Pressure sensing pattern layer comprising plurality of protruding portions and pressure sensing input device including the same

• US 10,732,740 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2016
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• 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: Chen, Feng, Ye, Kunxiong, Qiu, Xiaoli
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Yuzhen
• Application Number:
  US15/206,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20170010704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,486 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133357 Planarisation layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/041 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: H05K 1/0296 Conductive pattern lay-out details not covered by sub groups H05K1/02 - H05K1/0295 H05K1/11 takes precedence; lay-out adapted to mounted component configuration H05K1/18

Abstract

A pressure sensing pattern layer is formed on a substrate and comprises a plurality of pressure sensing electrodes. Each of the pressure sensing electrodes comprises a plurality of protruding portions. The protruding portions are formed from a transparent conductive line which is bent zigzag. Each of the pressure sensing electrodes is electrically connected to a Wheatstone bridge circuit through a first conductive line and a second conductive line. A resistance of each of the pressure sensing electrodes is an element of the Wheatstone bridge circuit. When any of the pressure sensing electrodes is touched, a variation of the resistance of the touched pressure sensing electrode is detected by the Wheatstone bridge circuit.

Claims

1. A pressure sensing input device, comprising:

a cover plate having a first surface and a second surface respectively located at opposite sides of the cover plate, the first surface being configured to receive a touch operation of a user;

a substrate;

a pressure sensing pattern layer formed on the substrate and disposed between the cover plate and the substrate; and

a first touch sensing electrode formed on the substrate, wherein;

the pressure sensing pattern layer comprises a plurality of pressure sensing electrodes,

the pressure sensing electrodes of the pressure sensing pattern layer are configured to detect a strength of the touch operation on the cover plate,

each of the pressure sensing electrodes comprises a plurality of protruding portions,

the protruding portions are formed from a transparent conductive line which is bent zigzag,

each of the pressure sensing electrodes is electrically connected to a Wheatstone bridge circuit through a first conductive line and a second conductive line,

a resistance of each of the pressure sensing electrodes is an element of the Wheatstone bridge circuit,

when any of the pressure sensing electrodes is touched, a variation of the resistance of the touched pressure sensing electrode is detected by the Wheatstone bridge circuit,

a first surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces a first pressure sensing electrode of the pressure sensing electrodes and a second surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces away from the first pressure sensing electrode,

the first touch sensing electrode has a first width measured from the first surface to the second surface at a first location adjacent to a first protruding portion of the protruding portions,

the first touch sensing electrode has a second width, different than the first width, measured from the first surface to the second surface at a second location adjacent to a second protruding portion of the protruding portions, and

a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and the first protruding portion is different than a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and the second protruding portion.

2. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the protruding portions are protruded along at least two directions.

3. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the protruding portions is distributed in an axially symmetric manner.

4. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the protruding portions of each of the pressure sensing electrodes are comb shaped, saw-tooth shaped, radial shaped, or combinations thereof.

5. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing electrodes are uniformly and symmetrically arranged in:

an array,

a cruciform manner, or

an asterisk shaped manner.

6. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein each of the pressure sensing electrodes has a line width in a range from 10 μ

m to 400 μ

m.

7. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing electrodes are made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium tin oxide doped Ag, silver nanowires, graphene, nano metal meshes, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

8. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive line and the second conductive line are made of transparent indium tin oxide (ITO), silver nanowires, copper nanowires, nano metal meshes, graphene, polyaniline, 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT), carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

9. The pressure sensing input device of claim 1, comprising:

a second touch sensing electrode, wherein;

the second touch sensing electrode and the first touch sensing electrode are disposed in a complementary pattern, and

the second touch sensing electrode and the first pressure sensing electrode are interleaved with the first touch sensing electrode such that a third surface of the first touch sensing electrode, extending in a different direction than the first surface and the second surface, faces both the first pressure sensing electrode and the second touch sensing electrode.

10. A pressure sensing input device, comprising:

a first pressure sensing electrode;

a first touch sensing electrode, wherein;

the first pressure sensing electrode comprises a plurality of protruding portions,

a first surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces the first pressure sensing electrode and a second surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces away from the first pressure sensing electrode,

the first touch sensing electrode has a first width measured from the first surface to the second surface at a first location adjacent to a first protruding portion of the protruding portions, and

the first touch sensing electrode has a second width, different than the first width, measured from the first surface to the second surface at a second location adjacent to a second protruding portion of the protruding portions; and

a second touch sensing electrode, wherein;

the second touch sensing electrode and the first touch sensing electrode are disposed in a complementary pattern,

the second touch sensing electrode and the first pressure sensing electrode are interleaved with the first touch sensing electrode such that a third surface of the first touch sensing electrode, extending in a different direction than the first surface and the second surface, faces both the first pressure sensing electrode and the second touch sensing electrode, and

the first touch sensing electrode, the second touch sensing electrode, and the first pressure sensing electrode do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of a substrate upon which the first touch sensing electrode, the second touch sensing electrode, and the first pressure sensing electrode are formed.

11. The pressure sensing input device of claim 10, wherein a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and the first protruding portion is different than a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and the second protruding portion.

12. A pressure sensing input device, comprising:

a pressure sensing pattern layer formed on a substrate;

a first touch sensing electrode formed on the substrate; and

a second touch sensing electrode formed on the substrate, wherein;

the pressure sensing pattern layer comprises a plurality of pressure sensing electrodes,

each of the pressure sensing electrodes comprises a plurality of protruding portions,

a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and a first protruding portion of the protruding portions that are part of a first pressure sensing electrode of the pressure sensing electrodes is different than a width of a space between the first touch sensing electrode and a second protruding portion of the protruding portions that are part of the first pressure sensing electrode,

the first protruding portion is disposed between the first touch sensing electrode and the second touch sensing electrode,

a first surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces the first pressure sensing electrode and a second surface of the first touch sensing electrode faces away from the first pressure sensing electrode,

the first touch sensing electrode has a first width measured from the first surface of the first touch sensing electrode to the second surface of the first touch sensing electrode at a first location adjacent to the first protruding portion,

the first touch sensing electrode has a second width, different than the first width, measured from the first surface of the first touch sensing electrode to the second surface of the first touch sensing electrode at a second location adjacent to the second protruding portion, and

the first touch sensing electrode, the second touch sensing electrode, and the pressure sensing pattern layer do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate facing the first touch sensing electrode, the second touch sensing electrode, and the pressure sensing pattern layer.

13. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein each of the pressure sensing electrodes has a line width in a range from 10 μ

m to 400 μ

m.

14. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein the pressure sensing electrodes are made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium tin oxide doped Ag, silver nanowires, graphene, nano metal meshes carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

15. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein:

each of the pressure sensing electrodes is electrically connected to a Wheatstone bridge circuit,

a resistance of each of the pressure sensing electrodes is an element of the Wheatstone bridge circuit, and

when any of the pressure sensing electrodes is touched, a variation of the resistance of the touched pressure sensing electrode is detected by the Wheatstone bridge circuit.

16. The pressure sensing input device of claim 15, wherein:

each of the pressure sensing electrodes is electrically connected to the Wheatstone bridge circuit through a first conductive line and a second conductive line.

17. The pressure sensing input device of claim 16, wherein the first conductive line and the second conductive line are made of transparent indium tin oxide (ITO), silver nanowires, copper nanowires nano metal meshes, graphene, polyaniline, 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT), carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

18. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein the pressure sensing electrodes are made of indium tin oxide doped Ag.

19. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein:

the second touch sensing electrode and the first touch sensing electrode are disposed in a complementary pattern, and

the second touch sensing electrode and the first pressure sensing electrode are interleaved with the first touch sensing electrode.

20. The pressure sensing input device of claim 12, wherein:

the width of the space between the first touch sensing electrode and the first protruding portion is measured from the first surface of the first touch sensing electrode to a first surface of the first protruding portion facing the first touch sensing electrode, and

the width of the space between the first touch sensing electrode and the second protruding portion is measured from the first surface of the first touch sensing electrode to a first surface of the second protruding portion facing the first touch sensing electrode.