Touch screen

• US 8,730,178 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• 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, Wang, Ching-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALRYMPLE, TROY S
• Application Number:
  US12/179,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 349/96, 349/117, 341/33
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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

A touch screen includes a liquid crystal layer, an upper transparent conductive layer, a lower transparent conductive layer, an upper transparent plate, a lower transparent plate, an upper polarizing plate, a lower polarizing plate and a circuit unit. The upper transparent conductive layer, the upper transparent plate, the circuit unit and the upper polarizing plate are disposed on the liquid crystal layer in the above-mentioned order from one side of the liquid crystal layer. The lower transparent conductive layer, the lower transparent plate and the lower polarizing plate are disposed under the liquid crystal layer in the above-mentioned order from another side of the liquid crystal layer.

Claims

1. A touch screen comprising:

an upper polarizing plate;

a first multi-function unit disposed under the upper polarizing plate and providing

a touch sensing function and a light-blocking function, wherein the first multi-function unit has a first circuit layer, a second circuit layer and a shielding layer, the first circuit layer is electrically insulated from the second circuit layer, with at least one of the first and the second circuit layers made of an opaque metal, and the shielding layer disposed under the second circuit layer is made of opaque metal;

an upper transparent plate disposed under the first multi-function unit;

an LCD-driving unit disposed under the upper transparent plate, wherein the

LCD-driving unit composes an upper transparent conductive layer and a lower transparent conductive layer;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the upper transparent conductive layer and the lower transparent conductive layer; and

a lower transparent plate disposed under the lower transparent conductive layer.

2. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein the shielding layer is disposed between the second circuit layer and the upper transparent plate and is disposed in the display region of the touch screen, wherein the shielding layer is electrically insulated from the second circuit layer of the first multi-function unit.

3. The touch screen according to claim 2, wherein the touch screen further comprises a second dielectric layer located between the second circuit layer of the first multi-function unit and the shielding laver.

4. The touch screen according to claim 3, wherein the first circuit layer or the second circuit layer is made of an opaque, metal, the first circuit layer has electrodes extending along a first axial direction, and the second circuit layer has electrodes extending along a second axial direction.

5. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit layer or the second circuit layer is made of an opaque, metal, the first circuit layer has electrodes extending along a first axial direction, and the second circuit layer has electrodes extending along a second axial direction.

6. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen further comprises a color resist layer located under the upper transparent plate, and a first dielectric layer located between the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer.

7. The touch screen according to claim 6, wherein the shielding layer is located between the color resist layer and the upper transparent plate.

8. The touch screen according to claim 6, further comprising a third dielectric layer, wherein the shielding layer is located between the color resist layer and the upper transparent conductive layer and the third dielectric layer is located between the shielding layer and the upper transparent conductive layer.

9. The touch screen according to claim 6, wherein the shielding layer is electrically insulated from the second circuit layer of the first multi-function unit.

10. The touch screen according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen further comprises a lower polarizing plate disposed under the lower transparent plate.

11. A touch screen comprising:

an upper polarizing plate,

an upper transparent plate disposed under the upper polarizing plate,

a first multi-function unit providing a touch sensing function and a light-blocking function, wherein the first multi-function unit has a first circuit layer, a second circuit layer and a shielding layer, the first and the second circuit layers are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the upper transparent plate, with at least one of the first and the second circuit layers made of an opaque metal, and the shielding layer disposed under the second circuit layer is made of opaque metal,

an LCD-driving unit disposed under the first multi-function unit, wherein the LCD-driving unit comprises an upper transparent conductive layer and a lower transparent conductive layer, and the upper transparent conductive layer is electrically insulated from the first multi-function unit,

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the upper transparent conductive layer and the lower transparent conductive layer,

a lower transparent plate disposed under the lower transparent conductive layer.

12. The touch screen according to claim 11, wherein each of the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer comprises a plurality of electrodes.

13. The touch screen according to claim 11, wherein the shielding layer is electrically insulated from the second circuit layer and the upper transparent conductive layer.

14. The touch screen according to claim 13, wherein the shielding layer is disposed in the display region of the touch screen.

15. The touch screen according to claim 11, wherein the first circuit layer or the second circuit layer is made of an opaque material.

16. The touch screen according to claim 11, further comprising a fourth dielectric layer located between the second circuit layer and the upper transparent conductive layer.

17. The touch screen according to claim 16, wherein the touch screen further comprises a fifth dielectric layer located between the second circuit layer and the shielding layer.

18. The touch screen according to claim 16, wherein the touch screen further comprises a sixth dielectric layer located between the shielding layer and the upper transparent conductive layer.

19. The touch screen according to claim 11, wherein the touch screen further comprises a color resist layer located on the upper transparent conductive layer.

20. The touch screen according to claim 11, wherein the touch screen further comprises a lower polarizing plate disposed under the lower transparent plate.

21. A touch screen comprising:

an upper polarizing plate,

an upper transparent plate disposed under the upper polarizing plate,

a first multi-function unit disposed under the upper transparent plate and

providing a touch sensing function and a light-blocking function, wherein the first multi-function unit has a first circuit layer, a second circuit layer and a shielding layer, the first circuit layer is electrically insulated from the second circuit layer,

with at least one of the first and the second circuit layers made of an opaque metal, and the shielding layer disposed under the second circuit layer is made of opaque metal;

an LCD-driving unit disposed under the first multi-function unit, wherein the LCD-driving unit comprises an upper transparent conductive layer and a lower transparent conductive layer, and the upper transparent conductive layer is electrically insulated from the first multi-function unit;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the upper transparent conductive layer and the lower transparent conductive layer,

a lower transparent plate disposed under the lower transparent conductive layer.

22. The touch screen according to claim 21, wherein the shielding layer is located between the second circuit layer and the upper transparent conductive layer, wherein the shielding layer is disposed in the display region and electrically insulated from the second circuit layer and the upper transparent conductive layer.

23. The touch screen according to claim 21, wherein the touch screen further comprises a lower polarizing plate disposed under the lower transparent plate.

24. The touch screen according to claim 21, wherein the first circuit layer or the second circuit, layer is made of an opaque metal, the first circuit layer has electrodes extended along a first axial direction and the second circuit layer has electrodes extending along a second axial direction.

25. The touch screen according to claim 21, wherein the touch screen further comprises a color resist layer located on the upper transparent conductive layer, and a first dielectric layer located between the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer.

26. The touch screen according to claim 25, wherein the shielding layer located above the color resist layer.