Touch panel

• US 9,379,704 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Tun-Chun, Hu, Chih-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Shawna Stepp
• Application Number:
  US13/850,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20140174902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

A touch panel including a substrate, a plurality of first electrode lines, and a plurality of second electrode lines is provided. The first electrode lines are arranged on the substrate in parallel and extended along a first axial direction. Each first electrode line includes multiple first electrode pads and multiple first bridge portions serially connecting the first electrode pads. Each first electrode pad includes a first central portion and two first side portions connected to the first central portion. The second electrode lines are arranged on the substrate in parallel and extended along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction. Each second electrode line includes multiple second electrode pads alternatively disposed with the first electrode lines and multiple second bridge portions serially connecting the second electrode pads. Each second electrode pad includes a second central portion and two second side portions connected to the second central portion.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first electrode lines, arranged on the substrate in parallel, and extended along a first axial direction, wherein each of the first electrode lines comprises a plurality of first electrode pads and a plurality of first bridge portions serially connecting the first electrode pads, and each of the first electrode pads comprises;

a first central portion, in a rectangular shape, and having a first width perpendicular to the first axial direction; and

two first side portions, connected to two opposite sides of the first central portion in the first axial direction, wherein each of the first side portions is in a rectangular shape and has a second width perpendicular to the first axial direction, the first width is greater than the second width, and each of the first bridge portions connects the corresponding two first side portions of two adjacent first electrode pads; and

a plurality of second electrode lines, arranged on the substrate in parallel, and extended along a second axial direction, wherein each of the second electrode lines comprises a plurality of second electrode pads and a plurality of second bridge portions serially connecting the second electrode pads, the second axial direction is perpendicular to the first axial direction, the first electrode lines are electrically insulated from the second electrode lines, the second electrode pads of each of the second electrode lines and the first electrode lines are alternatively disposed in the first axial direction, and each of the second electrode pads comprises;

a second central portion, in a rectangular shape, located between the corresponding two first bridge portions of two adjacent first electrode lines, and having a third width perpendicular to the first axial direction; and

two second side portions, connected to two opposite sides of the second central portion in the first axial direction, wherein each of the second side portions is in a rectangular shape and has a fourth width perpendicular to the first axial direction, the third width is greater than the fourth width, each of the second bridge portions crosses the corresponding first bridge portion, and each of the second bridge portions serially connects two adjacent second central portions in the second axial direction, the plurality of second electrode lines are arranged as a plurality of pairs, each of the pairs comprises two adjacent second electrode lines connected with each other by their second side portions in a horizontal direction, and the pairs are electrically isolated from each other in the horizontal direction.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the first side portions is located between the two second central portions of the adjacent second electrode line, and each of the second side portions is located between the two first central portions of two adjacent first electrode lines.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein a sum of the first width of the first central portion of each of the first electrode pads and the fourth width of the adjacent second side portion is between 1 mm and 3 mm, and a length of the second electrode pad in the first axial direction is between 1 mm and 3 mm.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of first conductive lines, disposed on a first side of the substrate, wherein every adjacent two of the first electrode lines are connected with each other through the two first electrode pads close to the first side and the corresponding first conductive line.

5. The touch panel according to claim 4 further comprising:

a plurality of second conductive lines, disposed on a second side of the substrate that is opposite to the first side, wherein every adjacent two of the first electrode lines are connected with each other through the two first electrode pads close to the second side and the corresponding second conductive line.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of third conductive lines, disposed on a third side of the substrate, wherein every adjacent two of the second electrode lines are connected with each other through the two second electrode pads close to the third side and the corresponding third conductive line.

7. The touch panel according to claim 6 further comprising:

a plurality of fourth conductive lines, disposed on a fourth side of the substrate that is opposite to the third side, wherein every adjacent two of the second electrode lines are connected with each other through the two second electrode pads close to the fourth side and the corresponding fourth conductive line.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of gaps exists between the first electrode pads and the second electrode pads.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein a width of the gaps is between 10 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

10. The touch panel according to claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of dummy patterns, disposed in the gaps.

11. The touch panel according to claim 10, wherein each of the first electrode pads has at least one opening on the first central portion of the first electrode pad.

12. The touch panel according to claim 11, wherein the dummy patterns are disposed in the openings of the first electrode pads.

13. The touch panel according to claim 10, wherein spaces between the dummy patterns and the adjacent first electrode pads and spaces between the dummy patterns and the adjacent second electrode pads are between 10 μ

m and 40 μ

m.

14. The touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the dummy patterns are in a block shape or a strip shape.

15. The touch panel according to claim 10, wherein a length of the dummy patterns is between 25 μ

m and 450 μ

m.