Touch screen sensor
First Claim
1. A two-dimensional touch sensor comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on a substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces being sufficiently narrow such that the mesh is imperceptible to an untrained eye, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein;
the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and
the plurality of electrodes comprises;
a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and
a plurality of y-axis electrodes; and
a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that are sufficiently narrow such that the mesh of the plurality of islands is imperceptible to the untrained eye, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A two-dimensional touch sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in a mesh pattern on a substrate. Each electrode is formed by interconnected metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, but the metal traces being sufficiently narrow to be practically invisible. The metal traces have a width less than or equal to 10 μm and occupy less than or equal to 5% of the area of each electrode. The electrodes can be deposited additively via a printing process, for example using copper as the metal. The narrow width of the tracks allows the film to be highly transparent, since the electric field used in capacitive touch screens can be made to propagate with very low metal densities.
47 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A two-dimensional touch sensor comprising:
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a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on a substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces being sufficiently narrow such that the mesh is imperceptible to an untrained eye, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein; the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes; and a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that are sufficiently narrow such that the mesh of the plurality of islands is imperceptible to the untrained eye, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of manufacturing a capacitive touch sensor, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate; depositing a plurality of electrodes on at least one side of the substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces being sufficiently narrow such that the mesh is imperceptible to an untrained eye, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein; the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes; and depositing on the substrate a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that are sufficiently narrow such that the mesh of the plurality of islands is imperceptible to the untrained eye, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on the substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces being sufficiently narrow such that the mesh is imperceptible to an untrained eye, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein; the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes; a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that are sufficiently narrow such that the mesh of the plurality of islands is imperceptible to the untrained eye, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes; and a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A two-dimensional touch sensor comprising:
a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on a substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces having a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein;the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes; and the two-dimensional touch sensor further comprises a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that have a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes.- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of manufacturing a capacitive touch sensor, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate; depositing a plurality of electrodes on at least one side of the substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces having a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein;the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes; and depositing on the substrate a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that have a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on the substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces having a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection; anda processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of electrodes; wherein; the plurality of electrodes comprises; a plurality of x-axis electrodes arranged on a particular side of the substrate; and a plurality of y-axis electrodes arranged on the same particular side of the substrate as the plurality of x-axis electrodes; and the apparatus further comprises a plurality of islands formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that have a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, each island being electrically disconnected from the plurality of x-axis and y-axis electrodes, each island being located between one of the x-axis electrodes and one of the y-axis electrodes on the same particular side of the substrate as the plurality of x-axis and y-axis electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A two-dimensional touch sensor comprising:
a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern on a substrate, each electrode being formed of an interconnected mesh of metal traces, the metal being intrinsically opaque, the metal traces having a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, the interconnected mesh of metal traces comprising a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines, the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines of the mesh of a particular electrode being disposed on a first layer of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode electrically contacts one of the second conductive lines of the mesh of the particular electrode at an intersection, wherein;the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a single side of the substrate; and the pattern comprises; a first electrode in the shape of a horizontal bar; a second electrode in the shape of a triangle, the second electrode extending from a first edge of the pattern; and an island formed of another interconnected mesh of metal traces that have a width less than or equal to 10 μ
m, the island being electrically disconnected from the first and second electrodes.- View Dependent Claims (37)
Specification