Touch panel

• US 9,753,600 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Genichi, Sakurai, Satoshi, Shimizu, Nobuyoshi, Makiuchi, Yuji, Sekizawa, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES FERNANDE, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US15/182,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel including upper and lower electrode substrates including upper and lower conductive layers, respectively; first and second electrodes respectively provided at both ends of the upper conductive layer in a first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the first direction; third and fourth electrodes respectively provided at both ends of the lower conductive layer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the second direction; a flexible substrate provided to be connected to the lower electrode substrate or the upper electrode substrate; a first resistor portion electrically connected to either of the first or second electrode and formed at the upper electrode substrate or the flexible substrate; and a second resistor portion connected to either of the third or fourth electrode and formed at the lower electrode substrate or the flexible substrate.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

an upper electrode substrate including an upper conductive layer;

a lower electrode substrate including a lower conductive layer;

a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided at first and second ends of the upper conductive layer in a first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the first direction;

a third electrode and a fourth electrode respectively provided at third and fourth ends of the lower conductive layer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the second direction;

a fifth electrode provided at the first end of the upper conductive layer; and

a first resistor portion formed at the upper electrode substrate at the first end of the upper conductive layer,

wherein the first resistor portion is made of a material same as that of the upper conductive layer,

wherein the first resistor portion electrically connects the first electrode and the fifth electrode,

wherein the first resistor portion is formed to be separated into plural resistor blocks which are connected in series, and

wherein the plural resistor blocks of the first resistor portion are aligned along the first electrode in the second direction.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second resistor portion connected to either of the third electrode or the fourth electrode and formed at the lower electrode substrate,

wherein the second resistor portion is formed to be separated into plural resistor blocks which are electrically connected with each other.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first wirings provided at the first end of the upper conductive layer and aligned along the first electrode in the second direction between the first electrode and the plural resistor blocks; and

a plurality of second wirings provided at the first end of the upper conductive layer and aligned along the first electrode in the second direction such that the plural resistor blocks are disposed between the plurality of first wirings and the plurality of second wirings,

wherein each of the plurality of first wirings connects the resistor blocks adjacent to each other in the second direction, and each of the plurality of second wirings connects the resistor blocks adjacent to each other such that the plural resistor blocks are connected in series by the plurality of first wirings and the plurality of second wirings between the first electrode and the second electrode.

4. The touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of first wirings and the plurality of second wirings are provided to be shifted from each other in the second direction such that one of the first wirings faces two of the second wirings adjacent to each other while interposing two of the resistor blocks with the two of the second wirings, respectively, and one of the second wirings faces two of the first wirings adjacent to each other while interposing two of the resistor blocks with the two of the first wirings, respectively.

5. A touch panel comprising:

an upper electrode substrate including an upper conductive layer;

a lower electrode substrate including a lower conductive layer;

a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided at first and second ends of the upper conductive layer in a first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the first direction;

a third electrode and a fourth electrode respectively provided at third and fourth ends of the lower conductive layer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the second direction;

a fifth electrode provided at the first end of the upper conductive layer; and

a first resistor portion formed at the upper conductive layer at the first end of the upper conductive layer, made of a material same as that of the upper conductive layer, and that electrically connects the first electrode and the fifth electrode,

wherein the first resistor portion is formed to be separated into three or more plural resistor blocks which are connected in parallel, and

wherein the plural resistor blocks of the first resistor portion are aligned along the first electrode in the second direction.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the fifth electrode is aligned along the first electrode in the second direction so that the plural resistor blocks are interposed between the first electrode and the fifth electrode and are connected in parallel by the first electrode and the fifth electrode.