CN114253412B

CN114253412B - Touch sensing layer and touch panel

Info

Publication number: CN114253412B
Application number: CN202011006301.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 叶财金; 吴春彦; 魏财魁; 张振炘; 李联鑫; 郑太狮
Original assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Current assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Priority date: 2020-09-23
Filing date: 2020-09-23
Publication date: 2025-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-23
Also published as: CN114253412A

Abstract

A touch sensing layer and a touch panel, wherein the touch sensing layer comprises a first-axis conductive unit, a second-axis conductive unit and at least one virtual electrode. The first-axis conductive unit substantially extends along a first axis. The second-axis conductive unit substantially extends along a second axis and comprises two conductive electrodes and a conductive bridge. The two conductive electrodes are respectively located on opposite sides of the first-axis conductive unit. The conductive bridge spans the first-axis conductive unit and is connected to the two conductive electrodes. The virtual electrode comprises at least a portion located in a gap formed between the first-axis conductive unit and one of the two conductive electrodes. Thus, the touch refresh rate of the touch panel can be effectively improved.

Description

Touch sensing layer and touch panel

Technical Field

The invention relates to a touch sensing layer and a touch panel.

Background

With the continuous expansion of the size and the trend of the game application, the most critical change of the touch display device is the continuous improvement of the display refresh rate of the display module. For example, the display refresh rate of the display module of the handset will be raised from 120Hz to 180Hz, and even higher order 240Hz. Correspondingly, the touch refresh rate of the touch module is also required to be increased synchronously.

In terms of the principle of the touch refresh rate, the touch module mainly uses two adjacent mutual capacitance (Cm) values between the driving electrode (Tx) and the receiving electrode (Rx) as the driving speed. More specifically, the speed of driving each electrode scan is determined by the charge-discharge speed, and the touch module depends on the RC value. The smaller the RC value, the faster the charge and discharge speed (i.e., the higher the touch refresh rate), and the larger the RC value, the slower the charge and discharge speed (i.e., the lower the touch refresh rate). With the conventional architecture using Tx and Rx interleaving and bridging designs, two adjacent Tx and Rx have large Cm values due to their extremely close distance, which is not efficient at low touch refresh rates.

Therefore, how to provide a touch sensing layer and a touch panel capable of solving the above problems is one of the problems to be solved by the research and development resources in the industry.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a touch sensing layer and a touch panel that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

In order to achieve the above objective, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a touch sensing layer includes a first shaft conductive unit, a second shaft conductive unit, and at least one dummy electrode. The first shaft conductive unit extends substantially along a first axial direction. The second shaft conductive unit extends along the second shaft substantially and comprises two conductive electrodes and a conductive bridge. The two conductive electrodes are respectively positioned at two opposite sides of the first shaft conductive unit. The conductive bridge spans the first axis conductive unit and is connected with the two conductive electrodes. The dummy electrode includes at least a portion located in a gap formed between the first shaft conductive unit and one of the two conductive electrodes.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a dummy electrode includes a body portion and an extension portion. The body portion is arranged in the second axial direction with the first shaft conductive unit and in the first axial direction with the one of the two conductive electrodes. The extension portion is connected with the body portion and extends into the gap.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the extension portion is elongated.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, an end of the extension portion remote from the body portion has an end surface.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the dummy electrode includes two body portions and an extension portion. The two bodies are respectively positioned at two opposite sides of the two conductive electrodes. The extension part is connected with the body part and penetrates through the gap.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the extension portion is arranged between the two conductive electrodes in the second axial direction.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the dummy electrode is arranged between the two conductive electrodes in the second axial direction.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the number of dummy electrodes is a plurality. These dummy electrodes are arranged along the gap.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the number of dummy electrodes is a plurality. These virtual electrodes are arranged from one boundary of the gap to the other boundary.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a touch panel includes a substrate and the touch sensing layer. The touch sensing layer is arranged on the substrate.

In summary, in the touch sensing layer of the present invention, by disposing the virtual electrode between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit and making at least a portion of the virtual electrode be located in the gap formed between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit, the mutual capacitance (Cm) value between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit can be effectively reduced, so as to further reduce the RC value, thereby effectively improving the touch refresh rate of the touch panel.

The above description is merely illustrative of the problems to be solved, the technical means to solve the problems, the efficacy of the invention, etc., and the specific details of the invention are set forth in the following description and related drawings.

Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial front view illustrating a touch sensing layer according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged front view illustrating a touch sensing layer according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged front view illustrating a touch sensing layer according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged front view illustrating a touch sensing layer according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged front view of a touch sensing layer according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged front view illustrating a touch sensing layer according to another embodiment of the invention.

[ Symbolic description ]

100 Touch panel

110 Substrate

111 Touch area

112 Peripheral region

120 Masking layer

130 Optical matching layer

140,240,340,440,540: Touch sensing layer

141 First shaft conductive unit

142 Second shaft conductive unit

142A conductive electrode

142B conductive bridge

143 First insulating layer

144,244,344, 44A,444b, 54a, 544b: virtual electrode

144A,244a,344a body portion

144B,244b,344b extension

150 Routing

160 Second insulating layer

170 Protective layer

180 Flexible circuit board

244B1 end face

A1 first axial direction

A2 second axial direction

B1, B2 boundary

E1, E2 end

G gap

Detailed Description

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and for purposes of explanation, numerous practical details are set forth in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details are not to be taken as limiting the invention. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, these practical details are unnecessary. Furthermore, for the purpose of simplifying the drawings, some known and conventional structures and elements are shown in the drawings in a simplified schematic manner.

Referring to fig. 1, a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel 100 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. As shown in fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the touch panel 100 includes a substrate 110, a shielding layer 120, an optical matching layer 130, and a plurality of traces 150. The substrate 110 defines a touch area 111 and a peripheral area 112 surrounding the touch area 111. The shielding layer 120 is disposed in the peripheral region 112 of the substrate 110. The optical matching layer 130 is disposed on the substrate 110 and covers the shielding layer 120 to provide a flat upper surface. The trace 150 is disposed on the optical matching layer 130 and is located in the peripheral region 112 of the substrate 110. Thus, when viewed from the bottom surface of the substrate 110, the shielding layer 120 can shield the trace 150 from the viewer.

Referring to fig. 1, a partial front view of a touch sensing layer 140 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the touch panel 100 further includes a touch sensing layer 140. The touch sensing layer 140 is disposed on the optical matching layer 130 on the substrate 110, and includes a plurality of first axis conductive units 141, a plurality of second axis conductive units 142, a first insulating layer 143, and a plurality of dummy electrodes 144. The first axis conductive units 141 substantially extend along the first axis A1 and are separated from each other in the touch area 111. The second axis conductive units 142 substantially extend along the second axis A2, are separated from each other in the touch area 111, and span the first axis conductive units 141. In other words, the first shaft conductive units 141 are conductive lines extending along the first axial direction A1 and are arranged at intervals from each other. The second shaft conductive units 142 are conductive lines extending along the second shaft A2, and are spaced apart from each other. In some embodiments, the first axial direction A1 and the second axial direction A2 are two axial directions perpendicular to each other, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the second shaft conductive unit 142 spans the first shaft conductive unit 141 from above, and the first insulating layer 143 electrically insulates at least at the intersection between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142. As can be seen from the above, the first axis conductive unit 141 and the second axis conductive unit 142 are separated by the first insulating layer 143 to form a bridge-like structure, so the touch panel 100 of the present embodiment is a OGS (One Glass Solution) -type touch module.

Specifically, each second shaft conductive unit 142 includes a plurality of conductive electrodes 142a and a plurality of conductive bridges 142b. The conductive electrodes 142a are alternately connected with the conductive bridges 142b along the second axis A2. Each second shaft conductive unit 142 spans the first shaft conductive unit 141 by a conductive bridge 142b. The first insulating layer 143 is disposed between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the conductive bridge 142b, so as to electrically insulate the first shaft conductive unit 141 from the second shaft conductive unit 142.

As shown in fig. 1, the touch panel 100 further includes a second insulating layer 160 (having the effect of a second optical matching layer, described later), a protective layer 170, and a flexible circuit board 180. The second insulating layer 160 covers the second shaft conductive unit 142. The protective layer 170 covers the second insulating layer 160. The flexible circuit board 180 is connected to the trace 150 located in the peripheral region 112, and extracts the touch signal of the touch sensing layer 140 through the trace 150.

In some embodiments, the material of the substrate 110 includes glass, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 3, an enlarged partial front view of the touch sensing layer 140 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. Fig. 3 shows two conductive electrodes 142a and one conductive bridge 142b of a first axis conductive unit 141 and a second axis conductive unit 142, and a plurality of dummy electrodes 144. The two conductive electrodes 142a are respectively located at two opposite sides of the first shaft conductive unit 141. The conductive bridge 142b spans the first axis conductive unit 141 and is connected to the two conductive electrodes 142 a. The dummy electrode 144 is included with at least a portion thereof in the gap G formed between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the conductive electrode 142 a. In some embodiments, the gap G formed between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the conductive electrode 142a may be defined as a narrow channel formed by the conductive electrode 142a and the first shaft conductive unit 141 near one end of the first shaft conductive unit 141, and the narrow channel communicates with two opposite sides of the conductive electrode 142 a.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the gap G formed between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the conductive electrode 142a has two ends E1 and E2 (indicated by dotted lines in the figure), and the two ends E1 and E2 are located at the position where the distance between the first shaft conductive unit and the conductive electrode begins to decrease, so that the gap G has the shape of the narrow channel at the position between the two ends E1 and E2.

In the present embodiment, the dummy electrode 144 includes a main body portion 144a and an extension portion 144b. The body portion 144a is located outside the gap G, aligned with the first axis conductive unit 141 in the second axis direction A2, and aligned with the conductive electrode 142a in the first axis direction A1. The extension portion 144b connects with the body portion 144a and extends into the gap G. In detail, the extension portion 144b is arranged between the two conductive electrodes 142a in the second axis A2. From the external view, the body portion 144a may be regarded as an island structure separated from the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142, and the extension portion 144b may be regarded as a peninsula structure extended from the body portion 144 a.

With the above configuration, the extension portion 144b of the virtual electrode 144 in the gap G can effectively reduce the mutual capacitance (Cm) between the first axis conductive unit 141 and the second axis conductive unit 142, thereby reducing the RC value (affecting the touch refresh rate), and effectively improving the touch refresh rate of the touch panel 100. In addition, the arrangement of the dummy electrode 144 between the first axis conductive unit 141 and the second axis conductive unit 142 can effectively improve the visual effect (e.g. ablation line) of the touch panel 100.

In practical applications, the shape and structure of the dummy electrode 144 described above can be applied to all the dummy electrodes 144 adjacent to the intersection between the first axis conductive unit 141 and the second axis conductive unit 142.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, an end of the extension portion 144b away from the body portion 144a has a sharp corner, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 4, an enlarged partial front view of a touch sensing layer 240 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown. Fig. 4 illustrates a first shaft conductive unit 141, two conductive electrodes 142a and a conductive bridge 142b of a second shaft conductive unit 142, and a plurality of dummy electrodes 244, wherein the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 are the same or similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and thus reference is made to the above related description, and thus will not be repeated herein. In addition, the dummy electrode 244 includes a body portion 244a and an extension portion 244b. The body portion 244a is located outside the gap G, aligned with the first axis conductive unit 141 in the second axis direction A2, and aligned with the conductive electrode 142a in the first axis direction A1. The extension 244b connects the body 244a and extends into the gap G.

It should be noted that, compared with the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the present embodiment is modified with respect to the shape of the dummy electrode 144. Specifically, an end of the extension portion 244b remote from the body portion 244a has an end face 244b1. In other words, an end of the extension portion 244b away from the body portion 244a has a certain width, and the extension portion 244b has an elongated shape. Thereby, the extension 244b can extend deeper into the gap G, so that the Cm value between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 can be further reduced, thereby reducing the RC value.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged front view of a touch sensing layer 340 according to another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 shows a first shaft conductive unit 141, two conductive electrodes 142a and a conductive bridge 142b of a second shaft conductive unit 142, and a plurality of dummy electrodes 344, wherein the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 are the same or similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and thus reference is made to the above related description, and thus will not be repeated herein. It should be noted that, compared with the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the present embodiment is modified with respect to the shape of the dummy electrode 144.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the dummy electrode 344 includes two main portions 344a and an extension portion 344b. The two body portions 344a are respectively located at two opposite sides of the two conductive electrodes 142 a. The extension portion 344b is connected to the body portion 344a and penetrates the gap G. . Therefore, the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the conductive electrode 142a are completely separated on opposite sides of the extension portion 344b, so that the Cm value between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 can be further reduced, and the RC value can be further reduced.

Referring to fig. 6, an enlarged partial front view of a touch sensing layer 440 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown. Fig. 6 shows two conductive electrodes 142a and one conductive bridge 142b of a first shaft conductive unit 141 and a second shaft conductive unit 142 and a plurality of dummy electrodes 444a, 444b, wherein the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 are the same or similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and thus, reference is made to the above related description and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that, compared with the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the present embodiment is modified with respect to the shape of the dummy electrode 144.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the dummy electrode 444a is located outside the gap G, and the dummy electrode 444b is located inside the gap G. The dummy electrodes 444b located in the gap G are arranged between the two conductive electrodes 142a on the second axis A2 and along the gap G. From the appearance, the dummy electrode 444a located outside the gap G may be regarded as an island structure separated from the first and second shaft conductive units 141 and 142, and the dummy electrode 444b located inside the gap G may be regarded as an island structure.

Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged front view of a touch sensing layer 540 according to another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 illustrates two conductive electrodes 142a and one conductive bridge 142b of a first shaft conductive unit 141 and a second shaft conductive unit 142 and a plurality of dummy electrodes 544a, 544b, wherein the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 are the same or similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and thus, reference is made to the foregoing related description, which is omitted herein. It should be noted that, compared with the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the present embodiment is modified with respect to the shape of the dummy electrode 144.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the dummy electrode 544a is located outside the gap G, and the dummy electrode 544b is located inside the gap G. The dummy electrode 544B located in the gap G is arranged from one boundary B1 to the other boundary B2 of the gap G. In other words, in the gap G, the first axis conductive unit 141 and the conductive electrode 142a are separated by two dummy electrodes 544b. Therefore, the Cm value between the first shaft conductive unit 141 and the second shaft conductive unit 142 can be further reduced, and the RC value can be further reduced.

As is apparent from the above description of the specific embodiments of the present invention, in the touch sensing layer of the present invention, by disposing the virtual electrode between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit and positioning at least a portion of the virtual electrode in the gap formed between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit, the Cm value between the first axis conductive unit and the second axis conductive unit can be effectively reduced, and the RC value can be further reduced, so as to effectively improve the touch refresh rate of the touch panel.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be modified and altered in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A touch sensing layer, comprising:

a first shaft conductive unit extending along a first axial direction;

a second axis conductive unit extending along a second axis and comprising:

two conductive electrodes respectively positioned at two opposite sides of the first shaft conductive unit, and

A conductive bridge crossing the first axis conductive unit and connected to the two conductive electrodes, and

At least one dummy electrode including at least a portion located in a gap formed between the first shaft conductive unit and one of the two conductive electrodes,

Wherein the at least one dummy electrode comprises:

a body portion arranged with the first axis conductive unit in the second axis direction and with one of the two conductive electrodes in the first axis direction, and

And the extension part is connected with the body part and extends into the gap, wherein the extension part and the conductive bridge are not overlapped.

2. The touch sensing layer of claim 1, wherein the extension portion is elongated.

3. The touch sensing layer according to claim 1, wherein an end of the extension portion away from the body portion has an end face.

4. The touch sensing layer according to claim 1, wherein the extension is arranged between the two conductive electrodes in the second axial direction.

5. The touch sensing layer of claim 1, wherein the at least one dummy electrode is arranged between the two conductive electrodes in the second axial direction.

6. A touch panel, comprising:

a substrate, and

A touch sensing layer according to any one of claims 1-5, disposed on the substrate.