Direct connect single layer touch panel

• US 9,098,159 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steven P., Grunthaner, Martin Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US14/171,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20140146014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 174/254, 361/784, 361/803
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A substantially transparent touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors and traces fabricated on a single side of a substrate for detecting single or multi-touch events. The touch sensor elements can be fabricated in columns and rows, with each sensor element in a row adjacent to a sensor element in a column. By using a board as the dielectric to connect traces from multiple sensor elements in each row, rather than using a dielectric layer on the substrate upon which the sensor elements and traces are formed, the sensor elements and traces on the substrate can be formed by simply patterning a single layer of conductive material on the substrate, which can simplify the manufacturing process of the substrate from a complexity and cost perspective.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a connecting board including a plurality of pads, the connecting board configured to be electrically coupled to a first substrate at the plurality of pads, the connecting board comprising a second substrate, different from the first substrate; and

routing formed on the connecting board and coupled to the pads, the routing arranged to electrically connect each of a plurality of discrete sensor elements in a row of the first substrate to one another while providing electrical isolation from sensor elements and traces associated with other rows.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including one or more connections that electrically connect a plurality of the pads to provide electrical connectivity with the plurality of discrete sensor elements that form the row of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second portion provides electrical connectivity to a continuous sensor element that forms a particular column of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

4. The first substrate coupled to the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting board is attached to the first substrate at the plurality of pads, the first substrate comprising a touch sensor panel including:

columns of continuous sensor elements formed in a single layer of a conductive material and supported on one side of the first substrate,

rows of sensor elements formed in the single layer, each row including a plurality of discrete sensor elements, each sensor element in a row adjacent to a continuous sensor element in a column, and

traces formed in the single layer electrically connected to each of the sensor elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting board comprises a flex circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each sensor element in a row together with an adjacent sensor element in a column form a mutual capacitance sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ground plane supported on the first substrate, wherein each sensor element in a row together with the ground plane form a self capacitance sensor, and each sensor element in a column together with the ground plane form a self capacitance sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pads are formed on a first side of the connecting board and the routing is formed on a second side of the connecting board.

9. An input device comprising:

a first substrate upon which columns of sensor elements, rows of sensor elements, and traces associated with each sensor element are formed in a single layer of a conductive material; and

a connecting board attached through a plurality of pads to a plurality of the traces on the first substrate, the connecting board comprising a second substrate, different from the first substrate, the connecting board including routing formed on the connecting board and coupled to the pads, the routing arranged to electrically connect each of a plurality of discrete sensor elements in a row of the first substrate to one another while providing electrical isolation from sensor elements and traces associated with other rows.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the routing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including one or more connections that electrically connect a plurality of the pads to provide electrical connectivity with the plurality of discrete sensor elements that form the row of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the second portion provides electrical connectivity to a continuous sensor element that forms a particular column of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

12. The input device of claim 9, wherein the traces terminate at a first end of the first substrate.

13. The input device of claim 9, wherein some of the traces terminate at a first end of the first substrate, and others of the traces terminate at a second end of the first substrate opposite the first end.

14. The input device of claim 9, wherein the input device is part of a mobile telephone.

15. The input device of claim 9, wherein the input device is part of a media player.

16. The input device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of pads are formed on a first side of the connecting board and the routing is formed on a second side of the connecting board.

17. A method for electrically connecting traces formed on a single layer on one side of a first substrate, comprising:

forming a plurality of pads on a connecting board for attaching to the first substrate, the connecting board comprising a second substrate, different from the first substrate;

forming routing on the connecting board, the routing coupled to the pads and arranged to electrically connect each of a plurality of discrete sensor elements in a row of the first substrate to one another while providing electrical isolation from sensor elements and traces associated with other rows.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising electrically connecting a plurality of the pads to provide electrical connectivity with the plurality of discrete sensor elements that form the row of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing electrical connectivity to a continuous sensor element that forms a particular column of the first substrate when the connecting board is attached to the first substrate.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising attaching the connecting board to the first substrate to provide electrical connections.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming the plurality of pads on a first side of the connecting board and forming the routing on a second side of the connecting board.

22. A touch screen, comprising:

a display;

a first substrate proximate the display upon which a single layer of conductive material is patterned into columns of continuous sensor elements, rows of discrete sensor elements and a plurality of traces associated with each of the sensor elements; and

a flex circuit attached through a plurality of pads to the plurality of traces on the first substrate, the flex circuit comprising a second substrate, different from the first substrate, the flex circuit including routing formed on the flex circuit and coupled to the pads, the routing arranged to electrically connect each of the discrete sensor elements in a row of the first substrate to one another while providing electrical isolation from sensor elements and traces associated with other rows.

23. The touch screen of claim 22, wherein the routing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including one or more connections that electrically connect a plurality of the pads to provide electrical connectivity with the plurality of discrete sensor elements that form the row of the first substrate when the flex circuit is attached to the first substrate.

24. The touch screen of claim 22, wherein the plurality of pads are formed on a first side of the flex circuit and the routing is formed on a second side of the flex circuit.

25. A connector having first traces formed in and on the connector, the first traces configured to:

provide connectivity to second traces formed on a single layer on a circuit board, the circuit board comprising a first substrate; and

enable non-adjacent second traces to be electrically connected to each other while providing electrical isolation from other second traces,

wherein the connector comprises a second substrate, different from the first substrate.

26. The connector of claim 25, wherein the first traces are formed on a single side of the connector.

27. The connector of claim 25, wherein the first traces are formed on opposite sides of the connector.