Mesh design for touch sensors

• US 9,304,617 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Guard, David Brent, Emm, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/031,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a touch sensor including a mesh of multiple first lines and second lines of conductive material extending across a display. The first lines are substantially parallel to each other. The second lines are substantially parallel to each other. The display includes multiple pixels that each include sub-pixels. Each of the pixels has a first pixel pitch along a first axis and a second pixel pitch along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. Each of the sub-pixels has a first sub-pixel pitch along the first axis and a second sub-pixel dimension along the second axis. The second sub-pixel dimension is substantially equal to a first value or a second value, the second value being greater than the first value. The first lines extend across the display at a first angle relative to the first axis.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor comprising a mesh pattern of electrically conductive material configured to extend across either a first display or a second display that is different from the first display, wherein;

the first display and the second display are separate displays;

the mesh pattern comprises a plurality of first lines and a plurality of second lines of the electrically conductive material, the first lines being substantially parallel to each other, the second lines being substantially parallel to each other;

the first display comprises a plurality of first-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of first-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the first-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the first-display pixels having a first-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP₁) along the first-display vertical pixel axis, each of the first-display sub-pixels having a first-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis, and a first-display sub-pixel height (SPH₁) along the first-display vertical pixel axis;

the second display comprises a plurality of second-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of second-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the second-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the second-display pixels having a second-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP₂) along the second-display vertical pixel axis, each of the second-display sub-pixels having a second-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis, and a second-display sub-pixel height (SPH₂) along the second-display vertical pixel axis;

the first-display pixels and the second-display pixels are substantially equal in size, wherein HPP₁ and HPP₂ are substantially equal, and VPP₁ and VPP₂ are substantially equal;

SPH₂ is greater than SPH₁;

the first lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a first angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the first angle is within 1°

of the arctangent of ^Hc/_Hpp1 , wherein H_c is greater than SPH₁ and less than SPH₂; and

the second lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a second angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the second angle is within 1°

of the arctangent of ^VPP1 /(2 ×

HSPP₁)<sup>;

and</sup>

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the touch sensor and embodying logic that is configured when executed to control the touch sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein H_c is approximately equal to an average of SPH₁ and SPH₂.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first angle is oriented counterclockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis; and

the second angle is oriented clockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to three times HPP₁.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/6 of HPP₁.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to six times HPP₁.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/3 of HPP₁.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to two times HPP₁.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first-display horizontal pixel pitch is a width of each of the first-display pixels;

the first-display vertical pixel pitch is a height of each of the first-display pixels;

the first-display sub-pixel height is a height of each of the first-display sub-pixels; and

the second-display sub-pixel height is a height of each of the second-display sub-pixels.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first-display sub-pixels are substantially rectangular.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more segments of one or more of the first or second lines are substantially sinusoidal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

HSPP₁ and HSPP₂ are substantially the same.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first display has a first-display sub-pixel dead space width (DSW₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis;

the second display has a second-display sub-pixel dead space width (DSW₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis;

an average sub-pixel dead space width (DSW_AVG) is approximately equal to an average of DSW₁ and DSW₂;

the first display has a first-display sub-pixel width (SPW₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis;

the second display has a second-display sub-pixel width (SPW₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis;

an average sub-pixel width (SPW_AVG)is approximately equal to an average of SPW₁ and SPW₂; and

second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to a sum of;

HPP₁;

HSPP₁;

DSW_AVG; and

½

of SPW_AVG.

14. A touch sensor comprising:

a mesh pattern of electrically conductive material configured to extend across either a first display or a second display that is different from the first display, wherein;

the first display and the second display are separate displays;

the mesh pattern comprises a plurality of first lines and a plurality of second lines of the electrically conductive material, the first lines being substantially parallel to each other, the second lines being substantially parallel to each other;

the first display comprises a plurality of first-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of first-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the first-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the first-display pixels having a first-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP₁) along the first-display vertical pixel axis, each of the first-display sub-pixels having a first-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP₁) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis, and first-display sub-pixel height (SPH₁) along the first-display vertical pixel axis;

the second display comprises a plurality of second-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of second-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the second-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the second-display pixels having a second-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP₂) along the second-display vertical pixel axis, each of the second-display sub-pixels having a second-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP₂) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis, and a second-display sub-pixel height (SPH₂) along the second-display vertical pixel axis;

the first-display pixels and the second-display pixels are substantially equal in size, wherein HPP₁ and HPP₂ are substantially equal, and VPP₁ and VPP₂ are substantially equal;

SPH₂ is greater than SPH₁;

the first lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a first angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the first angle is within 1°

of the arctangent of ^Hc/_Hpp1 , wherein H_c is greater than SPH₁ and less than SPH₂; and

the second lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a second angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the second angle is within 1°

of the arctangent of ^VPP1 / (2 ×

HSPP₁).

15. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein H_c is approximately equal to an average of SPH₁ and SPH₂.

16. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein:

the first angle is oriented counterclockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis; and

the second angle is oriented clockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis.

17. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to three times HPP₁.

18. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/6 of HPP₁.

19. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to six times HPP₁.

20. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/3 of HPP₁.