TOUCH PANEL, TOUCH PANEL MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20120032917A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/262,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032917A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel, a touch panel manufacturing method and an electronic apparatus of a structure by which it is possible to effectively use a space outside a display area and it is possible to diversify a combination of a layout or a combination of a design of a touch sensor inside and outside the display area.

A touch panel of the present invention includes: a touch screen having one face to which touch operation is perforated by a user; a sensor substrate which is arranged so that it faces the other face of the touch screen; and a plurality of touch sensors in which a capacitance changes along with touch operation. The touch screen includes a transparent window part which is arranged so that it overlaps with the display area, and a periphery part located outside the transparent window part and arranged so that it overlaps with an area outside the display area. The plurality of touch sensors includes a first touch sensor that is arranged so that it overlaps with the transparent window part, and a second touch sensor which is arranged so that it overlaps with the periphery part. The first touch sensor is provided on a face of a sensor substrate in the touch screen side integral with the sensor substrate, and a second touch sensor is formed in a substrate-like or sheet-like member besides the sensor substrate.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A touch panel comprising:

a touch screen having one face to be touch-operated by a user;

a sensor substrate arranged facing an other face of said touch screen; and

a plurality of touch sensors each having a capacitance changed by said touch operation;

wherein said touch screen includes a transparent window part arranged in a manner overlapping with a display area and a periphery part located outside said transparent window part and arranged in a manner overlapping with an area outside said display area,

wherein said plurality of touch sensors include a first touch sensor arranged in a manner overlapping with said transparent window part, and a second touch sensor arranged in a manner overlapping with said periphery part,

wherein said first touch sensor is provided on a face of said sensor substrate in a side of said touch screen integrally with said sensor substrate, and

wherein said second touch sensor is formed in a substrate-like or sheet-like member besides said sensor substrate.

17. The touch panel according to claim 16,

wherein said second touch sensor is formed in said other side of said touch screen in said periphery part.

18. The touch panel according to claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of sensor wirings connected to each of said touch sensors separately;

an anisotropic conductive adhesive film arranged in a manner facing said other face of said touch screen; and

a flexible printed circuit board arranged facing said other face of said touch screen,

wherein said plurality of sensor wirings include a first sensor wiring connected to said first touch sensor and a second sensor wiring connected to said second touch sensor,

wherein said flexible printed circuit board is connected to said first touch sensor via an said anisotropic conductive adhesive film and said first sensor wiring in this order, and

wherein said second touch sensor is formed in at least any one of a face of said flexible printed circuit board in a side of said touch screen and a face of said anisotropic conductive adhesive film in said side of said touch screen.

19. The touch panel according to claim 18,

wherein at least any one of said flexible printed circuit board and said anisotropic conductive adhesive film includes an area expansion part having an area expanded for use in forming said second touch sensor, and

wherein said second touch sensor is formed in said area expansion part.

20. The touch panel according to claim 19,

wherein said second touch sensor is made of a metallic film.

21. The touch panel according to claim 16,

wherein said second touch sensor is made of a printed area containing metal.

22. The touch panel according to claim 21,

wherein said printed area has decorativeness, and

wherein said printed area is possible to be seen through from a front side of said periphery part of said touch screen via the periphery part.

23. The touch panel according to claim 16, comprising:

a drive signal input unit for inputting a drive signal to each of said touch sensors via each of said sensor wirings;

an in-use state determination unit for determining whether the touch panel is in an in-use state based on presence of said touch operation;

a drive signal input suspension unit for stopping input of said drive signal to said first touch sensor, upon the touch panel being determined not to be in said in-use state by said in-use state determination unit; and

a drive signal input resumption unit for making input of said drive signal to said first touch sensor resume, upon the touch panel being determined to be in said in-use state by said in-use state determination unit in a state input of said drive signal to said first touch sensor being stopped.

30. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a touch panel according to claim 16; and

a display device;

wherein said transparent window part of said touch panel is arranged in a manner overlapping with a display area of said display device; and

wherein said periphery part of said touch panel is arranged in a manner overlapping with an area outside said display area.

24. The touch panel according to claim 24, further comprising:

a drive signal input mode switch unit for changing an input mode of said drive signal to said second touch sensor in a manner a period of inputting said drive signal to said second touch sensor and a period of not inputting said drive signal being repeated, upon the touch panel being determined not to be in said in-use state by said in-use state determination unit.

25. A manufacturing method of a touch panel having a touch screen, comprising:

a first step for producing a sensor substrate side module via a step for providing a first touch sensor on one face of a sensor substrate in an integrated manner with the sensor substrate;

a second step for producing a second touch sensor side module via a step for forming said second touch sensor in a substrate-like or sheet-like member besides said sensor substrate; and

a third step for assembling said second touch sensor side module and said sensor substrate side module together in a manner said first touch sensor overlapping with a transparent window part of said touch screen and said second touch sensor overlapping with a periphery part of said touch screen.

26. The manufacturing method of a touch panel according to claim 25, wherein,

in said first step, a plurality of kinds of said sensor substrate side module are produced in a manner at least one of a layout and a design of said first touch sensor is different from each other;

and

in said second step, a plurality of kinds of said second touch sensor side module are produced in a manner at least one of said layout and said design of said second touch sensor is different from each other.

27. The manufacturing method of a touch panel according to claim 26,

wherein said third step further includes a step of selecting a combination of said sensor substrate side module and said second touch sensor side module.

28. The manufacturing method of a touch panel according to claim 25,

wherein said substrate-like or sheet-like member besides said sensor substrate is said touch screen;

wherein, in said second step, said second touch sensor side module is formed via a step of forming said second touch sensor in a periphery part of said touch screen; and

wherein said second touch sensor side module is a touch screen side module.

29. The manufacturing method of a touch panel according to claim 25,

wherein said substrate-like or sheet-like member besides said sensor substrate is at least any one of an anisotropic conductive adhesive film and a flexible printed circuit board.