Touch Panel Sensor Electrode Pattern Alignment for Display Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

The touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a significant difference between the pattern shape of the sensor electrode pattern portion and the wiring pattern portion, leading to deteriorated display quality and viewability.

Innovation Solution

The pattern shape of the sensor electrode pattern portion is modified to align closer to the pattern shape of the wiring pattern portion, reducing the number of connections in one direction to minimize resistance while maintaining sensitivity, thereby improving viewability and suppressing sensitivity deterioration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sensor electrode pattern portion is made with more connections to reduce resistance and increase sensitivity, then sensitivity is improved, but the pattern shape difference from the wiring pattern portion increases causing display quality deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesensitivityVSAvoidpattern shape difference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of connection number in the sensor electrode pattern from multiple connections in both directions to fewer connections (one or zero) in one direction, thereby reducing resistance while minimizing pattern shape difference and improving display quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the wiring pattern match the sensor electrode pattern (as in conventional technology), the patent inverts the approach by making the sensor electrode pattern simpler to match the wiring pattern, thereby solving both sensitivity and display quality issues

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the sensor electrode pattern is made more complex to improve sensitivity coverage, then sensitivity is improved, but the conspicuousness on display increases deteriorating viewability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensitivity coverageVSAvoidconspicuousness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the structural parameter of the sensor electrode pattern by reducing the number of connections in one direction, creating a simpler pattern that provides adequate sensitivity coverage without being visually conspicuous on the display

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4030270B1Touch panel
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 JAPAN AVIATION ELECTRONICS IND LTD
  • EP4030270B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4030270B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4030270B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In the present invention a detection unit of a touch panel has sensor electrodes and a plurality of lead-out wires connected to the sensor electrodes. Each lead-out wire is provided with a wiring main section. The sensor electrodes are provided with a plurality of electrode main sections and a plurality of connection sections. The wiring main sections and electrode main sections are formed by repeatedly arranging side by side, in a first direction, unit patterns having a prescribed shape. In a second direction two adjacent electrode main sections are connected to each other by at least one connection section. Connections sections which are near to each other in the second direction are in different positions in the first direction. In each electrode main section, when two or more connection sections are side by side in the first direction, three consecutive unit patterns are connected by no more than two connection sections, or are not connected to one electrode main section positioned adjacent thereto in the second direction.