Touch Panel

• US 20130100072A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wintek China Technology Ltd., Wintek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wintek China Technology Ltd., Wintek Corporation
• Inventors: Liao, Hsiao-Hui, Chang, Ting-Yu, Hsu, Ching-Fu, Liao, Wen-Tui, Wu, Fa-Chen
• Application Number:
  US13/655,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20130100072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• 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

Abstract

A touch panel including a capacitance touch structure and a pressure sensing touch structure is provided. The pressure sensing touch structure includes a first conductive film, a second conductive film, an electric field generator and a spacer structure. The spacer structure is disposed between the first conductive film and the second conductive film. The spacer structure includes a plurality of insulating spacers, a plurality of conductive spacers and a soft medium. The plurality of the conductive spacers and the plurality of the insulating spacers are alternately distributed in the soft medium. The plurality of the conductive spacers and the second conductive film are separated by a gap distance by the plurality of the insulating spacers.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

a capacitance touch structure for sensing a touching operation according to a capacitance variation resulted from a touching action by a conductive object; and

a pressure sensing touch structure disposed on a side of the capacitance touch structure for sensing a touching operation according to a shape variation, wherein the pressure sensing touch structure comprises;

a first conductive film;

a second conductive film;

an electric field generator surrounding the second conductive film for generating a uniform electric field in the second conductive film; and

a spacer structure disposed between the first conductive film and the second conductive film, wherein the spacer structure comprises;

a plurality of insulating spacers;

a plurality of conductive spacers; and

a soft medium in which the plurality of the conductive spacers and the plurality of the insulating spacers are alternately distributed, wherein the plurality of the conductive spacers and the second conductive film are separated by a gap distance by the plurality of the insulating spacers;

wherein during a touching operation, the pressure sensing touch structure senses the touching operation according to an electric field variation caused by a variation of the gap distance resulted from a touching action by an external force.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive film is substantially parallel to the second conductive film, the insulating spacers have a first largest size of a direction substantially perpendicular to the first conductive film, the plurality of the conductive spacers has a second largest size of a direction substantially perpendicular to the first conductive film, the first largest size is larger than the second largest size.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the first largest size:

the second largest size is 1.33;

1.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the gap distance is 50 μ

m.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing touch structure is disposed on a touch side farther away from a user, the capacitance touch structure is disposed on a touch side closer to the user.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein an effective capacitance coupling area between the plurality of the conductive spacers and the second conductive film is smaller than an effective capacitance coupling area between the first conductive film and the second conductive film, and the effective capacitance coupling area is an area projected onto the second conductive film from the plurality of the conductive spacers or the first conductive film.

7. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the second conductive film is disposed farther away from the capacitance touch structure, the first conductive film is disposed closer to the capacitance touch structure.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the second conductive film is disposed closer to the capacitance touch structure, and the first conductive film is disposed farther away from the capacitance touch structure.

9. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing touch structure further comprises a first substrate, and the second conductive film is disposed on a surface of the first substrate.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the capacitance touch structure comprises:

a second substrate;

a third substrate; and

an electrode structure disposed between the second substrate and the third substrate, wherein the third substrate is disposed on another surface of the first substrate.

11. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the capacitance touch structure comprises:

an electrode structure; and

a second substrate, wherein the electrode structure and the second substrate are together formed on another surface of the first substrate of the first touch structure, and the second substrate is used as a cover.