Touch screen sensor with low visibility conductors

• US 8,284,332 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Geaghan, Bernard O., Hagermoser, Edward S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US12/393,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20090219258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/14 Aqueous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch screen sensor with a conductive micropattern includes one or more features to obscure or reduce the visibility of the conductive micropattern.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive device comprising:

a first visible light transparent substrate having a touch-interface surface and a display-interface surface, the touch-interface surface disposed toward touch input, and the display interface disposed toward the output of a liquid crystal or organic light emitting diode display;

a second visible light transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface and also having a touch sensing area comprised of an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the second visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductors with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers;

wherein the first surface of the second visible light transparent substrate is disposed toward the display-interface surface of the first visible light transparent substrate;

and wherein the first visible light transparent substrate includes a light scattering feature comprising randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets having a size greater than the width of the conductors, that reduces the visibility of the micropattern.

2. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

3. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a linear polarizer.

4. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a circular polarizer.

5. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

6. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the scattering elements comprise bumps.

25. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

26. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a linear polarizer.

27. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a circular polarizer.

28. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

29. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the scattering elements comprise bumps.

7. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising:

within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers and the touch sensing area is visible light transparent and has between 90% and 99.95% open area; and

one or more micropattern-obscuring features in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern.

8. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.

9. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a linear polarizer.

10. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a circular polarizer.

11. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

12. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises one or more light scattering elements.

13. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the scattering elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.

14. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.

15. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the scattering elements comprises bumps.

16. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

17. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.

18. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive micropattern is a touch sensitive electrically conductive micropattern.

31. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.

32. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a linear polarizer.

33. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a circular polarizer.

34. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.

35. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises one or more light scattering elements.

36. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the scattering elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.

37. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.

38. The touch screen sensor of claim 12, wherein the scattering elements comprises bumps.

39. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

40. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.

41. The touch screen sensor of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive micropattern is a touch sensitive electrically conductive micropattern.

19. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising:

within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers; and

one or more micropattern-obscuring features, at least one of the features comprising one or more light scattering elements in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern, and wherein the light scattering elements comprise facets having a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.

20. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.

21. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein one of the features comprises a polarizer.

22. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein one of the features comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

23. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.

43. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.

44. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein one of the features comprises a polarizer.

45. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein one of the features comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.

46. The touch screen sensor of claim 19, wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.

24. A touch-sensitive device comprising:

a first visible light transparent substrate having a touch-interface surface and a display-interface surface, the touch-interface surface disposed toward touch input, and the display interface disposed toward the output of a liquid crystal or organic light emitting diode display;

a second visible light transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface and also having a touch sensing area comprised of an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the second visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductors with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers;

wherein the first surface of the second visible light transparent substrate is disposed toward the display-interface surface of the first visible light transparent substrate;

and wherein the first visible light transparent substrate includes a light scattering feature comprising randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets having a size greater than the width of the conductors, that reduces the visibility of the micropattern.

30. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising:

within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers and the touch sensing area is visible light transparent and has between 90% and 99.95% open area; and

one or more micropattern-obscuring features in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern.

42. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising:

within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers; and

one or more micropattern-obscuring features, at least one of the features comprising one or more light scattering elements in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern, and wherein the light scattering elements comprise facets having a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.