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US 9,904,393 B2Granted
Positional touch sensor with force measurement
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsMatthew H. Frey, Robert R. Kieschke, Billy L. Weaver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch screen display sensor is provided that includes a transparent touch-sensing element disposed upon the surface of a transparent substrate and a force-sensing element disposed within the transparent touch-sensing element. The force-sensing element includes two sets of bands of micromesh and can include a pressure-responsive material between the bands of micromesh. The bands of micromesh include traces of a metallic conductor. The sets of bands of micromesh are spaced apart and occupy substantially parallel planes.
Claims49
An article comprising:
- an electronic display having a viewable region;
- a transparent, insulating substrate having a surface;
- and
- a force-sensing element comprising at least one micropattern of metallic traces disposed upon the surface of the substrate, the metallic traces comprising an elemental metal or an alloy of elemental metals, and
- electronics connected to the force-sensing element,
- wherein the transparent insulating substrate is disposed upon the electronic display, wherein the force-sensing element overlays at least a portion of the viewable region of the electronic display without substantially obscuring the viewable region of the display, wherein the force-sensing element comprises a lateral resistive strain gauge sensing element, and wherein the electronics are configured to measure a resistance for current passing through the resistive strain gauge.
3 more elements
An article comprising:
- an electronic display having a viewable region;
- a transparent, insulating substrate disposed upon at least a portion of the viewable region of the electronic display;
- and
- a touch sensor disposed upon a surface of the substrate that overlays at least a portion of the viewable region of the electronic display;
- wherein the touch sensor comprises a force-sensing element,
- wherein the force-sensing element comprises a first set of bands of micromesh and a second set of bands of micromesh,
- wherein the bands of micromesh each comprise traces of a metallic conductor, the metallic conductor comprising an elemental metal or an alloy of elemental metals,
- wherein the first and second sets of bands of micromesh occupy substantially parallel planes that are spaced apart in the direction normal to the planes, and
- wherein at least one band of the first set of bands of micromesh crosses over at least one band of the second set of bands of micromesh.
6 more elements
An article comprising:
- a transparent, insulating substrate having a surface;
- a first force-sensing element comprising a resistive strain gauge, the resistive strain gauge comprising at least one micropattern of conductive traces disposed upon the surface of the substrate, the conductive traces comprising an elemental metal or an alloy of elemental metals;
- and
- electronics connected to the force-sensing element;
- wherein the micropattern has an open area fraction of between 80 and 99.75 percent,
- wherein the conductive traces have a width of between 0.5 and 20 micrometers, and
- wherein the electronics are configured to measure a resistance for current passing through the resistive strain gauge.
4 more elements
An article comprising:
- an electronic display having a viewable region;
- a transparent, insulating substrate having a surface;
- a plurality of force-sensing elements, each force-sensing element comprising a resistive strain gauge comprising at least one micropattern of conductive traces disposed upon the surface of the substrate, the conductive traces comprising an elemental metal or an alloy of elemental metals;
- and
- electronics connected to the plurality of force-sensing elements;
- wherein the substrate is disposed upon the display;
- wherein each micropattern has an open area fraction of between 80 and 99.75 percent,
- wherein the conductive traces of each micropattern have a width of between 0.5 and 20 micrometers,
- wherein the electronics are configured to measure a resistance for current passing through the resistive strain gauge of each force-sensing element, and
- wherein the electronics are configured to determine differentials in response from the force-sensing elements and to use the differentials in response to determine the position of a touch.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.