Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA)

It is shown how a panel for a touch sensor that has co-planar single layer sensors can be fabricated on one side of the substrate. The sense and drive lines can also be made into columns-like patterns that are in one orientation and patches with a second orientation. Each column-like pattern in the initial orientation is connected to a separate trace of metallic within the border of the touch sensor panel. The patches that are in every row in the second orientation are linked with separate tracks made of metal within the borders of the touch sensor panel. The metal trace can be formed by placing trace in the border areas of the substrate, along with the columns or patches. However, the dielectric layer will isolate the columns from the patch as well as the patches.

Many types of input devices are currently available to perform operations in a computing system, like buttons or keys, mice trackballs, trackballs panels, joysticks touchscreens, and others. Because of their convenience and affordability, touch screens are becoming more and more popular. A touch panel can be added to touch screens. The panel could be a transparent screen with a touch sensitive surface. The touch sensor panel could bepositioned in front of a display screen in a way that the surface with a touch sensor extends over the entire area of the display screen. Touch screens let users select items and move cursors using a finger or stylus. The touch screen recognizes the position and touch of the touch, and the computer device interprets this information to perform an action based on the gesture.

Multiple drive lines could form touchscreen sensor panels. rows) crossing over multiple sense lines (e.g. columns) with the drive and sense lines are separated by the dielectric material. Applicant’s U.S. copending application Ser. No. 11/650,049 entitled “Double-Sided Touch Sensitive Panel and Flex Circuit Bonding,” filed on Jan. 3, 2007 the contents of which are included by referenceherein. It can be costly to make touch sensor panels that include drive and sense lines on both the top and bottom sides of one substrate. One reason for this additional cost is that the thin-film processing steps are required to be carried out on both sides of the glass substrate which requires protection measures for one side that is being processed as the other side is being treated. Another reason is the expense for the fabrication of a flex circuit and bonding that is required for connecting to both sides of thesubstrate.

This invention relates to the creation of a transparent touch sensor panel with co-planar single layer touch sensors that are constructed on one side of a substrate. These sensors can detect single or multiple touch events (the touching or the touching of one or more fingers or objects upon a touch sensitive surface at different locations). To avoid having to fabricate substantially transparent drive and sense lines that are on opposing sides of the same substrate embodiments of the invention may make sense and drive lines on a co-planar single layer that is located on the same substrate. It is possible to design the drive and sense lines as columns-like patterns with one orientation and patches and the other orientation in two. Each column-like pattern that is in the first orientation is connected to a separate metallic trace along the borders of the touch panel. All patches and rows in the second orientation are linked using a separate, or another conductive material, in the borders of the touch panel. The metal trace can be formed by forming trace along the edges of the substrate using patches and columns. However the dielectric layer can separate the metal traces from the patches or column-like patterns. Metal traces allow both the columns-like patterns as well as the patches to be routed through the same area of the substrate. This permits a small flex circuit to be attached to a specific area of substrate only.

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