Abstract:
The present invention discloses a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection comprising a touch sensor and the outer peripheral area of the touch sensor is configured with at least one electrical lead. The present invention is characterized in having the conductive shield layer configured in a position corresponding to the outer peripheral area for preventing the fault detection by touching the outer peripheral area.

Description:
[0001]    The application is a non-provisional application of Provisional Application No. 61/016,576 filed on Dec. 25, 2007. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more specifically to a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,316, titled “Flexible Capacitive Touch Sensor”, has disclosed to configure the electrical leads, the electrodes, and the conductive area in the outer peripheral area on a substrate, whose subject is to maximize the active area. The capacitive touch sensor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,316 has contributed for expanding the active area. 
         [0004]    However, there will be some problems when applying the touch panel to the handheld products, such as mobile phones. The outer peripheral area of the touch panel will frequently occur with the touch fault. Thus, the inventor has worked hard for improvement to present a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection, so as to prevent the fault detection in the outer peripheral area. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel for preventing from the fault detection by touching the outer peripheral area. 
         [0006]    To this end, the present invention provides a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection, which comprises a touch sensor, and the outer peripheral area of the touch sensor is configured with at least one electrical lead connected with the touch sensor. The present invention is characterized in having the conductive shield layer configured in a position corresponding to the outer peripheral area for preventing from the fault detection by the user&#39;s touch on the outer peripheral area. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The purpose and the effects of the present invention may be best understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded structure diagram of a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a structural diagram of a touch sensor employed by the touch panel according to the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a structural diagram of another type of touch sensor employed by the touch panel according to the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a structural cross-section view along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1  for the touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is another embodiment of the conductive shield layer according to the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an application of a mobile phone configured with the touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded structure diagram of a touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention.  FIG. 2A  is a structural diagram of a touch sensor employed by the touch panel according to the present invention, and  FIG. 2B  is a structural diagram of another type of touch sensor employed by the touch panel according to the present invention. The touch panel  1  with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention comprises: a touch sensor  10  and a conductive shield layer  11 , in which the shield layer  11  covers the outer peripheral area  10   b  of the touch sensor  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the hatched area is the outer peripheral area  10   b.  The touch sensor  10  may directly adopt the conventional touch sensor, such as the touch sensor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,316, or the conventional projected capacitive touch sensor. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 2A , because the touch sensor  10  is configured to maximize the area of the active area  10   a,  the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  are configured within the outer peripheral area  10   b.  When an object, such as fingers, touched on the active area  10   a,  the touch sensor  10  will immediately detect the touch position, and transmit a two-dimensional coordinate signal corresponding to the touch position. Because the outer peripheral area  10   b  is configured with the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103 , and the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  are electrically connected with the active area  10   a,  when the user touched the peripheral position of the touch panel  1 , it might be determined as touching the touch panel. However, the outer peripheral area  10   b  is not in the scope of the active area  10   a,  so that the touch in the outer peripheral area  10   b  will make the touch panel  1  produce fault detection. The conductive shield layer  11  according to the present invention provides a major function for preventing the touch panel  1  from occurring with such fault detection. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2B , the projected capacitive touch sensor  10  provides the sensing units including X-axis and Y-axis within the active area  10   a  for detecting the touch position. The electrical leads  101  are configured within the outer peripheral area  10   b.  One end of the electrical leads  101  is used to connect with the sensing units within the active area  10   a,  and the other end is connected with a control chip (not shown). Under normal operation, the fingers of the user will operate within the active area  10   a.  However, when the user touched the peripheral position of the touch panel  1 , for example touching the intersection of the outer peripheral area  10   b  and the active area  10   a,  although such a touch position is not in the scope of the active area  10   a,  the touch panel  1  will still possibly be activated. The major function of the conductive shield layer  11  according to the present invention is to prevent the touch panel  1  from occurring with such faults. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a structural cross-section view along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1  for the touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention. The conductive shield layer  11  is configured on the surface of the outer peripheral area  10   b  of the touch sensor  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the shield layer  11  can be used to shield the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b.  If the shape for the layout of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b  is a rectangular type, the shield layer  11  will employ a rectangular structure corresponding to the layout position of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103 . On the other hand, if the shape for the layout of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b  is an U-shape, the shield layer  11  will employ an U-shape structure corresponding to the layout position of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the shield layer  11  can shield the electrical leads  101  in the outer peripheral area  10   b,  and further shield a portion of array electrodes at the intersection of the active area  10   a  and the outer peripheral area  10   b.    
         [0018]    In  FIG. 3 , the implementation of the shield layer  11  may employ the conductive painting, such as conductive ink, to coat on the surface of the outer peripheral area  10   b;  or, attaching the conductive tape, metal sheet or metal mesh on the surface of the outer peripheral area  10   b;  or, forming a thin layer of transparent conductive film of Indium Tin Oxide on the surface of the outer peripheral area  10   b.    
         [0019]      FIG. 4  provides another embodiment according to the present invention. The conductive shield layer  11  is located in the outer peripheral area on the inner surface of the case  4 . And, the outer peripheral area on the inner surface of the case  4  is corresponding to the outer peripheral area  10   b  of the touch sensor  10 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , making an example of a mobile phone  5  employing the touch panel with function of preventing fault detection according to the present invention, the case  4  is the case of the mobile phone  5 , and the touch panel  1  is mounted within the case  4 . The conductive shield layer  11  is located on the inner surface of the case  4 , and corresponding to the outer peripheral area  10   b  of the touch sensor  10 . In  FIG. 5 , the hatched area is the position for the conductive shield layer  11  on the inner surface of the case  4 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the implementation for the shield layer  11  may employ the conductive painting, such as conductive ink, to coat on the surface of the outer peripheral area  10   b;  or, attaching the conductive tape, metal sheet or metal mesh on the outer peripheral area of the inner surface of the case  4 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2A , if the shape for the layout of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b  is a rectangular type, the shield layer  11  on the inner surface of the case  4  will employ a rectangular layout corresponding to the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b.  On the other hand, if the shape for the layout of the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103  in the outer peripheral area  10   b  is an U-shape, the shield layer  11  on the inner surface of the case  4  will employ an U-shape layout corresponding to the electrical leads  101  and the electrodes  103 . 
         [0022]    Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 2B , the shape of the shield layer  11  on the inner surface of the case  4  is corresponding to the layout of the electrical leads  101 , and, moreover, the shield layer  11  on the inner surface of the case  4  will further shield a portion of sensing units at the intersection of the active area  10   a  and the outer peripheral area  10   b.    
         [0023]    According to the art spirit of the present invention in  FIG. 4 , the conductive shield layer  11  is configured in the outer peripheral area corresponding to the touch sensor  10 , and the conductive shield layer  11  is located between the touch sensor  11  and the case  4 . 
         [0024]    The shield layers  11  in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  can be further connected to the ground potential to enhance the shielding effect. 
         [0025]    The touch panel according to the present invention employs the conductive shield layer to prevent the fault detection by touching the outer peripheral area of the touch panel  1 , which can improve the reliability of the touch panel. 
         [0026]    The detailed descriptions of the above-mentioned preferred embodiments are used for clear description of the features and spirit of the present invention, but not limiting the scope of the present invention with the disclosed preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the object is to as far as possibly cover the various variations and the equivalent arrangements within the scope of the claims in the present invention.