Integrated touch screen

• US 10,756,146 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2019
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Inventors: Guard, David Brent, Yilmaz, Esat, Trend, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mercedes, Dismery
• Application Number:
  US16/440,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1343 Electrodes reflective electrodes G02F1/133553
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

In an embodiment, apparatus having a touch-sensitive screen, a touch-sensor controller and a flexible printed circuit. Conductive electrodes are substantially aligned with one or more gaps between pixels of the two-dimensional array. First conductive electrodes form vertices within the one or more gaps between pixels of the two-dimensional array such that the vertices do not obscure in plan view. The touch-sensor controller is configured to detect and process the change in capacitance at one or more touch-sensor nodes to determine the presence and location of a touch-sensor input. One or more tracks of conductive material is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising;

a light emissive layer,

a two-dimensional array of pixels configured to produce an image,

a cathode layer, the cathode layer being configured to energize the light emissive layer,

a substantially transparent cover layer,

a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first conductive electrodes and a second electrode layer comprising a plurality of second conductive electrodes, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the second conductive electrodes are formed on the same layer; and

a substrate;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are substantially aligned with one or more gaps between two or more pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels such that the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes do not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes form vertices within the one or more gaps between two or more pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels such that the vertices do not obscure in plan view substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are electrically connected to one or more tracks of conductive material;

a touch-sensor controller configured to detect and process the change in capacitance at one or more touch-sensor nodes to determine the presence and location of a touch-sensor input, and further configured to communicate information about the touch-sensor input to one or more components of the apparatus; and

a flexible printed circuit electrically connected to the touch-sensor controller;

wherein the one or more tracks of conductive material is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of layers further comprising an organic light emitting diode (OLED).

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the second conductive electrodes are configured to capacitively couple across a dielectric material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprising non-linear conductive lines configured to reduce the probability of causing interference or moiré

patterns.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprises an array of diamond-shaped cells.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising;

a light emissive layer,

a two-dimensional array of pixels configured to produce an image,

a cathode layer, the cathode layer being configured to energize the light emissive layer,

a substantially transparent cover layer,

a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first conductive electrodes forming a first mesh pattern and a second electrode layer comprising a plurality of second conductive electrodes forming a second mesh pattern, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the second conductive electrodes are formed on the same layer; and

a substrate;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes is substantially aligned with one or more gaps between two or more pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels such that the plurality of first conductive electrodes does not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes form vertices within the one or more gaps between two or more pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels such that the vertices do not obscure in plan view substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are electrically connected to one or more tracks of conductive material;

a touch-sensor controller configured to detect and process the change in capacitance at one or more touch-sensor nodes to determine the presence and location of a touch-sensor input, and further configured to communicate information about the touch-sensor input to one or more components of the apparatus; and

a flexible printed circuit electrically connected to the touch-sensor controller;

wherein the one or more tracks of conductive material is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the plurality of layers further comprising an organic light emitting diode (OLED).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the second conductive electrodes are configured to capacitively couple across a dielectric material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprising non-linear conductive lines configured to reduce the probability of causing interference or moiré

patterns.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprises an array of diamond-shaped cells.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display screen comprising;

a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) arranged as a two-dimensional array of pixels configured to produce an image,

a substantially transparent cover panel,

a plurality of first conductive electrodes forming a first mesh pattern,

a plurality of second conductive electrodes forming a second mesh pattern, wherein the plurality of second conductive electrodes are oriented perpendicularly from the plurality of first conductive electrodes, and

a substrate;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are substantially aligned with one or more gaps between two or more pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels such that the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes, in plan view, do not cross over at least one of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the second conductive electrodes are configured to capacitively couple to form one or more touch-sensor nodes;

wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are electrically connected to one or more tracks of conductive material;

a touch-sensor controller configured to detect and process the change in capacitance at the one or more touch-sensor nodes to determine the presence and location of a touch-sensor input, and further configured to communicate information about the touch-sensor input to one or more components of the apparatus;

a flexible printed circuit electrically connected to the touch-sensor controller;

wherein the one or more tracks of conductive material is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprises a plurality of first conductive elements, wherein:

the first conductive elements are connected to one another by conductive crossover bridges,

the conductive crossover bridges are separated from the plurality of second conductive electrodes by a dielectric material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a layer of optically clear adhesive (OCA) in contact with the cover panel, wherein:

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are on two separate layers; and

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes, in plan view, do not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a layer of optically clear adhesive (OCA) in contact with the cover panel, wherein:

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes are on a single layer; and

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes, in plan view, do not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a layer of optically clear adhesive (OCA) in contact with the cover panel, wherein:

the plurality of second conductive electrodes comprises a plurality of second conductive elements; and

the plurality of first conductive elements and the plurality of second conductive elements are on a single layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprises a first array of diamond-shaped mesh cells and the plurality of second conductive electrodes comprises a second array of diamond-shaped mesh cells.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the second conductive elements are connected to one another underneath the conductive crossover bridges; and

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes, in plan view, do not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a layer of optically clear adhesive (OCA) in contact with the cover panel, wherein:

the plurality of second conductive electrodes comprises a plurality of second conductive elements; and

the plurality of first conductive elements and the plurality of second conductive elements are coplanar.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of first conductive electrodes comprises a first array of diamond-shaped mesh cells and the plurality of second conductive electrodes comprises a second array of diamond-shaped mesh cells.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the second conductive elements are connected to one another underneath the conductive crossover bridges; and

the plurality of first conductive electrodes and the plurality of second conductive electrodes, in plan view, do not cross over substantially all of the pixels of the two-dimensional array of pixels.