JP2006343920A - Touch panel, electro-optical device and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a malfunction of a touch panel due to foreign matter or dirt in a touch panel that forms surface waves on the surface of a glass substrate.
SOLUTION: A front substrate 21 having flexibility, a rear substrate 22 disposed at a distance from the rear surface of the front substrate 21 when viewed from the input side, and a rear substrate of the front substrate 21 22 is a touch panel 5 having a position detection circuit 29 that forms a surface wave on a surface facing 22 and detects a pressed position of the front substrate 21 based on a change in the surface wave.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel that detects a touched position in a planar area. The present invention also relates to an electro-optical device configured using the touch panel. The present invention also relates to an electronic apparatus configured using the electro-optical device.

  Currently, electro-optical devices such as liquid crystal display devices and EL devices are widely used in various electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable information terminals. For example, an electro-optical device is used as a display unit for visually displaying various types of information related to electronic devices. In this electro-optical device, a device using liquid crystal as an electro-optical material, that is, a liquid crystal display device is known. In this liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal as an electro-optical material is sealed between a pair of substrates, thereby forming a liquid crystal panel as an electro-optical panel as a panel structure.

  An electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device may have an input unit. As this input means, for example, a touch panel can be considered. The touch panel is formed using, for example, a substrate made of translucent glass or the like, and is installed on a surface on which an electro-optical panel is displayed. By touching the surface of the touch panel using an input device such as a finger or a touch pen, for example, a result determined by a person based on information displayed on the electro-optical panel is input to the control system of the electronic device through the touch panel. be able to. Conventionally known as such a touch panel is a so-called ultrasonic method in which a surface wave is formed on the surface of a glass substrate using a transmitter such as a piezoelectric element (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-342028 A (3rd page, FIG. 3)

  However, since the touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the surface of the glass substrate on which the surface wave is formed is directly touched with a finger or the like, the surface wave is formed on the outer surface of the glass substrate. Has been exposed to the outside. For this reason, when foreign matter or dirt adheres to the outer surface of the glass substrate, the surface wave passing through the surface of the glass substrate may change and the touch panel may malfunction. Moreover, since the glass substrate which forms a surface wave is exposed outside, when the glass substrate was damaged by impact etc., there existed a possibility that a glass piece might be scattered.

  In addition, since the touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 can detect the position by directly touching the glass substrate, compared to the case of using a pair of substrates facing each other like a resistive touch panel, Consists of few elements. As a result, the total thickness of the touch panel is reduced. However, even when such a thin touch panel is mounted on the electro-optical device, the entire thickness of the electro-optical device is considerably increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent malfunction of the touch panel due to foreign matter, dirt, or the like in a touch panel that forms surface waves on the surface of a glass substrate. It is another object of the present invention to form a thin electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device having the touch panel.

  The first touch panel according to the present invention includes a flexible first touch panel substrate, a second touch panel substrate disposed on the back side of the first touch panel substrate as viewed from the input side, Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the first touch panel substrate facing the second touch panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the first touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave. Features.

  The touch panel according to the present invention forms a surface wave by a sound wave such as an ultrasonic wave on a glass substrate, and detects a position pressed by an input object by a position detection unit based on the change of the surface wave. This is a sonic touch panel. Here, the surface wave is a wave that propagates along the boundary between two different media without radiating energy. In the present invention, surface waves propagate on a solid glass substrate. As described above, the acoustic wave that propagates on the surface of the solid and is bound to the surface is the surface acoustic wave. Note that the input object may be an operator's finger or a touch pen that performs the input.

  According to the first touch panel having the above configuration, the surface wave is formed between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate, that is, inside the touch panel. Specifically, it is formed on the surface of the first touch panel substrate that faces the second touch panel substrate. Therefore, since the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to prevent foreign matters, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave does not change due to adhesion of foreign matter, dirt, or the like to the surface of the first touch panel substrate where the surface wave is formed, so that the touch panel can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Next, the second touch panel according to the present invention includes a flexible first touch panel substrate and a second touch panel substrate arranged on the back side of the first touch panel substrate as viewed from the input side. And a position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the second touch panel substrate facing the first touch panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the first touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave. It is characterized by having.

  According to the second touch panel having the above configuration, the surface wave is formed between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate, that is, inside the touch panel. Specifically, it is formed on the surface of the second touch panel substrate that faces the first touch panel substrate. Therefore, since the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to prevent foreign matters, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave does not change due to adhesion of foreign matter, dirt, or the like to the surface of the second touch panel substrate where the surface wave is formed, so that the touch panel can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Next, in the touch panel according to the present invention, it is preferable that a spacer member is provided between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate to maintain a distance between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate. . In the present invention, the touch panel substrate is a flexible, thin and easily bent substrate. Therefore, the touch panel substrate may bend and bend even when it is not pressed by a finger or the like. If a spacer member is provided between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate, even if the first touch panel substrate is bent except when pressed, the first touch panel plate and the second touch panel substrate are in contact with each other. Therefore, the touch panel can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Next, in the touch panel according to the present invention, it is preferable that a protective film is provided on a surface of the first touch panel substrate that is pressed by an input object. In the touch panel of the present invention, a surface wave is formed between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate. As a result, a protective film can be provided on the surface of the first touch panel substrate that is pressed by an input object. By doing so, even if the first touch panel substrate is damaged due to impact or the like, it is possible to prevent the broken pieces of the damaged first touch panel substrate from scattering to the outside. In addition, since the first touch panel substrate is arranged so as to cover the surface of the second touch panel substrate, even if the second touch panel substrate is damaged due to impact or the like, the broken pieces of the damaged second touch panel substrate are exposed to the outside. It is possible to prevent scattering.

  Next, a first electro-optical device according to the present invention includes an electro-optical panel that displays an image, and a touch panel that is provided to face the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed. The touch panel is the touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second touch panel substrate faces the electro-optical panel.

  In the touch panel according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the surface wave from being changed due to the foreign matter or the like by preventing the foreign matter or dirt from adhering to the surface on which the surface wave is formed. Can be prevented. Therefore, even in the electro-optical device of the present invention using this touch panel, it is possible to prevent malfunction.

Next, a second electro-optical device according to the present invention includes (1) an electro-optical panel for displaying an image, and (2) a space facing the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed. A touch panel substrate that is disposed at a distance and has flexibility; and (3) a position detection unit that forms a surface wave on a surface of the touch panel substrate facing the electro-optical panel and detects a change in the surface wave. (4) The position detecting means detects the pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on the change of the surface wave.

  In the above configuration, the electro-optical panel is a panel structure that can change an optical output state by controlling an electrical input condition. The electro-optical panel is a panel structure including an electro-optical material such as liquid crystal, and realizes display using the electro-optical action of the electro-optical material. The electro-optical panel is formed, for example, by placing an electro-optical material on a substrate made of glass or the like, or encapsulating an electro-optical material between a pair of substrates. If, for example, liquid crystal is used as the electro-optical material, a liquid crystal panel as an electro-optical panel is configured.

  In the second electro-optical device, the touch panel substrate is disposed with a space facing the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is visually recognized, and the touch panel substrate has a surface facing the electro-optical panel. A surface wave is formed, and a change in the surface wave is detected by a position detection means. According to this structure, the board | substrate by which the image is visually recognized among electro-optical panels can be combined as a board | substrate which comprises a touch panel. Accordingly, even if the electro-optical device includes a touch panel, the number of constituent elements can be reduced, so that the entire thickness of the electro-optical device can be reduced.

  The surface wave is formed between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel, that is, inside the touch panel. Specifically, it is formed on the surface of the touch panel substrate that faces the electro-optical panel. Therefore, since the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to prevent foreign matters, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave does not change due to foreign matter, dirt, or the like adhering to the surface of the touch panel substrate where the surface wave is formed, so that the touch panel can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Next, a third electro-optical device according to the present invention includes (1) an electro-optical panel that displays an image, and (2) a space facing the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed. A touch panel substrate that is disposed at a distance and has flexibility; and (3) a position detection unit that forms a surface wave on a surface of the electro-optical panel facing the touch panel substrate and detects a change in the surface wave. (4) The position detecting means detects the pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on the change of the surface wave.

  In the third electro-optical device, the touch panel substrate is disposed with a space facing the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is visually recognized, and surface waves are disposed on the surface of the electro-optical panel facing the touch panel. And a change in the surface wave is detected by the position detecting means. According to this structure, the board | substrate by which the image is visually recognized among electro-optical panels can be combined as a board | substrate which comprises a touch panel. Accordingly, even if the electro-optical device includes a touch panel, the number of constituent elements can be reduced, so that the entire thickness of the electro-optical device can be reduced.

  The surface wave is formed between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel, that is, inside the touch panel. Specifically, it is formed on the surface of the electro-optical panel that faces the touch panel substrate. Therefore, since the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to prevent foreign matters, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave does not change due to foreign matter, dirt, or the like adhering to the surface on which the surface wave of the electro-optical panel is formed, so that the touch panel can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Next, in the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the electro-optical panel includes a first electro-optical panel substrate facing the touch panel substrate and a back surface of the touch panel substrate sandwiching the first electro-optical panel substrate. Preferably, the second electro-optical panel substrate is formed thinner than the first electro-optical panel substrate. By doing so, the electro-optical device can be formed thin. Thinning the substrate can be realized, for example, by the following method. First, an electro-optical panel is manufactured using a thin substrate from the beginning. Second, after the electro-optical panel is manufactured using a thick substrate, the substrate is thinned by etching. Third, after an electro-optical panel is manufactured using a thick substrate, the substrate is thinned by polishing.

  In addition, when the first electro-optical panel substrate is bent due to contact with the flexible substrate of the touch panel or when the surface is pressed, the first electro-optical panel substrate and the second electro-optical panel substrate are bent at the bent portion. Or the first electro-optic panel substrate and the second electro-optic panel substrate are in contact with each other. In this case, there is a possibility that a failure such as blurring of the display may occur in a portion where the first electro-optical panel substrate is bent.

  As described above, if the second electro-optical panel substrate is formed thinner than the first electro-optical panel substrate, when the first electro-optical panel substrate is bent, the second electro-optical panel is bent following the bending. Therefore, the distance between the first electro-optic panel substrate and the second electro-optic panel substrate can be kept constant over the entire area. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure such as blurring of the display of the electro-optical panel.

  Next, the electro-optical device of the present invention is an electro-optical device having an electro-optical panel and a touch panel, and the electro-optical panel faces the first electro-optical panel substrate and the first electro-optical panel substrate. A second electro-optical panel substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first electro-optical panel substrate and the second electro-optical panel substrate, and polarized light that receives light that has passed through the liquid crystal layer and the first electro-optical panel substrate The touch panel is disposed opposite to the first electro-optic panel substrate and spaced from the first electro-optic panel substrate, is pressed by an input object, and has a flexibility, and the touch panel substrate includes the first touch panel substrate. A position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface facing the electro-optical panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave; And the polarizing plate of the electro-optical panel is characterized in that it is provided on the viewing side of the surface to be pressed by those of the input of the touch panel substrate of the touch panel.

  The polarizing plate here has a characteristic that it can pass a specific polarized light and absorb other polarized light and not pass it, that is, a polarizing characteristic. In conventional electro-optical devices, the polarizing plate is often provided on the outermost surface of the electro-optical panel to form a display surface. However, in an electro-optical device having a touch panel, incident light from the outside is reflected on the surface of the substrate on which the touch panel is formed, which makes it difficult to see the display of the electro-optical panel.

  As described above, if a polarizing plate is provided on the viewing side of the surface to be pressed of the touch panel substrate, all the light reflected by the surface of the substrate forming the touch panel is polarized by the polarizing plate. You can make it easier to see.

  Next, in the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the second electro-optical panel substrate is formed thinner than the first electro-optical panel substrate. By doing so, the electro-optical device can be formed thin. In addition, when the first electro-optical panel substrate is bent, the second electro-optical panel can be bent following the bending, so that the distance between the first electro-optical panel substrate and the second electro-optical panel substrate is set to the entire area. Can be held constant. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure such as blurring of the display of the electro-optical panel.

  Next, in the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that a spacer member is provided between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel to maintain a distance between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel. In the present invention, the touch panel substrate is a flexible, thin and easily bent substrate. Therefore, the touch panel substrate may bend and bend even when it is not pressed by a finger or the like. If a spacer member is provided between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel, the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel can be prevented from contacting even when the touch panel substrate is bent except when pressed, so that the touch panel malfunctions. You can prevent it from happening.

  Next, in the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that a protective film is provided on a surface of the touch panel substrate that is pressed by an input object. In this way, even if the touch panel substrate is damaged due to impact or the like, it is possible to prevent the broken pieces of the touch panel substrate from being scattered outside. In addition, since the touch panel substrate is disposed so as to cover the surface of the first electro-optical panel substrate, even if the first electro-optical panel substrate is damaged due to impact or the like, for example, It is possible to prevent debris from splashing outside.

  Next, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the electro-optical device having the above-described configuration. In the electro-optical device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the touch panel due to foreign matter or dirt. Accordingly, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention using the electro-optical device can prevent malfunction due to foreign matter or dirt.

(First embodiment of touch panel and electro-optical device)
Hereinafter, a touch panel and an electro-optical device according to the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment thereof. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Further, in the drawings used in the following description, it should be noted that components may be illustrated with a dimensional ratio different from the actual dimensional ratio in order to easily show the characteristic part.

  FIG. 1 shows a liquid crystal display device which is an embodiment of an electro-optical device according to the present invention in an exploded state. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of the liquid crystal display device 1 according to the line BB in FIG. In FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device 1 of this embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel 2 as an electro-optical panel, a driving IC 3 as a semiconductor element mounted on the liquid crystal panel 2, an illumination device 4, and a touch panel 5. Have. The illuminating device 4 is disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel 2 when viewed from the observation side on which the arrow A is drawn, and functions as a backlight.

  The illuminating device 4 includes a light source, specifically an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 6 as a point light source, and a light guide 7 that converts the point light emitted from the LED 6 into a planar shape and emits the light. . The light guide 7 is formed of, for example, a light transmissive resin. A plurality of LEDs 6 are provided, three in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting surface 6 a of each LED 6 is provided to face the light incident surface 7 a which is one side surface of the light guide 7. Light emitted from each LED 6 is introduced from the light incident surface 7 a into the light guide 7, emitted from the light exit surface 7 b of the light guide 7 as planar light, and supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2. The light source can also be constituted by a point light source other than the LED 6 or a linear light source such as a cold cathode tube.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the touch panel 5 is disposed on the opposite side of the illumination device 4 with the liquid crystal panel 2 interposed therebetween. The touch panel 5 is bonded to the liquid crystal panel 2 by a frame-shaped adhesive member 8 as viewed in plan from the observation side on which the arrow A is drawn. The touch panel 5 includes a front substrate 21 as a first touch panel substrate located on the observation side indicated by an arrow A, and a rear surface as a second touch panel substrate located on the back side of the front substrate 21 as viewed from the observation side. It is formed by bonding the side substrate 22 with a square or rectangular frame-shaped sealing material 23. The front substrate 21 is a flexible substrate formed using, for example, translucent glass.

  A polarizing plate 13a is provided on the outer surface of the front substrate 21 by, for example, sticking. A protective film 17 is provided on the outer surface of the polarizing plate 13a. The protective film 17 can be formed using, for example, a flexible material that is not easily damaged, such as a film-like plastic.

  The back side substrate 22 is formed of, for example, translucent glass, translucent plastic, or the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of protrusions 9 as spacer members are formed on the surface of the back substrate 22 facing the front substrate 21. A space is formed between the front side substrate 21 and the back side substrate 22 by a sealing material 23. The plurality of protrusions 9 maintain the interval. In addition, when the front substrate 21 which is a flexible substrate has sufficient rigidity, the projections 9 may not be provided. The touch panel 5 will be described in detail later.

  In FIG. 1, the liquid crystal panel 2 includes a first light-transmitting substrate 11 as a first electro-optical panel substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate 12 as a second electro-optical panel substrate. The first translucent substrate 11 and the second translucent substrate 12 are bonded together by a frame-shaped sealing material 15 when viewed from the direction of the arrow A. A polarizing plate 13b is provided on the outer surface of the second light transmissive substrate 12, for example, by sticking. The 1st translucent board | substrate 11 is located in the observation side in which the arrow A was drawn, and the outer surface is the display surface S on which a display is performed. In the present embodiment, the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11 is used as the display surface S. However, an optical element such as a polarizing plate may be provided on the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11. In this case, the outermost surface of the liquid crystal panel 2 is the display surface S. Specifically, the outer surface of the optical element provided on the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11 is the display surface S.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first translucent substrate 11 has an overhanging portion 14 that projects to one outer side of the second translucent substrate 12. The driving IC 3 is mounted on the overhanging portion 14 by COG (Chip On Glass) technology using, for example, an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film).

  Although detailed illustration is omitted, electrodes are provided on the mutually opposing surfaces of the first light-transmitting substrate 11 and the second light-transmitting substrate 12 constituting the liquid crystal panel 2. Furthermore, between these substrates, as shown in FIG. 1, liquid crystal is sealed in a gap formed by the sealing material 15, so-called cell gap, to form a liquid crystal layer 16. When planar light is supplied from the illuminating device 4 to the liquid crystal panel 2, the voltage applied to the pair of electrodes facing each other inside the liquid crystal panel 2 is controlled for each pixel, so that light passing through the liquid crystal is converted into pixels. Modulate every.

  And in the liquid crystal panel 2, by passing the light modulated in the liquid crystal layer through the polarizing plate 13a provided on the front substrate 21 of the touch panel 5, letters, numbers, figures, etc. Is displayed. Thereby, the display of the liquid crystal panel 2 can be observed from the observation side indicated by the arrow A.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 can be configured in any display mode. For example, in terms of a liquid crystal driving method, either a simple matrix method or an active matrix method may be used. As for the type of liquid crystal mode, TN (Twisted Nematic), STN (Super Twisted Nematic), liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy (that is, liquid crystal for vertical alignment), or any other liquid crystal may be used. it can. As for the daylighting method, any of a reflection type, a transmission type, and a transflective type for both transmission and reflection may be used.

  The reflection type is a method in which external light such as sunlight or room light is reflected inside the liquid crystal panel 2 and used for display. The transmission type is a method for performing display using light transmitted through the liquid crystal panel 2. The transflective type is a method that can selectively perform both reflective display and transmissive display. In this embodiment, since the illumination device 4 is provided as a backlight, a transmissive type or a transflective type is adopted as the daylighting method.

  The simple matrix method is a matrix method in which each pixel does not have an active element, the intersection between the scanning electrode and the data electrode corresponds to a pixel or a dot, and a drive signal is directly applied. As the liquid crystal mode for this method, TN, STN, and vertical alignment mode are used. Next, in the active matrix method, an active element is provided for each pixel or dot, the active element is turned on in the writing period and the data voltage is written, and the active element is turned off in other periods. Is a matrix method. Active elements used in this method include a three-terminal type and a two-terminal type. An example of a three-terminal active element is a TFT (Thin Film Transistor). An example of a two-terminal active element is a TFD (Thin Film Diode).

  In the liquid crystal panel 2 as described above, when color display is performed, a color filter is provided on one of the pair of substrates. The color filter is formed by a plurality of filters that selectively transmit light in a specific wavelength range. For example, the three primary colors B (blue), G (green), and R (red) are arranged in a predetermined arrangement, for example, a stripe arrangement, a delta arrangement, and a mosaic arrangement, corresponding to each pixel on the substrate. Formed by.

  If an active matrix type liquid crystal panel using a TFD element is used as the liquid crystal panel 2, the electrical equivalent circuit is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, a plurality of scanning lines 31 are formed to extend in the row direction X, and a plurality of data lines 32 are formed to extend in the column direction Y. The scanning line 31 is formed as a strip-like electrode on the first light-transmitting substrate 11 or the second light-transmitting substrate 12 in FIG. 2 on which the TFD element is not provided. 3 is formed as a line wiring on the substrate on which the TFD element is provided in the first light transmitting substrate 11 or the second light transmitting substrate 12 in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the sub-pixel D which is the minimum unit of display is formed at each intersection of the scanning line 31 and the data line 32. In each sub-pixel D, the liquid crystal layer 16 and the TFD element 34 are connected in series. When color display is performed by associating each sub-pixel D with one of the color filters of blue (B), green (G), and red (R), the sub-pixels D of three colors are gathered into one sub-pixel D. Pixels are formed. On the other hand, in the case of performing monochrome display by black and white or the like, one of the sub-pixels D forms one pixel.

  In FIG. 3, the liquid crystal layer 16 is connected to the scanning line 31 side and the TFD element 34 is connected to the data line 32 side. However, the connection relationship may be reversed. Each scanning line 31 is driven by a scanning line driving circuit 37. On the other hand, each data line 32 is driven by a data line driving circuit 38. The scanning line driving circuit 37 and the data line driving circuit 38 are configured by the driving IC 3 in FIG. The driving IC 3 may cover both the driving circuits 37 and 38 in FIG. 3 with a common IC, or both the driving circuits 37 and 38 may be assigned to individual ICs.

  On the other hand, if an active matrix type liquid crystal panel using TFT elements is used as the liquid crystal panel 2, the electrical equivalent circuit is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, a plurality of scanning lines 31 are formed so as to extend in the row direction X. A plurality of data lines 32 are formed to extend in the column direction Y. The scanning line 31 is formed as a line connected to the gate electrode of the TFT element formed on one of the first light transmitting substrate 11 and the second light transmitting substrate 12 in FIG. 2, and the data line 32 in FIG. Formed as a line connected to the source electrode. A planar common electrode is formed on the first light-transmitting substrate 11 or the second light-transmitting substrate 12 in FIG. 2 on which the TFT element is not formed.

  In FIG. 4, the sub-pixel D is formed at each intersection of the scanning line 31 and the data line 32. In each sub-pixel D, the TFT element 35 and the pixel electrode 36 are connected in series. Each scanning line 31 is driven by a scanning line driving circuit 37. On the other hand, each data line 32 is driven by a data line driving circuit 38. The scanning line driving circuit 37 and the data line driving circuit 38 are constituted by the driving IC 3 shown in FIG.

  The scanning signal is sent to the gate of the TFT element 35 in FIG. 4, and the data signal is sent to the source of the TFT element 35. When the TFT element 35 is turned on, the corresponding pixel electrode 36 is energized and writing to the liquid crystal in the corresponding sub-pixel D is performed. When the TFT element 35 is subsequently turned off, the written state is maintained. The liquid crystal molecules are controlled by this series of writing operation and holding operation.

  Hereinafter, the touch panel 5 used in the liquid crystal display device 1 in the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 5A and FIG. 6A are diagrams of the touch panel 5 of FIG. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view according to the line CC in FIG. 5A, and shows a state where the front substrate 21 is pressed by an input object. Moreover, FIG.6 (b) is sectional drawing according to the EE line | wire of Fig.6 (a), and has shown the state which pressed the front side board | substrate 21 with the input thing. 5A and 6A, the front side substrate 21 of the touch panel 5 is indicated by a chain line in order to make the structure of the touch panel 5 easy to understand. Moreover, as said input thing, the finger | toe of an operator who performs input, a touch pen, etc. can be considered, for example.

  The touch panel 5 according to the present embodiment is a so-called ultrasonic touch panel that forms a surface wave on a glass substrate with ultrasonic waves and detects a position pressed by a finger or the like based on a change in the surface waves by a position detection unit. It is. Here, the surface wave is a wave that propagates along the boundary between two different media without radiating energy. In the present invention, surface waves propagate on a solid glass substrate. As described above, the acoustic wave that propagates on the surface of the solid and is bound to the surface is the surface acoustic wave. Such a touch panel 5 can be configured as described below, for example.

  In FIG. 5A, on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 of the touch panel 5, a first transmitter 24a, a second transmitter 24b, a first receiver 25a, a second receiver 25b, A first reflection array 26a, a second reflection array 26b, a third reflection array 26c, and a fourth reflection array 26d are provided.

  The first transmitter 24 a is provided inside the sealing material 23 and in the vicinity of a corner formed by the side 21 a and the side 21 d of the front substrate 21. Further, the second transmitter 24 b is an area inside the sealing material 23 and is provided in the vicinity of a corner formed by the side 21 b and the side 21 c of the front substrate 21. The first receiver 25a and the second receiver 25b are provided in the vicinity of a corner formed by the side 21c and the side 21d of the front substrate 21.

  The first transmitter 24a and the second transmitter 24b are elements that generate ultrasonic waves, and therefore excite surface waves on the surface of the front substrate 21 on the side where the transmitters 24a and 24b are provided. Is an element. In addition, the first receiver 25 a and the second receiver 25 b are elements that receive the surface wave transmitted through the surface of the front substrate 21. Each of the first transmitter 24a, the second transmitter 24b, the first receiver 25a, and the second receiver 25b has, for example, aluminum (Al) on the surface of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, zinc oxide (ZnO). A piezoelectric element in which interdigital electrodes made of, for example, are disposed can be used. The interdigital electrode is described in, for example, JP-A-6-046496.

  The input terminal of the first transmitter 24 a and the input terminal of the second transmitter 24 b are connected to the output terminal of the transmission control circuit 28. For example, the transmission control circuit 28 applies a desired voltage in a stable state to the interdigital electrodes constituting the piezoelectric element. The output terminal of the first receiver 25a and the output terminal of the second receiver 25b are connected to the input terminal of a position detection circuit 29 as position detection means. The position detection circuit 29 includes a circuit that calculates the magnitude of the surface wave based on the output signals of the first receiver 25a and the second receiver 25b, a timer circuit that counts time, and the like.

  In the first transmitter 24a and the second transmitter 24b, when a high-frequency electric signal is input to the interdigital electrode of the piezoelectric element and an electric field is applied to the piezoelectric body, the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric body, that is, expansion and contraction in the piezoelectric body. Deformation and slip deformation occur. Thereby, a surface wave can be excited on the surface of the front substrate 21. On the other hand, in the first receiver 25a and the second receiver 25b, when the piezoelectric body is deformed by the surface wave being transmitted to the piezoelectric body, an electric field is generated due to the piezoelectric effect, and an electric signal is output from the interdigital electrode. it can.

  Each of the reflection arrays 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d is an element for reflecting a surface wave propagating on the surface of the front substrate 21 in a predetermined direction. The first reflective array 26a is disposed along the side 21a of the front substrate 21 and sequentially reflects surface waves that are excited by the first oscillator 24a and propagate on the first reflective array 26a in the Y direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, the second reflection array 26b is disposed along the side 21b of the front substrate 21, and is excited by the second oscillator 24b to propagate on the second reflection array 26b. Surface waves are sequentially reflected in the X direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, the third reflection array 26c is disposed along the side 21c of the surface-side substrate 21, and the surface waves reflected in the Y direction by the first reflection array 26a are first generated. Reflected toward one receiver 25a. Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, the fourth reflective array 26d is disposed along the side 21d of the front substrate 21, and the surface waves reflected in the X direction by the second reflective array 26b are first generated. 2 Reflects toward the receiver 25b. The transmission control circuit 28 shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A alternately drives the first transmitter 24a and the second transmitter 24b at different preset timings. As a result, a surface wave traveling in the Y direction is formed on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 at a certain timing as shown in FIG. 5A, and at a certain timing, as shown in FIG. A surface wave traveling in the direction is formed.

  Hereinafter, the operation of detecting the pressed position on the touch panel 5 will be described. In FIG. 5A, at a certain point in time, an electric field is applied to the first oscillator 24a and a surface wave is excited in the side 21a. The surface waves are sequentially reflected by the first reflection array 26a. A surface wave propagating in the Y direction is formed over the entire input area Vi of the front substrate 21. The surface wave propagating in the Y direction on the surface of the front substrate 21 is reflected by the third reflection array 26c and input to the first receiver 25a. The first receiver 25a outputs an electric signal to the position detection circuit 29. To do. At this time, the surface wave passing through the point P1 on the side closer to the first transmitter 24a and the surface wave passing through the point P2 on the far side are different in distance over which the surface wave travels, so that the surface wave passes until reaching the first receiver 25a. There is a difference in the time.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, for example, when the front substrate 21 is pressed at the point P0 by an input object Q such as a finger, the front substrate 21 bends at the point P0. Thereby, the mutually opposing surface of the front side board | substrate 21 and the back side board | substrate 22 contacts in point P0. When the front substrate 21 and the back substrate 22 come into contact with each other, the surface wave W0 passing through the point P0 among the surface waves formed on the surface of the front substrate 21 changes (for example, attenuates), and the changed surface wave. W1 is input to the first receiver 25a. The first receiver 25a converts the input surface wave W1 into an electrical signal and outputs it. This electrical signal is input to the position detection circuit 29, and the change and arrival time of the surface wave can be measured by the position detection circuit 29. Since the arrival time of the changed surface wave W1 correlates with the coordinate position of the pressed point P0, the position detection circuit 29 can detect the position of the pressed point P0 in the Y direction.

  On the other hand, at some other point in time, as shown in FIG. 6A, an electric field is applied to the second oscillator 24b, and a surface wave is excited in the side 21b. The surface waves are sequentially reflected by the second reflection array 26b. A surface wave propagating in the X direction is formed over the entire input area Vi of the front substrate 21. The surface wave propagated in the X direction on the surface of the front substrate 21 is reflected by the fourth reflection array 26d and inputted to the second receiver 25b. The second receiver 25b detects the position of the electric signal as position detecting means. Output to the circuit 29. At this time, the surface wave passing through the point P3 close to the second transmitter 24b and the surface wave passing through the far point P4 are different in the distance to which the surface wave is transmitted, and therefore the time until reaching the second receiver 25b is different. Has occurred.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6B, for example, when the front substrate 21 is pressed at the point P0 with a finger or the like, the front substrate 21 bends at the point P0. Thereby, the mutually opposing surface of the front side board | substrate 21 and the back side board | substrate 22 contacts in point P0. When the front substrate 21 and the back substrate 22 come into contact with each other, the surface wave W2 passing through the point P0 among the surface waves formed on the surface of the front substrate 21 changes (for example, attenuates), and the changed surface wave. W3 is input to the second receiver 25b. The second receiver 25b converts the input surface wave W3 into an electrical signal and outputs it. This electrical signal is input to the position detection circuit 29, and the change and arrival time of the surface wave can be measured by the position detection circuit 29. Since the arrival time of the changed surface wave W3 correlates with the coordinate position of the pressed point P0, the position detection circuit 29 can detect the position of the pressed point P0 in the X direction.

  By the way, since the conventional ultrasonic touch panel has formed surface waves on the surface of the glass substrate that is directly touched by a finger or the like, the surface waves are formed on the outer surface of the glass substrate and exposed to the outside. For this reason, when foreign matter or dirt adheres to the outer surface of the glass substrate, the surface wave passing through the surface of the glass substrate may change and the touch panel may malfunction. Moreover, since the glass substrate which forms a surface wave is exposed outside, when the glass substrate was damaged by impact etc., there existed a possibility that a glass piece might be scattered.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, surface waves are formed on the surface of the front substrate 21 that faces the back substrate 22. As a result, the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave formed on the surface of the front substrate 21 does not change due to foreign matter or dirt, so that the touch panel 5 can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  Moreover, the protective film 17 was provided on the outermost surface of the touch panel 5, that is, the outer surface of the polarizing plate 13a. Thereby, even if the front side substrate 21 is damaged due to impact or the like, it is possible to prevent the broken pieces of the damaged front side substrate 21 from being scattered outside. Further, since the front side substrate 21 is arranged so as to cover the surface of the rear side substrate 22, even if the rear side substrate 22 is damaged due to impact or the like, the broken pieces of the damaged back side substrate 22 are exposed to the outside. It is possible to prevent scattering.

(Second embodiment of touch panel and electro-optical device)
Next, other embodiments of the touch panel and the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described. The description of this embodiment is also given by exemplifying a liquid crystal display device, and the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7 shows a liquid crystal display device 41 which is another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, surface waves are formed on the surface of the front substrate 21 of the touch panel 5. Thereby, the touch panel 5 detects the position where the input surface R is pressed in the input region Vi based on the change of the surface wave on the surface of the front substrate 21. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, surface waves are formed on the surface of the back side substrate 52 of the touch panel 45. Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device 41 of FIG. 7 will be described focusing on differences from the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG.

  FIG. 8A and FIG. 9A are diagrams of the touch panel 45 of FIG. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view according to the line FF in FIG. 8A and shows a state where the front substrate 51 is pressed with a finger. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view according to the line HH in FIG. 9A and shows a state where the front side substrate 51 is pushed by a finger. First, in FIG. 7, the configuration of the liquid crystal panel 42 can be the same as that of the liquid crystal panel 2 shown in FIG. Moreover, the structure of the illuminating device 44 shown in FIG. 7 can be made the same as the illuminating device 4 shown in FIG. Further, the surface wave forming method is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the first embodiment, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first and second transmitters 24a and 24b that excite surface waves, the first and second receivers 25a and 25b that receive surface waves, and the surface The first reflection array 26a, the second reflection array 26b, the third reflection array 26c, and the fourth reflection array 26d that reflect waves are provided on the surface on the back side of the front substrate 21 as viewed from the observation side, that is, the input side. It was. In the present embodiment, those elements necessary for position detection are provided on the surface of the rear substrate 52 that faces the front substrate 51, as shown in FIGS. Hereinafter, the operation of the touch panel 45 in the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  When the operator indicates the position, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the front substrate 51 is pressed at the point P0 by an input device Q such as a finger, the front substrate 51 bends at the point P0. . Thereby, the mutually opposing surface of the front side board | substrate 51 and the back side board | substrate 52 contacts in point P0. When the front side substrate 51 and the back side substrate 52 come into contact with each other, the surface wave W0 passing through the point P0 among the surface waves formed on the surface of the back side substrate 52 changes as indicated by arrows in FIG. The surface wave W1 that has changed (for example, attenuated) is input to the first receiver 25a. The first receiver 25a converts the input surface wave W1 into an electrical signal and outputs it. This electrical signal is input to the position detection circuit 29, and the change and arrival time of the surface wave can be measured by the position detection circuit 29. Since the arrival time of the changed surface wave W1 correlates with the coordinate position of the pressed point P0, the position detection circuit 29 can detect the position of the pressed point P0 in the Y direction.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9B, for example, when the front side substrate 51 is pressed at the position of the point P0 with a finger or the like, the front side substrate 51 is bent at the point P0. Thereby, the mutually opposing surface of the front side board | substrate 51 and the back side board | substrate 52 contacts in point P0. When the front substrate 51 and the back substrate 52 come into contact with each other, the surface wave W2 passing through the point P0 among the surface waves formed on the surface of the back substrate 52 changes as indicated by arrows in FIG. The surface wave W3 having changed (for example, attenuated) is input to the second receiver 25b. The second receiver 25b converts the input surface wave W3 into an electrical signal and outputs it. This electrical signal is input to the position detection circuit 29, and the change and arrival time of the surface wave can be measured by the position detection circuit 29. Since the arrival time of the changed surface wave W3 correlates with the coordinate position of the pressed point P0, the position detection circuit 29 can detect the position of the pressed point P0 in the X direction.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, surface waves are formed on the surface of the back substrate 52 that faces the front substrate 51. As a result, the surface on which the surface wave is formed is not exposed to the outside, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, the surface wave formed on the surface of the back side substrate 52 does not change due to foreign matter, dirt, etc., so that the touch panel 45 can be prevented from malfunctioning.

(Third embodiment of touch panel and electro-optical device)
Next, still another embodiment of the touch panel and the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described. The description of this embodiment is also given by exemplifying a liquid crystal display device, and the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 10 shows a liquid crystal display device 61 which is still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. FIG. 11 shows a cross section according to the line II in FIG. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a touch panel 5 composed of two substrates, a front substrate 21 and a rear substrate 22, is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 2. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a front substrate 81 as a flexible substrate is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 62, and the first translucent substrate 71 of the liquid crystal panel 62. Is also used as the back side substrate of the touch panel. Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device 61 of FIG. 9 will be described focusing on differences from the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG.

  First, in FIG. 11, the configuration of the liquid crystal panel 62 can be the same as that of the liquid crystal panel 2 shown in FIG. Moreover, the structure of the illuminating device 64 shown in FIG. 11 can be made the same as the illuminating device 4 shown in FIG.

  A front-side substrate 81 as a flexible substrate is provided on the observation side indicated by arrow A of the first translucent substrate 71. The first translucent substrate 71 and the front side substrate 81 are bonded together by a square or rectangular frame-shaped sealing material 83 as viewed from the observation side.

  The front side substrate 81 and the structure accompanying it can be the same as the front side substrate 21 shown in FIGS. That is, the first transmitter 24a, the second transmitter 24b, the first receiver 25a, the second receiver 25b, the first transmitter 24a, the second transmitter 24b, A first reflection array 26a, a second reflection array 26b, a third reflection array 26c, and a fourth reflection array 26d are provided. A touch panel 65 is formed by bonding the front substrate 81 having these members and the first translucent substrate 71 together with a sealing material 83. The configuration and operation of the touch panel 65 can be the same as those of the touch panel 5 shown in the embodiment of FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the front substrate 81 is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 62, and the first translucent substrate 71 of the liquid crystal panel 62 is used as the back substrate of the touch panel 65. I made it. Thereby, compared with the case where the liquid crystal panel 62 and the touch panel 65 are formed individually and then combined to form a liquid crystal display device, the entire thickness of the liquid crystal display device 61 including the touch panel 65 can be reduced. . The touch panel 65 has the same configuration as the touch panel 5 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. Accordingly, the surface on which the surface wave is formed in the touch panel 65 in FIG. 11 is not exposed to the outside, and thus it is possible to prevent foreign matters, dirt, and the like from adhering to the surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the touch panel 65 from malfunctioning due to foreign matter or dirt.

(Fourth embodiment of touch panel and electro-optical device)
Next, still another embodiment of the touch panel and the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described. The description of the present embodiment is also given by exemplifying a liquid crystal display device, and the same elements as those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 12 shows a liquid crystal display device 91 which is still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the following points. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a touch panel 45 composed of two substrates, a front substrate 51 and a back substrate 52, is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 42. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, a front side substrate 111 as a flexible substrate is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 92, and the first translucent substrate 101 of the liquid crystal panel 92. Is used as the back side substrate of the touch panel. Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device 91 of FIG. 12 will be described focusing on differences from the liquid crystal display device 41 of FIG.

  First, in FIG. 12, the configuration of the liquid crystal panel 92 can be the same as that of the liquid crystal panel 42 shown in FIG. Further, the configuration of the illumination device 94 shown in FIG. 12 can be the same as that of the illumination device 44 shown in FIG.

  A front-side substrate 111 as a flexible substrate is provided on the observation side indicated by arrow A of the first translucent substrate 101. The first translucent substrate 101 and the front side substrate 111 are bonded to each other by a frame-like sealing material 113 that is square or rectangular as viewed from the observation side.

  The configuration of the front substrate 111 can be the same as the front substrate 51 shown in FIGS. Further, on the surface of the first translucent substrate 101 facing the front substrate 111, the first transmitter 24a, the second transmitter 24b, the first receiver 25a, the second receiver 25b, A first reflection array 26a, a second reflection array 26b, a third reflection array 26c, and a fourth reflection array 26d are provided. A touch panel 95 is formed by bonding the front-side substrate 111 having these members and the first light-transmitting substrate 101 together with a sealant 113. The configuration and operation of the touch panel 95 can be the same as those of the touch panel 45 shown in the embodiment of FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the front substrate 111 is installed on the display surface S of the liquid crystal panel 92, and the first translucent substrate 101 of the liquid crystal panel 92 is used as the back substrate of the touch panel 95. I made it. Thereby, compared with the case where the liquid crystal panel 92 and the touch panel 95 are individually formed and then combined to form a liquid crystal display device, the overall thickness of the liquid crystal display device 91 including the touch panel 95 can be reduced. . The touch panel 95 has the same configuration as the touch panel 45 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. Thereby, the surface on which the surface wave is formed in the touch panel 95 of FIG. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the touch panel 95 due to foreign matter or dirt.

(Fifth embodiment of touch panel and electro-optical device)
Next, still another embodiment of the touch panel and the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described. The description of this embodiment is also given by exemplifying a liquid crystal display device, and the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 13 shows a liquid crystal display device 121 which is still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. This embodiment differs from the other embodiments in the following points. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the thickness t1 of the first light-transmissive substrate 11 and the thickness t2 of the second light-transmissive substrate 12 of the liquid crystal panel 2 are
t1 = t2
Formed in a relationship. On the other hand, in this embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the thickness t3 of the first light transmitting substrate 131 and the thickness t4 of the second light transmitting substrate 132 of the liquid crystal panel 122 are set.
t3> t4
Form a relationship.

  FIG. 14 shows a state where the input surface R of the touch panel 125 provided in the liquid crystal display device 121 of FIG. 13 is pressed. In FIG. 14, liquid crystal is enclosed in a gap formed by a sealing material 15 between a first light-transmitting substrate 131 and a second light-transmitting substrate 132 constituting the liquid crystal panel 122, a so-called cell gap G, and a liquid crystal layer 16 is formed. The cell gap G is held at a constant interval by a spherical spacer 18.

  For example, when the input surface R is pressed by a finger or the like, the front substrate 141 bends at the pressed position and comes into contact with the display surface S of the opposing first light transmissive substrate 131. At this time, if the force to press the input surface R is strong, the first light transmitting substrate 131 is also pressed and bent at the same time. Since the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 16 is kept constant by the spacer 18, when the first light-transmitting substrate 131 is bent, the second light-transmitting substrate 132 is bent accordingly.

  By the way, when the 1st translucent board | substrate 11 and the 2nd translucent board | substrate 12 are formed in the same thickness like embodiment of FIG. 2, the bending stress of the 2nd translucent board | substrate 12 is strong. Therefore, in the bent portion, the liquid crystal layer 16 may be crushed and the layer thickness may be reduced. That is, the interval between the first light transmissive substrate 11 and the second light transmissive substrate 12 may be narrowed, or the first light transmissive substrate 11 and the second light transmissive substrate substrate may be in contact with each other. When this happens, there is a possibility that a failure such as blurring of the display may occur in a portion where the first light-transmissive substrate 11 is bent.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the thickness t4 of the second light-transmissive substrate 132 and the thickness t3 of the first light-transmissive substrate 131 have a relationship of t3> t4. Accordingly, when the first light-transmitting substrate 131 is bent in FIG. 14, the second light-transmitting substrate 132 can be bent following the bending, so that the first light-transmitting substrate 131 and the second light-transmitting substrate 131 are bent. The distance from the optical substrate 132, that is, the cell gap G can be kept constant over the entire area. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure such as blurring of the display on the liquid crystal panel 122.

(Other embodiments of touch panel and electro-optical device)
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

  For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the polarizing plate 13 a is provided on the outer surface of the front side substrate 21. However, the input surface R may be formed only by the polarizing plate 13a without providing the front substrate 21. Moreover, it can replace with the laminated structure of the front side board | substrate 21 and the polarizing plate 13a, and can use one polarizing glass. The polarizing glass is a glass having a characteristic that allows specific polarized light to pass through and absorbs other polarized light and does not pass it, that is, polarizing characteristics. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the polarizing plate 13 a is provided on the outer surface of the front substrate 21 of the touch panel 5. Instead, the polarizing plate 13 a is polarized on the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11 of the liquid crystal panel 2. A plate 13a can also be provided.

  Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, a surface wave forming method for forming a surface wave using the reflective arrays 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d is adopted. However, any surface wave forming method can be adopted instead. For example, as disclosed in JP-A-2002-342028, a piezoelectric plate array may be provided instead of the reflective array.

  The present invention also relates to an electro-optical device other than a liquid crystal display device, for example, an organic EL device, an inorganic EL device, a plasma display device (PDP), an electrophoretic display (EPD), a field emission display device ( It can also be applied to FED (Field Emission Display).

(Embodiment of electronic device)
Hereinafter, an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments. In addition, this embodiment shows an example of this invention and this invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention. The electronic apparatus shown here includes a liquid crystal display device 151 and a control circuit 150 that controls the liquid crystal display device 151. The control circuit 150 includes a display information processing circuit 156, a power supply circuit 157, a timing generator 158, and a display information output source 159. The liquid crystal display device 151 includes a liquid crystal panel 152, a drive circuit 153, and a touch panel 155.

  The display information output source 159 includes a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as various disks, a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal, and the like. Display information such as an image signal in a predetermined format is supplied to the display information processing circuit 156 based on various generated clock signals.

  Next, the display information processing circuit 156 includes a number of well-known circuits such as an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a clamp circuit, and the like, executes processing of input display information, and outputs an image signal. It is supplied to the drive circuit 153 together with the clock signal CLK. Here, the drive circuit 153 is a generic term for an inspection circuit and the like together with the scanning line drive circuit and the data line drive circuit. The power supply circuit 157 supplies a predetermined power supply voltage to each of the above components.

  The liquid crystal display device 151 can be configured using, for example, the liquid crystal display devices 1 and 41 shown in FIG. 1 or the liquid crystal display devices 61, 91, and 121 shown in FIG. Since the liquid crystal display devices 1, 41, 61, 91, 121 can prevent malfunction of the touch panels 5, 45, 65, 95, 125 due to foreign matters, dirt, etc., the liquid crystal display devices 1, 41, 61, 91, The electronic apparatus according to the present invention using 121 can prevent malfunction due to foreign matter or dirt.

  FIG. 16 shows a mobile phone which is another embodiment of the electronic apparatus according to the invention. A cellular phone 160 shown here includes a main body 161 and a display body 162 that can be opened and closed. A display device 163 constituted by an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device is disposed inside the display body portion 162, and various displays related to telephone communication can be visually recognized on the display body portion 162 on the display screen 164. Operation buttons 165 are arranged on the main body 161.

  An antenna 166 is attached to one end portion of the display body portion 162 so as to be extendable. A speaker (not shown) is arranged inside the receiver 167 provided on the upper part of the display body 162. Further, a microphone (not shown) is built in the transmitter 168 provided at the lower end of the main body 161. A control unit for controlling the operation of the display device 163 is stored in the main body unit 161 or the display unit unit 162 as a part of the control unit that controls the entire mobile phone or separately from the control unit. The

  The display device 163 can be configured using, for example, the liquid crystal display devices 1 and 41 shown in FIG. 1 or the liquid crystal display devices 61, 91, and 121 shown in FIG. Since the liquid crystal display devices 1, 41, 61, 91, 121 can prevent malfunction of the touch panel 5, 45, 65, 95, 125 due to foreign matter or dirt, the liquid crystal display devices 1, 41, 61, 91, 121 are The used electronic apparatus according to the present invention can prevent malfunction due to foreign matter or dirt.

(Modification)
In addition to the above-described mobile phones and the like as electronic devices, personal computers, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder type or monitor direct view type video tape recorders, car navigation devices, pagers, electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, Examples include workstations, video phones, and POS terminals.

1 is a perspective view showing a liquid crystal display device which is an embodiment of an electro-optical device according to the invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross-section according to the BB line of FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of an electrical equivalent circuit of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating another example of an electrical equivalent circuit of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the detail of the touchscreen which the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1 has, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing according to CC line of (a). It is a figure which shows the detail of the touchscreen which the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1 has, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing according to the EE line of (a). FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of the touchscreen which the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 7 has, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing according to the FF line of (a). It is a figure which shows the detail of the touchscreen which the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 7 has, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing according to the HH line | wire of (a). FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross-section according to the II line | wire of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which pressed the touch panel of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the electronic device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the mobile telephone which is other Embodiment of the electronic device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1,41,61,91,121. Liquid crystal display devices (electro-optical devices),
2, 42, 62, 92, 122. LCD panel (electro-optical panel),
3. Driving IC 4,44,64,94,124. Lighting equipment,
5, 45, 65, 95, 125. Touch panel, 6. LED, 7. Light guide,
7a. Light incident surface, 7b. 7. light exit surface; Adhesive member, 9. Protrusion (spacer member),
11, 71, 101, 131. First translucent substrate (first electro-optic panel substrate)
12, 72, 132. Second translucent substrate (second electro-optic panel substrate)
13a, 13b. Polarizing plate, 14. 15. Overhang part, Sealing material, 16. Liquid crystal layer,
17. Protective film, 18. Spacer,
21, 51, 81, 111, 141. Front side substrate (first touch panel substrate),
22, 52. Back side substrate (second touch panel substrate),
23, 53, 83, 113, 143. Sealing material, 24a. First transmitter,
24b. Second transmitter, 25a. First receiver, 25b. A second receiver,
26a. First reflective array, 26b. Second reflective array, 26c. A third reflective array;
26d. Fourth reflective array, 29. Position detection circuit (position detection means) 31. Scan lines,
32. Data line, 34. TFD element, 35. TFT element, 36. Pixel electrodes,
150. Control circuit 151. Liquid crystal display devices (electro-optical devices),
152. Liquid crystal panel (electro-optical panel), 153. Drive circuit,
155. Touch panel 160. Mobile phones (electronic devices),
G. Cell gap, W0, W1, W2, W3. Surface wave, P0. Pressing point, R input surface,
S. Display surface

Claims (13)

A flexible first touch panel substrate;
A second touch panel substrate disposed on the back side of the first touch panel substrate as viewed from the input side, with a gap therebetween;
Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the first touch panel substrate facing the second touch panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the first touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave. Touch panel characterized by. A flexible first touch panel substrate;
A second touch panel substrate disposed on the back side of the first touch panel substrate as viewed from the input side, with a gap therebetween;
Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the second touch panel substrate facing the first touch panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the first touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave. Touch panel characterized by.   3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a spacer member is provided between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate to maintain a distance between the first touch panel substrate and the second touch panel substrate. A touch panel characterized by that.   4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is provided on a surface of the first touch panel substrate that is pressed by an input object. 5. An electro-optical panel for displaying an image;
A touch panel provided opposite to the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed;
5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second touch panel substrate is opposed to the electro-optical panel. An electro-optical panel for displaying an image;
A touch panel substrate which is arranged at an interval to face the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed, and has flexibility;
Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the touch panel substrate facing the electro-optical panel and detecting a change in the surface wave;
The electro-optical device, wherein the position detecting unit detects a pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on the change of the surface wave. An electro-optical panel for displaying an image;
A touch panel substrate having flexibility and being arranged at an interval facing the surface of the electro-optical panel where the image is viewed;
Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the electro-optical panel facing the touch panel substrate and detecting a change in the surface wave;
The electro-optical device, wherein the position detecting unit detects a pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on the change of the surface wave.   8. The electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein the electro-optical panel includes a first electro-optical panel substrate facing the touch panel substrate and a back side of the touch panel substrate with the first electro-optical panel substrate interposed therebetween. And an electro-optical device, wherein the second electro-optical panel substrate is formed to be thinner than the first electro-optical panel substrate. An electro-optical device having an electro-optical panel and a touch panel,
The electro-optical panel is
A first electro-optic panel substrate, a second electro-optic panel substrate facing the first electro-optic panel substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first electro-optic panel substrate and the second electro-optic panel substrate, A polarizing plate that receives light that has passed through the liquid crystal layer and the first electro-optic panel substrate;
The touch panel
A touch panel substrate that is arranged to be opposed to the first electro-optic panel substrate, is pressed by an input object, and has flexibility;
Position detecting means for forming a surface wave on a surface of the touch panel substrate facing the first electro-optic panel substrate and detecting a pressed position of the touch panel substrate based on a change in the surface wave;
The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing plate of the electro-optical panel is provided on a viewing side of a surface pressed by the input object of the touch panel substrate of the touch panel.   The electro-optical device according to claim 9, wherein the second electro-optical panel substrate is formed thinner than the first electro-optical panel substrate.   11. The electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein a spacer member is provided between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel to maintain a distance between the touch panel substrate and the electro-optical panel. An electro-optical device.   12. The electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein a protective film is provided on a surface of the touch panel substrate that is pressed by an input object. . An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 5.

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