Expanded touch panel display

• US 20020097228A1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobigence Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mobigence Incorporated
• Inventors: Park, Ilwhan, Schipper, John F., Shim, Jae H., Berelovich, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 6,621,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

Apparatus for a touch sensitive panel or input screen for a hand held computing device that provides increased active or key area for the input screen. Four wires, each connected to one of the electrodes, are divided into smaller two-wire and one-wire units, with two of the four wires being connected to a signal processor from opposed locations on a boundary of the input screen. Replacing a conventional four-wire unit with this arrangement, the active or key area on the input screen can be increased by as much as 10-14 percent on a typical hand held device, or one or more dimensions of the device housing can be reduced. The four wire connection may be replaced by a three wire connection.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a touch sensitive panel, the apparatus comprising:

a first input layer and a second input layer that is spaced apart from, is parallel to and lies below the first input layer, each of the first and second input layers having a boundary, including a left side, a right side, a top side and a bottom side;

first and second electrodes, positioned adjacent to the left side and the right side, respectively, of the first input layer, the first and second electrodes being connected by each of a first sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths in the first input layer;

third and fourth electrodes, positioned adjacent to the top side and the bottom side, respectively, of the second input layer, the third and fourth electrodes being connected by each of a second sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths in the second input layer;

first and second signal carrying wires, located in a routing zone adjacent to the input layer boundaries, connected at a first end of the wires to the first and third electrodes, respectively, and connected at a second end of the wires to at least one of a voltage source and a signal analyzer for electrode signals, from opposed locations on the first input layer boundary; and

third and fourth signal carrying wires, located in the routing zone, connected at a first end of the wires to the second and fourth electrodes, respectively, and connected at a second end of the wires to at least one of the voltage source and the signal analyzer, from opposed locations on the second input layer boundary,

thereby allowing a reduction in width of the routing zone on at least one side of the boundaries of the input layers, relative to a width of a routing zone where the first, second, third and fourth wires are received at the first and second input layers as a single unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing, and at least one of a housing length dimension and a housing width dimension is reduced relative to a corresponding dimension where said first, second, third and fourth wires are received at said first and second input layers as a single unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing having a left side and a right side, and said left side boundary and said right side boundary of at least one of said first input layer and said second input layer are located at an equal distance from the left side and the right side of the housing, respectively.

4. Apparatus for a touch sensitive panel, the apparatus comprising:

a first input layer and a second input layer that is spaced apart from, is parallel to and lies below the first input layer, each of the first and second input layers having a boundary, including a left side, a right side, a top side and a bottom side;

first and second electrodes, positioned adjacent to the left side and the right side of the first input layer, the first and second electrodes being connected by each of a first sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths in the first input layer;

third and fourth electrodes, positioned adjacent to the top side and the bottom side of the second input layer, the third and fourth electrodes being connected by each of a second sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths in the second input layer;

first and second signal carrying wires, located in a routing zone adjacent to the input layer boundaries, connected at a first end of the wires to the first and fourth electrodes, respectively, and connected at a second end of the wires to at least one of a voltage source and a signal analyzer for electrode signals, from opposed locations on the first input layer boundary; and

third and fourth signal carrying wires, located in the routing zone, connected at a first end of the wires to the second and third electrodes, respectively, and connected at a second end of the wires to at least one of the voltage source and the signal analyzer, from opposed locations on the second input layer boundary,

thereby allowing a reduction in width of the routing zone on at least one side of the boundaries of the input layers, relative to a width of a routing zone where the first, second, third and fourth wires are received at the first and second input layers as a single unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing, and at least one of a housing length dimension and a housing width dimension is reduced relative to a corresponding dimension where said first, second, third and fourth wires are received at said first and second input layers as a single unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing having a left side and a right side, and said left side boundary and said right side boundary of at least one of said first input layer and said second input layer are located at an equal distance from the left side and the right side of the housing, respectively.

7. Apparatus for a touch sensitive panel, the apparatus comprising:

a first input layer and a second input layer that is spaced apart from, is parallel to and lies below the first input layer, each of the first and second input layers having a boundary, including a left side, a right side, a top side and a bottom side;

first and second electrodes, positioned adjacent to the left side and the right side of the first input layer, the first and second electrodes being connected by each of a first sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths lying in the first input layer;

third and fourth electrodes, positioned adjacent to the top side and the bottom side of the second input layer, the third and fourth electrodes being connected by each of a second sequence of two or more electrically resistive paths lying in the second input layer;

a first signal carrying wire, located in a routing zone adjacent to the input layer boundaries, connected at a first end to a first selected voltage source, and connected at a second end and at a third end of the first wire to the first electrode and third electrode, respectively;

a second signal carrying wire, located in the routing zone, connected at a first end to a second selected voltage source, and connected at a second end and at a third end of the second wire to the second electrode and fourth electrode, respectively;

a third signal carrying wire, located in the routing zone, connected to a selected electrode and to a signal analyzer for electrode signals,

thereby allowing a reduction in width of the routing zone on at least one side of the boundaries of the input layers, relative to a width of a routing zone where the first, second and third wires and a fourth wire are received at the first and second input layers as a single unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing , and at least one of a housing length dimension and a housing width dimension is reduced relative to a corresponding dimension where said first, second, third and fourth wires are received at said first and second input layers as a single unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said touch sensitive panel is enclosed in a device housing having a left side and a right side, and said left side boundary and said right side boundary of at least one of said first input layer and said second input layer are located at an equal distance from the left side and the right side of the housing, respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a voltage step down circuit located between said first end and at least one of said second end and said third end of said first wire.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a voltage step down circuit located between said first end and at least one of said second end and said third end of said second wire.