Method of designing a conductive pattern with reduced channel break visibility
View Patent ↗A method of designing a conductive pattern with reduced channel break visibility includes generating a representation of the conductive pattern in a software application and placing a plurality of non-linear channel break voids that partition the conductive pattern into a plurality of channels. Each non-linear channel break isolates adjacent channels.
1. A touch sensor with reduced channel break visibility comprising:
a first conductive pattern including a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a first direction and a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the first direction and a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the second direction intersect, and wherein the first conductive pattern is divided into a first plurality of channels, adjacent channels being electrically isolated from each other by non-conductive, non-linear channel break patterns; and
a second conductive pattern including a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a third direction and a plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in a fourth direction different from the third direction, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the third direction and a portion of the plurality of parallel conductive lines oriented in the fourth direction intersect, and wherein the second conductive pattern is divided into a second plurality of channels, adjacent channels being electrically isolated from each other by non-conductive, non-linear channel break patterns;
wherein the non-linear channel break patterns are zig-zag channel break patterns including a plurality of zig-zag segments, each zig-zag segment crossing two or more consecutive parallel conductive lines, all of the crossed conductive lines being oriented in a same direction.
2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , further including:
a transparent substrate;
wherein the first conductive pattern is disposed on a first side of the transparent substrate and the second conductive pattern is disposed on a second side of the transparent substrate.
3. The touch sensor of claim 1 , further including:
a first transparent substrate; and
a second transparent substrate bonded to the first transparent substrate;
wherein the first conductive pattern is disposed on a side of the first transparent substrate and the second conductive pattern is disposed on a side of the second transparent substrate.
4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein each non-linear channel break pattern includes no more than two consecutive non-conductive gaps along a particular non-linear channel break pattern that are vertically aligned.
5. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein each non-linear channel break pattern includes no more than two consecutive non-conductive gaps along a particular non-linear channel break pattern that are horizontally aligned.
6. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths of 5 micrometers or less.
7. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths in a range between 5 micrometers and 10 micrometers.
8. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the non-conductive gaps of the non-linear channel break patterns have widths in a range between 10 micrometers and 50 micrometers.