Touch-sensitive display

• US 20080309633A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhong, John Z., Hotelling, Steve Porter
• Application Number:
  US11/818,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309633A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

A substantially transparent mutual-capacitance touch sensor panel is disclosed having sensors fabricated on a single side of a substrate for detecting multi-touch events. Substantially transparent row and column traces can be formed on the same side of the substrate, separated by a thin dielectric material, using diamond, rectangular, or hexagonal rows and columns. Dummy shapes of the same material as the row and column traces can be formed alongside the rows and columns to provide optical uniformity. The metal traces in the border areas used to route the rows to the short edge of the substrate can also be formed on the same side of the substrate as the rows and columns. The metal traces can allow both the rows and columns to be routed to the same short edge of the substrate so that a small flex circuit can be bonded to only one side of the substrate.

Claims

1. A substantially transparent touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material supported on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate;

a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed between the first traces and supported on the top side of the substrate;

a layer of substantially transparent dielectric material formed over the first traces and the first dummy shapes;

a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material supported on the dielectric material; and

a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material formed between the second traces and supported on the dielectric material;

wherein the first and second traces are arranged with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which the first traces cross over the second traces; and

wherein the first traces and first dummy shapes are arranged with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.

2. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first dummy shapes substantially cover the second traces, and the second dummy shapes substantially cover the first traces.

3. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, the first substantially transparent conductive material being the same as the second substantially transparent conductive material.

4. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as connected diamonds, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated diamonds.

5. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as lines, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated squares and rectangles.

6. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as connected hexagons, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated squares and hexagons.

7. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first metal traces supported on the substrate and connected to the plurality of first traces; and

a plurality of second metal traces supported on the substrate and connected to the plurality of second traces;

wherein the first and second metal traces are routed along border regions of the substrate to an edge of the substrate for providing off-panel connections.

8. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 7, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the plurality of first metal traces connected to a first number of the first traces at the first end and connected to a second number of the first traces at the second end.

9. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 7, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the plurality of first metal traces connected to the first traces at both the first end and the second end.

10. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 7, further comprising a substantially transparent shield layer formed on a bottom side of the substrate for shielding the first traces.

11. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 7, further comprising a continuous isolation region of conductive material formed on the top of the substrate between the first and second metal traces at the edge of the substrate and held at a fixed potential to reduce coupling between the first and second metal traces.

12. A substantially transparent touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material and a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material formed on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate and separated by a dielectric layer, the plurality of first and second traces arranged with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which a particular first trace crosses over a particular second trace, and each sensor capable of generating a fringe mutual capacitance between the particular first and second traces that can be altered by a touch; and

a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed between the first traces and supported on the top side of the substrate, and a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material formed between the second traces and supported on the dielectric material;

wherein the first traces and first dummy shapes are arranged with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.

13. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, wherein the first dummy shapes substantially cover the second traces, and the second dummy shapes substantially cover the first traces.

14. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, the first substantially transparent conductive material being the same as the second substantially transparent conductive material.

15. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as connected diamonds, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated diamonds.

16. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as lines, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated squares and rectangles.

17. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, each of the plurality of first and second traces formed as connected hexagons, and each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes formed as isolated squares and hexagons.

18. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of first metal traces supported on the substrate and connected to the plurality of first traces; and

a plurality of second metal traces supported on the substrate and connected to the plurality of second traces;

wherein the first and second metal traces are routed along border regions of the substrate to an edge of the substrate for providing off-panel connections.

19. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 18, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the plurality of first metal traces connected to a first number of the first traces at the first end and connected to a second number of the first traces at the second end.

20. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 18, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the plurality of first metal traces connected to the first traces at both the first end and the second end.

21. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 18, further comprising a substantially transparent shield layer formed on a bottom side of the substrate for shielding the first traces.

22. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 18, further comprising a continuous isolation region of conductive material formed on the top of the substrate between the first and second metal traces at the edge of the substrate and held at a fixed potential to reduce coupling between the first and second metal traces.

23. The substantially transparent touch sensor panel of claim 12, further comprising a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel to form a touchscreen.

24. A computing system comprising the touchscreen of claim 23.

25. A mobile telephone comprising the computing system of claim 24.

26. A digital audio player comprising the computing system of claim 24.

27. A mobile telephone including a substantially transparent touch sensor panel, the substantially transparent touch sensor panel comprising:

a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material and a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material formed on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate and separated by a dielectric layer, the plurality of first and second traces arranged with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which a particular first trace crosses over a particular second trace, and each sensor capable of generating a fringe mutual capacitance between the particular first and second traces that can be altered by a touch; and

a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed between the first traces and supported on the top side of the substrate, and a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material formed between the second traces and supported on the dielectric material;

wherein the first traces and first dummy shapes are arranged with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.

28. A digital audio player including a substantially transparent touch sensor panel, the substantially transparent touch sensor panel comprising:

a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material and a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material formed on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate and separated by a dielectric layer, the plurality of first and second traces arranged with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which a particular first trace crosses over a particular second trace, and each sensor capable of generating a fringe mutual capacitance between the particular first and second traces that can be altered by a touch; and

a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material formed between the first traces and supported on the top side of the substrate, and a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material formed between the second traces and supported on the dielectric material;

wherein the first traces and first dummy shapes are arranged with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.

29. A method for forming a substantially transparent touch sensor panel, comprising:

supporting a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate;

forming a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material between the first traces and supporting the first dummy shapes on the top side of the substrate;

forming a layer of substantially transparent dielectric material over the first traces and the first dummy shapes;

supporting a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material on the dielectric material;

forming a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material between the second traces and supporting the second dummy shapes on the dielectric material;

arranging the first and second traces with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which the first traces cross over the second traces; and

arranging the first traces and first dummy shapes with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising substantially covering the second traces with the first dummy shapes, and substantially covering the first traces with the second dummy shapes.

31. The method of claim 29, the first substantially transparent conductive material being the same as the second substantially transparent conductive material.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming each of the plurality of first and second traces as connected diamonds, and forming each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes as isolated diamonds.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming each of the plurality of first and second traces as lines, and forming each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes as isolated squares and rectangles.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming each of the plurality of first and second traces as connected hexagons, and forming each of the plurality of first and second dummy shapes as isolated squares and hexagons.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

supporting a plurality of first metal traces on the substrate and connecting the first metal traces to the plurality of first traces;

supporting a plurality of second metal traces on the substrate and connecting the second metal traces to the plurality of second traces; and

routing the first and second metal traces along border regions of the substrate to an edge of the substrate for providing off-panel connections.

36. The method of claim 35, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the method further comprising connecting the plurality of first metal traces to a first number of the first traces at the first end and to a second number of the first traces at the second end.

37. The method of claim 35, each first trace having a first end and a second end, the method further comprising connecting the plurality of first metal traces to the first traces at both the first end and the second end.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising forming a substantially transparent shield layer on a bottom side of the substrate for shielding the first traces.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising forming a continuous isolation region of conductive material on the top of the substrate between the first and second metal traces at the edge of the substrate and holding the isolation region at a fixed potential to reduce coupling between the first and second metal traces.

40. A substantially transparent touch sensor panel, comprising:

means for supporting a plurality of first traces of a first substantially transparent conductive material on a top side of a substantially transparent substrate;

means for forming a plurality of first dummy shapes of the first substantially transparent conductive material between the first traces and supporting the first dummy shapes on the top side of the substrate;

means for forming a layer of substantially transparent dielectric material over the first traces and the first dummy shapes;

means for supporting a plurality of second traces of a second substantially transparent conductive material on the dielectric material;

means for forming a plurality of second dummy shapes of the second substantially transparent conductive material between the second traces and supporting the second dummy shapes on the dielectric material;

means for arranging the first and second traces with respect to each other to form an array of sensors, each sensor centered at a point at which the first traces cross over the second traces; and

means for arranging the first traces and first dummy shapes with respect to the second traces and second dummy shapes to substantially cover the top side of the substrate with a uniform stackup of material for producing substantial optical uniformity.