Touch sensor electrode with patterned electrically isolated regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529481-B2
Application number	US-201314368473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

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. A touch screen sensor comprising:
an electrode layer having a plurality of substantially parallel electrodes disposed along a first direction, wherein 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, wherein the at least one electrode comprises across its width at least one edge section, at least one intermediate section, and a central section, wherein an intermediate section is disposed along the electrode width between an edge section and the central section, wherein at least one electrode edge section and intermediate section includes a plurality of electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the electrode length, wherein an electrode conductive area of the edge section is less than an electrode conductive area of the intermediate section.

2. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrode layer comprises at least one of discontinuous micro-wire conductors, a patterned metal, and a transparent conductive oxide.

3. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the electrically isolated regions comprise a region of broken, floating conductive material that is isolated from the electrode.

4. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein each electrode comprises across its width a first edge section bounded by a first edge, a first intermediate section, a central section, wherein the first intermediate section is disposed along the electrode width between the first edge section and the central section, a second intermediate section and second edge section bounded by a second edge, wherein the second intermediate section is disposed along the electrode width between the second edge section and the central section, wherein the first and second electrode edge sections and first and second intermediate sections each include a plurality of electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the electrode length, wherein an electrode conductive area of each edge section is less than an electrode conductive area of each intermediate section, and the electrode conductive area of each intermediate section is less than an electrode conductive area of the central section.

5. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrically isolated regions comprise rectangular, circular, elliptical, triangular, or other polygonal shapes that are of similar or different sizes.

6. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , comprising a second electrode layer having a plurality of substantially parallel electrodes disposed lengthwise along the second direction, wherein the first and second electrode layers are separated by a dielectric layer, and wherein the first and second plurality of electrodes define a matrix having nodes where the upper and lower electrodes intersect.

7. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein an electrode conductive area of the intermediate section is less than an electrode conductive area of the central section.

8. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein the central section includes a plurality of electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the electrode length.

9. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of electrically isolated regions of the intermediate section are partly disposed within the edge section.

10. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of electrically isolated regions of the edge section are formed as part of the edge of the electrode.

11. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrically isolated regions comprise one of a hole devoid of conductive material and a region of conductive material that is isolated from the electrode by a gap of from about 1 micrometer to about 20 micrometers.

12. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein each electrode response curve of an overlap area of a detection object and the electrode conductive area as a function of the center of the detection object displays a substantially Gaussian distribution.

13. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein the pattern is a repeating pattern.

14. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein a size of each electrically isolated interior region is less than a size of a detection object.

15. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrically isolated regions is less than 4 mm 2 , and wherein a distribution of the electrically isolated regions is varied to produce a density difference in total electrically isolated region area between the edge section and the central section.

16. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrode conductive area of the edge section, the electrode conductive area of the intermediate section, and an electrode conductive area of the central section comprises continuously conductive micro-wires, and wherein at least some of the electrically isolated regions comprise discontinuous micro-wire conductors.

17. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrode conductive area of the edge section, the electrode conductive area of the intermediate section, and an electrode conductive area of the central section comprises continuously conductive micro-wires, and wherein each of the electrically isolated regions comprise discontinuous micro-wire conductors.

18. A patterned electrode having a length along a first direction and a width from a first edge to a second edge along a second direction transverse to the first direction, the patterned electrode comprising across the width:
a first edge section bounded by the first edge;
a first intermediate section;
a central section;
a second intermediate section; and
a second edge section bounded by the second edge,
wherein the first intermediate section is disposed along the width between the first edge section and the central section, and the second intermediate section is disposed along the width between the second edge section and the central section,
wherein the first and second edge sections and the first and second intermediate sections each include a plurality of electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the length,
wherein an electrode conductive area of the first edge section is less than an electrode conductive area of the first intermediate section, an electrode conductive area of the second edge section is less than an electrode conductive area of the second intermediate section, and the electrode conductive area of the first intermediate section and the electrode conductive area of the second intermediate section are each less than an electrode conductive area of the central section.

19. The patterned electrode of claim 18 , wherein each electrically isolated region in the plurality of electrically isolated regions comprises a plurality of discontinuous micro-wire conductors.

20. The patterned electrode of claim 18 , wherein each of the electrode conductive area of the first edge section, the electrode conductive area of the second edge section, the electrode conductive area of the first intermediate section, the electrode conductive area of the second intermediate section, and the electrode conductive area of the central section comprises continuously conductive micro-wires.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• H01B5/00

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