Touch panel with discontinuities in touch sensitive surface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A touch panel with a touch sensing surface in which an electric field is established by applying an electric signal to first and second contacts located on a line across the touch sensing surface comprising:
- a base plate;
an electrically conductive film of a first electrical resistivity, the film extending over a first area of the base plate and terminating at a boundary;
a first means comprising a first elongated region with a first longitudinal axis and which is of a resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the first region being positioned in the first area at a location which is spaced from the boundary;
a second means comprising a second elongated region with a second longitudinal axis and which is of an electrical resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the second region being positioned in the first area at a location spaced from the boundary and spaced from the first region, the touch sensing surface being located between the first and second regions and the first longitudinal axis being generally parallel to the second longitudinal axis;
the first means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electric signal so as to reduce the distance from the first contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electrical field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts; and
the second means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electrical signal so as to reduce the distance from the second contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electrical field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with the invention, a touch panel includes an electrically conductive film of a first resistivity which extends over a first area of a base plate. Regions of a resistivity higher than the first resistivity, such as discontinuities in the film, are positioned in this first area. These discontinuities are located so as to enhance the uniformity of an electric field which is established in a touch sensing portion of the film.
18 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A touch panel with a touch sensing surface in which an electric field is established by applying an electric signal to first and second contacts located on a line across the touch sensing surface comprising:
-
a base plate; an electrically conductive film of a first electrical resistivity, the film extending over a first area of the base plate and terminating at a boundary; a first means comprising a first elongated region with a first longitudinal axis and which is of a resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the first region being positioned in the first area at a location which is spaced from the boundary; a second means comprising a second elongated region with a second longitudinal axis and which is of an electrical resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the second region being positioned in the first area at a location spaced from the boundary and spaced from the first region, the touch sensing surface being located between the first and second regions and the first longitudinal axis being generally parallel to the second longitudinal axis; the first means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electric signal so as to reduce the distance from the first contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electrical field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts; and the second means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electrical signal so as to reduce the distance from the second contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electrical field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A touch panel with a touch sensing surface in which an electric field is established by applying an electric signal to first and second contacts located on a line across the touch sensing surface comprising:
-
a base plate; an electrically conductive film of a first electrical resistivity, the film extending over a first area of the base plate and terminating at a boundary; a first means comprising a first region of a resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the first region being positioned in the first area at a location which is spaced from the boundary; a second means comprising a second region of an electrical resistivity higher than the first resistivity, the second region being positioned in the first area at a location spaced from the boundary and spaced from the first region, the touch sensing surface being located between the first and second regions; the first means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electrical signal so as to reduce the distance from the first contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electric field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts; and the second means comprising means for modifying the electric field established by the electric signal so as to reduce the distance from the second contact to the location along the line between the contacts at which the electric field has equipotential lines substantially normal to the line between the contacts and in which the first region comprises a first elongated slit in the film and the second region comprises a second elongated slit in the film. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A touch panel with a touch sensing surface comprising:
-
a base plate; an electrically conductive film extending over a first area of the base plate and terminating at a boundary; a first elongated slit spaced from the boundary and positioned in a first line; a second elongated slit spaced from the boundary and the first slit, the second slit being positioned in a second line parallel to the first line; a third elongated slit spaced from the boundary and positioned in a third line which is normal to the first line and which does not intersect the first and second slits; and a fourth elongated slit spaced from the boundary and positioned in a fourth line which is parallel to and spaced from the third line and which does not intersect the first and second slits, the touch sensing surface being between the first, second, third and fourth lines. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. In a touch panel device having a touch sensing surface formed of an electrically conductive film, first and second electrical contacts electrically connected to the film and spaced apart across the film in a first line from one another, whereby a first electric field is established in the film in response to a first electrical signal applied to the first and second contacts, third and fourth electrical contacts electrically connected to the film and spaced apart across the film from one another in a second line from one another, whereby a second electric field is established in the film in response to a second electrical signal applied to the third and fourth contacts, the improvement comprising:
-
first slit means positioned between the first and second contacts for modifying the first electric field so that the relaxation distance between the first contact and the position along the first line from the first contact at which the field has equipotential lines which are substantially normal to the first line is less than the relaxation distance in absense of such first slit means; second slit means positioned between the first and second contacts for modifying the first electric field so that the relaxation distance between the second contact and the position along the first line from the second contact at which the field has equipotential lines which are substantially normal to the first line is less than the relaxation distance in absense of such second slit means; third slit means positioned between the third and fourth contacts for modifying the second electric field so that the relaxation distance between the third contact and the position along the second line from the third contact at which the field has equipotential lines which are substantially normal to the second line is less than the relaxation distance in absense of such third slit means; fourth slit means positioned between the third and fourth contacts and spaced from the third slit means for modifying the second electric field so that the relaxation distance between the fourth contact and the position along the second line from the fourth contact at which the field has equipotential lines which are substantially normal to the second line is less than the relaxation distance in absense of such fourth slit means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification