Apple inc. (20240134485). ULTRA-THIN TOUCH SENSORS simplified abstract

ULTRA-THIN TOUCH SENSORS

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

Jeffrey M. Weisse of Cupertino CA (US)

Chun-Hao Tung of San Jose CA (US)

Ji Hun Choi of Los Gatos CA (US)

Wenqing Dai of San Jose CA (US)

ULTRA-THIN TOUCH SENSORS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240134485 titled 'ULTRA-THIN TOUCH SENSORS

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes touch screens with ultra-thin stack-ups that can provide for a lower profile device, improve the optical image on the display, and reduce the weight of the device. Here are some key points from the abstract:

• Reducing the thickness of the touch screen stack-up and/or the border region by removing the flex circuit connection from the stack-up.
• Using a flexible substrate to route touch electrodes to touch circuitry, enabling a thinner stack-up.
• Routing a shield layer to a shield electrode on the touch sensor panel, then to touch sensing circuitry via the flexible substrate.
• Integrating the touch sensor panel with the polarizer to further reduce thickness.

Potential Applications

The technology described in the patent application could be applied to various electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other touch screen devices.

Problems Solved

This innovation solves the problem of bulky touch screen stack-ups that can add weight and thickness to electronic devices, as well as improve the optical image quality by reducing the distance between the display and cover glass.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include thinner and lighter devices, improved display quality, and potentially lower manufacturing costs.

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology could be commercially applied in the consumer electronics industry, particularly in the development of thinner and lighter touch screen devices for a wide range of products.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of flexible substrates in touch screen technology to enable thinner stack-ups. Another could be the integration of touch sensor panels with other display components to reduce thickness.

How does this technology impact the durability of the touch screen devices?

The article does not address the potential impact of this technology on the durability of touch screen devices. It would be important to understand if the thinner stack-ups affect the overall strength and longevity of the devices.

Are there any limitations to the integration of touch sensor panels with the polarizer?

The article does not mention any limitations or challenges that may arise from integrating touch sensor panels with the polarizer. It would be helpful to know if there are any technical or practical constraints to this integration.

Original Abstract Submitted

touch screens with ultra-thin stack-ups can provide for a lower profile device, can improve the optical image on the display by reducing the display to cover glass distance, and can reduce the weight of the device. in some examples, the thickness of the touch screen stack-up can be reduced and/or the border region reduced, by removing the flex circuit connection from the stack-up. a flexible substrate can be used to enable routing of touch electrodes to touch circuitry. in some examples including a shield layer, the thickness of the touch screen stack-up can be reduced by routing the shield layer to a shield electrode on the touch sensor panel. the shield layer can then be routed to touch sensing circuitry via the flexible substrate. in some examples, the touch sensor panel or a portion of thereof can be integrated with the polarizer.