Method of designing a conductive pattern with reduced channel break visibility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639221-B2
Application number	US-201414496007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A method of designing a conductive pattern with reduced channel break visibility includes generating a representation of the conductive pattern in a software application and placing a plurality of non-linear channel break voids that partition the conductive pattern into a plurality of channels. Each non-linear channel break isolates adjacent channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor with reduced channel break visibility comprising:
a first conductive pattern including a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a first direction and a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the first direction and a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the second direction intersect, and wherein the first conductive pattern is divided into a first plurality of channels, adjacent channels being electrically isolated from each other by non-conductive, non-linear channel break patterns; and
a second conductive pattern including a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a third direction and a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a fourth direction different from the third direction, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the third direction and a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the fourth direction intersect, and wherein the second conductive pattern is divided into a second plurality of channels, adjacent channels being electrically isolated from each other by non-conductive, non-linear channel break patterns;
wherein the non-linear channel break patterns are zig-zag channel break patterns including a plurality of zig-zag segments, each zig-zag segment crossing two or more consecutive parallel conductive lines, all of the crossed conductive lines being oriented in a same direction.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , further including:
a transparent substrate;
wherein the first conductive pattern is disposed on a first side of the transparent substrate and the second conductive pattern is disposed on a second side of the transparent substrate.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1 , further including:
a first transparent substrate; and
a second transparent substrate bonded to the first transparent substrate;
wherein the first conductive pattern is disposed on a side of the first transparent substrate and the second conductive pattern is disposed on a side of the second transparent substrate.

4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein each non-linear channel break pattern includes no more than two consecutive non-conductive gaps along a particular non-linear channel break pattern that are vertically aligned.

5. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein each non-linear channel break pattern includes no more than two consecutive non-conductive gaps along a particular non-linear channel break pattern that are horizontally aligned.

6. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths of 5 micrometers or less.

7. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths in a range between 5 micrometers and 10 micrometers.

8. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths in a range between 10 micrometers and 50 micrometers.

Assignees

• Eastman Kodak Co

Inventors

• Chyan Yieu

Classifications

• 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

• G06F2203/04112

  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

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F30/39

  Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347) · CPC title