# US 11,307,683 B2 · Touch-sensitive illuminating display

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- Number: US 11,307,683 B2
- Document ID: US11307683B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/075,637
- Filed: 2017-01-31
- Published: 2021-07-01
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-31
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Jarrid Wittkopf; Robert Ionescu; Ning Ge; Helen A Holder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307683B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position}
- G06F 3/0447: {Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells}
- H03K 17/962: {Capacitive touch switches}
- H10K 59/40: OLEDs integrated with touch screens
- G06F 2203/04103: Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
- G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
- H03K 2217/96079: using a single or more light guides
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES

## Abstract

In an example implementation, a touch-sensitive illuminating display includes a transparent flexible touch layer, a transparent top conductive layer adjacent the flexible touch layer, a bottom conductive layer, and an electroluminescent layer and variable-thickness dielectric layer sandwiched between the top and bottom conductive layers. Pressure against the flexible touch layer is to reduce the dielectric layer thickness and bring the top and bottom conductive layers closer together, causing the electroluminescent layer to emit light where the pressure is applied.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A touch-sensitive illuminating display comprising:
a transparent flexible touch layer;
a transparent top conductive layer below and adjacent the flexible touch layer and whose entire surface is conductive;
a bottom conductive layer whose entire surface is conductive;
an electroluminescent layer and a variable-thickness compressible dielectric layer sandwiched between the top and bottom conductive layers; and,
a compression time control adhesive applied to the electroluminescent layer and one of the conductive layers to control an amount of time the dielectric layer remains compressed after pressure is applied against the flexible touch layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A display as in claim 1, further comprising:
a voltage source coupled between the top and bottom conductive layers to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer, wherein the electric field becomes strong enough to cause the electroluminescent layer to emit light when the pressure is applied.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A display as in claim 1, wherein:
the electroluminescent layer is positioned adjacent to the top conductive layer and the dielectric layer is positioned between the electroluminescent layer and the bottom conductive layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A display as in claim 3, wherein the adhesive comprises:
a permanent dielectric layer thickness reducing adhesive applied to the electroluminescent layer and to the bottom conductive layer to permanently bond the electroluminescent layer and the bottom conductive layer through a permanently reduced thickness of the dielectric layer where and when the pressure is applied.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A display as in claim 1, wherein:
the electroluminescent layer is positioned adjacent to the bottom conductive layer and the dielectric layer is positioned between the electroluminescent layer and the top conductive layer; and
the dielectric layer comprises a transparent dielectric layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A display as in claim 5, wherein the adhesive comprises:
a temporary dielectric layer thickness reducing adhesive applied to the electroluminescent layer and to the top conductive layer to temporarily bond the electroluminescent layer with the top conductive layer through a temporarily reduced thickness of the dielectric layer in areas where the pressure is applied to the transparent flexible touch layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

A display as in claim 4, wherein the adhesive comprises a temporary dielectric layer thickness reducing adhesive comprising a temporary epoxy to create a temporary bond between the electroluminescent layer and the bottom conductive layer, the temporary bond enabling the electroluminescent layer to emit light temporarily where the pressure is applied to the transparent flexible touch layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

A display as in claim 4, wherein the adhesive comprises a permanent epoxy to create a permanent bond between the electroluminescent layer and the bottom conductive layer, the permanent bond enabling the electroluminescent layer to emit light continuously where the pressure is applied to the transparent flexible touch layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A display as in claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a porous dielectric layer comprising elastic properties enabling the dielectric layer to remain compressed for a controllable period of time upon application of pressure against the flexible touch layer.

### Claim 10

A touch-sensitive illuminating display comprising:
an electroluminescent layer between a top conductive layer and a bottom conductive layer;
a current source to provide current through the top and bottom conductive layers to generate an electric field;
a transparent flexible touch layer to receive contact pressure;
a compressible touch-sensitive dielectric layer adjacent to the electroluminescent layer to increase the electric field strength in response to the contact pressure and to cause the electroluminescent layer to emit light in areas of the increased electric field strength where the contact pressure is applied; and,
a compression time control adhesive applied to the electroluminescent layer and one of the conductive layers to control an amount of time the dielectric layer remains compressed after the contact pressure is applied against the flexible touch layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A display as in claim 10, wherein:
the compression time control adhesive is to create a temporary bond to hold the electroluminescent layer and bottom conductive layer together for a temporary period of time in response to compression of the touch-sensitive dielectric layer.

### Claim 12

A method of forming a touch-sensitive illuminating display comprising:
applying conductive material onto a substrate forming a lower conductive layer whose entire surface is conductive;
applying an electroluminescent layer over and adjacent to the lower conductive layer;
applying a touch-sensitive dielectric layer over and adjacent to the electroluminescent layer;
applying over and adjacent to the touch-sensitive dielectric layer, an upper conductive layer whose entire surface is conductive;
applying a flexible touch-sensitive layer over and adjacent to the upper conductive layer;
applying a first component of an epoxy to the electroluminescent layer; and,
applying a second component of an epoxy to the touch-sensitive dielectric layer;
wherein upon application of contact pressure to the flexible touch-sensitive layer, the first and second components activate and comprise a compression time control adhesive to control an amount of time the dielectric layer remains compressed after the contact pressure is applied against the flexible touch layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A method as in claim 12, wherein:
applying a touch-sensitive dielectric layer comprises applying the touch-sensitive dielectric layer over the lower conductive layer prior to applying the electroluminescent layer;
applying the electroluminescent layer comprises applying the electroluminescent layer over touch-sensitive dielectric layer; and,
applying an upper conductive layer comprises applying the upper conductive layer over the electroluminescent layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

A method as in claim 12, wherein applying each layer comprises printing a material of the layer as a jettable solution from an inkjet printing device.