TOUCH SCREEN, TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100060602A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: NOJIRI, Isao, MURAI, Hiroyuki, NISHIOKA, Takahiro, ONO, Takeshi, NAKAGAWA, Naoki, AGARI, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0445 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

Abstract

Each detection column wiring is constituted by a set of a first metal wiring having a zigzag pattern and a second metal wiring having a structure axisymmetric with the first metal wiring about a column direction as an axis, wherein the first metal wiring is constituted by first sloped portions which are obliquely sloped by an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the column direction, and first parallel portions which are parallel with the column direction and are continuous with the first sloped portions, such that the first sloped portions and the first parallel portions are repeatedly placed in a zigzag shape along the column direction. Each detection row wiring also has the same structure. A sloped portion out of the first sloped portions of the first metal wiring is always orthogonally and spatially intersected, at its middle point, with a sloped portion out of the second sloped portions of the third metal wiring at its middle point. There is also the same orthogonal relationship among the other portions.

Claims

1. A touch screen comprising a plurality of detection column wirings each extending in a column direction and a plurality of detection row wirings each extending in a row direction which are placed such that they are spatially intersected with each other on a back surface of a transparent base substrate with an insulation layer interposed therebetween,

each predetermined number of detection column wirings, out of said plurality of detection column wirings, being electrically connected to one another at their respective opposite ends to constitute a bundle of wirings in the column direction, and each bundle of wirings in the column direction being constituted by detection column wirings which belong to this bundle of wirings in the column direction and are repeatedly arranged in the row direction at predetermined intervals, and

each predetermined number of detection row wirings, out of said plurality of detection row wirings, being electrically connected to one another at their respective opposite ends to constitute a bundle of wirings in the row direction, and each bundle of wirings in the row direction being constituted by detection row wirings which belong to this bundle of wirings in the row direction and are repeatedly arranged in the column direction at predetermined intervals,

wherein

said detection column wirings are constituted by a set of a first metal wiring having a zigzag pattern and a second metal wiring having a structure axisymmetric with said first metal wiring about said column direction as an axis, and the first metal wiring is constituted by first sloped portions which are obliquely sloped by a predetermined angle with respect to said column direction and first parallel portions which are parallel with said column direction and are continuous with said first sloped portions, such that said first sloped portions and said first parallel portions are repeatedly placed along said column direction,

said detection row wirings are constituted by a set of a third metal wiring having a zigzag pattern and a fourth metal wiring having a structure axisymmetric with the third metal wiring about said row direction as an axis, and the third metal wiring is constituted by second sloped portions which are obliquely sloped by a predetermined angle with respect to said row direction and second parallel portions which are parallel with said row direction and are continuous with said second sloped portions, such that said second sloped portions and said second parallel portions are repeatedly placed along said row direction,

in each area in which an arbitrary single detection column wiring out of said plurality of detection column wirings and an arbitrary single detection row wiring out of said plurality of detection row wirings are spatially intersected with each other,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring belonging to said area, and the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring belonging to said area, and

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring belonging to said area, and the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring belonging to said area.

2. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring,

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, and

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring.

3. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions,

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions, and

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions.

4. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

said detection column wirings are inclined by an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the column direction, and said detection row wirings are inclined by an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the row direction.

5. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein

said predetermined interval of said detection column wirings and said predetermined interval of said detection row wirings are both equal to or less than 1 mm, and wirings width of said detection column wirings and wirings width of said detection row wirings are both equal to or less than 5 micrometers.

6. The touch screen according to claim 5, wherein

said detection column wirings and said detection row wirings are both formed from a multi-layer structure constituted by an Al-based alloy and a layer of nitride of said Al-based alloy.

7. The touch screen according to claim 5, wherein

said predetermined interval of said detection column wirings and said predetermined interval of said detection row wirings are larger than the intervals of repetition of the pixel pattern in a display panel to be mounted to said touch screen in the corresponding directions.

8. A touch panel comprising:

said touch screen according to claim 1;

a switching circuit which selects, in order, each of said plurality of detection column wirings and each of said plurality of detection row wirings; and

a detection processing circuit which performs processing for calculating the touched coordinates at the position on said touch screen which has been touched by a pointing body, based on the result of detection of a touch capacitance constituted by the capacitance formed between a detection column wiring selected by said switching circuit and said pointing body touching a surface of said base substrate, and the capacitance formed between a detection column wiring selected by said switching circuit and said pointing body.

9. A display device comprising;

said touch panel according to claim 8; and

a display panel mounted to said touch screen in said touch panel;

wherein said column direction of said touch screen is parallel with the column direction of the pixel pattern in said display panel, and said row direction of said touch screen is parallel with the row direction of said pixel pattern in said display panel.

10. A touch screen comprising a plurality of detection column wirings each extending in a column direction and a plurality of detection row wirings each extending in a row direction which are placed such that they are spatially intersected with each other on a back surface of a transparent base substrate with an insulation layer interposed therebetween,

each predetermined number of detection column wirings, out of said plurality of detection column wirings, being electrically connected to one another at their respective opposite ends to constitute a bundle of wirings in the column direction, and each bundle of wirings in the column direction being constituted by detection column wirings which belong to this bundle of wirings in the column direction and are repeatedly arranged in the row direction at predetermined intervals, and

each predetermined number of detection row wirings, out of said plurality of detection row wirings, being electrically connected to one another at their respective opposite ends to constitute a bundle of wirings in the row direction, and each bundle of wirings in the row direction being constituted by detection row wirings which belong to this bundle of wirings in the row direction and are repeatedly arranged in the column direction at predetermined intervals,

wherein dummy wirings are provided in the respective plurality of areas enclosed by said plurality of detection column wirings and said plurality of detection row wirings.

11. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

said dummy wirings are electrically insulated from both said detection row wirings and said detection column wirings.

12. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

said dummy wirings are parallel or vertical to said detection row wirings or said detection column wirings.

13. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

said detection column wirings are constituted by a set of a first metal wiring having a zigzag pattern and a second metal wiring having a structure axisymmetric with said first metal wiring about said column direction as an axis, and the first metal wiring is constituted by first sloped portions which are obliquely sloped by a predetermined angle with respect to said column direction and first parallel portions which are parallel with said column direction and are continuous with said first sloped portions, such that said first sloped portions and said first parallel portions are repeatedly placed along said column direction,

said detection row wirings are constituted by a set of a third metal wiring having a zigzag pattern and a fourth metal wiring having a structure axisymmetric with the third metal wiring about said row direction as an axis, and the third metal wiring is constituted by second sloped portions which are obliquely sloped by a predetermined angle with respect to said row direction and second parallel portions which are parallel with said row direction and are continuous with said second sloped portions, such that said second sloped portions and said second parallel portions are repeatedly placed along said row direction,

in each area in which an arbitrary single detection column wiring out of said plurality of detection column wirings and an arbitrary single detection row wiring out of said plurality of detection row wirings are spatially intersected with each other,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring belonging to said area, and the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring belonging to said area, and

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring belonging to said area, and the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring belonging to said area is spatially intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring belonging to said area.

14. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring,

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, and

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring.

15. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions,

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said first metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with a single sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions,

a single sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said third metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions, and

the other sloped portion out of the two first sloped portions of said second metal wiring is spatially and orthogonally intersected with the other sloped portion out of the two second sloped portions of said fourth metal wiring, at the middle points of the respective sloped portions.

16. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

said detection column wirings are inclined by an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the column direction, and said detection row wirings are inclined by an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the row direction.

17. The touch screen according to claim 10, wherein

said dummy wirings are parallel with said first sloped portions or said second sloped portions.

18. The touch screen according to claim 13, wherein

said dummy wirings are electrically connected to said detection row wirings or said detection column wirings.

19. A touch panel comprising:

said touch screen according to claim 10;

a switching circuit which selects, in order, each of said plurality of detection column wirings and each of said plurality of detection row wirings; and

a detection processing circuit which performs processing for calculating the touched coordinates at the position on said touch screen which has been touched by a pointing body, based on the result of detection of a touch capacitance constituted by the capacitance formed between a detection column wiring selected by said switching circuit and said pointing body touching a surface of said transparent base substrate, and the capacitance formed between a detection column wiring selected by said switching circuit and said pointing body.

20. A display device comprising;

said touch panel according to claim 19; and

a display panel mounted to said touch screen in said touch panel;

wherein said column direction of said touch screen is parallel with the column direction of the pixel pattern in said display panel, and said row direction of said touch screen is parallel with the row direction of said pixel pattern in said display panel.