Touch screen display with transparent electrical shielding layer

• US 9,612,377 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng, Dorjgotov, Enkhamgalan, Kuwabara, Masato, Choi, Wonjae, Grunthaner, Martin P., Lin, Albert, Zhong, John Z., Chen, Wei, Hotelling, Steven P., Youngs, Lynn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Phu
• Application Number:
  US14/965,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/16 having an anti-static effect, e.g. electrically conducting coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133334 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136218 Shield electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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 3/0445 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: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3197 using light modulating optical valves

Abstract

A polarizer includes a polarizer component having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface. The bottom surface is configured to couple to a color filter layer for a liquid crystal display. The polarizer also includes a transparent conducting layer disposed over the top surface. The transparent conducting layer being configured to electrically shield the LCD from a touch panel. The polarizer further includes a coating layer disposed over the transparent conducting layer.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a color filter layer;

a polarizer having opposing first and second surfaces;

a transparent conductive layer on the first surface of the polarizer;

an indium-tin oxide layer between the color filter layer and the second surface of the polarizer;

a first conductive tape at a first corner of the transparent conductive layer;

a second conductive tape at a second corner of the transparent conductive layer; and

a conductive bar configured to connect the first and second conductive tapes.

2. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises silver nano wire mesh.

3. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer has a transmittance of at least 97%.

4. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the display further comprises an anti-reflection coating on the transparent conductive layer.

5. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the indium tin oxide layer is a coating on the color filter layer, wherein the polarizer has a layer of adhesive that attaches the polarizer to the indium tin oxide layer, and wherein the display further comprises a cover glass that covers the polarizer.

6. A portable electronic device comprising:

a polarizer with first and second opposing surfaces;

a rectangular transparent conductive layer on the first surface of the polarizer having first and second adjoining edges that form a corner of the rectangular transparent conductive layer;

an indium-tin oxide layer coupled to the second surface of the polarizer; and

conductive tape that overlaps the corner and extends along the first and second adjoining edges, wherein the conductive tape contacts the transparent conductive layer.

7. The portable electronic device defined in claim 6, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises silver nano wire mesh.

8. The portable electronic device defined in claim 6, further comprising:

a glass layer, wherein the indium-tin oxide layer is interposed between the glass layer and the polarizer.

9. The portable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the indium-tin oxide layer is in direct contact with the glass layer.

10. The portable electronic device define din claim 8, wherein the glass layer comprises a color filter glass layer.

11. The portable electronic device defined in claim 6, further comprising:

a touch panel, wherein the transparent conductive layer is interposed between the touch panel and the polarizer.

12. The portable electronic device defined in claim 11, further comprising:

an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer attaches the touch panel directly to the transparent conductive layer.

13. A polarizer comprising:

a polarizer component;

a transparent conductive layer disposed over the polarizer component;

a first conductive tape contacting the transparent conductive layer at a first position;

a second conductive tape contacting the transparent conductive layer at a second position; and

a conductive bar configured to connect the first and second conductive tapes.

14. The polarizer defined in claim 13, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises silver nano wire mesh.

15. The polarizer defined in claim 14, wherein the first conductive tape and the second conductive tape each comprise copper.

16. The polarizer defined in claim 15, wherein the conductive bar comprises silver.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a polarizer having opposing first and second surfaces;

a first transparent conductive coating on the display and adjacent to the second surface of the polarizer;

a second transparent conductive coating on the first surface of the polarizer; and

a conductive bar that contacts a portion of the second transparent conductive coating along an edge of the second transparent conductive coating.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the conductive bar comprises silver.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the second transparent conductive coating comprises silver nano wire mesh.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19, wherein the first transparent conductive coating comprises a layer of indium tin oxide.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 20, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.