Flexible touch sensor

• US 9,256,311 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laub, Steven Alan, Yilmaz, Esat, SHAIKH, Jalil
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIOS RUSSO, RAUL J
• Application Number:
  US13/284,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 324/654, 324/658, 324/663, 345173-175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0735 arranged on a flexible frame or film
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 one embodiment, an apparatus include a substantially flexible substrate and a touch sensor disposed on the substantially flexible substrate. The touch sensor comprising drive or sense electrodes made of flexible conductive material configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substantially flexible substrate; and

a touch sensor disposed on the substantially flexible substrate, the touch sensor comprising drive or sense electrodes made of flexible conductive material configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate, wherein;

the flexible conductive material of the drive or sense electrodes comprises first and second conductive lines that electrically contact one another at an intersection to form a mesh grid; and

the substantially flexible substrate and the touch sensor are configured to wrap around one or more edges of a display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor further comprises tracking disposed on the substantially flexible substrate configured to provide drive or sense connections to or from the drive or sense electrodes and configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive lines are made from one of carbon nanotubes, copper, silver, a copper-based material, or a silver-based material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor comprises:

a single-layer configuration with drive and sense electrodes disposed only on a first surface of the substantially flexible substrate;

or

a two-layer configuration with drive electrodes disposed on the first surface of the substantially flexible substrate and sense electrodes disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is a mutual-capacitance touch sensor or a self-capacitance touch sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor further comprises electrically-isolated structures made of conductive material comprising a conductive mesh.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive lines are substantially orthogonal to one another.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive lines are non-linear.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive lines are made of fine lines of metal having a thickness of approximately 5 micrometers or less and a width of approximately 10 micrometers or less.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive lines of the flexible conductive material of the drive or sense electrodes is wider at the one or more edges of the display.

7. A device comprising:

a substantially flexible substrate;

a touch sensor disposed on the substantially flexible substrate, the touch sensor comprising a plurality of capacitive nodes formed from drive or sense electrodes made of flexible conductive material configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate, wherein;

the flexible conductive material of the drive or sense electrodes comprises first and second conductive lines that electrically contact one another at an intersection to form a mesh grid;

the substantially flexible substrate and the touch sensor are configured to wrap around one or more edges of a display; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is configured when executed to control the touch sensor.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the touch sensor further comprises tracking disposed on the substantially flexible substrate configured to provide drive or sense connections to or from the drive or sense electrodes and configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductive lines are made from one of carbon nanotubes, copper, silver, a copper-based material, or a silver-based material.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the touch sensor comprises:

a single-layer configuration with drive and sense electrodes disposed only on a first surface of the substantially flexible substrate;

or

a two-layer configuration with drive electrodes disposed on the first surface of the substantially flexible substrate and sense electrodes disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the touch sensor is a mutual-capacitance touch sensor or a self-capacitance touch sensor.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the touch sensor further comprises electrically-isolated structures made of conductive material comprising a conductive mesh.

16. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductive lines are substantially orthogonal to one another.

17. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductive lines are non-linear.

18. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductive lines are made of fine lines of metal having a thickness of approximately 5 micrometers or less and a width of approximately 10 micrometers or less.

20. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductive lines of the flexible conductive material of the drive or sense electrodes is wider at the one or more edges of the display.