Capacitive touch panel with multiple zones

• US 20110192657A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Wei-Ming, Chen, Cheng-An, Yang, Tun-Chun, Lee, Seok-Lyul
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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

Abstract

In a capacitive touch panel having touch cells arranged in a two-dimensional array and defined by two coordinates, the present invention provides a third coordinate. In particular, the touch cells in a row are electrically connected a first sensing element and the touch cells in a column are electrically connected in a second sensing element. The first sensing elements can be arranged into two or more touch zones. Each of the touch zones has a zone sensing element for defining the zone coordinate. Some of the first sensing elements in one touch zone are electrically connected to the corresponding first sensing elements in the other touch zones in series. As such, the number of terminals connected to the first sensing elements can be reduced.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a substrate comprising a plurality of touch zones; and

a touch sensing unit disposed on the substrate, the touch sensing unit comprising;

a plurality of first sensing elements disposed in the touch zones, each first sensing element arranged in a first direction for defining a first coordinate;

a plurality of second sensing elements disposed in the touch zones, each second sensing element arranged in a second direction for defining a second coordinate; and

a plurality of zone sensing elements, each zone sensing element disposed in a corresponding one of touch zones for defining a zone coordinate.

2. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first edge-bridge lines, wherein at least some of the first sensing elements in one of the touch zones are separately connected to corresponding ones of the first sensing elements in at least another of the touch zones in series via the first edge-bridge lines.

3. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the first edge-bridge lines are arranged in parallel.

4. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 2, wherein some of the first edge-bridge lines are arranged in a crossed manner.

5. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch zones comprise a first touch zone and a second touch zone, and the plurality of first sensing elements comprise a first group of first sensing elements located in the first touch zone and a second group of first sensing elements located in the second touch zone, said touch panel further comprising:

a plurality of first edge-bridge lines for separately connecting at least some of the first sensing elements in the first group to the corresponding first sensing elements in the second group in series.

6. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch zones comprise a first touch zone, a second touch zone, a third touch zone and a fourth touch zone arranged in a two dimensional array, and wherein

the plurality of first sensing elements comprise a first group of first sensing elements and a second group of first sensing elements, the first group of first sensing elements located in the first touch zone and the third touch zone, the second group of first sensing elements located in the second touch zone and the fourth touch zone, and

the plurality of second sensing elements comprise a first group of second sensing elements and a second group of second elements, the first group of second sensing elements located in the first touch zone and the second touch zone, the second group of second sensing elements located in the third touch zone and the fourth touch zone, said touch panel further comprising:

a plurality of first edge-bridge lines for separately connecting at least some of first sensing elements in the first group of the first sensing elements to the corresponding first sensing elements in the second group of the first sensing elements in series; and

a plurality of second edge-bridge lines for separately connecting at least some of second sensing elements in the first group of the second sensing elements to the corresponding second sensing elements in the second group of the second sensing elements in series.

7. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first terminals electrically connected to at least some of the first sensing elements;

a plurality of second terminals electrically connected to at least some of the second sensing elements; and

a plurality of third terminals electrically connected to the zone sensing elements.

8. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 7, further comprising a driving integrated circuit electrically connected to the first terminals, the second terminals and the third terminals for driving the first sensing elements, the second sensing elements and the third sensing elements.

9. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has a first side and an opposing second side, and wherein the first sensing elements and the second sensing elements are disposed on the first side, and the zone sensing elements are disposed on one of the first side and the second side.

10. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprising a display panel.

11. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary substrate disposed between the touch sensing device and the display panel.

12. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprising a transparent substrate.

13. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprising a printed circuit board.

14. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the first sensing elements comprises a plurality of first sensing pads connected in series and each of the second sensing elements comprises a plurality of second sensing pads connected in series.

15. A capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the first sensing elements crosses one of the second sensing elements at a crossing point, forming a touch cell.

16. A method for use in a capacitive touch panel, the touch panel comprising:

a substrate;

a touch sensing unit disposed on the substrate, the touch sensing unit comprising;

a plurality of first sensing elements, each first sensing element arranged in a first direction for defining a first coordinate;

a plurality of second sensing elements, each second sensing element arranged in a second direction for defining a second coordinate, said method comprising;

arranging the substrate into a first touch zone and a second touch zone;

arranging the plurality of first sensing elements into a first group of first sensing elements and a second group of first sensing elements, the first group located in the first touch zone and the second ground located in the second touch zone;

electrically connecting at least some of the first sensing elements in the first group to corresponding ones of the first sensing elements in the second group in series; and

providing a first zone sensing element in the first touch zone for defining a first zone coordinate and a second zone sensing element in the second touch zone for defining a second zone coordinate.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

electrically connecting said some of the first sensing elements to a plurality of first sensing terminals;

electrically connecting at least some of the second sensing elements to a plurality of second sensing terminals; and

electrically connecting the first zone sensing element and the second zone sensing element to a first zone terminal and the second zone terminal.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

providing a driving circuit for driving the first sensing terminals, the second sensing terminals, the first zone terminal and the second zone terminal.

19. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

arranging the plurality of the second sensing elements into a first group of second sensing element and a second group of sensing elements;

arranging the first touch zone into a third zone and a fourth zone, and arranging the second touch zone into a fifth zone and a sixth zone, such that

the first group of the first sensing elements are located in the third and fourth zones,

the second group of the first sensing elements are located in the fifth and sixth zones,

the first group of the second sensing elements are located in the third and fifth zones, and

the second group of the second sensing elements are located in the fourth and sixth zones;

electrically connecting at least some of the second sensing elements in the first group of the second sensing elements to corresponding ones of the second sensing elements in the second group of the second sensing elements in series, wherein

the first zone element comprises a third zone element and a fourth zone element, the third zone element locate in the third zone for defining a third zone coordinate and the fourth zone element located in the fourth zone for defining a fourth zone coordinate; and

the second zone element comprises a fifth zone element and a sixth zone element, the fifth zone element locate in the fifth zone for defining a fifth zone coordinate and the sixth zone element located in the sixth zone for defining a sixth zone coordinate.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

electrically connecting said some of the first sensing elements to a plurality of first sensing terminals;

electrically connecting at least some of the second sensing elements to a plurality of second sensing terminals;

electrically connecting the first zone sensing element to a first zone terminal, the second zone sensing element to a second zone terminal, the third zone sensing element to a third zone terminal, and the fourth zone sensing element to a fourth zone terminal; and

providing a driving circuit for driving the first sensing terminals, the second sensing terminals, the first zone terminal, the second zone terminal, the third zone terminal and the fourth zone terminals.