Capacitive touch panel

• US 9,569,039 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Ho, Kwan-Sin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Afroza
• Application Number:
  US13/663,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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

Abstract

An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is disclosed including: a singular lens substrate, a mask layer, and a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said singular lens substrate. Said singular lens substrate, said mask layer, and said sensing circuit are integrally formed.

Claims

1. An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular lens substrate having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input and a bottom surface;

a mask layer formed on a periphery of said singular lens substrate to define a sensing region;

a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, wherein said sensing circuit and said mask layer are integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, and wherein said sensing circuit is composed of a single layer circuit in said sensing region; and

a shielding layer formed on said periphery of said singular lens substrate without shielding said sensing region, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer, and wherein said mask layer is formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate through said shielding layer.

2. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said sensing circuit is coupled with said mask layer.

3. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said mask layer is made of black resist.

4. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein a width of said shielding layer is substantially equal to a width of said mask layer.

5. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode made of transparent material in said sensing region and a metal trace.

6. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 5, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

7. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 6, wherein said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer.

8. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 5, wherein said conductive electrode outputs a capacitive sensing signal corresponding to a touched position for a capacitive effect produced by said physical tactile input on said top surface of said singular lens substrate.

9. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 8, wherein said capacitive sensing signal is transmitted along said metal trace to a processor for at least one of detecting or calculating coordinates of said touched position.

10. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed on a surface of said sensing circuit.

11. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 1, wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

12. An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular lens substrate having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input and a bottom surface;

a mask layer formed on a periphery of said singular lens substrate to define a sensing region;

a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, wherein said sensing circuit is integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, and wherein said sensing circuit is composed of a single layer circuit in said sensing region; and

a shielding layer formed on said periphery of said singular lens substrate without shielding said sensing region, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer, and wherein said mask layer is formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate through said shielding layer.

13. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 12, wherein said shielding layer is in direct contact with said mask layer.

14. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 13, wherein said shielding layer is in direct contact with said singular lens substrate.

15. An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular lens substrate having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input and a bottom surface;

a mask layer formed on a periphery of said singular lens substrate to define a sensing region;

a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate;

a smooth layer disposed between said singular lens substrate and said sensing circuit, wherein said sensing circuit, said mask layer and said smooth layer are integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, and wherein said sensing circuit is composed of a single layer circuit in said sensing region; and

a shielding layer formed on said periphery of said singular lens substrate without shielding said sensing region, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer, and wherein said mask layer is formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate through said shielding layer.

16. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, wherein said sensing circuit is coupled with said mask layer.

17. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, wherein said smooth layer is made of transparent organic or inorganic material.

18. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, wherein a width of said shielding layer is substantially equal to a width of said mask layer.

19. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode made of transparent material in said sensing region and a metal trace.

20. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 19, wherein said mask layer covers areas covered by said metal trace.

21. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 20, wherein said metal trace is formed on a surface of said mask layer.

22. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 19, wherein said conductive electrode outputs a capacitive sensing signal corresponding to a touched position for a capacitive effect produced by said physical tactile input on said top surface of said singular lens substrate.

23. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 22, wherein said capacitive sensing signal is transmitted along said metal trace to a processor for at least one of detecting or calculating coordinates of said touched position.

24. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, further comprising:

an overcoat integrally formed on a surface of said sensing circuit.

25. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 15, wherein said integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is capable of being disposed on a display panel.

26. An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular lens substrate having a top surface for receiving physical tactile input and a bottom surface;

a mask layer formed on a periphery of said singular lens substrate to define a sensing region;

a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate;

a smooth layer disposed between said singular lens substrate and said sensing circuit, wherein said sensing circuit and said smooth layer are integrally formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate, and wherein said sensing circuit is composed of a single layer circuit in said sensing region; and

a shielding layer formed on said periphery of said singular lens substrate without shielding said sensing region, wherein said shielding layer is positioned between said singular lens substrate and said mask layer, and wherein said mask layer is formed on said bottom surface of said singular lens substrate through said shielding layer.

27. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 26, wherein a sidewall of said smooth layer is in direct contact with a sidewall of said shielding layer and a sidewall of said mask layer.

28. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 27, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and wherein a top surface of said conductive electrode is in direct contact with said mask layer and said smooth layer.

29. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 26, wherein said sensing circuit comprises a conductive electrode and wherein a top surface of said conductive electrode is in direct contact with said mask layer and said smooth layer.

30. The integrally-formed capacitive touch panel of claim 29, wherein said sensing circuit further comprises a metal trace positioned between said conductive electrode and said mask layer.