Touch sensor panel design

• US 8,982,096 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung Jae, Grunthaner, Martin Paul, Hotelling, Steven Porter, Youngs, Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US14/055,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first lines of a first conductive material formed on a first side of the substrate;

a plurality of second line sections of the first conductive material formed on a same layer as the plurality of first lines;

a plurality of interconnect sections of a second conductive material configured for connecting second line sections together to form a plurality of second lines, and enabling the plurality of first and second lines to cross over each other to form an array of touch sensors; and

a conductive layer formed on a second side of the substrate.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more dummy regions disposed in an area around at least one of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines, wherein the one or more dummy regions are formed on the same layer as the plurality of first line and the plurality of second line sections.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 2, wherein the one or more dummy regions comprise at least one of rectangular sections or arrow-shaped diagonal sections.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 2, wherein the one or more dummy regions are configured such that the dummy areas and the plurality of first and second lines are electrically isolated from one another and occupy substantially a full area of the first side of the substrate.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

an opaque mask formed over the interconnect sections.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer is configured to act as a shield.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first lines are formed from a plurality of first line sections of the first conductive material and the plurality of second lines are formed from the plurality of second line sections of the first conductive material.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second line sections have a truncated diamond shape.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, further comprising:

one or more traces overlapping and in electrical contact with at least one of the plurality of first sections and the plurality of second sections.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 9, wherein the one or more traces are formed of a conductive material with a lower resistance than the first conductive material.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein a plurality of drive lines are formed by the first line sections and a plurality of sense lines are formed by the second line sections, the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines configured to form one or more conductive patterns.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a display device at least partially overlaying the touch sensor panel to form a touch screen.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first side of the substrate is bonded to a cover layer with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first conductive material is indium tin oxide (ITO).

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated within a computing system.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 15, wherein the computing system is incorporated into a mobile telephone.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 15, wherein the computing system is incorporated into a media player.