Mesh design for touch sensors
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a touch sensor including a mesh of multiple first lines and second lines of conductive material extending across a display. The first lines are substantially parallel to each other. The second lines are substantially parallel to each other. The display includes multiple pixels that each include sub-pixels. Each of the pixels has a first pixel pitch along a first axis and a second pixel pitch along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. Each of the sub-pixels has a first sub-pixel pitch along the first axis and a second sub-pixel dimension along the second axis. The second sub-pixel dimension is substantially equal to a first value or a second value, the second value being greater than the first value. The first lines extend across the display at a first angle relative to the first axis.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a touch sensor comprising a mesh pattern of electrically conductive material configured to extend across either a first display or a second display that is different from the first display, wherein:
the first display and the second display are separate displays;
the mesh pattern comprises a plurality of first lines and a plurality of second lines of the electrically conductive material, the first lines being substantially parallel to each other, the second lines being substantially parallel to each other;
the first display comprises a plurality of first-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of first-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the first-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the first-display pixels having a first-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP 1 ) along the first-display vertical pixel axis, each of the first-display sub-pixels having a first-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis, and a first-display sub-pixel height (SPH 1 ) along the first-display vertical pixel axis;
the second display comprises a plurality of second-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of second-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the second-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the second-display pixels having a second-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP 2 ) along the second-display vertical pixel axis, each of the second-display sub-pixels having a second-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis, and a second-display sub-pixel height (SPH 2 ) along the second-display vertical pixel axis;
the first-display pixels and the second-display pixels are substantially equal in size, wherein HPP 1 and HPP 2 are substantially equal, and VPP 1 and VPP 2 are substantially equal;
SPH 2 is greater than SPH 1 ;
the first lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a first angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the first angle is within 1° of the arctangent of H c/ Hpp1 , wherein H c is greater than SPH 1 and less than SPH 2 ; and
the second lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a second angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the second angle is within 1° of the arctangent of VPP 1 /(2 ×HSPP 1 ) ;and
one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the touch sensor and embodying logic that is configured when executed to control the touch sensor.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein H c is approximately equal to an average of SPH 1 and SPH 2 .
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first angle is oriented counterclockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis; and
the second angle is oriented clockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to three times HPP 1 .
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/6 of HPP 1 .
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to six times HPP 1 .
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/3 of HPP 1 .
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to two times HPP 1 .
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first-display horizontal pixel pitch is a width of each of the first-display pixels;
the first-display vertical pixel pitch is a height of each of the first-display pixels;
the first-display sub-pixel height is a height of each of the first-display sub-pixels; and
the second-display sub-pixel height is a height of each of the second-display sub-pixels.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first-display sub-pixels are substantially rectangular.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more segments of one or more of the first or second lines are substantially sinusoidal.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
HSPP 1 and HSPP 2 are substantially the same.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the first display has a first-display sub-pixel dead space width (DSW 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis;
the second display has a second-display sub-pixel dead space width (DSW 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis;
an average sub-pixel dead space width (DSW AVG ) is approximately equal to an average of DSW 1 and DSW 2 ;
the first display has a first-display sub-pixel width (SPW 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis;
the second display has a second-display sub-pixel width (SPW 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis;
an average sub-pixel width (SPW AVG )is approximately equal to an average of SPW 1 and SPW 2 ; and
second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to a sum of:
HPP 1 ;
HSPP 1 ;
DSW AVG ; and
½ of SPW AVG .
14. A touch sensor comprising:
a mesh pattern of electrically conductive material configured to extend across either a first display or a second display that is different from the first display, wherein:
the first display and the second display are separate displays;
the mesh pattern comprises a plurality of first lines and a plurality of second lines of the electrically conductive material, the first lines being substantially parallel to each other, the second lines being substantially parallel to each other;
the first display comprises a plurality of first-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of first-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the first-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the first-display pixels having a first-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis and a first-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP 1 ) along the first-display vertical pixel axis, each of the first-display sub-pixels having a first-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP 1 ) along the first-display horizontal pixel axis, and first-display sub-pixel height (SPH 1 ) along the first-display vertical pixel axis;
the second display comprises a plurality of second-display pixels that each comprise a plurality of second-display sub-pixels arranged in repeating patterns along a second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel axis that is perpendicular to the second-display horizontal pixel axis, each of the second-display pixels having a second-display horizontal pixel pitch (HPP 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis and a second-display vertical pixel pitch (VPP 2 ) along the second-display vertical pixel axis, each of the second-display sub-pixels having a second-display horizontal sub-pixel pitch (HSPP 2 ) along the second-display horizontal pixel axis, and a second-display sub-pixel height (SPH 2 ) along the second-display vertical pixel axis;
the first-display pixels and the second-display pixels are substantially equal in size, wherein HPP 1 and HPP 2 are substantially equal, and VPP 1 and VPP 2 are substantially equal;
SPH 2 is greater than SPH 1 ;
the first lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a first angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the first angle is within 1° of the arctangent of H c/ Hpp1 , wherein H c is greater than SPH 1 and less than SPH 2 ; and
the second lines are configured to extend across the first or second display at a second angle relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis, respectively, wherein the second angle is within 1° of the arctangent of VPP1 / (2 ×HSPP 1 ).
15. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein H c is approximately equal to an average of SPH 1 and SPH 2 .
16. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein:
the first angle is oriented counterclockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis; and
the second angle is oriented clockwise relative to the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis.
17. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to three times HPP 1 .
18. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/6 of HPP 1 .
19. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein first lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to six times HPP 1 .
20. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein second lines that are adjacent to each other are separated from each other along the first-display horizontal pixel axis or the second-display horizontal pixel axis by a distance approximately equal to 13/3 of HPP 1 .