Touch sensor panel design

• US 8,593,425 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung Jae, Grunthaner, Martin Paul, Hotelling, Steven Porter, Youngs, Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US13/737,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of first lines of a first conductive material;

a plurality of second line sections of the first conductive material formed on a same layer as the plurality of first lines;

a plurality of interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for connecting second line sections together to form a plurality of second lines, and enabling the plurality of first and second lines to cross over each other to form an array of touch sensors; and

one or more dummy regions disposed in an area around at least one of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines, wherein the one or more dummy regions are formed on the same layer as the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second line sections.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the one or more dummy regions are formed of the first conductive material.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the one or more dummy areas are configured such that the dummy areas and the plurality of first and second lines are electrically isolated from one another and occupy substantially a full area of a substrate.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the one or more dummy regions are formed of one or more repeating patterns of isolated sections.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein at least two of the second line sections have narrowed arms, and wherein an interconnect section connects the two second line sections together at their narrowed arms.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the computing system is incorporated into a mobile telephone.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the computing system is incorporated into a media player.

9. A method of forming a touch sensor panel, comprising:

forming a plurality of first lines of a first conductive material;

forming a plurality of second line sections of the first conductive material;

connecting second line sections together using a plurality of interconnect sections of a second conductive material to form a plurality of second lines, and enabling the plurality of first and second lines to cross over each other to form an array of touch sensors; and

forming one or more dummy regions in an area around at least one of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines, further comprising forming the one or more dummy regions on the same layer as the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second line sections.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the one or more dummy regions of the first conductive material.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the one or more dummy areas such that the dummy areas and the plurality of first and second lines are electrically isolated from one another and occupy substantially a full area of a substrate.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the one or more dummy regions of one or more repeating patterns of isolated sections.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forming at least two of the second line sections with narrowed arms; and

connecting the two second line sections together at their narrowed arms using an interconnect section.