TOUCH SENSOR PANEL DESIGN

• US 20110007020A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gruntiianer, Martin Paul, Youngs, Lynn, Hong, Seung Jae, Hotelling, Steven Porter
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 2203/04112 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of drive lines formed by interconnecting sections of a first conductive material having a truncated diamond shape;

a plurality of sense lines formed by interconnecting sections of the first conductive material having a truncated diamond shape on a same layer as the plurality of drive lines; and

a plurality of insulating interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form an array of capacitive touch sensors.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one conductive dummy region disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more traces overlapping and in electrical contact with the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines, wherein the one or more traces are formed up a conductive material with a lower resistance than the first conductive material.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 3, wherein the one or more traces are disposed in a zigzag pattern.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 3, further comprising a display device at least partially overlaying the touch sensor panel to form a touch screen.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 5, wherein the display device is rotated relative to the touch sensor panel.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of insulating interconnect sections are formed from an opaque metal.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein an opaque mask is layered over the plurality of insulating interconnect sections.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising arms extending from the truncated diamond shapes of the plurality of drive and sense lines for connecting the truncated diamond shapes, the arms configured for minimizing a resistance of the connected truncated diamond shapes.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 9, the arms further configured with angled edges extending outward from an area where the truncated diamond shapes are connected for further minimizing the resistance of the connected truncated diamond shapes.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.

12. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of drive lines formed by interconnecting sections of a first conductive material forming one or more conductive patterns;

a plurality of sense lines formed by interconnecting sections of the first conductive material forming one or more conductive patterns on a same layer as the plurality of drive lines; and

a plurality of insulating interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form an array of capacitive touch sensors.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 12, wherein the one or more conductive patterns of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines form an interdigitated comb shape.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 13, wherein the first conductive material is ITO.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 12, wherein the first conductive material is an opaque metal, and the one or more conductive patterns of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines form one or more web-like patterns.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one conductive dummy region disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the one or more conductive patterns of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.

18. A method of forming a touch sensor panel, comprising:

forming a plurality of substantially transparent drive lines formed by interconnecting sections of a first conductive material;

forming a plurality of substantially transparent sense lines formed by interconnecting sections of the first conductive material on a same layer as the plurality of drive lines; and

forming a plurality of insulating interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form an array of capacitive touch sensors, wherein

at least one of the sections of the plurality of drive lines and the sections of the plurality of sense lines are formed by reducing an original width of the sections where resistance thereof is lowest.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the sections of the plurality of drive lines and the sections of the plurality of sense lines have a truncated diamond shape.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming at least one conductive dummy region disposed in an area of the substrate around the sections of at least one of the substantially transparent drive lines and the substantially transparent sense lines.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the substantially transparent drive lines and the substantially transparent sense lines with one or more traces, wherein the one or more traces are formed up a conductive material with a lower resistance than the first conductive material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more traces are disposed in a zigzag pattern.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

at least partially overlaying the touch sensor panel with a display device to form a touch screen.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the display device is rotated relative to the touch sensor panel.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of insulating interconnect sections are formed from an opaque metal.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

layering an opaque mask over the plurality of insulating interconnect sections.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

extending arms from the sections of the plurality of drive and sense lines for connecting the sections, the arms configured for minimizing a resistance of the connected sections.

28. The method of claim 27, the arms further configured with angled edges extending outward from an area where the sections are connected for further minimizing the resistance of the sections.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.

30. A method of forming a touch sensor panel, comprising:

forming a plurality of drive lines formed by interconnecting sections of a first conductive material forming one or more conductive patterns;

forming a plurality of sense lines formed by interconnecting sections of the first conductive material forming one or more conductive patterns on a same layer as the plurality of drive lines; and

forming a plurality of insulating interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form an array of capacitive touch sensors.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more conductive patterns of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines form an interdigitated comb shape.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first conductive material is ITO.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the first conductive material is an opaque metal, and the one or more conductive patterns of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines form one or more web-like patterns.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

forming at least one conductive dummy region disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the one or more conductive patterns of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.