Touch sensor panel design

• US 10,001,888 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung Jae, Grunthaner, Martin Paul, Hotelling, Steven Porter, Youngs, Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US14/645,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 3/041 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 3/0443 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel comprising:

a substantially transparent substrate;

a plurality of first touch sensor lines disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of first sections, each first section comprising;

a first sub-section oriented along a second dimension of the touch sensor panel, and

a plurality of second sub-sections extending from the first sub-section along a first dimension of the touch sensor panel; and

a plurality of second touch sensor lines disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of second sections, each second section comprising;

a third sub-section oriented along the second dimension, and

a plurality of fourth sub-sections extending from the third sub-section along the first dimension,

wherein the plurality of second sections is continuously connected on a same layer as the plurality of second sections is formed, wherein the continuous connection is along the first dimension;

wherein the plurality of first touch sensor lines and the plurality of second touch sensor lines are configured to form an array of capacitive sensing nodes.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of interconnect sections configured for enabling the plurality of first touch sensor lines and the plurality of second touch sensor lines to cross over each other to form the array of capacitive sensing nodes.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first dimension is oriented perpendicular to the second dimension.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sections is formed on the same layer, which is a single layer.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of dummy regions located on the same layer, wherein the same layer substantially occupies a full area of the substantially transparent substrate.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein each capacitive sensing node is associated with one pixel of a touch image.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising one or more dummy regions, each dummy region located at least partially between first and second touch sensor lines.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein each dummy region is interlocked with some of the plurality of first sections and some of the plurality of second sections.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent substrate is a cover material.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first sub-section includes truncated ends.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein one fourth sub-section includes truncated ends.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein each second section is interlocked with some of the plurality of first sections.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein a width of the first sub-section is greater than a width of each of the plurality of second sub-sections, and further wherein a width of one fourth sub-section is greater than a width of the other fourth sub-sections and the third sub-section.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second sub-sections includes three second sub-sections and the plurality of fourth sub-sections includes three fourth sub-sections.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first touch sensor lines are sense lines and the plurality of second touch sensor lines are drive lines.