Touch Panel Electrode Arrays Eliminate Physical Buttons
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional touch panels with physical buttons suffer from undesirable appearance, inferior reliability, and complex fabrication due to the need for through holes and separate assembly steps, which complicates the manufacturing process and makes cleaning difficult.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel design featuring electrode arrays in both the display and peripheral regions, integrated with a patterned mask layer, eliminating the need for physical buttons and allowing for various touch response functions on a single surface, with the electrode arrays formed in the same manufacturing step.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical buttons are used in the peripheral region, then touch input function is achieved, but appearance effect deteriorates and cleaning becomes difficult due to through holes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the physical button structure and replaces it with a virtual button implemented through electrode arrays and patterned mask layers. The peripheral region maintains surface evenness without through holes, while still providing touch input functionality through capacitive sensing between the electrode arrays and the user's finger.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical physical button system is replaced with an electrical/capacitive sensing system. Instead of mechanical pressing through holes, the invention uses electrode arrays that detect changes in capacitance when the user's finger approaches or touches the display surface, eliminating the need for physical through-holes.
2Ease of operation
If physical buttons with through holes are used, then touch input function is achieved, but reliability deteriorates and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the through-hole structure entirely, extracting only the essential function of touch input. The peripheral region becomes a continuous, sealed surface that maintains reliability by eliminating potential failure points associated with through holes, while still enabling touch input through capacitive sensing.
3Ease of operation
If physical buttons are used, then touch input function is achieved, but fabrication process becomes complex due to separate assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the button functionality into the same fabrication process as the display region. The electrode arrays and patterned mask layers are formed simultaneously for both the display and peripheral regions, eliminating separate assembly steps for physical buttons and simplifying the overall fabrication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode array structure serves multiple functions: it provides touch sensing for the display region and simultaneously provides virtual button functionality for the peripheral region. This universal structure eliminates the need for separate physical buttons and their associated assembly processes.
4Shape
If electrode arrays are disposed in both display and peripheral regions, then surface evenness is maintained and cleaning is easy, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the manufacturing of electrode arrays in both display and peripheral regions into a single integrated process. The same electrode array formation steps are used for both regions, and the patterned mask layers are formed simultaneously, thereby maintaining surface evenness without actually increasing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a kind of touch panel which actualizes various touch response functions on a same surface and a fabrication method thereof. The touch panel includes an upper cover substrate, a first electrode array, a patterned mask layer, and at least a second electrode array. The upper cover substrate includes a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area. The first electrode array is disposed corresponding to the display area. The patterned mask layer is disposed corresponding to the peripheral area. At least a second electrode array is disposed corresponding to a first patterned area of the patterned mask layer. A fabricating method for the touch panel is also provided.