the first thin film103and the second thin film105so as to benefit for enabling the second thin film105to be recovered to a state that the second thin film105is separated from the first thin film103after the touch is completed.

For example, the spacer109can adopt an elastic material, e.g., a resin or the like.

For example, in the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacer109may be lightproof. In this case, the emergent light emerging from the second thin film105can be adsorbed by the spacer109when being irradiated onto the spacer109, so as to avoid the interference on touch positioning due to the spacer109changing the direction of the emergent light.

For example, in the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the refractive index of the second thin film105may be greater than the refractive index of the spacer109. This can avoid the spacer109from affecting the total reflection state of the incident light107in the second thin film105on the first surface1051.

For example, as shown inFIG. 4b, a plurality of spacers109can be provided. Certainly, an arrangement mode of the spacer109includes, but is not limited to, the embodiment shown inFIG. 4b.

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4b, one light source106is arranged on one side of the second thin film105, and a plurality of light sensors102are arranged on the support substrate101. It should be noted that an arrangement mode of the light source106and the light sensor102includes, but is not limited to, the embodiment shown inFIG. 4b. For example, the number of the light sensor102may also be one, and for example, the light sensor102adopts an array type light sensor. In addition, separation distances between the light sensors102arranged in an array may be set according to requirements of touch accuracy.

For example, in any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first thin film103and the second thin film105which are positioned on the light sensor102, may be thin films (as shown inFIG. 4b) with a plane-shaped structure, or may also be thin films including a plurality of strip structures. When both the first thin film and the second thin film include a plurality of strip structures, a part of lateral surfaces of each strip structure may be coated with, for example, a reflective material or the like, so as to prevent a case that light which is incident into the strip structure emerges from the part of the lateral surfaces to cause a false touch. In addition, separation distances between these strip structures may be determined according to actually required touch accuracy.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a display device including the light-sensitive type touch panel provided by any one of the embodiments.

For example, as shown inFIG. 5, the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a display panel200. The display panel200includes a first substrate201and a second substrate202which are opposite to each other, and the first thin film103, the fluid layer104and the second thin film105of the touch panel100can be arranged on a side, which is away from the second substrate202, of the first substrate201. In this case, the first substrate201can be used as the above support substrate101, i.e., the display device can be an on-cell touch screen.

InFIG. 5, illustration is carried out by taking a case that the light-sensitive type touch panel100and the display panel200are arranged in a laminated mode and a touch occurs on a side, which is away from the first thin film103, of the second thin film105, as an example. The display device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the embodiment shown inFIG. 5.

For example, as shown inFIG. 6, the display panel includes a plurality of pixel opening regions210arranged in a matrix, light for displaying an image can emerge from the pixel opening regions210, and a periphery of each pixel opening region210is a non-display region.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 6, the light sensor102may include a plurality of sub-sensors1020distributed in a matrix, the plurality of sub-sensors1020may be distributed on the peripheries (i.e., the non-display regions) of the pixel opening regions210so as to avoid the influence on display and avoid the influence on identification of a touch position due to a case that the light emerging from the pixel opening regions210and used for displaying the image is incident to the light sensor102of the light-sensitive type touch panel.

For example, the light-sensitive type touch panel100may include a plurality of spacers109, and these spacers109may be distributed on the peripheries of the pixel opening regions210so as to avoid the influence on image display.

In the display device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, arrangement modes of other structures of the light-sensitive type touch panel100can refer to the above embodiments related to the light-sensitive type touch panel, and are not repeated herein.

The display device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be any product or component with a display function, e.g., a liquid crystal panel, an electronic paper, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a display, a notebook computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator and the like.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a touch positioning method, which includes the step S71to the step S73. Illustration will be carried out by taking a case of applying the touch positioning method to the light-sensitive type touch panel as shown inFIG. 1aandFIG. 1bas an example.

Step S71: irradiating incident light107to a second thin film105which is on a support substrate101and opposite to a first thin film103which is on a support substrate101, so that the incident light107travels in the second thin film105. In this step, in a direction perpendicular to the support substrate101, a fluid layer104is arranged between the first thin film103and the second thin film105.

In this step, positions of the first thin film103and the second thin film105can be exchanged.

Step S72: applying a pressure to a preset position (referring to a concave portion inFIG. 1b) of the second thin film105to enable a part of the incident light107to form emergent light107aafter being transmitted from a surface (with reference to a first surface1051of the second thin film105at the preset position inFIG. 1b), which is in contact with the first thin film103, of the second thin film105.

Step S73: determining the preset position by detecting the emergent light107a.

Arrangement of structures of the first and second thin films, the fluid layer and other structures can refer to related descriptions in the embodiments of the light-sensitive type touch panel, and is not repeated herein.

In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a light-sensitive type touch panel, a display device including the light-sensitive type touch panel and a touch positioning method. Compared to a currently-used light-sensitive type in-cell touch screen and the on-cell touch screen which enables a light source and a light sensor to be exposed in the air and achieves touch identification by blocking light, in the solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure needs to be applied to enable the first and second thin films to be in contact so as to change a light path, and thus, a problem of false touch caused due to an object which is not a touch object reflecting light is not easy to generate.

Moreover, compared to the currently-used light-sensitive type touch screen adopting the on-cell mode, the embodiments of the present disclosure further have the advantages that: (1) the light emitted by the light source does not pass through the touch object, e.g., a finger or the like, and thus, power consumption is low; (2) the light source and the light sensor do not need to be exposed in the air, and thus, the light source and the light sensor are not easy to be damaged, and falling resistance is higher, and (3) a multi-point touch can be implemented.

There are the following points to be noted: (1) in the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are referred to, and other structures may be referred to conventional designs; (2) the thicknesses of layers or regions in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure are enlarged for the purpose of clarity; and (3) in the case of no conflict, the features of the embodiments and the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other.

This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201610133263.9, filed on Mar. 9, 2016, which is hereby entirely incorporated by reference as a part of the present application.