Touch selection pad and method of manufacture
First Claim
1. A touch selection pad comprising:
- (a) a matrix of tactile sensors arranged into rows and columns, each tactile sensor comprising a series circuit of a variable resistance which is part of a layer of composite material which has a pressure dependent conductivity and a capacitor comprising a layer of dielectric material having a capacitance of at least fifty picofarads;
(b) a plurality of row electrodes coupled to the rows of the matrix of tactile sensors and(c) a plurality of column electrodes coupled to the columns of the matrix of tactile sensors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch selection pad contains a matrix of tactile sensors each of which contains a composite material with a pressure and direction-dependent electric conductivity and a dielectric material forming a capacitor. These are provided with column electrodes and row electrodes. When touched, each of the sensors creates a series circuit comprising a resistor formed of the composite material and a capacitor formed from the dielectric having a capacitance of preferably at least 50 pF. In this matrix of tactile sensors, the pressure-dependent resistance together with the associated fixed capacity serves as the measuring variable. The touch pad due to the small spacing between the sensors has a high resolution. It can be produced in a simple manner by sequentially depositing layers on a metalized carrier by means of a thin-film technique. The row and column electrodes can be etched out of a metalized plastic cover layer and a metalized carrier, respectively, by micro structuring techniques.
88 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A touch selection pad comprising:
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(a) a matrix of tactile sensors arranged into rows and columns, each tactile sensor comprising a series circuit of a variable resistance which is part of a layer of composite material which has a pressure dependent conductivity and a capacitor comprising a layer of dielectric material having a capacitance of at least fifty picofarads; (b) a plurality of row electrodes coupled to the rows of the matrix of tactile sensors and (c) a plurality of column electrodes coupled to the columns of the matrix of tactile sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of manufacturing a touch selection pad on a carrier comprising a matrix of tactile sensors arranged into rows and columns, a plurality of row electrodes coupled to the rows of the matrix of tactile sensors and a plurality of column electrodes coupled to the columns of the matrix of tactile sensors, comprising the steps of:
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(a) metalizing a carrier using thin-film metalization processes; (b) etching grooves into the metalization of the metalized carrier to form the column electrodes; (c) applying a dielectric material as a layer over the remaining metalized portions of the carrier by thin film application processes; (d) covering the dielectric material layer with a composite material; (e) forming an electrically insulating covering having a flat side; (f) applying the row electrodes to said covering; and (g) covering the composite material with the flat, row electrode side of the electrically insulating covering. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification