Touch sensor panel design

• US 8,957,874 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Elias, John Greer
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US12/494,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array, is disclosed. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting a plurality of substantially transparent conductive sections having a first resistivity. A substantially transparent conductive material, with a second resistivity that is lower than the first resistivity, is deposited over at least part of at least one of the plurality of substantially transparent conductive sections of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. A second layer of the substantially transparent conductive material, with the second resistivity, can be deposited thereafter. At least one dummy section is disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the conductive sections of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a plurality of drive lines and sense lines, each drive and sense line formed from an interconnected plurality of sections of conductive material having a first resistivity, the drive and sense lines configured to form an array of capacitive touch sensors;

a first layer of a substantially transparent conductive material deposited over at least part of the plurality of drive and sense lines in a visible area of the touch sensor panel; and

a plurality of interconnectors configured for connecting the plurality of conductive sections in the drive and sense lines and enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form the array of mutual-capacitance touch sensors.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one dummy section, having the first resistivity, disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around and electrically isolated from the plurality of drive and sense lines.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnectors is formed from an opaque metal.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 3, wherein an opaque mask is layered over the plurality of interconnectors.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first layer of substantially transparent conductive material has a second resistivity lower than the first resistivity.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnectors is connected directly to at least one of the conductive sections of at least one of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 5 wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnectors is connected to the deposited substantially transparent conductive material, having the second resistivity.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 5, further comprising:

a second layer of the substantially transparent conductive material, having the second resistivity, deposited over at least part of the first layer of the substantially transparent conductive material having the second resistivity.

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

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnectors is formed from the same material as the substantially transparent conductive material, having the second resistivity.

10. A computing device including a touch sensor panel, the touch sensor panel comprising:

a plurality of drive lines and sense lines, each drive and sense line formed from an interconnected plurality of sections of conductive material having a first resistivity, the drive and sense lines configured to form an array of capacitive touch sensors;

a first layer of a substantially transparent conductive material deposited over at least part of the plurality of drive and sense lines in a visible area of the touch sensor panel; and

a plurality of interconnectors configured for connecting the plurality of conductive sections in the drive and sense lines and enabling the plurality of drive and sense lines to cross over each other to form the array of mutual-capacitance touch sensors.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the first layer of substantially transparent conductive material has a second resistivity lower than the first resistivity.