Transparent Conductive Touch Sensor Discrete Pads Button Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screens lack an efficient method to accurately detect finger movement and scrolling functions, particularly in designs that require precise alignment with display buttons and durability.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor with a transparent conductive layer on a substrate, featuring discrete pads and traces that correspond to display buttons, utilizing projected capacitive technology to detect touch and proximity, enabling scrolling functions through directional current interpolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a continuous transparent conductive coating is used, then electrical conductivity is improved, but manufacturing precision for button alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous transparent conductive coating is divided into discrete pads and traces that correspond to individual buttons and their connections. This segmentation allows each pad to be precisely positioned under its corresponding displayed button, improving manufacturing precision while maintaining electrical conductivity through the conductive paths.
2Manufacturing precision
If discrete conductive pads are used for precise button alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but electrical conductivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Conductive traces serve as intermediaries that connect the discrete conductive pads to the connecting regions. These traces maintain electrical continuity across the substrate, ensuring that despite the discontinuous nature of the pads, the overall electrical conductivity and signal transmission are preserved.
3Illumination intensity
If transparent conductive material is used, then visibility through the substrate is improved, but durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor uses a composite structure combining transparent conductive material (such as ITO) with the substrate and additional protective layers. This composite approach maintains the transparency and visibility through the substrate while the overall structure, including the substrate and layer configuration, provides enhanced durability and mechanical strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides accurate button activation and scrolling functionality while maintaining durability and transparency, combining the benefits of surface and projected capacitive sensors.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing projected capacitive technology to detect touch and proximity
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a transparent conductive layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate. The transparent conductive layer is disposed in a pattern so that the transparent conductive layer includes a plurality of discrete conductive pads, with the pads being conductively connected to at least one connecting region of the substrate via respective conductive traces. The pads are associated with respective buttons of a display device disposed at the substrate, such that the user may touch or approach the substrate and pads at selected areas in response to the displayed buttons as viewed by the user through the pads and substrate.