Capacitive-type touch panel

• US 20090002337A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sense Pad Tech Co.
• Original Assignee: Sense Pad Tech Co.
• Inventors: Chang, Yu-Huei
• Application Number:
  US12/152,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive-type touch panel includes: a transparent substrate; a plurality of first conductors; a plurality of second conductors cooperating with the first conductors to form a matrix of capacitive regions; and a controller connected electrically to the first and second conductors for detecting the capacitance of each of the capacitive regions. Each of the first conductors is intersected and divided by the second conductors into a series of first electrode sections. Each of the second conductors is intersected and divided by the first conductors into a series of second electrode sections. Each of the first and second electrode sections of the first and second conductors has a fine conductor line-constructed structure which is constructed from a fine line-shaped conductor.

Claims

1. A capacitive-type touch panel comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a plurality of first conductors disposed on said transparent substrate;

a plurality of second conductors disposed on said transparent substrate intersecting insulatively with said first conductors, and cooperating with said first conductors to form a matrix of capacitive regions when a current is applied to said first and second conductors; and

a controller connected electrically to said first and second conductors for detecting the capacitance of each of said capacitive regions;

wherein each of said first conductors is intersected; and

divided by said second conductors into a series of first electrode sections;

wherein each of said second conductors is intersected and divided by said first conductors into a series of second electrode sections; and

wherein each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a fine conductor line-constructed structure which is constructed from a fine line-shaped conductor.

2. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine conductor line-constructed structure of each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a main part that is linear in shape.

3. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine conductor line-constructed structure of each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a main part that includes a linear stem portion and spaced apart linear branch portions transverse to said linear stem portion.

4. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine conductor line-constructed structure of each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a main part that is rectangular in shape.

5. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine conductor line-constructed structure of each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a main part that has a screen-like shape.

6. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine conductor line-constructed structure of each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors has a main part that has a screen-like shape and that defines a plurality of holes, each of which is filled with a transparent conductive material.

7. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 6, wherein said transparent conductive material is selected from the group consisting of indium-tin-oxide, indium-zinc-oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and combinations thereof.

8. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine line-shaped conductor has a layer thickness less than 250 angstroms.

9. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 8, wherein said fine line-shaped conductor has a line width less than 200 microns.

10. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate has two opposite surfaces, said first and second conductors being formed on one of said surfaces of said transparent substrate, each of said first and second electrode sections of said first and second conductors having a main part and two opposite bridging parts extending from said main part, each of said bridging parts of each of said first electrode sections being connected to and cooperating with an adjacent one of said bridging parts of an adjacent one of said first electrode sections to define a first bridging line, each of said bridging parts of each of said second electrode sections being connected to and cooperating with an adjacent one of said bridging parts of an adjacent one of said second electrode sections to define a second bridging line, said capacitive type touch panel further comprising a plurality of spaced apart insulators, each of which is disposed at an intersection of said first bridging line interconnecting said main parts of an adjacent pair of said first electrode sections and said second bridging line interconnecting said main parts of an adjacent pair of said second electrode sections, and each of which is sandwiched between said first bridging line interconnecting said main parts of the adjacent pair of said first electrode sections and said second bridging line interconnecting said main parts of the adjacent pair of said second electrode sections.

11. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 10, wherein said insulator is made from a material selected from the group consisting of photoresist, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, tantalum oxide, and combinations thereof.

12. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of glass, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, and combinations thereof.

13. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate has two opposite surfaces, said first and second conductors being respectively formed on said surfaces of said transparent substrate.

14. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate has two opposite surfaces, said capacitive-type touch panel further comprising first and second supporting substrates sandwiching said transparent substrate therebetween, said first and second conductors being respectively formed on said first and second supporting substrates.

15. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 14, wherein said first and second supporting substrates are made from a material selected from the group consisting of glass, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, adhesive, resin, photoresist, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, tantalum oxide, and combinations thereof.

16. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate has two opposite surfaces, said capacitive-type touch panel further comprising a supporting substrate attached to one of said surfaces of said transparent substrate, said first and second conductors being respectively formed on said supporting substrate and the other of said surfaces of said transparent substrate.

17. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 16, wherein said supporting substrate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of glass, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, adhesive, resin, photoresist, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, tantalum oxide, and combinations thereof.

18. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate has two opposite surfaces, said capacitive-type touch panel further comprising a protective layer and a conductive layer that are respectively disposed on said surfaces of said transparent substrate, said conductive layer being made from a transparent conductive material and functioned as one of a grounding medium and an electromagnetically shielding medium.

19. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 18, wherein said protective layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of adhesive, resin, photoresist, oxides, nitrides, and combinations thereof.

20. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine line-shaped conductor is made from a metallic material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Au, Ag, Ni, Cr, Mo, and combinations thereof.

21. The capacitive-type touch panel of claim 1, wherein said fine line-shaped conductor has a dimension that permits said fine line-shaped conductor to be substantially not visible to the naked eye.