TOUCH SCREEN SENSOR WITH LOW VISIBILITY CONDUCTORS

• US 20090219258A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hagermoser, Edward S., GEAGHAN, Bernard O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/14 Aqueous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch screen sensor with a conductive micropattern includes one or more features to obscure or reduce the visibility of the conductive micropattern.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive device comprising:

a first visible light transparent substrate having a touch-interface surface and a display-interface surface, the touch-interface surface disposed toward touch input, and the display interface disposed toward the output of a display;

a second visible light transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface and also having a touch sensing area comprised of an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the second visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductors with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers;

wherein the first surface of the second visible light transparent substrate is disposed toward the display-interface surface of the first visible light transparent substrate;

and wherein the first visible light transparent substrate includes a feature that reduces the visibility of the micropattern.

2. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

3. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display or an organic light emitting diode display.

4. The touch-sensitive device of claim 3, wherein the feature comprises a linear polarizer.

5. The touch-sensitive device of claim 3, wherein the feature comprises a circular polarizer.

6. The touch-sensitive device of claim 3, wherein the feature comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

7. The touch-sensitive device of claim 3, wherein the feature comprises light scattering elements.

8. The touch-sensitive device of claim 7, wherein the diffuser elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.

9. The touch-sensitive device of claim 8, wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductors.

10. The touch-sensitive device of claim 7, wherein the scattering elements comprise bumps.

11. A touch screen sensor comprising:

within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers; and

one or more micropattern-obscuring features to reduce the visibility of the micropattern.

12. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.

13. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a linear polarizer.

14. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a circular polarizer.

15. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

16. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises one ore more light scattering elements.

17. The touch screen sensor of claim 16, wherein the scattering elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.

18. The touch screen sensor of claim 16, wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.

19. The touch screen sensor of claim 16, wherein the scattering elements comprises bumps.

20. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein the touch sensing area is visible light transparent and having between 90% and 99.95% open area.

21. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

22. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.

23. The touch screen sensor of claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive micropattern is a touch sensitive electrically conductive micropattern.