Touchpad with single-layered printed circuit board structure

• US 8,149,219 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lii, Jia-Yih, Chiu, Yen-Chang, Chien, Yung-Lieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdin, Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US11/274,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/177, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.07, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

In a touchpad with single-layered PCB structure, a PCB has a bottom layer with a sensor area and a component area thereon, the sensor area includes two directional traces directly connected to the component area, respectively, and carbon film wires in the sensor area for interconnecting one or more of the directional traces.

Claims

1. A touchpad with printed circuit board (PCB) structure, comprising:

a single substrate PCB having a bottom surface;

a sensor area disposed on the bottom surface, the sensor area including a plurality of first and second directional traces, whereby the first and second directional traces are interlaced and disposed in coplanar manner on the bottom surface; and

a component area disposed in coplanar manner on the bottom surface peripherally outside the sensor area, the component area being operably coupled to the first and second directional traces.

2. The touchpad according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator cover over the sensor area for providing an operation area.

3. The touchpad according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator cover over a top surface of the PCB at a location facing to the sensor area for providing an operation area.

4. The touchpad according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of carbon film wires in the sensor area for interconnecting one or more of the plurality of first or second directional traces.

5. The touchpad according to claim 1, wherein the PCB comprises a top surface having an operation area thereon at a location facing to the sensor area.

6. A touchpad with printed circuit board (PCB) structure, comprising:

a single substrate PCB having a bottom surface;

a sensor area disposed on the bottom surface, the sensor area including a plurality of first and second directional traces, whereby the first and second directional traces are interlaced and disposed in coplanar manner on the bottom surface;

a component area disposed in coplanar manner on the bottom surface peripherally outside the sensor area, the component area being operably coupled to the first and second directional traces; and

,

a plurality of carbon film wires disposed in the sensor area each extending across to interconnect preselected ones of the first and second directional traces to a portion of the component area.

7. The touchpad according to claim 6, wherein the carbon film wires are each carbon ink printed to be connected to a preselected set of first directional traces and insulated from intervening ones of the second directional traces.