CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0113729, filed on Sep. 21, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a touch display device.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

A touch display device can provide, in addition to the function of displaying video or images, a touch-based input function that enables a user to easily, intuitionally, and conveniently input information or instructions.

Such a touch display device should be able to recognize whether a user has touched the touch display device, and to accurately sense the touch coordinates in order to provide the touch-based input function. To this end, touch display devices include a touch panel having a touch sensor structure.

The touch panel has a touch sensor structure including a plurality of touch electrodes, a plurality of touch routing lines for connecting the touch electrodes to a touch sensing circuit, etc. A plurality of touch pads (or a plurality of touch channels) to which the touch sensing circuit is electrically connected may exist in the touch panel.

Since such a touch panel has a touch sensing structure that is complicated or requires several layers, a problem may be generated in that the manufacturing process of the touch panel is complicated, or the manufacturing yield of the touch panel is low, or the manufacturing cost increases.

When the size of a touch panel increases, the number of touch electrodes increases and the number of signal lines and the number of touch channels also increase. Accordingly, the problem that complexity and cost for manufacturing the panel increase and complexity and cost for manufacturing circuit parts also increases may become worse.

Touch panels of the related art have a problem in that a ghost phenomenon in which points that have not been actually touched are recognized as touch positions when multiple touches occurs.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a touch display device that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a touch display device that can reduce the number of signal lines and the number of touch channels and can prevent or reduce a ghost phenomenon in multi-touching.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a touch display device including a new type of touch panel that can reduce the number of signal lines and the number of touch channels and can prevent or reduce a ghost phenomenon in multi-touching.

Additional features and aspects will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts provided herein. Other features and aspects of the inventive concepts may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description, or derivable therefrom, and the claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other aspects of the inventive concepts, as embodied and broadly described, the present disclosure provides a touch display device.

In an aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a touch display device including a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of signal lines electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes.

The plurality of electrodes may be disposed in a plurality of electrode rows. The number of the electrodes disposed in one electrode row of any two adjacent electrode rows of the plurality of electrode rows may be larger than the number of the electrodes disposed in the other electrode row of the any two adjacent electrode rows of the plurality of electrode rows.

In the plurality of electrode rows, a first electrode in an i-th electrode row and a first electrode in an i+2-th electrode row may be electrically connected to each other by a first signal line, and a k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and a k-th electrode in an i−2-th electrode row may be electrically connected to each other by a second signal line.

“i” may be an integer larger than 2. “k” may be an integer of 2 or more.

The first electrode in the i-th electrode row, the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row, the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row, and the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row may have sizes corresponding to one another.

The size of a first electrode in an i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row may be the same as or larger than the sum of the size of the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the size of the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row.

The size of a k-th electrode in an i−1-th electrode row positioned between the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row may be the same as or larger than the sum of the size of the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and the size of the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row.

Two or more electrodes connected by one signal line may be spaced apart from each other by another electrode and may be separately disposed in two or more non-adjacent electrode rows.

The two or more electrodes connected by the one signal line may be operated as one touch electrode in an equivalent potential state in touch driving.

The size of the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row may be the same as or larger than the sum of the size of the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the size of the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row.

A k-th electrode in an i−1-th electrode row positioned between the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row may be the same in size as the size of the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row.

The k-th electrode in the i−1-th electrode row positioned between the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row may be shifted in a row direction by a multiple of an integer of an electrode length from the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row.

The plurality of signal lines may be arranged in a column direction and each signal line may overlap one or more electrodes.

The plurality of electrodes may be all positioned in the same layer and the plurality of signal lines may be positioned in a different layer from the plurality of electrodes.

The first signal line may overlap the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row. The second signal line may overlap the k-th electrode in the i−1-th electrode row positioned between the k-th electrode in the i-th electrode row and the k-th electrode in the i−2-th electrode row.

k may show how many electrodes disposed in the same electrode row change together in connection pattern. For example, k may be 2. As another example, k may be 3.

The number of electrodes electrically connected by the first signal line may be two or more and the number of electrodes electrically connected by the second signal line may be two or more.

One or more electrodes of electrodes electrically connected by the first signal line and one or more of electrodes electrically connected by the second signal line may be disposed in the same electrode row.

The plurality of electrodes may be arranged in n electrode rows and disposed in an active area, and one electrode row of two adjacent electrode rows of the n electrode rows may include more electrodes than the other electrode row of the two adjacent electrode rows of the n electrode rows. Here, n may be an integer larger than 1.

Some electrodes positioned in a first electrode row or a second electrode row in an upper edge area of the active area and some electrodes positioned in an n−1-th electrode row or an n-th electrode row of a lower edge area of the active area, in the plurality of electrodes, may be electrically connected by a third signal line in the active area.

The third signal line may overlap electrodes disposed between the some electrodes positioned in the first electrode row or the second electrode row and the some electrodes positioned in the n−1-th electrode row or the n-th electrode row.

The plurality of electrodes may be arranged in n electrode rows and disposed in an active area, and one electrode row of two adjacent electrode rows of the n electrode rows may include more electrodes than the other electrode row of the two adjacent electrode rows of the n electrode rows. n may be an integer larger than 1.

In the plurality of electrodes, two or more electrodes of electrodes positioned in a first electrode row or a second electrode row in an upper edge area of the active area may be electrically connected by a fourth signal line detouring through an upper outside area of the active area.

In the plurality of electrodes, two or more electrodes of electrodes positioned in an n-th electrode row or an n−1-th electrode row in a lower edge area of the active area may be electrically connected by a fifth signal line detouring through a lower outside area of the active area.

The plurality of electrodes may be disposed in an active area and two or more left outermost electrodes of electrodes positioned in a left edge area of the active area of the plurality of electrodes may be electrically connected by a sixth signal line in the active area. The sixth signal line may overlap electrodes disposed between the two or more left outermost electrodes.

Two or more right outermost electrodes of electrodes positioned in a right edge area of the active area of the plurality of electrodes may be electrically connected by a seventh signal line in the active area. The seventh signal line may overlap electrodes disposed between the two or more right outermost electrodes.

The plurality of electrodes may be disposed in an active area, and two or more left outermost electrodes of electrodes positioned in a left edge area of the active area of the plurality of electrodes may be electrically connected by a sixth signal line detouring through a left outside area of the active area.

Two or more right outermost electrodes of electrodes positioned in a right edge area of the active area of the plurality of electrodes may be electrically connected by a seventh signal line detouring through a right outside area of the active area.

The touch display device may further include a touch sensing circuit that senses two or more electrodes grouped in a touch electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

The touch sensing circuit may supply a touch driving signal to the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row, and may supply a touch driving signal to the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row.

The touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (self-capacitance) of the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance (self-capacitance) of the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row.

When the touch sensing circuit supplies a touch driving signal to two or more electrodes grouped in a touch electrode of the plurality of electrodes, a signal having the same amplitude and phase as the touch driving signal may be applied to a plurality of data lines disposed in a display panel.

When the touch sensing circuit supplies a touch driving signal to two or more electrodes grouped in a touch electrode of the plurality of electrodes, a data signal in which the touch driving signal and a data voltage for image display have been combined may be applied to a plurality of data lines disposed in a display panel.

The touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (mutual-capacitance) between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance between the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a touch display device including a plurality of row electrode lines arranged in a row direction and a plurality of column electrode lines arranged in a column direction.

The plurality of row electrode lines each may be disconnected at one or more points. A first row electrode line and a second row electrode line of the plurality of row electrode lines may have different row-directional positions of the disconnect points.

The plurality of column electrode lines each may be disconnected at one or more points. A first column electrode line and a second column electrode line of the plurality of column electrode lines may have different column-directional positions of the disconnect points.

Some of the plurality of row electrode lines and some of the plurality of column electrode lines may cross each other. Some of the plurality of other row electrode lines and some of the plurality of other column electrode lines may not cross each other at the disconnect points.

The plurality of row electrode lines and the plurality of column electrode lines may be disposed in the same layer.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a touch display device including: a touch display panel including a first touch electrode group, a second touch electrode group, and a third touch electrode group; and a sensing circuit.

The first touch electrode group may include a 1-1 touch electrode, a 1-2 touch electrode, and a 1-3 touch electrode, and may include a first connection connecting the 1-1 touch electrode and the 1-2 touch electrode; the second touch electrode group may include a 2-1 touch electrode, a 2-2 touch electrode, and a 2-3 touch electrode, and may include a second connection connecting the 2-1 touch electrode and 2-2 touch electrode; and the third touch electrode group may include a 3-1 touch electrode, a 3-2 touch electrode, and a 3-3 touch electrode, and may include a third connection connecting the 3-1 touch electrode and the 3-2 touch electrode. The 1-2 touch electrode of the first touch electrode group may be electrically connected with a sensing circuit through a first sensing line, the 2-2 touch electrode of the second touch electrode group may be electrically connected with the sensing circuit through a second sensing line, and the 3-2 touch electrode of the third touch electrode group may be electrically connected with the sensing circuit through the second sensing line.

The 1-3 touch electrode may be disposed between the second touch electrode group and the third touch electrode group.

The second sensing line may overlap the 1-3 touch electrode, the 3-1 touch electrode, the 3-2 touch electrode, and the 3-3 touch electrode.

The second sensing line may be not electrically connected with the 1-3 touch electrode, the 3-1 touch electrode, the 3-2 touch electrode, and the 3-3 touch electrode.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, there is an effect in that there is provided a touch display device that can reduce the number of signal wires and the number of touch channels and can prevent or reduce a ghost phenomenon in multi-touching.

Further, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, there is an effect in that there is provided a touch display device including a new type of touch panel that can reduce the number of signal wires and the number of touch channels and can prevent or reduce a ghost phenomenon in multi-touching.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the inventive concepts as claimed.

