Touch screen superimposed electrode configuration

• US 6,559,835 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Berquist Company The (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Berquist Company The (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Randall, Mary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US09/788,721
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158-179, 345/180, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/19-1-, 178/20.01, 178/20.02, 178/20.03, 178/20.04
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An improved electrode arrangement for touch screen panels wherein the conductive segments forming the edge arrays and the elongated buses which deliver input signals to the arrays are in stacked superimposed relationship, one to the other. At the respective cross-over points between the buses and the conductive segments, the respective axes are angularly disposed, one to the other, so as to eliminate the creation of an impedance which may adversely affect the accuracy of the output of the touch screen. Each cross-over point is located along a solid portion of the conductive segments comprising the array.

Claims

1. In an edge linearization device for touch screen panels comprising a generally rectangular substrate with an electrically resistive surface coating of substantially uniform resistivity thereon, a plurality of elongated conductive segments on said resistive coating and arranged generally along each of the sides comprising a periphery of the coated substrate and in an angular inwardly directed parabolic formation, thereby creating a conductive segment pattern with the elongated conductive segments along each of the sides having opposed spaced apart corner segments with a respective mid-point segment interposed therebetween, each segment disposed between respective corner segments and respective mid-point segments being of substantially Z-shaped configuration with a main wide body portion disposed between a pair of laterally outwardly extending legs, with the substantially Z-shaped conductive segments along each side being positioned between opposed corner and mid-point segments, the touch screen panel being characterized in that:

(a) a dielectric barrier layer being disposed upon an upper surface of said pattern of conductive segments;

(b) an array of contact pads being disposed on a portion of said dielectric layer with selected ones of said contact pads making electrical contact with selected ones of said corner segments;

(c) a plurality of elongated conductive buses each extending along a path between selected ones of said contact pads and selected ones of said corner segments and intersecting the path of said conductive segments, wherein said elongated conductive buses overlie certain portions of the pattern of conductive segments at predetermined cross-over points; and

(d) each of said cross-over points being disposed only along the main body portion of said Z-shaped segments and with the respective axes of said Z-shaped conductive segments and said elongated conductive buses being in angular relationship with respect to one another at each of said cross-over points.

2. The touch screen panel set forth in claim 1 wherein at least two corner segments include a pair of conductive portions disposed at right angles and at an apex formed between said intersecting conductive portions.

3. The touch screen panel set forth in claim 1 wherein said cross-over points are arranged at and along an offset coupling segment arranged between parallelly disposed spaced apart elongated bus segments.