MULTI-TOUCH SENSING ARRANGEMENT

• US 20150145815A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zytronic Displays Limited (Zytronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Zytronic Displays Limited (Zytronic Plc)
• Inventors: Morrson, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/400,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145815A1
• 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 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/0443 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 multi-touch sensing panel arrangement for a display screen comprising a panel including a plurality of electrically isolated conductors crossing each other at a plurality of intersection points and a touch detector. The touch detector is arranged to detect a user touch by detecting a reduction in energy transferred by capacitive coupling between the conductors that cross at the intersection points, a reduction in capacitively coupled energy detected at a given intersection corresponding to a user touch detected at that intersection point. Each of the plurality of electrically isolated conductors comprise a conducting wire individually insulated with an insulating coating.

Claims

1. A multi-touch sensing panel arrangement for a display screen comprising:

a panel including a plurality of electrically isolated conductors crossing each other at a plurality of intersection points;

a touch detector, said touch detector arranged to detect a user touch by detecting a reduction in energy transferred by capacitive coupling between the conductors that cross at the intersection points, a reduction in capacitively coupled energy detected at a given intersection point corresponding to a user touch detected at that intersection point; and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically isolated conductors comprise a conducting wire individually insulated with an insulating coating.

2. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated conductors comprise a first group of X-plane conductors and a second group of Y-plane conductors, each intersection point being where an X-plane conductor crosses a Y-plane conductor.

3. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the X-plane conductors are arranged substantially orthogonal to the Y-plane conductors.

4. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated conductors are arranged as plurality of repeating cells, each cell comprising one or more intersection point.

5. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated conductors are laid over each other forming a single conductor array layer in the panel.

6. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the panel comprises the conductor array layer positioned on an adhesive layer.

7. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive layer is positioned adjacent a protective substrate layer.

8. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according claim 7, wherein the protective substrate layer is made from one of glass, polycarbonate, acrylic and polyethylene terephthalate

9. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the conducting wire comprises a metallic conductor material.

10. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the conducting wire of the electrically isolated conductors comprises any one of copper wire, nickel wire or tungsten wire.

11. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the conducting wire of the electrically isolated conductors is of diameter 8 μ

m to 18 μ

m.

12. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the conducting wire comprises tungsten wire of a diameter of 5 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

13. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the insulating coating of the electrically isolated conductors comprises a polyurethane, polyester, polyesterimide or polyimide coating.

14. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the insulating coating of the electrically isolated conductors is coating of thickness 3 μ

m to 4 μ

m.

15. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the touch detector is a controller unit arranged to detect a touch at an intersection point by transmitting a pulse on an X-plane conductor and monitoring a corresponding pulse energy on one or more of the Y-plane conductors, said corresponding pulse arising due to capacitive coupling between the X-plane conductor and the one or more Y-plane conductors, said touch being detected at the intersection upon the controller unit detecting a reduction in pulse energy on one of the Y-plane conductors, compared to the other Y-plane conductors, said one of the Y-plane conductors crossing the X-plane conductor at the intersection point.

16. The multi-touch sensing panel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the panel is non-planar and suitable for use with a corresponding non-planar display screen.

17. A multi-touch sensing display comprising:

a multi-touch sensing panel including a plurality of electrically isolated conductors crossing each other at a plurality of intersection points;

a display screen positioned relative to the multi-touch sensing panel;

a touch detector, said touch detector arranged to detect a user touch by detecting a reduction in energy transferred by capacitive coupling between the conductors that cross at the intersection points of the multi-touch sensing panel, a reduction in capacitively coupled energy detected at a given intersection point corresponding to a user touch detected at that intersection point, said touch detector arranged to generate multi-touch data for controlling the display screen based on the detected user touch; and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically isolated conductors of the multi-touch sensing panel comprise a conducting wire individually insulated with an insulating coating.

18. (canceled)