WO2012173068A1

WO2012173068A1 - Touch panel

Info

Publication number: WO2012173068A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/064846
Authority: WO
Inventors: 和寿木田; 有史八代; 杉田　靖博; 山岸　慎治
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2011-06-15
Filing date: 2012-06-08
Publication date: 2012-12-20

Abstract

Provided is a capacitance touch panel with superior detection precision. A touch panel is configured from detection electrodes (1, 2, 3), respective primary electrodes (10, 20, 30), and respective pluralities of auxiliary electrodes (11-13), auxiliary electrodes (21-26), and auxiliary electrodes (31-33). The auxiliary electrodes (11-13) are configured to narrow the further from the primary electrode (10), and are positioned to mutually make contact, and form pairs, with the adjacent auxiliary electrodes (23, 22, 21) of another primary electrode (20). With the auxiliary electrodes configured to narrow the further from the primary electrodes, it is possible to detect even a touch in an auxiliary electrode location with high precision.

Description

Touch panel

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly to a capacitive touch panel.

At present, touch panels for inputting a contact position by touching a fingertip or a pen while visually recognizing a display image on a display screen made of a liquid crystal panel or the like are widely used in mobile phones and the like.

Conventionally, various types of touch panels have been proposed as this type of touch panel, but capacitive touch panels that can be easily operated with a finger during use have been widely used.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a capacitive touch panel. FIG. 11A is a plan view of the touch panel as viewed from above, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. FIG. 11C is a diagram illustrating a situation when the fingertip is touched on the touch panel. In FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C, reference numeral 100 denotes a substrate made of a transparent insulator, and a plurality of drive electrodes 101 and a plurality of detection electrodes are provided on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 100, respectively. 102 is formed. The substrate 100 serves as an insulating layer between the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the plurality of drive electrodes 101 and the plurality of detection electrodes 102 are formed so as to intersect at right angles, and further, a cover glass made of a transparent insulator covering the detection electrodes 102. 103 is provided. In FIG. 11A, the substrate 100 between the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102 is indicated by a broken line, but the cover glass 103 is omitted to avoid the drawing from being complicated.

Since the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102 face each other through the substrate 100 which is an insulator, a capacitance is formed between the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102. Therefore, when a voltage is applied between the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102, lines of electric force are formed as shown in FIG. The lines of electric force have a parallel plate component 105 formed at a portion where the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102 face each other, and a fringe component 104 formed at an edge portion.

In such a touch panel, as shown in FIG. 11C, when a fingertip or the like touches from the top of the cover glass 103, it is grounded via the fingertip, and a capacitance is formed between the fingertip. Eventually, the capacitance between the drive electrode 101 and the detection electrode 102 changes. It is detected where this capacitance change has occurred and a touched part such as a fingertip is detected.

In the touch panel shown in FIG. 11, the substrate made of an insulator is usually made of an insulator such as PET, and the thickness thereof is several hundred μm, for example, about 200 μm. In this case, the fringe capacitance component 104 that contributes to the sensitivity of the touch panel among the lines of electric force accompanying the capacitance formed between the drive electrode and the detection electrode is generated from the detection electrode 102 as shown in FIG. It was also generated from a distant place (about 1.8 mm on one side) and was relatively weak.

In the touch panel shown in FIG. 11, in order not to reduce the sensitivity, it is necessary to increase the distance between the detection electrodes 102 to some extent (about 4 mm), and there is a limit to the improvement in sensitivity due to the wide detection. In addition, since it is difficult to reduce the interval between the detection electrodes, there is a problem that it is difficult to increase the detection accuracy.

FIG. 12 is an example of the detection circuit of the capacitive touch panel shown in FIG. Various detection circuits have been proposed and are well-known techniques, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting a contact position of a fingertip or the like in a state where a plurality of electrodes are coupled and connected in order to increase the detection sensitivity of a touch panel.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an outline of the touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 111 denotes a touch panel unit. In this touch panel unit 111, a switch 115a for inputting a pulse signal to the input terminal to the X-axis electrode line and a pulse signal to the input terminal to the Y-axis electrode line are input. A switch 115b for connecting the output from the X-axis electrode line to the arithmetic circuit 114, and a switch 116b for connecting the output from the Y-axis electrode line to the arithmetic circuit 114.

The control circuit 117 controls the whole and instructs the detection electrode coupling control circuit 113 to detect the proximity or contact position of a fingertip or the like in a state where a predetermined number of electrodes are coupled and connected. When the detection is performed, an instruction is given to connect the electrodes in the vicinity of the position individually and connect the other regions by connecting a predetermined number of electrodes.

Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for simultaneously driving a plurality of drive electrodes in order to increase the SNR (Signal Noise Ratio) of a capacitive touch panel.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of the touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 2. In FIG. 14, E1-1 to E1-n are n drive electrodes arranged side by side in the scanning direction, and k detection electrodes E2-1 to E2-k are orthogonal to the drive electrodes. The detection electrode is connected to a voltage detector DET. Reference numeral 11 in FIG. 14 denotes a detection drive scanning unit for driving the drive electrodes.

When the touch panel operates, the detection drive scanning unit 11 in FIG. 14 selects an AC drive electrode unit EU including m (2 ≦ m <n) drive electrodes continuous from the n drive electrodes. Drive. The detection drive scanning unit 11 in FIG. 14 performs a shift operation for changing the AC drive electrode unit EU to be selected in the scanning direction, but one or more drive electrodes common before and after each shift operation. Is repeated to select. In FIG. 14, each time the detection drive scanning unit 11 performs a shift operation, the voltage detector DET compares the potential of the corresponding detection electrode with a predetermined threshold value Vt.

JP 2009-258903 A (published on November 5, 2009) JP 2010-092275 A (published on April 22, 2010)

According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the change in capacitance is increased by bundling the drive electrode and the detection electrode, and the detection sensitivity is improved. The detection accuracy will be reduced. In the technique of Patent Document 2, the SNR can be increased, but if the detection target is reduced, the number of electrodes can only be increased. As a result, the number of electrodes increases, which affects power consumption.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and in particular, a touch panel that can improve the accuracy of the detection position without increasing the number of detection electrodes that greatly affect power consumption. It is intended to provide.

In order to solve the above problems, in the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention,
Drive electrodes made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films provided in parallel to each other;
The drive electrode is a touch panel having a detection electrode made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films insulated from each other through an insulator and provided in parallel to each other,
The drive electrode and the detection electrode are arranged in a matrix shape orthogonal to each other,
The detection electrode is composed of a main electrode extending orthogonally to the drive electrode and a plurality of sub-electrodes provided at a constant interval with respect to the main electrode,
The plurality of sub-electrodes are arranged such that the electrode width becomes narrower as they move away from the main electrode, and the sub-electrodes of two adjacent detection electrodes are arranged close to each other in pairs,
The main electrode and the sub-electrode are electrically connected at least at one place.

According to this, one detection electrode is composed of a main electrode and a plurality of sub-electrodes electrically connected to the main electrode, and the width of the plurality of sub-electrodes is made narrower as the distance from the main electrode is increased. Therefore, it is possible to detect the touch position on the narrowed sub-electrode, and it is possible to increase the definition of the detection position without affecting the power consumption.

In addition, as described above, the width of the sub-electrode is made narrower as it is farther from the main electrode, so that it is possible to increase or decrease the capacitance change (signal). From the relationship between the signals of two or more detection electrodes, the target There is an effect that the position information of an object (particularly an object such as a thin pen tip) can be accurately identified. In addition, even for a large object such as a finger, the number of detection electrodes is apparently increased compared to the conventional one, which has the effect of increasing the signal, and further, the shape around the finger is improved. On the other hand, the effect that shape recognition becomes easier than the conventional one can be expected.

Other objects, features, and superior points of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description. The advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As described above, according to the present invention, a touch panel with low power consumption and high detection accuracy can be obtained.

It is a figure which shows the fundamental structure of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of operation of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st Example (Example 1) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 2nd Example (Example 2) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 3rd Example (Example 3) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 4th Example (Example 4) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 5th Example (Example 5) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the 6th Example (Example 6) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention, and its effect. It is a figure which shows the 7th Example (Example 7) of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating one of the effects of the touchscreen which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the principle of operation of a capacitive touch panel. It is a figure which shows the example of the detection circuit of an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel. It is a figure which shows the example of the conventional touch panel. It is a figure which shows the other example of the conventional touch panel.

Hereinafter, first, a basic configuration of a touch panel according to the invention of the present application and a touch panel detection function based on the configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the following description, various preferred limitations for implementing the present invention are given, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the following examples and drawings. In addition, the drawings are illustrated by, for example, enlarging the dimension in the thickness direction of some members so that the configuration of the touch panel can be easily understood, and do not indicate an actual dimensional relationship. In addition, some components are omitted in some drawings.

First, the basic configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of a part of the touch panel according to the present invention, and shows details of a portion surrounded by a broken line 15 in FIGS. 1B and 1C. FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are diagrams for clarifying the overall configuration of the touch panel according to the present invention, and are diagrams showing a part of the touch panel, but are shown in FIG. This indicates a wider range than the above range. Note that in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, in order to avoid complication of the drawing, a part of the configuration of the electrode portion is omitted.

1 (a), 1 (b), and 1 (c), 1, 2, and 3 are detection electrodes made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films provided in parallel to each other. A driving electrode 4 made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films arranged in a matrix perpendicular to 3 is provided. For convenience of explaining the details of the present invention, the detection electrodes are numbered differently from the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3, respectively, but basically the same configuration except for the left and right ends of the touch panel. It may be. That is, the detection electrode 1 at the left end portion in FIG. 1B and the detection electrode 2 adjacent to the right side thereof have different configurations, but the electrodes other than the end portion basically have the same configuration. . These configurations will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 5 denotes a detection line for extracting detection signals from the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, the

detection electrodes

1, 2, 3 and the drive electrode 4 are electrically insulated from each other by an insulating layer. The

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3 are also electrically insulated from each other.

FIG. 1A shows the configuration of the detection electrodes corresponding to FIG. 1C, and shows the details of the configuration of the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3. FIG. The detection electrode 1 is a detection electrode arranged at the left end portion of the touch panel according to the present invention, and is formed with a main electrode 10 extending perpendicularly to the drive electrode 4 and a predetermined distance from the main electrode 10. A plurality of

sub-electrodes

11, 12, and 13 are configured. Reference numeral 19 denotes a connection electrode for connecting the main electrode 10 and the sub-electrodes 11, 12, and 13.

As can be seen from FIG. 1 (a), in the detection electrode corresponding to FIG. 1 (c), the sub-electrodes 11, 12, and 13 have a length (vertical direction in the drawing) in the width direction (vertical direction in the drawing). It is needless to say that some errors are allowed for the same length (direction), as long as it is “the same length.” Hereinafter, unless otherwise noted, However, the dimension in the width direction (electrode width) is different from each other. More specifically, the widths of the plurality of

sub-electrodes

11, 12, 13 are configured to become narrower as the distance from the main electrode 10 increases.

More specifically, the electrode width of the sub electrode 11 is configured to be narrower than the electrode width of the main electrode 10, the electrode width of the sub electrode 12 is configured to be narrower than the electrode width of the sub electrode 11, and the electrode of the sub electrode 13 The width is narrower than the electrode width of the sub electrode 12. For example, when the number of sub-electrodes is three as shown in FIG. 1A, the width of the main electrode 10 is divided into four equal parts, and the width of the sub-electrode 11 is set to the width of the main electrode 10. 3/4, the width of the sub-electrode 12 is made half (2/4) the width of the main electrode 10, and the width of the sub-electrode 13 is made 1/4 of the width of the main electrode 10. In general, when the number of sub-electrodes is determined, the width of the main electrode is made evenly thinner.

The electrode width varies depending on the thickness of the cover glass that is not shown in the figure but is to be provided on the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3. It is determined in consideration of many conditions such as the distance between the electrode and the sub electrode, the width of the drive electrode, the distance between the drive electrode and the detection electrode. The material of the cover glass will be described in detail later. Further, the number of sub-electrodes provided between the main electrode 1 and the main electrode 2 is not limited to the illustrated number.

The detection electrode 2 includes a main electrode 20, sub-electrodes 21, 22 and 23 on the left side of the main electrode 20 in the drawing, and sub-electrodes 24, 25 and 26 on the right side of the main electrode 20 in the drawing. Reference numeral 29 denotes a connection electrode for electrically connecting the main electrode 20 and the sub-electrodes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The configuration of the detection electrode 2 is such that the sub-electrodes are arranged in contrast in the left and right directions of the drawing of the main electrode, but the configuration is basically the same as that of the detection electrode 1 when one direction portion is taken out.

That is, the sub-electrodes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are configured to become thinner as they move away from the main electrode 20. Specifically, the electrode widths of the sub-electrodes 21 and 24 may be equal to the width of the sub-electrode 11, the electrode widths of the sub-electrodes 22 and 25 may be equal to the electrode width of the sub-electrode 12, The electrode width may be equal to the electrode width of the sub electrode 13.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the sub electrode 23 of the detection electrode 2 is arranged very close to the sub electrode 11 of the detection electrode 1, and similarly, the sub electrode 12 and the sub electrode 22 are extremely close to each other. The sub electrode 13 and the sub electrode 21 are arranged very close to each other. Although a uniform voltage is applied to the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3, there is no potential difference between the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3. Therefore, the arrangement is only required to be separated by a distance that can maintain the electrical insulation between the sub-electrode on the detection electrode 1 side and the sub-electrode on the detection electrode 2 side. In an extreme case, the arrangement may be 1 μm, for example. . A normal touch panel is designed with an interval of, for example, about 5 to 10 μm from the viewpoint of manufacturing.

As can be understood from FIG. 1A, the sub-electrode 11 is configured to have a 3/4 electrode width of the main electrode 10. Specifically, since the sub-electrode 23 is configured to have an electrode width that is ¼ of the main electrode 20, the sub-electrode 11 and the sub-electrode 23 that are arranged close to each other are substantially equal to the

main electrodes

10 and 20. It is equivalent to the width. Similarly, the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22 are disposed in close proximity to each other, and the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22 are approximately equal in width to the

main electrodes

10 and 20. The same applies to the sub electrode 13 and the sub electrode 21. That is, in the example described above, the sub-electrodes of two adjacent detection electrodes are arranged close to each other in pairs, and the widths of the paired sub-electrodes are almost equal to the width of the main electrode. Will be.

In addition, the point regarding the width | variety of said detection electrode and the width | variety of a subelectrode which became a pair is not an essential condition, For example, the width | variety of two subelectrodes which became a pair with respect to 500 micrometers of main electrodes is 400 micrometers. For example, the width of the main electrode and the total width of the two sub-electrodes may be different. Details of this case will be described later as a seventh embodiment.

The distance between the “main electrode 10” and “the sub electrode 11 and the sub electrode 23 arranged in pairs close to each other”, “the sub electrode 11 and the sub electrode arranged in pairs near each other” 23 ”and“ the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22 arranged in pairs close to each other ”,“ the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22 arranged in pairs close to each other ”and“ the mutual The distance between the sub-electrode 13 and the sub-electrode 21 arranged in close proximity to each other, and “the sub-electrode 13 and the sub-electrode 21 arranged in close proximity to each other and the sub-electrode 21” and the “main electrode 20” The intervals are preferably the same.

As already mentioned, the total performance of the touch panel is actually determined by the main electrode, sub-electrode spacing, drive electrode width, drive electrode-detection electrode spacing, etc. One design example is shown below. . The present invention is not limited to this design example, but the present inventors have confirmed that this design example has sufficient performance. As described above, it is known that the optimum values such as the width of the main electrode, the width of the sub electrode, and the distance between the main electrode and the sub electrode differ depending on the thickness of the cover glass.

Main electrode width: 400-500μm
The total width of the two sub-electrodes: 400 μm
Interval between main electrode and sub electrode: 800 μm
Cover glass thickness: 700-800μm
Number of “two pairs of sub-electrodes” provided between the main electrodes: 4, In this case, the main electrodes are arranged at intervals of 6 mm.

In FIG. 1A, only the part corresponding to half of the detection electrode 2 on the main electrode 20 side of the detection electrode 2 is shown, but the actual touch panel has the same configuration as the detection electrode 2. . That is, the configuration of the main electrode 30 and the sub-electrodes 31, 32, 33 of the detection electrode 3 is the same as that of the main electrode 20, the sub-electrodes 21, 22, and 23 of the detection electrode 2. An electrode is also formed on the right side of the main electrode 30 in the drawing. Reference numeral 39 denotes a connection electrode that electrically connects the main electrode 30 and the sub-electrodes 31, 32, and 33.

In FIG. 1, the number of sub-electrodes such as

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3 is three. However, the number of sub-electrodes is not limited to this. For example, the number of sub-electrodes may be four or more. Or it can be set to 2.

The

detection electrodes

1, 2, 3, the drive electrode 4, and the

connection electrodes

19, 29 are all formed of a strip-like conductive film, and any of them can be easily formed by patterning using a known photolithography technique. . It can also be formed by printing using ink jet. As already described, a cover glass is provided on the

detection electrodes

1, 2, 3, etc., although not shown in FIG. The cover glass is not limited to so-called glass, and may be an insulator having a certain dielectric constant. For example, besides glass, a PET film, an acrylic plate, or the like can be used. In the case of an acrylic plate, since the dielectric constant is around 3 and the density is low, there is an advantage that the thickness can be made thinner and lighter than glass, but the transparency is somewhat worse than glass.

FIG. 1B shows a touch panel configured such that the sub electrode has the same length as the main electrode. In FIG. 1C, the sub-electrodes 11, 12, 13, etc. are divided into a plurality of electrode regions having a length substantially equal to the width of the drive electrode 4 at the intersection with the drive electrode 4. The electrode regions divided into a plurality are electrically connected to the main electrode 10 and the like, respectively. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 1B, the sub-electrode is not divided into a plurality of electrode regions, but has the same length as the main electrode, and is electrically connected to the main electrode at at least one location. Is done.

Even in the configuration shown in FIG. 1B, as will be described later, as in the case of FIG. 1C, it is possible to detect the touch position of the fingertip or the like at the sub-electrode position, which is the same as in the case of FIG. There is an effect.

Although not particularly illustrated, the length of the sub-electrode (the vertical dimension in the drawing) may be configured to be equal to the width of a plurality of drive electrodes 4.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the detection operation of the touch panel according to the present invention having the detection electrodes described above.

In FIG. 2, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a state in which a fingertip or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as “fingertip”) is placed on the touch panel, near the main electrode (position 0) of the nth detection electrode. A state in which the fingertip is placed and a state in which the fingertip is placed at a position x slightly shifted to the right from the position 0 are shown.

As is clear from FIG. 2A, at position 0, the fingertip is only near the main electrode of the nth detection electrode. On the other hand, at position x, the fingertip is closest to the sub-electrode near the main electrode of the n-th detection electrode and further away from the main electrode of the adjacent detection electrode (n + 1 first detection electrode). It reaches the vicinity of the secondary electrode at the specified position. As will be described below with reference to FIG. 2B, there is a difference in the thickness of the sub-electrode (area difference) between the detection output from the narrower sub-electrode and the output from the thicker sub-electrode. Therefore, it is possible to detect the fingertip position with high accuracy subdivided to the position of the sub electrode.

FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a state of detection output output to the detection electrode depending on the position where the fingertip or the like is placed. Note that the graph shown in FIG. 2B is simplified for explaining the operation principle of the touch panel according to the present invention, and does not show an accurate characteristic.

In FIG. 2 (b), the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the output signal of the detection electrode, and the horizontal axis indicates the position on the touch panel (the position in the horizontal direction on the paper surface) in a form that clearly shows the relationship with the detection electrode. Show. In FIG. 2B, the solid line (output: n) indicates the output of the n-th detection electrode, indicating that the main electrode has the maximum output at a certain position, and the output decreases as the distance from the main electrode increases. Yes. In FIG. 2B, the broken line (output: n + 1) indicates the output of the (n + 1) th detection electrode, and the maximum output at the position where the main electrode is located as in the case of the solid line (output: n). Thus, the output decreases as the distance from the main electrode increases.

Referring to FIG. 2B, it can be seen that when the fingertip is at position 0, the output of S0 can be obtained only from the nth detection electrode. When the fingertip moves to the position x, an output S1 is obtained from the nth detection electrode and an output S2 is also obtained from the n + 1th detection electrode. In this way, the fingertip can be detected with high accuracy at the position level of the sub-electrode.

If the pattern according to the present application is used, a signal intensity close to linearity can be secured as shown in FIG. 2, and the position x is specified by a simple signal ratio. Therefore, the algorithm for specifying the position coordinates is also simple. There is also a merit that it can be made into something.

As already mentioned, a simple output that varies linearly in this way is not actually obtained, but the present inventors have confirmed that the above description is almost approximate to the actual operation. is doing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing Example 1 of the present invention.

3 (a), FIG. 3 (b), FIG. 3 (c), FIG. 3 (d), and FIG. 3 (e) are diagrams showing the configuration of the touch panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Only the portion corresponding to the portion surrounded by the broken line 16 in 1 (b) and (c) is shown. In FIG. 3, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

3A is a plan view showing the configuration of the

detection electrodes

1, 2 and the drive electrode 4, and FIG. 3B is a view showing only the detection electrode 1 taken out. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing only the detection electrode 2 taken out, and FIG. 3D is a diagram showing only the drive electrode 4 taken out. FIG. 3E shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A ′ in FIG. In addition, in FIG.3 (e), although nothing is described on the

detection electrodes

1 and 2, as already stated, the cover glass etc. are provided in the actual touch panel.

3, the configuration of the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2 is the same as that of the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2 described in FIG. That is, the detection electrode 1 is composed of a main electrode 10 and

sub-electrodes

11, 12, 13 connected to the main electrode 10 by a connection electrode 19, and the sub-electrodes 11, 12, 13 are electrodes as they move away from the main electrode 10. It is comprised so that a width | variety may become thin. Similarly, the main electrode 20 and the sub-electrodes 21, 22, and 23 of the detection electrode 2 are configured such that the electrode width becomes narrower as the distance from the main electrode 20 increases. Reference numeral 29 denotes a connection electrode for connecting the main electrode 20 and the sub-electrodes 21, 22, and 23.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2 are arranged so that the sub-electrode 11 and the sub-electrode 23 are paired close to each other. As a result, the sub-electrode 12 of the detection electrode 1 and the sub-electrode 22 of the detection electrode 2 are arranged in close proximity to each other, and further, the sub-electrode 13 of the detection electrode 1 and the sub-electrode of the detection electrode 2 are arranged. The electrodes 21 are arranged so as to be paired close to each other. As already described with reference to FIG. 1, the sub-electrodes arranged so as to be paired close to each other are insulated from each other.

In the case of the touch panel of Example 1, the drive electrode 4 is configured as a uniform conductive film on the entire surface as shown in FIG. 3D, and the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2 are opposed to the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2. The electrode 2 is provided so as to cover the entire surface.

FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG. In FIG. 3 (e), reference numeral 7 denotes a substrate, and the drive electrode 4 is formed on the substrate 7. Reference numeral 6 denotes an insulating layer, which achieves electrical insulation between the drive electrode 4 and the

detection electrodes

1, 2, and 3. As shown in FIG. 3E, the main electrode 10 and the sub-electrodes 11, 12, and 13 constitute the detection electrode 1, and the main electrode 20 and the sub-electrodes 21, 22, and 23 constitute the detection electrode 2. Has been. According to FIG. 3 (e), the sub-electrode 11 and the sub-electrode 23, the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22, and the sub-electrode 13 and the sub-electrode 21 are arranged so as to be close to each other and to be paired. I understand.

The

detection electrodes

1, 2 and 3, the drive electrode 4, the substrate 7, the insulating layer 6, and the cover glass (not shown) are placed on a display device such as a liquid crystal display device and associated with the display image of the display device. In the case of being used, it is preferable that both are transparent members. In this case, ITO, which is well known as a transparent electrode, can be used for the drive electrode 4 and the

detection electrodes

1, 2 and 3, and an insulating material such as PET can be used for the insulating layer 6. . Moreover, various transparent glass and an acrylic board can be used for a cover glass.

As a material for the drive electrode and the detection electrode, ITO is generally used. However, if the pattern is very fine, metal may be an option. As long as the metal is employed in the liquid crystal panel, there is no problem. For example, Ti, Al, Mo, or a combination thereof may be used. As the insulating layer, it is also possible to use an insulating layer or a resin layer used in the liquid crystal process. For example, a silicon nitride film (SiNx), a silicon oxide film (SiO2), an acrylic resin, or the like can be used. It is possible to use.

In addition, in Example 1 demonstrated above, the specific design example of each member is shown below. As is clear from the following description, the main electrode and the sub electrode having the same configuration as the member shown in FIG. 1 are designed to have substantially the same values as described in the explanation of FIG. The present invention is not limited to the design example of the first embodiment, but the present inventors have confirmed that the design example has sufficient performance.

Main electrode width: 400-500μm
The total width of the two sub-electrodes: 400 μm
Interval between main electrode and sub electrode: 800 μm
Cover glass thickness: 700-800μm
Driving electrode 4 width: 1.6 to 1.7 mm
Insulating layer 6 thickness: 2-3 μm
Drive electrode and detection electrode thickness: 100 μm
Note that the substrate 7 may be determined mainly from consideration of strength.

When configured in this way, the configuration of the drive electrode 4 is simple, and the drive electrode 4 itself serves as a good shield, so when it is used by being laminated with a liquid crystal module or the like, The touch panel resists noise from the LCD module. Moreover, although the positional accuracy with respect to a thin detection target such as a pen can be improved, since the cross capacitance between the drive electrode and the detection electrode becomes large, it is effective to use for a relatively small panel.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the touch panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows only a portion corresponding to a portion surrounded by a broken line 16 in FIGS. In addition, in the touch panel of Example 2 shown in FIG. 4, since the same number is provided to the same component as FIG. 1, FIG. 3, detailed description of those portions is abbreviate | omitted.

In FIG. 4, FIG. 4 (a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the

detection electrodes

1, 2 and the drive electrode 40 in a plan view, and FIG. 4 (b) is a diagram showing the drive electrode 40 taken out. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. FIG. 4D is a diagram showing a modification of the second embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG.

The touch panel of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is greatly different from the touch panel of the first embodiment shown in FIG. In the touch panel of the first embodiment, the drive electrode 4 is formed so as to cover the entire surface of the detection electrode 1, the detection electrode 2, and the like. However, in the touch panel of the second embodiment, the drive electrode 40 is formed as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, it is configured in a comb-like shape, and as shown in FIG. 4C, the structure is removed in a portion overlapping with the

main electrodes

10, 20 and the sub electrode. In particular, the drive electrode formed in a comb-teeth shape is described as “drive electrode 40”, and is distinguished from the drive electrode 4 of the first embodiment. 41 is a comb-teeth connection wiring for mutually connecting each comb-teeth portion of the drive electrode 40 formed in a comb-teeth shape, and is connected only by one side portion in the length direction of the drive electrode.

Here, the “portion overlapping with the sub-electrode” to be removed from the drive electrode 4 shown in the first embodiment is a portion of “the sub-electrode 11 and the sub-electrode 23 arranged in a close proximity to each other”. , “Sub-electrode 12 and sub-electrode 22 arranged in pairs close to each other” and “sub-electrode 13 and sub-electrode 21 arranged in pairs close to each other” ing. In FIG.4 (c), 7 is a board | substrate and 6 is an insulating layer.

In FIG. 4B, the comb-tooth connection electrode 41 is provided on the upper side portion (the top of the drawing) of the drive electrode 40, and the drive electrode 40 is formed in a literal comb-tooth shape. 41 may be provided other than this part, and a plurality of comb-teeth connection electrodes 41 may be provided. That is, the drive electrode may be provided so that a part of the drive electrode is removed from the portion overlapping the detection electrode.

In the following, for simplification of description, a portion of “sub-electrode 11 and sub-electrode 23 arranged in pairs close to each other” is abbreviated as “sub-electrode pair 1123” and “close to each other”. The portion of the sub-electrode 12 and the sub-electrode 22 arranged as a pair is referred to as a “sub-electrode pair 1222”, and similarly, the portion of the “sub-electrode 13 and the sub-electrode 21 arranged as a pair close to each other”. May be abbreviated as “sub electrode pair 1321”.

Thus, the area of the overlapping portion (cross portion) between the detection electrode and the drive electrode can be considerably reduced, and as a result, the capacitance at this intersection portion can be reduced. Therefore, the charging time in the detection electrode is shortened, and driving at a high frequency is possible. This means that the number of touch detections on the touch panel can be increased, and the detection performance of the touch panel is improved.

FIG. 4D is a modification of the second embodiment. In the modification of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4D, the detection electrode and the drive electrode are provided so as to be insulated from each other on the same plane. As apparent from FIG. 4D, between the main electrode 10 and the sub electrode pair 1123, between the sub electrode pair 1123 and the sub electrode pair 1222, between the sub electrode pair 1222 and the sub electrode pair 1321, and the sub electrode pair 1321. A comb-like drive electrode 40 is sandwiched between the main electrode 20 and the main electrode 20 in the same plane. Needless to say, it is necessary to insulate between the detection electrode 1 and the detection electrode 2 and further between the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40.

In this case, the entire touch panel can be made thin, and since the insulating layer can be disposed only in the cross portion, there is an effect of suppressing a decrease in transmittance.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, and shows only a portion corresponding to a portion surrounded by a broken line 16 in FIGS. 1 (b) and 1 (c). In addition, in the touch panel of Example 3 shown in FIG. 5, since the same number is attached | subjected to the same component as FIG.1, FIG.3, FIG.4, detailed description of those components is abbreviate | omitted. .

The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4 in the configuration of the drive electrode 40, but as shown in FIG. 5A, the

detection electrodes

1, 2, the

main electrodes

10, 20. The configurations of the sub-electrodes 11, 12, 13, the sub-electrodes 21, 22, 23, and the

connection electrodes

19, 29 may be the same as those in the second embodiment, and as shown in FIGS. 5 (c) and 5 (d), The insulating layer 6 and the substrate 7 may have the same configuration. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40 are arranged to face each other with the insulating layer 6 therebetween as shown in FIG. 5C. Further, as shown in FIG. 5D, the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40 may be arranged on the same plane.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, a metal wiring 42 made of a highly conductive conductor is provided adjacent to the comb connection wiring 41 of the drive electrode 40 formed in a comb shape. . That is, the drive electrode 40 is a portion that overlaps the detection electrode and is made of a high conductivity conductor at a portion of the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 that is narrowed by removing a part of the drive electrode 40. The metal wiring 42 is provided. The metal wiring 42 is provided so as to be electrically connected to the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 and suppresses a decrease in the resistance value of the comb-teeth connection wiring 41.

The metal wiring 42 can be a typical metal used for liquid crystal panels such as Ti, Al, Mo, and composites in addition to metal wiring such as gold, silver, and copper, but the entire touch panel is transparent. In some cases, it is necessary to make the presence of metal wiring inconspicuous by taking measures such as narrowing the wiring width. Moreover, you may respond by increasing the thickness of transparent conductive films, such as ITO. In this case, a part of the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 may be thickened, or the entire thickness of the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 may be increased.

According to this, it is possible to effectively prevent an increase in the resistance value of the drive electrode 40 due to the drive electrode 40 having a comb shape. For this reason, since the time constant (capacitance c × resistance R) for driving the touch panel becomes small, the touch panel can be driven at high speed, and the performance as the touch panel can be improved.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In Practical Example 4, a shield conductive film insulated from the drive electrode is provided at a location where the drive electrode is removed in order to form the comb-like drive electrode 40.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the touch panel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A shows a conductive shield for a comb-like drive electrode 40 formed in a comb-like shape. FIG. 6B shows the structure of only the comb-shaped shielding conductive film 8, and FIG. 6C shows the structure of FIG. 6A. A cross-sectional view along line AA ′ is shown. In FIG. 6, only the portion corresponding to the portion surrounded by the broken line 16 in FIGS. 1B and 1C is shown. Further, in the touch panel according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. .

In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the drive electrode 40 formed in a comb-like shape in the second and third embodiments shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. A shielding conductive film 8 insulated from the drive electrode 40 is provided on the same plane. The shielding conductive film 8 preferably fills the entire portion (blank portion) where the drive electrode 40 is not present, and also fills the blank portion of the drive electrode 40 as shown in FIG. The shielding conductive films 8 are electrically connected to each other.

In the touch panel of the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 (see FIG. 5B) that connects the tooth-like conductors of the drive electrodes 40 formed in a comb-teeth shape. Although the metal wiring 42 made of a conductor having high conductivity is adjacent to the metal wiring 42, the metal wiring 42 is not an essential constituent element. Therefore, the shielding conductive film 8 may be provided without providing the metal wiring 42. .

In the touch panel of Example 4 shown in FIG. 6, since the conductive film 8 for shielding is provided, a touch panel resistant to external electrical noise can be obtained. The touch panel is often used in a manner overlapping with a display device that generates electrical noise during operation, for example, a liquid crystal display device. By providing such a conductive film 8 for shielding, noise from the liquid crystal panel is provided. It is possible to prevent the operation of the touch panel from becoming unstable even when the liquid crystal panel generates strong electrical noise.

In the touch panel having the shielding conductive film 8 of Example 4 shown in FIG. 6, the influence of noise can be further reduced by using the drive electrode 40 and the shielding conductive film 8. Specifically, by setting the potential other than the active drive electrode to the same potential as that of the shielding conductive film 8, for example, even if a display device such as a liquid crystal panel disposed under the touch panel generates strong electrical noise. This can be effectively shielded. As a result, noise components are reduced with respect to the detection electrodes. That is, in the touch panel, a drive voltage is selectively applied to the drive electrode in order to detect a touch of a fingertip or the like, but other than the drive electrode to which the drive voltage is applied has the same potential as the shield conductive film 15. Will be.

FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and shows only a portion corresponding to a portion surrounded by a broken line 16 in FIGS. 1 (b) and 1 (c). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the touch panel according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the configuration of the

detection electrodes

1, 2 and the drive electrode 40, and FIG. 7C is a diagram showing a cross section taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. 7A. As in the case of the second and third embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, in FIG. 7B, the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40 are provided in a hierarchical structure with the insulating layer 6 interposed therebetween. FIG. 7C shows an example (a modification of the fifth embodiment) in which the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40 are insulated from each other on the same plane.

7 shows only a portion corresponding to the portion surrounded by the broken line 16 in FIGS. 1B and 1C as described above. In the touch panel of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 3 to 6, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and detailed description of those components is omitted.

In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7A, a connection electrode 19 that connects the main electrode 10 of the detection electrode 1 and the sub-electrodes 11, 12, and 13, and a main electrode 20 of the detection electrode 2 Both connection electrodes 29 for connecting the sub-electrodes 21, 22, 23 are provided on the same side. In the case of FIG. 7A, the

connection electrodes

19 and 29 are provided on the side opposite to the comb connection wiring 41 of the comb-shaped drive electrode 40. That is, in the fifth embodiment, the connection electrode for connecting the main electrode and the sub electrode in the detection electrode is provided on the side opposite to the comb connection wiring of the drive electrode formed in the comb shape. Yes.

With this configuration, the cross capacitance based on the intersection between the drive electrode 40 and the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 can be further reduced. As a result, the charging time at the detection electrode is shortened, and driving at high frequency is performed. Is possible. As described above, this means that the number of touch detections on the touch panel can be increased, and the detection performance of the touch panel is improved.

Further, in the drive electrode 40 and the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 shown in FIG. 7B, a comb-like portion of the drive electrode 40 is formed between the main electrode and the sub electrode of the

detection electrodes

1 and 2. It is not necessary to provide it on the entire surface, and it may be provided intentionally through a space. That is, in FIG. 7A, it can be confirmed that a slight space is provided between the comb-like portion of the drive electrode 40 and the main electrode and the sub electrode of the

detection electrodes

1 and 2. A space may be provided intentionally. For example, the space may be about 200 μm. By providing such a space, the cross capacitance can be further reduced. In the case of the second and third embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, such a space is similarly provided, and the cross capacitance can be further reduced.

Needless to say, in order to maintain insulation between the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40, it is necessary to insulate the portion where these electrodes cross with an insulating film or the like.

FIG. 8 shows Embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of the touch panel of Example 6 according to the present invention, FIG. 8A is a diagram showing the configuration of the

detection electrodes

1 and 2 and the drive electrode 40, and FIG. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line AA ′ in FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8C is a diagram for explaining the effect of the touch panel according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 8 shows only a portion corresponding to the portion surrounded by the broken line 16 in FIGS. Further, in the touch panel according to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 7, and detailed description of these components will be omitted. .

In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the configuration is almost the same as that of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7C. However, as shown in FIG. An insulating conductive film 9 is provided for insulation. Specifically, a ground conductive film 9 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 7 on which the detection electrode and the drive electrode are formed. When the touch panel is used by being placed on a liquid crystal display device or the like, the substrate 7, the insulating layer 6, the

detection electrodes

1 and 2, the drive electrode 40, etc., including the ground conductive film 9, are known transparent insulators, It will be formed of a transparent conductive film.

FIG. 8B shows a structure in which a ground conductive film 9 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 7 of the touch panel in which the detection electrode and the drive electrode are formed on the same plane, but FIG. Needless to say, the ground conductive film 9 may be provided on the back surface of the substrate 7 even in a touch panel having a structure in which the detection electrode and the drive electrode as shown in FIG.

FIG. 8C shows a state of lines of electric force when a driving voltage is applied to the touch panel provided with the ground conductive film 9. As is clear from FIG. 8C, the grounding conductive film 9 is provided under the substrate 7, so that the lower side of the lines of electric force (see the arrows in the figure) from the drive electrode 40 to the detection electrode 1 is reduced. The electric lines of force that wrap around are trapped in the grounding conductive film 9 and the cross capacitance can be reduced. The conductive film 9 for earthing also has a shielding effect against noise from noise generation sources such as a liquid crystal panel and an organic EL panel.

FIG. 9 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and shows only a portion corresponding to a portion surrounded by a broken line 16 in FIGS. 1 (b) and 1 (c). Example 7 shown in FIG. 9 shows a case where the width of the “main electrode” constituting the detection electrode is different from the width of the “total number of sub-electrodes paired”. In addition, the width of the “sub electrode total” is smaller than the width of the “main electrode”.

In FIG. 9, the detection electrode 1 is composed of a main electrode 10 and four

sub-electrodes

101, 102, 103, 104, and the detection electrode 2 is composed of a main electrode 20 and four

sub-electrodes

201, 202, 203, 204. It is configured. As is apparent from FIG. 9, for example, the sub-electrode 101 and the sub-electrode 204 are arranged in close proximity to each other to constitute a “paired sub-electrode”. The drive electrode 40 is inserted between the “main electrode” and the “paired sub-electrode” and between the “paired sub-electrodes”.

In FIG. 9, in order to avoid the complexity of the drawing, the connection electrode connecting the main electrode 10 and the

sub-electrodes

101, 102, 103, 104, and the connection between the main electrode 20 and the

sub-electrodes

201, 202, 203, 204 are connected. The connection electrodes for connecting the drive electrodes 40 and the drive electrodes 40 are omitted, but in actuality, they are connected to each other by the configuration shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. Has been.

In Example 7, as shown in FIG. 9, the width of the

main electrodes

10 and 20 is set to 500 μm, and the total width of the paired sub-electrodes is set to 400 μm. Further, the width of the drive electrode 40 is set to 400 μm, and the distance between the drive electrode 40 and the

main electrodes

10 and 20 and between the sub electrode paired with the drive electrode 40 is set to 200 μm. Furthermore, the dimension of the drive electrode 40 in the length direction is set to 5100 μm. Regarding the width of the main electrode, it has been confirmed that a similar effect can be obtained by increasing the width in the range of 100 μm to 150 μm with respect to the width of “the total of the paired sub electrodes”.

As shown in FIG. 9, the present inventors set the “total width of the paired sub-electrodes” to be smaller than the “width of the main electrode”, thereby outputting the detection output in FIG. It has been found that a detection output with good linearity as indicated by n and output n + 1 can be obtained. That is, when the width of the main electrode and the “total width of the paired sub-electrodes” are designed to be substantially the same width, the detection object such as a fingertip is the first “paired sub-electrode from the main electrode. The detection output obtained when moving to “” is small and the detection output is somewhat saturated. However, it has been confirmed that the linearity of the detection output can be improved by the above configuration.

The reason why the linearity of the detection output can be improved is considered as follows.

The reason why the change in detection output obtained when a detection object such as a fingertip moves from the main electrode to the first “paired sub-electrode” is reduced is that the first “paired sub-electrode” from the main electrode This is probably because the difference in the lines of electric force when going to the “electrode” is small. Therefore, the “total width of the paired sub-electrodes” is made smaller than the “main electrode width”, and the fingertip or pen tip placed on the main electrode is moved to the first “pair” from the main electrode. The difference of the electric lines of force when going to the “sub electrode” side is increased. As a result, the change in the detection output is increased, and as a result, the linearity of the detection output can be improved.

The number of sub-electrodes and the size (dimensions) of each part shown in FIG. 9 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to this number and size. It is confirmed that a good detection output can be obtained when the number of each is set to 4 and the size of each part is set as shown in FIG. That is, in general, the optimum value of the size of each part depends on the thickness of the cover glass, depends on the number of sub-electrodes, further depends on the size of the main electrode, etc. Although it is known that the size of each part affects each other in a complicated manner, it has been confirmed that sufficient detection output can be obtained with sufficient accuracy as a touch panel when set to the above values. In addition, it is not preferable to reduce the number of sub-electrodes because the linearity of the detection output may be lost. However, if the number of sub-electrodes is set to four as described above, it is confirmed that a detection output with good linearity can be obtained. ing.

Further, in the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the sub-electrode 101 of the main electrode 10 is disposed close to the sub-electrode 204 of the main electrode 20, and together with the sub-electrode 204, “a pair of sub-electrodes” The sub electrode 204 is disposed on the side close to the main electrode 10, and the sub electrode 101 is disposed at a position away from the main electrode 10.

In this respect, although different from the configuration shown in FIG. 1 and the like shown as the basic configuration of the present invention, the configuration shown in FIG. It has been confirmed that the same effect as the above can be obtained. Therefore, the sub electrode 204 may be close to the main electrode 10.

Further, the configuration in which the “total width of the paired sub-electrodes” shown in FIG. 9 is made smaller than the “width of the main electrode” is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 7. The touch panel of each embodiment shown in FIG.

[About the effect of this application]
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another effect of the touch panel according to the invention of the present application in comparison with a conventional example. FIG. 10 (a) shows a conventional touch panel, and FIG. b) shows an example of a touch panel according to the invention of the present application.

In the touch panel, it is necessary to connect a detection line for signal detection to the detection electrode, and further draw out this detection line to the end of the touch panel. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B each show a touch panel having the same level of detection accuracy, and shows necessary detection lines in each touch panel.

In the case of the conventional example shown in FIG. 10A, it is necessary to connect a detection line to each of the detection electrodes, and it is necessary to draw an extremely large number of detection lines to the end of the touch panel. This means that a large number of detection line spaces are required in the outer edge portion of the touch panel, and as a result, it becomes difficult to realize a so-called narrow frame touch panel.

On the other hand, in the touch panel according to the present invention, it is only necessary to draw out the detection line from only the main electrode among the main electrode and the sub electrode constituting the detection electrode, and the number of detection lines can be greatly reduced. In the example shown in FIG. 10B, the number of detection lines may be 1/5 as compared with the conventional example shown in FIG. For this reason, a so-called narrow frame touch panel can be easily realized.

[Modifications of Example 2, Example 3, Example 5, and Example 7]
In the case of Example 2 shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (b), the case of Example 3 shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to (c) is shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). In the case of the embodiment 5 and the embodiment 7 shown in FIG. 9, the comb-like drive electrode 40 is provided with the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 in the upper part of the drawing. It is not limited to. That is, the comb-teeth connection wiring 41 may be further provided in the lower part of the drawing, and the comb-like drive electrodes may be connected to the upper and lower ends of the drawing. Further, the comb connection wiring 41 may be provided and connected only to the intermediate portion. In short, the drive electrode 4 may be partially removed from the portion overlapping the detection electrode. Also by this, the area of the overlapping portion (cross portion) of the detection electrode and the drive electrode can be reduced, so that the above effect can be expected.

[Other configurations]
Further, in the touch panel according to one aspect of the present invention, the sub-electrode is further divided into a plurality of electrode regions having a length substantially equal to the width of the drive electrode at the intersection with the drive electrode, The electrode regions divided into a plurality are preferably electrically connected to the main electrode.

According to this, the sub electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode regions having a length substantially equal to the width of the drive electrode at the intersection with the drive electrode, and the divided electrode region is divided into the plurality of electrode regions. Are electrically connected to the main electrode, so that the cross capacitance with the drive electrode can be reduced, and the drive power consumption can be reduced. Further, since the cross capacitance can be reduced, the charging time can be shortened, so that the time constant required for charging is lowered, and as a result, the driving frequency can be increased.

In the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a part of the drive electrode is removed in a portion overlapping with the detection electrode.

According to this, since the overlapping part (cross part) of the drive electrode and the detection electrode can be further reduced, it becomes possible to further shorten the charging time during driving, and it is possible to drive at a higher frequency. Become.

In the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, the drive electrode may be connected to only one side portion in the length direction of the drive electrode in a portion overlapping the detection electrode, and may be formed in a comb shape. preferable.

According to this, it is possible to minimize the overlap between the drive electrode and the detection electrode, and it is easy to minimize the charging time during driving.

Further, in the touch panel according to one aspect of the present invention, the drive electrode further includes a metal wiring made of a high conductivity conductor in a portion where the drive electrode is partially removed and narrowed in a portion overlapping the detection electrode. It is preferable to have.

According to this, it is possible to effectively prevent an increase in the resistance value due to the narrowed portion in the drive electrode, it is possible to avoid a dull drive signal, and it is possible to prevent deterioration in performance as a touch panel. That is, the resistance value can be lowered, and as a result, the time constant required for charging can be further lowered.

In the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, a shield conductive film is provided on the same plane as the drive electrode, where the drive electrode is removed, and is insulated from the drive electrode. Preferably it is.

According to this, the noise component entering the touch panel can be minimized, and the operation as the touch panel can be stabilized.

Further, in the touch panel according to one aspect of the present invention, the connection electrode for connecting the main electrode and the sub electrode in the detection electrode, and the comb connection wiring of the drive electrode formed in the comb shape, It is preferable to provide on the opposite side.

According to this, the cross capacitance based on the intersection of the drive electrode and the detection electrode can be further reduced, and the drive at a higher frequency becomes possible. This means that the number of touch detections of the touch panel is increased, and the detection performance of the touch panel can be improved.

The touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention is further characterized in that a ground conductive film is provided so as to be insulated from the detection electrode and the drive electrode.

According to this, the cross capacitance between the detection electrode and the drive electrode can be further reduced, and noise from the noise generation source can be effectively shielded.

In the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection electrode and the drive electrode are both transparent conductive films, an insulating layer that insulates the detection electrode and the drive electrode, the detection electrode, and the drive electrode. It is preferable that any of the substrates that form the layer is made of a transparent insulator.

According to this, a touch panel can be mounted on a display device such as a liquid crystal display panel, and the touch panel can be used in cooperation with a display image of the display device, and the convenience of the touch panel can be further enhanced.

In the touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the shielding conductive film is transparent.

According to this, it is possible to use a touch panel provided with a conductive film for shielding to enhance noise resistance together with a liquid crystal display device or the like, and the convenience of the touch panel can be enhanced.

The touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention is further characterized in that the ground conductive film is transparent.

According to this, a touch panel provided with a conductive film for grounding can be installed on a liquid crystal display device or the like, and an operation as a touch panel can be performed while checking an image displayed on the liquid crystal display device or the like. The convenience of the touch panel can be improved.

Further, in the touch panel according to one aspect of the present application, the sub-electrodes of the two adjacent detection electrodes are arranged in close proximity to each other, and the total width of the paired sub-electrodes is greater than the width of the main electrode. It is preferable to make it smaller. According to this, the linearity of the detection output at the detection electrode can be improved.

The specific embodiments or examples made in the detailed description section of the invention are merely to clarify the technical contents of the present invention, and are limited to such specific examples and are interpreted in a narrow sense. It should be understood that various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can improve detection accuracy without increasing power consumption in a touch panel that can input information by touching a fingertip or the like. Various portable devices are used as information input devices in man-machine interfaces. It can be applied to personal computers and the like, and its industrial applicability is high.

1, 2, 3 Detection electrode 4 Drive electrode 5 Detection line 6 Insulating layer 7 Substrate 8 Shielding conductive film 9 Grounding conductive film 10

Main electrode

11, 12, 13 Sub electrode 19 Connection electrode 20

Main electrode

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 Sub-electrode 29 Connecting electrode 30

Main electrode

31, 32, 33 Sub-electrode 39 Connecting electrode 40 Comb-shaped drive electrode 41 Comb-connecting wiring 42

Metal wiring

101, 102, 103, 104 Sub-electrode 201, 202, 203, 204 Sub-electrode

Claims

Drive electrodes made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films provided in parallel to each other;
The drive electrode is a touch panel having a detection electrode made of a plurality of strip-like conductive films insulated from each other through an insulator and provided in parallel to each other,
The drive electrode and the detection electrode are arranged in a matrix shape orthogonal to each other,
The detection electrode is composed of a main electrode extending orthogonally to the drive electrode and a plurality of sub-electrodes provided at a constant interval with respect to the main electrode,
The plurality of sub-electrodes are arranged such that the electrode width becomes narrower as they move away from the main electrode, and the sub-electrodes of two adjacent detection electrodes are arranged close to each other in pairs,
The touch panel, wherein the main electrode and the sub electrode are electrically connected at least at one place.
The sub-electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode regions having a length substantially equal to the width of the drive electrode at an intersection with the drive electrode, and each of the divided electrode regions serves as a main electrode. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is electrically connected.
The touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a part of the drive electrode is removed in a portion overlapping the detection electrode.
4. The touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the drive electrode is connected to only one side portion in the length direction of the drive electrode in a portion overlapping with the detection electrode, and is formed in a comb shape.
5. The drive electrode according to claim 3, wherein the drive electrode has a metal wiring made of a highly conductive conductor in a narrow portion narrowed by removing a part of the drive electrode in a portion overlapping the detection electrode. The touch panel described.
6. The shield conductive film insulated from the drive electrode is provided at a location on the same plane as the drive electrode from which the drive electrode is removed. The touch panel according to one item.
The connection electrode for connecting the main electrode and the sub electrode in the detection electrode is provided on a side opposite to the comb connection wiring of the drive electrode formed in the comb shape. 4. The touch panel according to 4.
The touch panel according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further comprising an earth conductive film insulated from the detection electrode and the drive electrode.
The detection electrode and the drive electrode are both transparent conductive films, the insulating layer that insulates the detection electrode and the drive electrode, and the substrate that forms the detection electrode and the drive electrode are both made of a transparent insulator. The touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the touch panel is provided.
The touch panel according to claim 6, wherein the conductive film for shielding is transparent.
9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the ground conductive film is transparent.
2. The sub-electrodes of two adjacent detection electrodes are arranged close to each other in pairs, and the total width of the paired sub-electrodes is made smaller than the width of the main electrode. The touch panel according to any one of items 11 to 11.