Faceplate for a touch-sensitive video display unit

• US 5,556,694 A
• Filed: 12/07/1994
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Photran Corporation
• Original Assignee: Photran Corporation
• Inventors: Austin, R. Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAMNITZKY, MARIE ROSE
• Application Number:
  US08/350,968
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 428/212, 428/213, 428/201, 428/333, 428/334, 428/689, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/632, 428/209, 428/216, 359/580, 359/582, 359/585, 359/586
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/261 In terms of molecular thickness or light wave length

Abstract

A faceplate for a touch-sensitive display includes, on an outermost surface, a pattern of electrode-regions separated by spaces. A base-coating is deposited on the surface and extends continuously over the surface. The electrode-regions are formed from a layer of a conductive transparent metal-oxide deposited on the base-coating. The electrode-regions and spaces are overcoated by a protective-layer of an insulating material. For light incident on the faceplate at about normal incidence photopic reflectivity in the protective-layer-overcoated electrode-regions is within plus or minus ten percent of photopic reflectivity in the protective-layer-overcoated spaces.

Claims

1. A faceplate for a touch-sensitive video display comprising:

a transparent substrate having a refractive index;

a transparent dielectric base layer deposited on a selected surface of said transparent substrate, said base layer having a thickness between about 70 and 110 nanometers and extending continuously over said selected surface;

a pattern of co-planar, adjacent transparent electrode-regions formed on said dielectric base layer, said electrode-regions having spaces therebetween, and said electrode-regions formed from a transparent conductive layer having a thickness between about 8 and 25 nm;

a transparent dielectric protective-layer covering said electrode-regions and said spaces, said dielectric protective-layer having a thickness greater than about 250 nm; and

said transparent conductive layer having a refractive index between about 1.9 and 2.2 and an extinction coefficient less than 0.1, said dielectric base layer having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said substrate and less than the refractive index of said transparent conductive layer, and said dielectric-protective-layer having a refractive index less than the refractive index of said base layer.

2. The faceplate of claim 1, wherein said protective-layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of said substrate.

3. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said base layer includes aluminum oxide;

said transparent conductive layer includes a conductive metal-oxide selected from the group consisting of indium-tin oxide, cadmium-tin oxide, antimony-doped tin oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide; and

said protective-layer includes silicon dioxide.

4. The faceplate of claim 1, wherein, at about normal incidence said protective-layer-covered electrode-regions have a first photopic reflectivity and said protective-layer-covered spaces have a second photopic reflectivity, said first photopic reflectivity having a relative magnitude between about ten percent greater than and ten percent less than the magnitude of said second photopic reflectivity.

5. The faceplate of claim 4, wherein said first and second photopic reflectivities have a magnitude between about 2.5 and 3.0 percent.

6. The faceplate of claim 5 wherein, for CIE Illuminant "C" light at about normal incidence said protective-layer-covered electrode-regions have a first reflection color and said protective-layer-covered spaces have a second reflection color, said first and second reflection colors having CIE (1931) x and y coordinates in a range defined by 0.22<

x<

0.29 and 0.15<

y<

0.3.

7. A faceplate for a touch-sensitive video display comprising:

a transparent substrate having a refractive index;

a transparent base-coating deposited on a selected surface of said transparent substrate, said base-coating including three layers and having a thickness between about 100 and 160 nanometers and extending continuously over said selected surface;

a pattern of co-planar, adjacent electrode-regions formed on said base-coating, said electrode-regions having spaces therebetween, and said electrode-regions formed from a transparent conductive layer having a thickness between about 8 and 25 nm;

a transparent protective-layer covering said electrode-regions and said spaces and having a thickness greater than about 250 nm;

said transparent conductive layer having a refractive index between about 1.9 and 2.2 and an extinction coefficient less than 0.1, and said protective-layer having a refractive index between about 1.35 and 1.65;

said three layers of said base-coating designated the first second and third in consecutive numerical order beginning with the layer furthest from said selected surface, said first layer having a refractive index less than the refractive index of said transparent conductive layer, said second layer having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said first layer, and said third layer having a refractive index less than the refractive index of said transparent conductive layer and greater than the refractive index of said substrate; and

said three layers of said base-coating including at least one dielectric layer.

8. The faceplate of claim 7, wherein said first layer of said base-coating has a thickness between about 25 and 45 nanometers, said second layer of said base-coating has a thickness between about 8 and 25 nanometers, and said third layer has a thickness between about 75 and 100 nanometers.

9. The faceplate of claim 7 wherein said first layer of said base-coating includes aluminum oxide and said second layer includes a conductive metal-oxide selected from the group consisting of indium-tin oxide, cadmium-tin oxide, antimony-doped tin oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide.

10. The faceplate of claim 9 wherein said third layer of said base-coating includes aluminum oxide.

11. The faceplate of claim 7, wherein, at about normal incidence said protective-layer-covered electrode-regions have a first photopic reflectivity and said protective-layer-covered spaces have a second photopic reflectivity, said first photopic reflectivity having a relative magnitude between about ten percent greater than and ten percent less than the magnitude of said second photopic reflectivity.

12. The faceplate of claim 11, wherein said first and second photopic reflectivities have a magnitude between about 2.4 and 2.9 percent.

13. The faceplate of claim 12 wherein, for CIE Illuminant "C" light at about normal incidence said protective-layer-covered electrode-regions have a first reflection color and said protective-layer-covered spaces have a second reflection color, said first and second reflection colors having CIE (1931) x and y coordinates in a range defined by 0.22<

x<

0.29 and 0.15<

y<

0.3.

14. The faceplate of claim 7 wherein said protective layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of said substrate.