TOUCH LOCATION DETECTING PANEL HAVING A SIMPLE LAYER STRUCTURE

• US 20100090979A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Melfas Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Melfas Incorporated
• Inventors: Bae, Sang-ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch location detecting panel and, more particularly, to a touch location detecting panel having a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. The touch location detecting panel of the invention has on a surface at one side of a single film a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. Each of the sensing areas includes a plurality of partitioned areas electrically isolated from each other, and the partitioned areas are respectively connected to separate channels of a circuit for detecting a user'"'"'s touch on each of the partitioned areas. Accordingly, durability and productivity of the touch location detecting panel can be improved by simplifying the panel structure.

Claims

1. A touch location detecting panel comprising:

a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally on one side surface of a single film,

wherein each of the sensing areas includes a plurality of partitioned areas electrically separated from one another, and the partitioned areas are respectively connected to separate channels of a touch detecting circuit for detecting a user'"'"'s touch on each of the partitioned areas.

2. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the panel includes a touchscreen panel.

3. The touch location detecting panel of claim 2, wherein the panel is attached to a front or a rear surface of a transparent window of a display device.

4. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the single film includes a transparent film.

5. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the touch detecting circuit detects a touch on each of the partitioned areas included in each sensing area independently of another partitioned area in that sensing area.

6. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partitioned areas have substantially the same area.

7. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the number of partitioned areas included in each of the sensing areas is two.

8. The touch location detecting panel of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sensing areas are arranged alongside two coordinate axes intersecting each other, and first partitioned areas respectively included in sensing areas arrayed at the same location on a first coordinate axis among the two coordinate axes are electrically connected to one another, and second partitioned areas respectively included in sensing areas arrayed at the same location on a second coordinate axis among the two coordinate axes are electrically connected to one another.

9. The touch location detecting panel of claim 8, wherein the two coordinate axes intersect perpendicularly to each other.

10. The touch location detecting panel of claim 8, wherein either the first or the second partitioned areas are formed into a shape of an extended pattern in the direction of a corresponding coordinate axis among the two coordinate axes.

11. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein an area of each of the partitioned areas is smaller than a minimum touch area of a touching object.

12. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein the touch detecting circuit detects a user'"'"'s touch based on a change in electric capacitance caused by the user'"'"'s touch on each of the sensing areas.

13. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein a transparent protective layer with a uniform thickness is formed on or over one side surface of the single film.

14. The touch location detecting panel of claim 1, wherein a shielding layer for electrical shielding is formed on or over other side surface of the single film.

15. The touch location detecting panel of claim 14, wherein the shielding layer has a conductive pattern formed of a transparent conductive material.

16. A touchscreen panel for detecting a location of a user'"'"'s touch on a display screen, comprising:

a transparent film; and

a sensing pattern having a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally on one side surface of the transparent film,

wherein each of the sensing areas includes a plurality of partitioned areas electrically separated from one another, and

among the plurality of partitioned areas, a first partitioned area is connected to a circuit for detecting a horizontal location of the user'"'"'s touch, and a second partitioned area is connected to a circuit for detecting a vertical location of the user'"'"'s touch.

17. The touchscreen panel of claim 16, wherein the sensing pattern is formed of a transparent conductive material.

18. The touchscreen panel of claim 16, further comprising a transparent protective layer with a uniform thickness formed on or over one side surface of the transparent film.

19. The touchscreen panel of claim 16, further comprising a shielding layer having a transparent conductive pattern formed on or over other side surface of the transparent film for electrical shielding.

20. The touchscreen panel of claim 16, wherein the plurality of partitioned areas are connected to separate channels of a touch detecting circuit, respectively.