Touch sensing apparatus

• US 9,030,289 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lai, Yu-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US13/330,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20130020186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.A, 200/600
• US Class Current: 338/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch sensing apparatus has a plurality of unit regions, and each of the unit regions includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a spacer structure. The first substrate has a first electrode layer thereon. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate and has a second electrode thereon. The spacer structure is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. In particular, there are plural of sensing units in each of the unit regions, and sensing trigger forces of the sensing units in the unit region are not completely the same.

Claims

1. A touch sensing apparatus, having a plurality of unit regions, and each of the unit regions of the touch sensing apparatus comprising:

a first substrate, having a first electrode layer thereon, wherein the first electrode layer completely covers the first substrate;

a second substrate, disposed opposite to the first substrate, and having a second electrode layer thereon, wherein the second electrode layer completely covers the second substrate; and

a spacer structure, disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the unit region has a plurality of sensing units, and sensing trigger forces of the sensing units are not completely the same.

2. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer structure defines the sensing units in the unit region.

3. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacer structure is disposed on the first electrode layer, and areas of the first electrode layer exposed by the spacer structure in the sensing units are different.

4. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacer structure in the unit region is a mesh spacer structure.

5. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacer structure in the unit region comprises a plurality of dot spacers.

6. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein shapes, sizes or spaces of the dot spacers are not completely the same.

7. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer structure in the unit region comprises a plurality of dot spacers, and heights of the dot spacers are not completely the same.

9. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer in the unit region has a coil pattern.

10. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein numbers of turns, line widths, densities or coil figures of the coil pattern in the sensing units are not completely the same.

11. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein thicknesses of at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the sensing units of the unit region are not completely the same.

12. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the spacer structure in the unit region comprises a plurality of dot spacers, and heights, shapes, sizes or spaces of the dot spacers are not completely the same.

13. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein materials of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are transparent conductive materials or non-transparent conductive materials.

14. The touch sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first substrate and the second substrate is a flexible substrate, and another one is a rigid substrate.

8. A touch sensing apparatus, having a plurality of unit regions, and each of the unit regions of the touch sensing apparatus comprising:

a first substrate, having a first electrode layer thereon, wherein the first electrode layer completely covers the first substrate;

a second substrate, disposed opposite to the first substrate, and having a second electrode layer thereon, wherein the second electrode layer completely covers the second substrate, and thicknesses of at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the unit region are not completely the same; and

a spacer structure, disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the unit region has a plurality of sensing units, and sensing trigger forces of the sensing units are not completely the same.