Capacitive touch panel having protrusions formed between drive and/or sensor electrodes
View Patent ↗A capacitive touch panel includes elongated drive electrodes arranged next to one another and having a characteristic spacing between adjacent drive electrodes. The capacitive touch panel also includes elongated sensor electrodes arranged next to one another across the drive electrodes and having a characteristic spacing between adjacent sensor electrodes. The drive electrodes and/or the sensor electrodes have protrusions into the spaces between adjacent electrodes. The characteristic spacing between the sensor electrodes may be at least substantially greater than the characteristic spacing between the drive electrodes. The sensor electrodes may have a pitch based upon a touch diameter of a finger, and the touch panel may be capable of sensing a stylus having a touch diameter substantially less than the touch diameter of the finger.
1. A mutual capacitance Projected Capacitive Touch (PCT) panel comprising:
a plurality of elongated drive electrodes arranged one next to another; and
a plurality of elongated sensor electrodes arranged one next to another across the plurality of elongated drive electrodes, at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes comprising a primary protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes, a first plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the primary protrusion, and a second plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the primary protrusion opposite the first plurality of secondary protrusions so that the first plurality of secondary protrusions and the second plurality of secondary protrusions form a generally triangular area.
2. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes comprises a pitch of at least five millimeters (5 mm).
3. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the primary protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of the at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
4. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes comprises a second protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
5. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second protrusion tapers away from the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
6. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
7. A method of forming a mutual capacitance Projected Capacitive Touch (PCT) panel comprising:
forming a plurality of elongated drive electrodes arranged one next to another; and
forming a plurality of elongated sensor electrodes arranged one next to another across the plurality of elongated drive electrodes, at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes comprising a primary protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes, a first plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the primary protrusion, and a second plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the primary protrusion opposite the first plurality of secondary protrusions so that the first plurality of secondary protrusions and the second plurality of secondary protrusions form a generally triangular area.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes comprises a pitch of at least five millimeters (5 mm).
9. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the primary protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of the at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
10. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes comprises a second protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second protrusion tapers away from the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of the at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
13. A mutual capacitance Projected Capacitive Touch (PCT) panel comprising:
a plurality of elongated drive electrodes arranged one next to another and comprising a first protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the plurality of elongated drive electrodes; and
a plurality of elongated sensor electrodes arranged one next to another across the plurality of elongated drive electrodes and comprising a second protrusion into a space between adjacent ones of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes, at least one of the first protrusion or the second protrusion comprising a first plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the at least one of the first protrusion or the second protrusion and a second plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the at least one of the first protrusion or the second protrusion opposite the first plurality of secondary protrusions so that the first plurality of secondary protrusions and the second plurality of secondary protrusions form a generally triangular area.
14. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 13 , wherein the pitch of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes comprises at least five millimeters (5 mm).
15. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first protrusion or the second protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of at least one of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
16. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 15 , wherein at least the other of the first protrusion or the second protrusion extends past a center line defined between adjacent ones of at least the other of the plurality of elongated sensor electrodes or the plurality of elongated drive electrodes.
17. The mutual capacitance PCT panel as recited in claim 13 , wherein at least the other of the of the first protrusion or the second protrusion comprises a third plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the at least the other of the first protrusion or the second protrusion and a fourth plurality of secondary protrusions extending perpendicularly from the at least the other of the first protrusion or the second protrusion opposite the third plurality of secondary protrusions so that the third plurality of secondary protrusions and the fourth plurality of secondary protrusions form a generally triangular area.