Touch screen assembly and display for an electronic device

• US 20050007349A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tracy, James L., Vakil, Bharat N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/018 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/028 Indium tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/002 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/038 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/06 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/082 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0222 Foldable in two directions, i.e. using a two degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A touch screen assembly includes a first outer layer (102) and a second outer layer (110) separated by a separator layer (118). The first and second outer layers are transparent, and the separator layer has openings (120) at button locations where buttons will be defined. On each of the outer layers is a layer of transparent conductor (104, 112). On the first outer layer the transparent conductor is in the form of a contiguous trace or path. The touch screen assembly is placed on a display element (203) and images displayed on the display element can be seen through the touch screen assembly. Images such as characters are displayed at button locations, and when a user presses on one of the images the conductive layers on the first and second outer layers of the touch screen assembly come into contact.

Claims

1. A touch screen for an electronic device, comprising:

a first outer layer of transparent insulator having a first trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface;

a second outer layer of transparent insulator having a second trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface; and

a separator layer formed of transparent insulator disposed between the first and second outer layers and having a plurality of openings formed therethrough, each of the openings corresponding to one of a plurality of button locations;

wherein the first and second transparent conductor traces intersect at the button locations.

2. A touch screen as defined in claim 1, wherein a voltage is applied to the first trace of transparent conductor thereby creating a voltage gradient across the first trace of transparent conductor, and wherein a voltage level at the button location may be read via the second trace of transparent conductor when the first and second traces of transparent conductor make contact upon being pressed together by a user of the touch screen display.

3. A touch screen as defined in claim 2, wherein the second trace of transparent conductor is electrically coupled to a detection circuit for detecting the voltage level at the button location.

4. A touch screen as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor are formed of indium tin oxide.

5. A touch screen as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor form pad segments corresponding to the button locations.

6. A transparent push button apparatus for an electronic device, comprising:

a first outer layer of transparent insulator having a first trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface;

a second outer layer of transparent insulator having a second trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface;

a separator layer formed of transparent insulator disposed between the first and second outer layers and having an opening formed therethrough, the opening corresponding to a button location;

a display means disposed in correspondence with the button location for displaying a first image when the electronic device is operated in a first configuration of operation, and for displaying a second image when the electronic device is operated in a second configuration of operation;

wherein the first and second transparent conductor traces intersect at the button location.

7. A transparent push button apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the separator layer comprises a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of opening corresponding to a different one of a plurality of button locations;

the display means displays a first image set having a plurality of images when the electronic device is operated in the first configuration of operation;

the display means displays a second image set having a plurality of images when the electronic device is operated in the second configuration of operation; and

wherein each of the plurality of images in the first and second image sets are displayed at a different one of the plurality of button locations so as to be visible to a user of the electronic device.

8. A transparent push button apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein a voltage is applied to the first trace of transparent conductor thereby creating a voltage gradient across the first trace of transparent conductor, and wherein a voltage level at the button location may be read via the second trace of transparent conductor when the first and second traces of transparent conductor make contact upon being pressed together by a user of the touch screen display.

9. A transparent push button apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the second trace of transparent conductor is electrically coupled to a detection circuit for detecting the voltage level at the button location.

10. A transparent push button apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor are formed of indium tin oxide.

11. A transparent push button apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor form pad segments corresponding to the button locations.

12. A multi-configuration portable electronic device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portion hingeably joined and moveable with respect to each other into at least a first configuration and a second configuration;

a touch screen display disposed on the first portion, the touch screen display including a display element and a touch screen assembly disposed on the display element, the touch screen assembly comprising;

a first outer layer of transparent insulator having a first trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface;

a second outer layer of transparent insulator having a second trace of transparent conductor disposed thereon on an inside surface; and

a separator layer formed of transparent insulator disposed between the first and second outer layers and having a plurality of openings formed therethrough, each of the openings corresponding to one of a plurality of button locations;

wherein the first and second transparent conductor traces intersect at the button locations.

13. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 12, wherein:

when the multi-configuration portable electronic device is operated in the first configuration, a first image set is displayed on the display element, the first image set comprising a plurality of images, each one of the images being displayed at a different one of the plurality of button locations; and

when the multi-configuration portable electronic device is operated in the second configuration, a second image set is displayed on the display element, the second image set comprising a plurality of images, each one of the images being displayed at a different one of the plurality of button locations.

14. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 13, where in the first and second image sets comprise characters, the characters having an orientation, the first and second image sets having different orientations.

15. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 12, wherein a voltage is applied to the first trace of transparent conductor thereby creating a voltage gradient across the first trace of transparent conductor, and wherein a voltage level at the button location may be read via the second trace of transparent conductor when the first and second traces of transparent conductor make contact upon being pressed together by a user of the touch screen display.

16. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 15, wherein the second trace of transparent conductor is electrically coupled to a detection circuit for detecting the voltage level at the button location.

17. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 12, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor are formed of indium tin oxide.

18. A multi-configuration portable electronic device as defined in claim 12, wherein the first and second traces of transparent conductor form pad segments corresponding to the button locations.