Pet-based touch pad

• US 20080143683A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve Porter
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0353 consisting of two or more materials, e.g. two or more polymers, polymer + filler, + reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/11 Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0108 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0326 Inorganic, non-metallic conductor, e.g. indium-tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/10 in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

A space-efficient substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel can be created by forming columns made of a substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a first substantially transparent substrate, forming rows made of the substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a second substantially transparent substrate, adhering the two substrates together with a substantially transparent adhesive, bringing column connections down to the second substrate using vias, and routing both the column and row connections to a single connection area on the second substrate. In addition, in some embodiments some of the row connections can be routed to a second connection area on the second substrate to minimize the size of the sensor panel.

Claims

1. A substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel, comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate having columns of a first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon; and

a second substantially transparent substrate having rows of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon, the second substrate coupled to the first substrate with substantially transparent adhesive;

wherein one or more mutual capacitance sensors are formed between the columns and rows at locations at which the columns and rows cross over each other, a mutual capacitance of each mutual capacitance sensor capable of being modified by an object in close proximity to the sensor.

2. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, at least one of the first and second substantially transparent substrates forming a dielectric material separating the rows and columns and providing mutual capacitance between the rows and columns.

3. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a third substantially transparent substrate coupled between the first and second substantially transparent substrates, the third substantially transparent substrate forming a dielectric material separating the rows and columns and providing mutual capacitance between the rows and columns.

4. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, the first and second substantially transparent substrates formed from plastic.

5. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, the first and second substantially transparent substrates formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

6. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, the first substantially transparent conductive material formed from Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

7. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, the second substantially transparent substrate having traces of a second conductive material formed thereon and routed along a border of the second substantially transparent substrate for connecting to one or more of the rows and routing the one or more rows to a first edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections.

8. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 7, the traces of the second conductive material for additionally routing one or more rows to a second edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections, the second edge being opposite from the first edge.

9. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 7, the second substantially transparent substrate having a first tail formed at the first edge for providing off-panel connections.

10. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 8, the second substantially transparent substrate having a second tail formed at the second edge for providing off-panel connections.

11. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising vias formed in the first and second substantially transparent substrates and connected to the columns on the first substantially transparent substrate for electrically connecting the columns to the second substrate.

12. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a computing system that incorporates the sensor panel.

13. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 12, further comprising a mobile telephone that incorporates the computing system.

14. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 12, further comprising a digital audio player that incorporates the computing system.

15. A mobile telephone having a substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel, the substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate having columns of a first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon; and

a second substantially transparent substrate having rows of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon, the second substrate coupled to the first substrate with substantially transparent adhesive;

wherein one or more mutual capacitance sensors are formed between the columns and rows at locations at which the columns and rows cross over each other, a mutual capacitance of each mutual capacitance sensor capable of being modified by an object in close proximity to the sensor.

16. A digital audio player having a substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel, the substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate having columns of a first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon; and

a second substantially transparent substrate having rows of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed thereon, the second substrate coupled to the first substrate with substantially transparent adhesive;

wherein one or more mutual capacitance sensors are formed between the columns and rows at locations at which the columns and rows cross over each other, a mutual capacitance of each mutual capacitance sensor capable of being modified by an object in close proximity to the sensor.

17. A substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of mutual capacitance sensors, the plurality of mutual capacitance sensors formed from a plurality of column traces and a plurality of row traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material, each sensor formed at a location at which a particular column trace and a particular row trace cross over each other and have a dielectric material therebetween;

a first substantially transparent substrate supporting the plurality of column traces; and

a second substantially transparent substrate supporting the plurality of row traces, the second substrate coupled to the first substrate with substantially transparent adhesive, and at least one of the first and second substantially transparent substrates.

18. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, further comprising a third substantially transparent substrate coupled between the first and second substantially transparent substrates, the third substantially transparent substrate forming the dielectric material separating the rows and columns an d providing mutual capacitance between the rows and columns.

19. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, the first and second substantially transparent substrates formed from plastic.

20. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, the first and second substantially transparent substrates formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

21. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, the first substantially transparent conductive material formed from Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

22. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, the second substantially transparent substrate having traces of a second conductive material formed thereon and routed along a border of the second substantially transparent substrate for connecting to one or more of the rows and routing the one or more rows to a first edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections.

23. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 22, the traces of the second conductive material for additionally routing one or more rows to a second edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections, the second edge being opposite from the first edge.

24. The substantially transparent mutual-capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 22, the second substantially transparent substrate having a first tail formed at the first edge for providing off-panel connections.

25. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 23, the second substantially transparent substrate having a second tail formed at the second edge for providing off-panel connections.

26. The substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 17, further comprising vias formed in the first and second substantially transparent substrates and connected to the columns on the first substantially transparent substrate for electrically connecting the columns to the second substrate.

27. A method for forming a substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel, comprising:

forming columns of a first substantially transparent conductive material on a first substantially transparent substrate;

forming rows of the first substantially transparent conductive material on a second substantially transparent substrate;

coupling the second substrate to the first substrate with substantially transparent adhesive; and

forming one or more mutual capacitance sensors between the columns and rows at locations at which the columns and rows cross over each other, a mutual capacitance of each mutual capacitance sensor capable of being modified by an object in close proximity to the sensor.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising orienting at least one of the first and second substantially transparent substrates to form a dielectric material separating the rows and columns and provide mutual capacitance between the rows and columns.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising coupling a third substantially transparent substrate between the first and second substantially transparent substrates to provide a dielectric material separating the rows and columns and provide mutual capacitance between the rows and columns.

30. The method of claim 27, the first and second substantially transparent substrates formed from plastic.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming the first and second substantially transparent substrates from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming the first substantially transparent conductive material from Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

forming traces of a second conductive material on the second substantially transparent substrate;

routing the traces along a border of the second substantially transparent substrate;

connecting the traces to one or more of the rows; and

routing the traces to a first edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising routing the traces of the second conductive material to a second edge of the second substrate for providing off-panel connections, the second edge being opposite from the first edge.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising forming a first tail at the first edge of the second substantially transparent substrate for providing off-panel connections.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising forming a second tail at the second edge of the second substantially transparent substrate for providing off-panel connections.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming vias in the first and second substantially transparent substrates, the vias connected to the columns on the first substantially transparent substrate for electrically connecting the columns to the second substrate.