TOUCH SENSOR STRUCTURES FOR DISPLAYS

• US 20110012845A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Zadesky, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US12/615,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012845A1
• 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 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: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/09 Use of materials for the conductive, e.g. metallic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0108 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0326 Inorganic, non-metallic conductor, e.g. indium-tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0391 Using different types of conductors

Abstract

An electronic device may have a touch screen display. The display may have a touch sensor structure that determines the location at which external objects touch the display. The touch sensor structure may have a clear substrate on which conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed. The electrodes may be formed from a transparent conductive material such as indium-tin oxide. The clear substrate may be formed from a flexible material such as a polymer. The polymer may be a clear polyimide. Copper traces or other conductive traces may be used to route sensor signals from the capacitive touch sensor electrodes to processing circuitry in the electronic device.

Claims

1. A touch sensor structure in a touch screen, comprising:

a clear flexible polymer substrate;

transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes formed on the flexible polymer substrate; and

metal traces on the clear flexible polymer substrate that are electrically connected to the transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

2. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 1, wherein the clear flexible polymer substrate comprises:

a planar portion on which the transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed; and

a bent tail portion on which no transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed.

3. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 2, wherein the bent tail portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate includes at least some of the metal traces and is not coplanar with the planar portion.

4. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 2 wherein the bent tail portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate includes at least some of the metal traces and wherein the metal traces comprise copper traces.

5. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 2 wherein the bent tail portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate is connected to a printed circuit board.

6. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 2 wherein the metal traces on the clear flexible polymer substrate comprise copper traces on the bent tail portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate that are electrically connected to a printed circuit board.

7. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 2 wherein the bent tail portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate is narrower than the planar portion of the clear flexible polymer substrate.

8. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes are rectangular and are formed in rows and columns on the clear flexible polymer substrate.

9. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 8 wherein the capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed on opposing sides of the clear flexible polymer substrate.

10. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 1 wherein the metal traces are formed on two opposing sides of the clear flexible polymer substrate.

11. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 10 wherein the clear flexible polymer comprises clear polyimide.

12. A touch sensor structure in a touch screen, comprising:

a transparent polymer substrate having front and rear surfaces; and

transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes formed on the front and rear surfaces of the transparent polymer substrate.

13. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 12 wherein the transparent polymer substrate comprises a flexible transparent polymer substrate.

14. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 12 wherein the transparent polymer substrate comprises a transparent polyimide substrate.

15. The touch sensor structure defined in claim 12 wherein the transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes comprises parallel strips of transparent conductive material on the front and rear surfaces, and wherein the parallel strips on the front surface of the transparent polymer substrate are perpendicular to the parallel strips on the rear surface of the transparent polymer substrate.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a transparent flexible polymer substrate having front and rear surfaces; and

transparent indium-tin oxide capacitive touch sensor electrodes formed on the front and rear surfaces of the transparent flexible polymer substrate.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising copper traces on the transparent flexible polymer substrate.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the transparent flexible polymer substrate comprises a planar portion and a non-planar portion and wherein the transparent indium-tin oxide capacitive touch sensor electrodes are formed on the planar portion and are not formed on the non-planar portion.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the non-planar portion of the transparent flexible polymer substrate is connected to the printed circuit board.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 16, wherein the transparent flexible polymer substrate comprises a planar portion and a non-planar portion and wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a connector; and

a printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted, wherein the non-planar portion of the transparent flexible polymer substrate is inserted into the connector.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a cover glass, wherein the front surface of the transparent flexible polymer substrate is connected with adhesive to the cover glass.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a display that is separated from the rear surface of the transparent flexible polymer substrate by a gap and wherein an antireflective layer is formed on the rear side of the transparent flexible polymer substrate.

23. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a display, wherein the rear surface of the transparent flexible polymer substrate is connected with adhesive to the display.