Capacitive touch panel

• US 8,665,226 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Ho, Kwan-Sin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, AFROZA Y
• Application Number:
  US12/371,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/169, 345/179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is disclosed including: a singular lens substrate, a mask layer, and a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said singular lens substrate. Said singular lens substrate, said mask layer, and said sensing circuit are integrally formed.

Claims

1. An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular lens substrate having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input; and

a bottom surface;

a mask layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;

wherein said mask laver is placed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate;

wherein an un-covered region of said singular lens substrata is defined as a sensing region;

a sensing circuit;

integrally coupled with a smooth layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; and

said smooth layer is placed between said singular lens substrata end said sensing circuit in said sensing region;

said sensing circuit is arranged on said bottom surface of said mask layer and said bottom surface of said smooth layer; and

wherein said sensing circuit, said mask layer and said smooth are integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate.

2. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said sensing circuit further comprises:

a first sensing circuit;

an insulation layer; and

a second sensing circuit, wherein said singular lens substrate, said mask layer, said first sensing circuit, said insulation layer, and said second sensing circuit are integrally formed, and wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of directly coupling with a display panel.

3. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery of said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate.

4. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1 further comprising:

a shielding layer formed on the periphery of said singular lens substrate, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer.

5. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and a metal trace.

6. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 5, wherein said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

7. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

8. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed or} a surface of said sensing circuit; and

an adhesive layer disposed on said overcoat for bonding with a display panel.

9. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of any one of claim 2 or 4-8, wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery, of said bottom

surface of said singular lens substrate.

10. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of any one of claim 2 or 5-8, further comprising:

a shielding layer, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer.

11. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 2, wherein said first sensing circuit comprises a first conductive electrode and a first metal trace, and said second sensing circuit comprises a second conductive electrode and a second metal trace.

12. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 11, wherein said first metal trace or said second metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said first metal trace and said second metal trace.

13. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and a metal trace;

said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

14. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a shielding layer formed on the periphery of said singular lens substrate, said shielding layer is positioned beb,˜

een said singular lens substrate and said mask layer;

wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery of said bottom surface of said singular lens substrata.

15. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 14, wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

16. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 2 or claim 14, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed on a surface of said sensing circuit; and

an adhesive layer disposed on the overcoat.

17. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said singular lens substrate is made of transparent material.

18. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said singular lens substrate is made of glass or plastic material.

19. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 18, wherein said plastic material is rubber or ebonite.

20. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said mask layer is made of black resist or other opaque coating material.

21. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said smooth layer is made of transparent organic or inorganic material.

22. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 4, wherein the width of the shielding layer is substantially equal to the width of the mask layer.

23. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 5, wherein said conductive electrode is made of transparent conductive material.

24. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 8, wherein said overcoat ms made of insulation material.

25. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein there is no other supporting layer laminated or bonded to said singular lens substrate of said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel.

26. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said sensing circuit is a single layer circuit.

27. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 5, wherein said conductive electrode outputs a capacitive sensing signal corresponding to a touched position for a capacitive effect produced by said physical tactile input on the top surface of said singular lens substrate.

28. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 27, wherein said capacitive sensing signal is transmitted along said metal trace to a processor for detecting/calculating the coordinates of said touched position.

29. An integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular substrata having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input and a bottom surface;

a mask layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;

wherein said mask layer is place on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrata;

wherein an un-covered region of the singular lens substrata is defined as a sensing region;

a sensing circuit with a smooth layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; and

said smooth laver is placed between said singular substrate and said sensing circuit in said sensing region;

said sensing circuit;

is arranged on said bottom surface of said mask layer and said bottom surface of said smooth laver; and

wherein said sensing circuit, said mask layer and said smooth are integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular substrate.

30. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein the sensing circuit is coupled with the mask layer.

31. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said singular substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass material and plastic material.

32. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said sensing circuit comprising:

a first sensing circuit outputting a first axial sensing signal according to the physical tactile input received by said top surface;

a second sensing circuit outputting a second axial sensing signal according to the physical tactile input received by said top surface; and

a transparent insulation layer between said first sensing circuit and said second sensing circuit, said transparent insulation layer electrically insulates said first sensing circuit from said second sensing circuit, wherein said mask layer and said first sensing circuit; and

said second sensing circuit;

are integrally formed on the bottom surface of said singular substrate.

33. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery of said bottom surface of said singular substrate.

34. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, further comprising:

a shielding layer formed on the periphery of said singular lens substrate, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular substrate and said mask layer.

35. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and a metal trace.

36. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 35, wherein said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

37. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

38. The integrally-formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed on a surface of said sensing circuit; and

an adhesive layer disposed on said overcoat for bonding with a display panel.

39. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of any one of claim 30-32 or 34-38, wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery of said bottom surface of said singular substrate.

40. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of any one of claim 30-32 or 35-38, further comprising:

a shielding layer formed on the periphery of said singular substrate, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular substrate and said mask layer.

41. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 32, wherein said first sensing circuit comprises a first conductive electrode and a first metal trace, and said second sensing circuit comprises a second conductive electrode and a second metal trace.

42. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 41, wherein said first metal trace or said second metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said first metal trace and said second metal trace.

43. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 37 or claim 38, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and a metal trace;

said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

44. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, further comprising:

a shielding layer formed on the periphery of said singular substrata, said shielding layer is positioned between said singular substrate and said mask layer;

wherein said mask layer is formed on the periphery of said bottom surface of said singular lens substrata.

45. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 32 or claim 44, wherein said integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

46. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 32 or claim 44, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed on a surface of said sensing circuit; and

an adhesive layer disposed on the overcoat.

47. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said singular substrate is made of transparent material.

48. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 31, wherein said plastic material is rubber or ebonite.

49. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said mask layer is made of black resist or other opaque coating material.

50. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said smooth layer is made of transparent organic or inorganic material.

51. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 34, wherein the width of the shielding layer is substantially equal to the width of the mask layer.

52. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 35, wherein said conductive electrode is made of transparent conductive material.

53. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 38, wherein said overcoat is made of insulation material.

54. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein there is no other supporting layer laminated or bonded to said singular substrate of said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel.

55. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said sensing circuit is a single layer circuit.

56. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 35, wherein said conductive electrode outputs a capacitive sensing signal corresponding to a touched position for a capacitive effect produced by said physical tactile input on the top surface of said singular substrate.

57. The integrally formed slim-type capacitive touch panel of claim 56, wherein said capacitive sensing signal is transmitted along said metal trace to a processor for detecting/calculating the coordinates of said touched position.