Touch Sensor Electrode with Patterned Isolated Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen sensors face limitations in controlling electrical potential gradients and flexibility in design due to constraints from patterned transparent conducting oxides, leading to reduced signal strength and manufacturing inefficiencies, particularly in accurately detecting objects of varying sizes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an electrode layer with substantially parallel electrodes featuring edge, intermediate, and central sections, including electrically isolated regions, which creates a denser conductive area in the center and a less dense area at the edges, allowing for more accurate interpolation of touch positions and improved sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If narrow electrodes are used to accurately locate detection objects, then measurement precision is improved, but electrode resistance increases and manufacturing yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is segmented into multiple electrically isolated regions arranged in a pattern along the electrode length. This segmentation allows the electrode to maintain adequate width for low resistance while the patterned regions provide precise detection capability by creating distinct sensing zones that improve location accuracy without requiring the electrode to be narrow.
2Ease of manufacture
If patterned transparent conducting oxides with single value isotropic sheet resistance are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but design flexibility of conductive elements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode structure implements local quality by creating regions with different conductive properties through the patterned electrically isolated regions. The edge sections have different conductive characteristics than the central section, allowing the electrode to provide both easy manufacturing from single-layer TCO and enhanced design flexibility for controlling electrical potential gradients across different zones of the electrode.
3Illumination intensity
If continuous coating of transparent conducting oxide is used, then optical transparency is maintained, but control over electrical potential gradients is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous TCO coating is segmented into electrically isolated regions that are patterned along the electrode length. This segmentation maintains the optical transparency of the continuous coating while enabling independent electrical control of different regions, thereby providing enhanced control over electrical potential gradients without compromising optical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the electrode (edge sections vs. central section) are given different conductive properties through the patterned regions. This local quality approach allows each section to contribute differently to the electrical potential gradient, enabling precise control over the electrical characteristics while maintaining the continuous transparent coating for optimal optical performance.
Data Source
AI summary
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.