Touch sensor electrode with patterned electrically isolated regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838559-B2
Application number	US-201615350297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An electrode layer has a plurality of substantially parallel electrodes disposed along a first direction. At least one electrode has a length along the first direction and a width from a first edge to a second edge along a second direction transverse to the first direction. At least one electrode comprises across its width at least one edge section, at least one intermediate section, and at least one central section, wherein an intermediate section is disposed along the electrode width between an edge section and the central section. At least one electrode edge section and intermediate section includes a plurality of electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the electrode length. An electrode conductive area of the edge section is less than an electrode conductive area of the intermediate section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrode having a width and extending along a length of the electrode, the electrode patterned to have a plurality of electrically isolated regions such that a conductivity of the electrode along the length of the electrode is different at two different locations along the width of the electrode.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the width of the electrode is substantially constant.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode includes a central section, a first edge section and a first intermediate section between the central section and the first edge section.

4. The electrode of claim 3 , wherein a conductivity of the first intermediate section is higher than a conductivity of the first edge section.

5. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein a conductivity of the central section is higher than a conductivity of the first intermediate section.

6. The electrode of claim 3 , wherein a conductivity of the central section is higher than a conductivity of the first intermediate section.

7. The electrode of claim 3 , further comprising a second edge section and a second intermediate section between the second edge section and the central section.

8. The electrode of claim 7 , wherein a conductivity of the first intermediate section is higher than a conductivity of the first edge section, and a conductivity of the second intermediate section is higher than a conductivity of the second edge section.

9. The electrode of claim 8 , wherein a conductivity of the central section is higher than each of the conductivities of the first and second intermediate sections.

10. The electrode of claim 9 , wherein each electrically isolated region in the plurality of electrically isolated regions comprises a plurality of discontinuous micro-wire conductors.

11. The electrode of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of electrically isolated regions comprise electrically isolated regions in each of the first and second edge sections and the first and second intermediate sections arranged in a pattern along the length of the electrode.

12. The electrode of claim 11 , further comprising continuously conductive micro-wires.

13. The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the continuously conductive micro-wires are disposed in electrode conductive areas of the central section, the first and second intermediate sections, and the first and second edge sections.

14. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein each electrically isolated region in the plurality of electrically isolated regions comprises a plurality of discontinuous micro-wire conductors.

15. The electrode of claim 14 , further comprising continuously conductive micro-wires.

16. A touch screen sensor comprising an electrode layer having a plurality of substantially parallel electrodes, wherein at least one of the substantially parallel electrodes is an electrode according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Barton Roger W
• Weaver Billy L
• Gorrell Matthew W
• Hable Brock A

Classifications

• H01B5/00

  Non-insulated conductors or conductive bodies characterised by their form · CPC title

• H01B5/14

  comprising conductive layers or films on insulating-supports · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title

• G06F2203/04111

  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 title

• G06F2203/04101

  2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup · CPC title