Touch panel, touch sensitive apparatus and method thereof and touch system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12405684-B2
Application number	US-202318229341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2023
Priority date	Oct 18, 2022
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A touch panel sequentially comprising: a first electrode layer, an elastic dielectric layer, and a second structure, the first electrode layer comprises one or more first electrodes in parallel to a first axis, the second structure comprises multiple second circuits in parallel to a second axis, multiple third circuits in parallel to the first axis, multiple second electrodes, and multiple switch circuits, wherein each of the switch circuits connects one of the second electrodes and one of the second circuits, respectively, wherein each of the switch circuits is configured to connect or disconnect the one of the second electrodes and the one of the second circuits according to signals transmitted from one of the third circuits, wherein each of the first electrodes covers at least one of the third circuits, the switch circuits configured by the at least covered one of the third circuits, and the second electrodes corresponding to the switch circuits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch panel, sequentially comprising:
a first electrode layer;
an elastic dielectric layer; and
a second structure, wherein the second structure comprises:
multiple second circuits in parallel to a second axis;
multiple third circuits in parallel to the first axis;
multiple second electrodes; and
multiple switch circuits,
wherein each of the switch circuits connects one of the second electrodes and one of the second circuits, respectively,
wherein each of the switch circuits is configured to connect or disconnect the one of the second electrodes and the one of the second circuits according to signals transmitted from one of the third circuits,
wherein each of the first electrodes covers at least one of the third circuits, the switch circuits configured by the at least covered one of the third circuits, and the second electrodes corresponding to the switch circuits,
wherein the first electrode layer includes only one first electrode which covers all the second circuits, all the second electrodes, all the third circuits, and all the switch circuits.

2. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the second structure includes a second electrode layer, wherein the second electrodes and the second circuits are disposed on a first surface of the second electrode layer, the third circuits and the switch circuits are disposed on a second surface of the second electrode layer, the first surface is opposite the second surface, the first surface is closer to the first electrode layer than the second surface.

3. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the second structure includes a second electrode layer and a third electrode layer, wherein the second electrodes and the second circuits are in the second electrode layer, the third circuits and the switch circuits are in the third electrode layer, the second electrode layer is closer to the first electrode layer than the third electrode layer.

4. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode layer, the elastic dielectric layer, and the second structure are flexible.

5. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein a number of the first electrodes is less than a number of the third circuits.

6. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein each of the first electrodes covers N adjacent ones of the third circuits, where N is a positive integer larger than 1.

7. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein any two adjacent one of the third circuits is larger or equals to 10 mm.

8. The touch panel of claim 1 , wherein each of the second electrodes include a variable resistor, a first end of the variable resistor coupled to the first electrode which covers the second electrode, a second end of the variable resistor coupled to the corresponding switch circuits.

9. A touch sensitive processing method, performed on the touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive processing method comprising:
with respect to each one of the third circuits, performing multiple times of pressure value array sensing step, wherein the pressure value array sensing step further comprises:
controlling the switch circuits connected to the corresponding one of the third circuits close and controlling the switch circuits irrelevant to the one of third circuits open;
providing driving signals to one of the first electrodes which covers the corresponding one of the third circuits; and
sensing the driving signals induced by the second circuits and their connected second electrodes to gather a pressure value array;

forming a pressure value image based on all the pressure value arrays according to positions of their corresponding third circuits; and
calculating one or more pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

10. The touch sensitive processing method of claim 9 , further comprise calculating a pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

11. A touch sensitive processing method, performed on the touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive processing method comprising:
with respect to each one of the third circuits, performing multiple times of pressure value array sensing step, wherein the pressure value array sensing step further comprises:
coupling a direct-current potential to one of the first electrodes which covers the corresponding one of the third circuits;
providing driving signals to the corresponding one of the third circuits; and
sensing the driving signals induced by the second circuits and their connected second electrodes to gather a pressure value array;
forming a pressure value image based on all the pressure value arrays according to positions of their corresponding third circuits; and
calculating one or more pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

12. The touch sensitive processing method of claim 11 , further comprise calculating a pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

13. The touch sensitive processing method of claim 11 , wherein the driving signals are modulated as square waves.

14. The touch sensitive processing method of claim 13 , wherein duty cycles of the driving signals are modulable.

15. A touch sensitive apparatus, in conjunction with the touch panel of claim 1 , comprising:
an interconnection network for connecting the one or more first electrodes, the second circuits, and the third circuits, respectively;
a driving circuit coupled to the interconnection network;
a sensing circuit coupled to the interconnection network; and
a processor, configured for executing instructions stored in non-volatile memory to realize:
with respect to each one of the third circuits, performing multiple times of pressure value array sensing step, wherein the pressure value array sensing step further comprises:
controlling the switch circuits connected to the corresponding one of the third circuits close and controlling the switch circuits irrelevant to the one of third circuits open;
providing driving signals to one of the first electrodes which covers the corresponding one of the third circuits; and
sensing the driving signals induced by the second circuits and their connected second electrodes to gather a pressure value array;

forming a pressure value image based on all the pressure value arrays according to positions of their corresponding third circuits; and
calculating one or more pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

16. The touch sensitive processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to realize calculating a pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure positions according to the pressure value image.

17. The touch sensitive processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to realize transmitting the one or more pressure positions to a host.

18. A touch sensitive system, comprising: the touch panel, the touch sensitive processing apparatus, and the host of claim 17 .

19. A touch sensitive apparatus, in conjunction with the touch panel of claim 1 , comprising:
an interconnection network for connecting the one or more first electrodes, the second circuits, and the third circuits, respectively;
a driving circuit coupled to the interconnection network;
a sensing circuit coupled to the interconnection network; and
a processor, configured for executing instructions stored in non-volatile memory to realize:
with respect to each one of the third circuits, performing multiple times of pressure value array sensing step

Assignees

• Egalax_Empia Tech Inc

Inventors

• Chang Chin-Fu

Classifications

• G06F3/0445 Primary

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/04144

  using an array of force sensing means (position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447) · CPC title

• G06F3/0447

  Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells · CPC title