Projected capacitive touch sensor with asymmetric bridge pattern field

• US 9,582,125 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Son, Kyu-Tak, Kent, Joel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US14/395,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A capacitive touch sensitive device includes a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate. Horizontally adjacent pads within each even row of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes. Insulators are positioned over respective channels. Conductive links are formed over respective insulators and are configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes. The dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are configured such that an RC time-constant (RCtc) of each of the vertically arranged electrodes substantially matches an RCtc of each of the horizontally arranged electrodes.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensitive device, comprising:

a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate or multiple substrates, wherein horizontally adjacent pads in even rows of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes; and

conductive links formed over respective channels configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes,

wherein dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are optimized locally by varying width ratios between widths of the channels and widths of their respective conductive links or overlap areas between the channels and their respective conductive links.

2. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the overlap areas between the channels and their respective conductive links are constant when the width ratios vary.

3. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the width ratios between widths of the channels and the widths of their respective conductive links are constant when the overlap areas vary.

4. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes are disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and

wherein the plurality of vertically arranged electrodes are disposed on an opposing second surface of a second substrate.

5. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more insulators positioned between the respective channels and their respective conductive links.

6. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the channels and of the conductive links are configured to minimize time needed to sense a capacitance value associated with a first electrode of the plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes having a channel from among the channels and a second electrode of the plurality of vertically arranged electrodes having a conductive link from among the conductive links.

7. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein a resistor-capacitor time constant of each of the vertically arranged electrodes and the horizontally arranged electrodes is less than 6.5 μ

s.

8. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein a resistor-capacitor time constant (RCtc) of each of the vertically arranged electrodes is within ±

50% of the RCtc of each of the horizontally arranged electrodes.

9. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a total number of vertically arranged electrodes to a total number of horizontally arranged electrodes is approximately 16:

9.

10. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 9, wherein each pad of the matrix is a diamond-shape pad and has an area of approximately 18 mm².

11. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the channels are patterned in a transparent conductive material with a sheet resistance of approximately 150 Ω

/sq.

12. The capacitive touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the conductive links are formed from a transparent conductive material that has a sheet resistance of approximately 200 Ω

/sq.

13. A method of manufacturing a capacitive touch sensitive device, comprising:

patterning a matrix of pads in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate or multiple substrates, wherein horizontally adjacent pads in even rows of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes; and

forming conductive links over respective channels configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes,

wherein dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are optimized locally by varying width ratios between widths of the channels and widths of their respective conductive links or overlap areas between the channels and their respective conductive links.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

disposing the plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes on a first surface of the substrate; and

disposing the plurality of vertically arranged electrodes on an opposing second surface of a second substrate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are configured to minimize time needed to sense a capacitance value associated with a first electrode of the plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes having a channel from among the channels and a second electrode of the plurality of vertically arranged electrodes having a conductive link from among the conductive links.

16. A capacitive touch sensitive device, comprising:

a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate or multiple substrates, wherein horizontally adjacent pads in even rows of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes; and

conductive links formed over respective channels configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes,

wherein at least one resistor-capacitor time constant (RCtc) of the matrix is different from at least one other RCtc of the matrix, and

wherein dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are optimized locally by varying width ratios between widths of the channels and widths of their respective conductive links or overlap areas between the channels and their respective conductive links.