Display with visually homogeneous border

• US 8,217,911 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn, Nguyen, Huy P., Webb, Bill, Lam, Lawrence, Wong, Kean
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US12/360,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 361/683, 361/686, 439/74, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A handheld device with a compact integrated touch panel is disclosed. A handheld device incorporating a touch panel display requiring electrical connections is reduced in size by incorporating electrical pathways within the support structure of the touch panel display, obviating the need for a flex circuit extension from the touch panel display for connection to the handheld device. A further reduction in size is obtained by providing an inherent visually homogeneous perimeter for the touch panel display by matching the colors of the conductive and dielectric materials, thereby eliminating the need for a bezel.

Claims

1. A touch panel display comprising:

at least one electrically active transparent element having a first surface and a second surface;

a transparent conductive coating disposed on a portion of said first surface;

a non-transparent conductive pattern disposed on said first surface wherein said non-transparent conductive pattern is electrically coupled to said transparent conductive coating, said non-transparent conductive pattern having at least one contact point to electrically couple to a circuit through an array of frame contacts in a housing; and

a dielectric material adjacent to said non-transparent conductive pattern;

wherein said non-transparent conductive pattern and said dielectric material have an approximately equal visual homogeneous appearance when viewing through said at least one electrically active transparent element from said second surface to said first surface.

2. The touch panel display of claim 1 wherein said non-transparent conductive pattern comprises a material selected to provide coloration.

3. The touch panel display of claim 1 wherein said dielectric material comprises a material selected to provide coloration.

4. The touch panel display of claim 3 wherein said non-transparent conductive pattern comprises a material selected to provide coloration.

5. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein said touch panel display is a resistive touch panel display.

6. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein said touch panel display is a near field imaging touch panel display.

7. A handheld device comprising:

a touch panel including,

a first sensing and display layer having a non-transparent conductive pattern disposed along a border of the touch panel,

a second sensing and display layer,

a spacer layer disposed between the first and second sensing and display layers along the border of the touch panel,

wherein the non-transparent conductive pattern and the spacer layer have an approximately equal visual homogeneous appearance when viewing the second sensing and display layer through the first sensing and display layer; and

a housing including an array of frame contacts distributed along a wall of the housing and electrically coupling a corresponding contact point on the touch panel to a circuit disposed in the housing.

8. The handheld device of claim 7, further comprising:

the housing having an upper planar display mounting surface.

9. The handheld device of claim 7, further comprising:

an adhesive layer disposed between the touch panel and the housing.

10. The handheld device of claim 7, further comprising:

a dielectric insert block disposed between the housing and the array of frame contacts.

11. The handheld device of claim 10, wherein the housing is a conductive material.

12. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein:

the first sensing and display layer extends beyond the spacer layer and second sensing and display layer so that the contact points of the non-transparent conductive pattern are coupled to the array of frame contacts; and

the adhesive layer disposed between the second sensing and display layer and a step feature of the housing.

13. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein the housing includes a protective rim to shield the edge of the first sensing and display layer without occluding viewing of the touch panel.

14. The handheld device of claim 7 wherein the approximately equal visual homogeneous appearance of the non-transparent conductive pattern and the spacer layer comprises an approximately equal coloration.