Touch Sensor Trace Merging for Large Display Bezel Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-scale image display devices face challenges in achieving uniform high-resolution touch sensing due to the increasing number of sensing electrodes and decreasing space for traces, leading to inefficiencies in sensitivity and spatial accommodation.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor design that incorporates trace connectors and bridges to merge channel traces, reduce the number of traces in the trace assembly region, and maintain connection margins, allowing for efficient accommodation even in reduced bezel areas, thereby enhancing sensitivity and spatial efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of sensing electrodes is increased to achieve uniform high-resolution touch sensing across large display areas, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to more traces required
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing electrode array is segmented into multiple sensing channel columns and rows, with traces branching from specific end portions. This segmentation allows systematic organization of traces and reduces routing complexity while maintaining high-resolution sensing across large display areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple channel column traces branching from the same sensing channel column are merged and coupled together using trace connectors. This merging reduces the total number of separate traces required, simplifying the trace assembly region and reducing bezel area requirements while preserving the ability to address individual sensing channels.
2Productivity
If the display area is increased for large-scale image display devices, then productivity is improved, but area of stationary object decreases due to reduced bezel space for traces
Solution Approach 1:
Traces are routed to extend into the peripheral region from the active region, utilizing the vertical dimension and edge spaces of the substrate. This dimensional reorganization allows traces to be accommodated in previously underutilized areas, enabling larger display areas without sacrificing trace accommodation space.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple channel column traces are merged using trace connectors, reducing the total trace count and the space required in the trace assembly region. This allows the bezel area to be reduced while still accommodating all necessary trace connections for large-scale displays.
3Measurement precision
If traces are extended to cover large display areas, then measurement precision is improved, but length of stationary object increases leading to more space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The trace network is segmented into channel column traces and channel row traces that branch from specific end portions of sensing channels. This segmentation creates a more compact trace layout that covers the display area efficiently without requiring excessively long individual traces, while maintaining uniform sensing coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate layer having an active region and a peripheral region, a plurality of sensing channel columns and a plurality of sensing channel rows disposed on the active region of the substrate layer and extending in directions crossing each other, channel column traces branching from the sensing channel columns and extending on the peripheral region, channel row traces branching from the sensing channel rows and extending on the peripheral region, and a trace connector coupling the channel column traces branching from the same sensing channel columns.