BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates to a touch sensor-antenna module and a display device including the same. More particularly, the present invention related to a touch sensor-antenna module including an antenna pattern and a touch sensor layer, and a display device including the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

As information technologies have been developed, a wireless communication technology such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., is combined with a display device in, e.g., a smartphone. In this case, an antenna may be combined with the display device to provide a communication function.

Mobile communication technologies have been rapidly developed, an antenna capable of operating an ultra-high frequency communication, e.g., 3G to 5G communications is needed in the display device.

Further, a touch panel or a touch sensor capable of inputting a user's direction by selecting an instruction displayed on a screen with a finger or an inputting tool is also developed. The touch panel or the touch sensor may be combined with the display device so that display and information input functions may be implemented in one electronic device. For example, as disclosed in Korean Published Patent Application No. 2014-0092366, various image display devices combined with a touch screen panel including a touch sensor has been developed recently.

When the antenna and the touch sensor are present in one display device, desired gain property of the antenna may not be obtained due to a mutual signal interference and an impedance property for receiving a desired frequency may be disturbed.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch sensor-antenna module having improved signaling efficiency and reliability.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device including a touch sensor-antenna module with improved signaling efficiency and reliability.

The above aspects of the present invention will be achieved by the following features or constructions:

(1) A touch sensor-antenna module, comprising: a touch sensor electrode layer including a plurality of sensing electrodes and traces electrically connected to the sensing electrodes; and an antenna electrode layer disposed over the touch sensor electrode layer or under the touch sensor electrode layer, the antenna electrode layer including an antenna pattern that does not overlap the traces in a planar view.

(2) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), wherein a plurality of the antenna patterns are arranged to be spaced apart from the traces in the planar view.

(3) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (2), wherein the antenna patterns do not overlap the sensing electrodes in the planar view.

(4) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (3), wherein the antenna patterns are disposed between the sensing electrodes in the planar view.

(5) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), wherein the antenna electrode layer further includes a dummy antenna pattern formed at the same level with the antenna pattern.

(6) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (5), further comprising an antenna driving integrated circuit chip that is connected to the antenna pattern and is not connected to the dummy antenna pattern.

(7) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), wherein the antenna electrode layer further includes a dummy pattern around the antenna pattern, and the antenna pattern and the dummy pattern include a mesh structure.

(8) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (7), wherein the sensing electrodes are entirely covered by the dummy pattern in the planar view.

(9) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), wherein the antenna pattern includes a radiation electrode, a pad and a transmission line that electrically connects the radiation electrode and the pad.

(10) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (9), wherein the pad includes a signal pad and a ground pad that is spaced apart from the signal pad and electrically separated from the transmission line.

(11) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (10), wherein a pair of the ground pads are disposed to face each other with respect to the signal pad.

(12) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), further comprising a dielectric layer on which the antenna electrode layer is disposed.

(13) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (1), wherein the sensing electrodes include first sensing electrodes defining a plurality of first sensing electrode rows, and second sensing electrodes defining a plurality of second sensing electrode columns.

(14) The touch sensor-antenna module according to the above (13), wherein the traces include first traces each extending from the first sensing electrode row, and second traces each extending from the second sensing electrode column, wherein the first traces are dispersed at both lateral portions of the touch sensor-antenna module.

(15) A display device including the touch sensor-antenna module according to any one of the above (1) to (14).

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a touch sensor-antenna module may include a plurality of antenna patterns as an array so that radiation directivity and antenna gain may be improved.

The antenna patterns may be disposed over or under a touch sensor such that a transmission line included in the antenna pattern may not overlap a trace included in the touch sensor. Thus, signal disturbance and impedance mismatching by the trace of the touch sensor may be prevented and radiation reliability of the antenna patterns may be improved.

In some embodiments, a feeding may be selectively performed to only an antenna pattern that may not overlap the trace of the plurality of the antenna patterns via an integrated circuit (IC) chip so that signaling/radiation reliability may be enhanced.

