TOUCH SENSOR

• US 20100123675A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Optera, Inc. (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ippel, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

A touch sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a transparent conductive layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate. The transparent conductive layer is disposed in a pattern so that the transparent conductive layer includes a plurality of discrete conductive pads, with the pads being conductively connected to at least one connecting region of the substrate via respective conductive traces. The pads are associated with respective buttons of a display device disposed at the substrate, such that the user may touch or approach the substrate and pads at selected areas in response to the displayed buttons as viewed by the user through the pads and substrate.

Claims

1. A touch sensor comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface;

a transparent conductive layer disposed on said second surface of said substrate, wherein said transparent conductive layer is disposed in a pattern so that said transparent conductive layer comprises a plurality of discrete conductive pads, with said pads being conductively connected to at least one connecting region of said substrate via respective conductive traces; and

wherein said pads are associated with respective buttons of a display device disposed at said substrate, such that the user touches or approaches the substrate and pads at selected areas in response to the displayed buttons as viewed by the user through the pads and substrate.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein said first surface comprises a front surface of said substrate and said second surface comprises a rear surface of said substrate, the display device being disposed rearward of said rear surface of said substrate.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein said discrete pads provide a scrolling function.

4. The touch sensor of claim 3, wherein said scrolling function is provided by a control determining a direction of movement of the user'"'"'s touch across or along one or more of said pads to determine the direction in which to scroll.

5. The touch sensor of claim 4, wherein said control determines a direction of movement across a single discrete pad.

6. The touch sensor of claim 4, wherein said control determines a direction of movement along a series of adjacent pads.

7. The touch sensor of claim 6, wherein said series of adjacent pads comprises a series of M-shaped pads.

8. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein an electrical connector or lead is conductively connected to said at least one connecting region.

9. The touch sensor of claim 8, wherein said electrical connector or lead comprises a flexible printed circuit.

10. The touch sensor of claim 1 further comprising an opaque mask along a perimeter region of said substrate.

11. A method of manufacturing a touch sensor, said method comprising:

providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface;

disposing a transparent conductive layer on said second surface of said substrate, wherein said transparent conductive layer is disposed in a pattern so that said transparent conductive layer comprises a plurality of discrete conductive pads;

conductively connecting said conductive pads to respective connecting regions of said substrate via respective conductive traces; and

disposing a display device at said substrate, wherein said pads are associated with respective buttons of said display device, such that the user touches or approaches the substrate and pads at selected areas in response to the displayed buttons as viewed by the user through the pads and substrate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first surface comprises a front surface of said substrate and said second surface comprises a rear surface of said substrate, and wherein disposing a display device comprising disposing a display device rearward of said rear surface of said substrate.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said discrete pads provide a scrolling function.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said scrolling function is provided by a control determining a direction of movement of the user'"'"'s touch across or along one or more of said pads to determine the direction in which to scroll.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said control determines a direction of movement across a single discrete pad.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said control determines a direction of movement along a series of adjacent pads.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said series of adjacent pads comprises a series of M-shaped pads.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising electrically conductively connecting an electrical connector to said connecting region.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said electrical connector or lead comprises a flexible printed circuit.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising disposing an opaque mask along a perimeter region of said substrate.