IP Library Granted Patent US 12,346,164
Granted Patent B2
US 12,346,164 · App. 18/505,119 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Electronic device

Inventors: Hyunjae Na (Yongin-si, KR); Hirotsugu Kishimoto (Yongin-si, KR); Yong-Kwan Kim (Yongin-si, KR); Sungguk An (Yongin-si, KR); Seokwon Jang (Yongin-si, KR); Chul Ho Jeong (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
G06F1/1641G06F1/1616G06F1/1643G06F1/1652G06F1/1658G06F3/046H01F5/02H01F5/04G06F2200/1635G06F2203/04102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,346,164
App. No.
18/505,119
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a display panel including a folding area and first and second non-folding areas spaced apart from each other with the folding area between the first and second non-folding areas, and a digitizer including a first non-folding portion overlapping the first non-folding area, a second non-folding portion overlapping the second non-folding area, and a folding portion overlapping the folding area and including holes. The digitizer includes first loop coils in a first direction and second loop coils in a second direction and insulated from and intersecting with the first loop coils. The second loop coils may include non-folding coils respectively in the first and second non-folding portions and folding coils, at least one of which is in the folding portion. The non-folding coils are driven in a first mode, and the folding coils are driven in a second mode.

Claims (124)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display panel including:

a folding area to be folded along a folding axis extending in a first direction; and

a first non-folding area and a second non-folding area spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction with the folding area disposed between the first non-folding area and the second non-folding area;

a digitizer including:

a first non-folding portion at least partially overlapping the first non-folding area in a plan view;

a second non-folding portion at least partially overlapping the second non-folding area, in a plan view; and

a folding portion at least partially overlapping the folding area in a plan view, connecting the first non-folding portion and the second non-folding portion and including holes, including first loop coils disposed in the first direction and second loop coils disposed in the second direction and insulated from and intersecting with the first loop coils, and disposed below the display panel, wherein

the second loop coils include:

non-folding coils respectively disposed in the first non-folding portion and the second non-folding portion; and

folding coils, at least one of the folding coils being disposed in the folding portion,

the non-folding coils are driven in a first mode, and

the folding coils are driven in a second mode different from the first mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the folding coils include:

a first folding coil at least partially overlapping the folding area in a plan view and driven in a multi-channel;

a second folding coil at least partially overlapping the first non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting with the first folding coil; and

a third folding coil at least partially overlapping the second non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting with the first folding coil, wherein

the first folding coil and the second folding coil are driven as one first channel, and

the first folding coil and the third folding coil are driven as a second channel different from the first channel.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein

the first folding coil is configured to output a pre-sensing signal,

the second loop coils are configured to receive a mode determination signal for selecting one of the first mode and the second mode based on the pre-sensing signal,

the mode determination signal is selected as the first mode in case that an input in the first folding coil is not detected through the pre-sensing signal, and

the mode determination signal is selected as the second mode in case that an input in the first folding coil is detected through the pre-sensing signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first loop coils are driven in both the first mode and the second mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

each of the non-folding coils includes an open loop wound twice, and

each of the folding coils includes an open loop wound once.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the holes include a first group hole and a second group hole each extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other along the second direction, and

the second group hole is shifted from the first group hole by a selectable distance in the first direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer is configured to detect an external input using electromagnetic resonance.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer includes:

a base layer;

a first cover layer disposed on the base layer;

a second cover layer disposed below the base layer; and

a third cover layer disposed below the second cover layer.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein

each of the first loop coils includes a first coil portion and a first connection portion connecting the first coil portion and a connector,

the first coil portion includes first long sides extending in the second direction and first short sides extending in the first direction,

the first long sides are disposed on the base layer and covered by the first cover layer, and the first short sides are disposed below the base layer and covered by the second cover layer, and

at least a portion of the first connection portion is disposed below the second cover layer and covered by the third cover layer.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein

each of the non-folding coils includes a second coil portion and a second connection portion connecting the second coil portion and a connector,

the second coil portion includes second long sides extending in the first direction and second short sides extending in the second direction,

the second long sides are disposed below the base layer and covered by the second cover layer, and the second short sides are disposed on the base layer and covered by the first cover layer, and

at least a portion of the second connection portion is disposed below the second cover layer and covered by the third cover layer.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein

the folding coils include:

a first folding coil at least partially overlapping the folding area in a plan view;

a second folding coil at least partially overlapping the first non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting with the first folding coil; and

a third folding coil at least partially overlapping the second non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting with the first folding coil,

the first folding coil includes a 3-1-th coil portion including 3-1-th long sides extending in the first direction and 3-1-th short sides extending in the second direction,

the second folding coil includes a 3-2-th coil portion including 3-2-th long sides extending in the first direction and 3-2-th short sides extending in the second direction,

the third folding coil includes a 3-3-th coil portion including 3-3-th long sides extending in the first direction and 3-3-th short sides extending in the second direction, and

the 3-1-th to 3-3-th long sides are disposed below the base layer and covered by the first cover layer, and the 3-1-th to 3-3-th short sides are disposed below the first cover layer and covered by the second cover layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the 3-1-th short sides are disposed between adjacent holes to cross the folding portion.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein each of the 3-1-th long sides is disposed in the folding portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein one of the 3-1-th long sides is disposed in the first non-folding portion, and another of the 3-1-th long sides is disposed in the second non-folding portion.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein

one of the 3-2-th long sides is disposed in the first non-folding portion, and

one of the 3-3-th long sides is disposed in the second non-folding portion.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein

another of the 3-2-th long sides is disposed in one of the folding portion and the second non-folding portion, and

another of the 3-3-th long sides is disposed in one of the folding portion and the first non-folding portion.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a portion of the 3-2-th short sides and a portion of the 3-3-th short sides are disposed between adjacent holes.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein

one of the 3-2-th long sides is disposed in the first non-folding portion, and

the other of the 3-3-th long sides is disposed in the second non-folding portion.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein

the first folding coil further includes a 3-1-th connection portion connecting the 3-1-th coil portion and a connector,

the second folding coil further includes a 3-2-th connection portion connecting the 3-2-th coil portion and the connector,

the third folding coil further includes a 3-3-th connection portion connecting the 3-3-th coil portion and the connector, and

at least a portion of each of the 3-1-th to 3-3-th connection portions is disposed below the second cover layer and covered by the third cover layer.

20. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the holes are formed by penetrating from the first cover layer to the third cover layer.

21. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the base layer includes a matrix including a filler and a reinforced fiber composite material disposed within the matrix and including any one of reinforced fibers and carbon fibers.

22. The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein

the matrix includes at least one of epoxy, polyester, polyamides, polycarbonates, polypropylene, polybutylene, and vinyl ester, and

the filler includes at least one of silica, barium sulphate, sintered talc, barium titanate, titanium oxide, clay, alumina, mica, boehmite, zinc borate, and zinc tin oxide.

23. An electronic device comprising:

a display panel including:

a folding area to be folded along a folding axis extending in a first direction; and

a first non-folding area and a second non-folding area spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction with the folding area disposed between the first non-folding area and the second non-folding area; and

a digitizer including first loop coils disposed in the first direction and second loop coils disposed in the second direction and insulated from and intersecting with the first loop coils, and having holes at least partially overlapping the folding area in a plan view, and disposed below the display panel, wherein

the second loop coils include:

non-folding coils including a first non-folding coil at least partially overlapping the first non-folding area in a plan view and a second non-folding coil at least partially overlapping the second non-folding area in a plan view; and

folding coils including:

a first folding coil at least partially overlapping the folding area in a plan view;

a second folding coil at least partially overlapping the first non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting the first folding coil; and

a third folding coil at least partially overlapping the second non-folding area in a plan view and insulated from and intersecting the first folding coil,

each of the non-folding coils includes an open loop wound twice, and

each of the folding coils includes an open loop wound once.

24. The electronic device of claim 23 , wherein

each of the first folding coil, the second folding coil, and the third folding coil includes:

a first sub long side and a second sub long side each extending in the first direction and facing each other in the second direction; and

a first sub short side and a second sub short side extending in the second direction, facing in the first direction, and connecting the first sub long side and the second sub long side, and

the first sub long side and the second sub long side and the first sub short side and the second sub short side are disposed on different layers.

25. The electronic device of claim 24 , wherein

the non-folding coils include:

a first non-folding long side, a second non-folding long side, a third non-folding long side, a fourth non-folding long side and a fifth non-folding long side each extending in the first direction and disposed in the second direction; and

a first non-folding short side, a second non-folding short side, a third non-folding short side and a fourth non-folding short side each extending in the second direction and disposed in the first direction, and

the first non-folding long side, the first non-folding short side, the second non-folding long side, the second non-folding short side, the third non-folding long side, the third non-folding short side, the fourth non-folding long side, the fourth non-folding short side, and the fifth non-folding long side are sequentially connected.

26. The electronic device of claim 25 , wherein

the first sub long side, the second sub long side, the first non-folding long side, the second non-folding long side, the third non-folding long side, the fourth non-folding long side and the fifth non-folding long side are disposed on a same layer, and

the first non-folding short side, the second non-folding short side, the third non-folding short side, and the fourth non-folding short side are disposed on different layers from the first sub short side and the second sub short side.

27. The electronic device of claim 26 , wherein

the digitizer includes:

a base layer;

a first cover layer disposed on the base layer;

a second cover layer disposed below the base layer; and

a third cover layer disposed below the second cover layer,

the first sub long side and the second sub long side are disposed below the base layer and covered by the second cover layer,

the first sub short side and the second sub short side are disposed below the second cover layer and covered by the third cover layer, and

the first sub long side and the second sub long side are connected to the first sub short side and the second sub short side by contact holes passing through the second cover layer.

28. The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein

the first non-folding long side, the second non-folding long side, the third non-folding long side, the fourth non-folding long side and the fifth non-folding long side are disposed below the base layer and covered by the second cover layer,

the first non-folding short side, the second non-folding short side, the third non-folding short side and the fourth non-folding short side are disposed on the base layer and covered by the first cover layer, and

and the first non-folding long side, the second non-folding long side, the third non-folding long side, the fourth non-folding long side and the fifth non-folding long side are connected to the first non-folding short side, the second non-folding short side, the third non-folding short side, and the fourth non-folding short side by contact holes passing through the base layer.

29. The electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the digitizer is driven in a first mode and a second mode, and

the first loop coils and the non-folding coils output a sensing signal in the first mode, and the first loop coils and the folding coils output a sensing signal in the second mode.

30. The electronic device of claim 23 , wherein

the first folding coil is driven in a multi-channel,

the first folding coil and the second folding coil are driven as a first channel; and

the first folding coil and the third folding coil are driven as a second channel different from the first channel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2023
From: NA, HYUNJAE; KISHIMOTO, HIROTSUGU; KIM, YONG-KWAN; AN, SUNGGUK; JANG, SEOKWON; JEONG, CHUL HO
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065504/0522 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0149815 · Nov 10, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240160246A1 · May 16, 2024
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