Touch sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444900-B2
Application number	US-201715603395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A touch sensor includes: a plurality of first sensor electrode columns disposed in a sensing area, the plurality of first sensor electrode columns each including one or more first sensor electrodes; a plurality of second sensor electrode columns alternately disposed with the first sensor electrode columns in the sensing area, the plurality of second sensor electrode columns each including a plurality of second sensor electrodes having a length defined by a longitudinal axis and a width extending in a direction across the length; a plurality of lines connected to the first sensor electrode columns and the second sensor electrode columns; and a pad unit including a plurality of pads connected to the lines, wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes have a width that varies along the longitudinal axis of its respective second electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor comprising:
a plurality of first sensor electrode columns disposed in a sensing area, the plurality of first sensor electrode columns each including one or more first sensor electrodes;
a plurality of second sensor electrode columns alternately disposed with the first sensor electrode columns in the sensing area, the plurality of second sensor electrode columns each including a plurality of second sensor electrodes having a length defined by a longitudinal axis and a width extending in a direction across the length;
a plurality of lines connected to the first sensor electrode columns and the second sensor electrode columns; and
a pad unit including a plurality of pads connected to the lines,
wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes have a width that varies along the longitudinal axis of its respective second sensor electrodes, and that is greater at the end areas than at the area therebetween.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes have at least two discrete widths.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes have at least three parts, with a width of a first part and/or a width of a second part opposite to the first part being greater than a width of a third part between the first part and the second part.

4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sensing area is divided into a plurality of areas according to distance from the pad unit, and at least one of shape and width of some of the second sensor electrodes varies according to the respective divided areas.

5. The touch sensor of claim 4 , wherein the sensing area includes a first area spaced from the pad unit by a first distance and a second area spaced from the pad unit by a second distance less than the first distance,
wherein at least some of second sensor electrodes disposed in the first area have a first width, and at least some of second sensor electrodes disposed in the second area have a second width greater than the first width.

6. The touch sensor of claim 5 , wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes disposed in the second area have a third width.

7. The touch sensor of claim 6 , wherein the third width is substantially the same as the second width and the first width is disposed in a region between the second and third widths and is smaller than the second and third widths.

8. The touch sensor of claim 5 , wherein the sensing area further includes a third area spaced from the pad unit by a third distance less than the second distance,
wherein at least some of second sensor electrodes disposed in the third area have a fourth width greater than the second width, and a fifth width smaller than the first width.

9. The touch sensor of claim 8 , wherein, of the second sensor electrodes disposed in the first, second, and third areas, the difference between maximum and minimum widths of the second sensor electrodes disposed in the third area is largest.

10. The touch sensor of claim 5 , wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes disposed in the second area have a minimum width smaller than the first width, and the width of at least some of the second sensor electrodes disposed in the second area gradually increases progressing from the middle toward the ends of the second sensor electrodes.

11. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor electrode is spaced from adjacent second sensor electrodes at a predetermined distance along boundary surfaces of the adjacent second sensor electrodes.

12. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the first sensor electrode columns includes N (where N is a natural number of 2 or more) first sensor electrodes arranged in a first direction,
wherein each of the second sensor electrode columns includes N second sensor electrode groups arranged in the first direction adjacent the respective N first sensor electrodes, and each of the N second sensor electrode groups includes K (where K is a natural number of 2 or more) second sensor electrodes having a smaller area than each of the first sensor electrodes.

13. The touch sensor of claim 12 , wherein, of the N first sensor electrodes, at least a first sensor electrode closest to the pad unit comprises at least two sub-electrodes.

14. The touch sensor of claim 13 , wherein at least some of the lines are connected to the pad unit to pass through an area between the at least two sub-electrodes.

15. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein sub-electrodes included in the same first sensor electrode column of the first sensor electrode columns are connected to the same pad provided in the pad unit.

16. The touch sensor of claim 15 , wherein a width between the first sensor electrode columns and the second sensor electrode columns is narrowed in an area in which at least the sub-electrodes are disposed.

17. A touch sensor comprising:
a plurality of first sensor electrode columns disposed in a sensing area, the plurality of first sensor electrode columns each including one or more first sensor electrodes;
a plurality of second sensor electrode columns alternately disposed with the first sensor electrode columns in the sensing area, the plurality of second sensor electrode columns each including a plurality of second sensor electrodes;
a plurality of gray zones located between adjacent the first sensor electrodes and the second sensor electrodes;
at least one of dummy patterns disposed in each of the plurality of gray zones;
a plurality of lines connected to the first sensor electrode columns and the second sensor electrode columns; and
a pad unit including a plurality of pads connected to the lines,
wherein the number of the dummy patterns disposed in each of the gray zones increases as the distance between the gray zone and the pad unit increases.

18. The touch sensor of claim 17 , wherein the number of the lines disposed in each of the gray zones decreases as the distance between the gray zone and the pad unit increases.

19. The touch sensor of claim 17 , wherein at least some of the second sensor electrodes have at least two different widths.

20. The touch sensor of claim 17 , wherein each of the first sensor electrode columns includes N (where N is a natural number of 2 or more) first sensor electrodes arranged in a first direction,
wherein each of the second sensor electrode columns includes N second sensor electrode groups arranged in the first direction adjacent the respective N first sensor electrodes, and each of the N second sensor electrode groups includes K (where K is a natural number of 2 or more) second sensor electrodes having a smaller area than each of the first sensor electrodes.

21. The touch sensor of claim 20 , wherein, of the N first sensor electrodes, at least a first sensor electrode closest to the pad unit comprises at least two sub-electrodes.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ko Gwang Bum
• Na Hyun Jae
• Jang Hyoung Wook
• Jeong Ye Ri
• Han Jeong Yun

Classifications

• G06F2203/04112

  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 title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title

• G06F3/0448

  Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality · CPC title