Telegraphy – Systems – Position coordinate determination for writing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-29
2001-05-01
Shankar, Vijay (Department: 2673)
Telegraphy
Systems
Position coordinate determination for writing
C178S018030, C178S018040, C178S018050, C345S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06225577
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a co-ordinates input device in which data is input by operating an operation region using input pens, fingers, or the like, and also relates to a method for producing such co-ordinates input devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 6
to
FIG. 9
show a co-ordinates input device of the prior art in which an operation region is operated by input pens or the like.
FIG. 6
is a side view of the co-ordinates input device of the prior art,
FIG. 7
is a plan view of a lower transparent substrate member of the prior art,
FIG. 8
shows the back surface of an upper transparent substrate member of the prior art, and
FIG. 9
is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX—IX of FIG.
7
.
In the co-ordinates input device of the prior art, the lower transparent substrate member
20
is composed of: a transparent glass substrate
21
; an ITO film (a transparent resistive film made of indium oxide)
22
formed on the entire upper surface of the transparent substrate
21
; electrodes
23
and
24
both made of silver, etc. and provided on the ITO film
22
in parallel with each other and at a given distance from each other; an operation region
25
formed between the electrodes
23
and
24
; an insulating film
26
provided on the ITO film
22
, outside the operation region
25
and along one side of the operation region
25
; and lead electrodes
27
and
28
, extending from one end of each of the electrodes
23
and
24
, formed on the insulating film
26
.
The upper transparent substrate member
30
is composed of: a transparent substrate
31
made of a synthetic resin such as transparent polyethylene terephthalate; an ITO film
32
formed on the entire lower surface of the transparent substrate
31
; electrodes
33
and
34
both made of silver, etc. and provided on the ITO film
32
in parallel with each other and at a given distance from each other; an operation region
35
formed between the electrodes
33
and
34
; an insulating film
36
provided on the ITO film
32
, outside the operation region
35
and along one side of the operation region
35
; another insulating film
37
which is provided on the ITO film
32
, outside the operation region
35
and parallel to the electrode
34
, and which connects to the insulating film
36
; a lead electrode
38
, extending from one end of the electrode
33
, formed on the insulating films
36
and
37
; and another lead electrode
39
extending from one side of the electrode
34
formed on the insulating film
37
.
As is shown in
FIG. 6
, the upper transparent substrate member
30
and the lower transparent substrate member
20
oppose each other with insulating spacers
40
therebetween such that the ITO films
32
and
22
face each other and the parallel electrodes
33
and
34
oppose portions of the lower substrate on which the lower electrodes
23
and
24
are not formed.
In the above structure, the inputting of co-ordinates is carried out as follows: when the transparent substrate
31
is pressed using an input pen (not shown in the figures), it is deformed so that the upper and lower ITO films
32
and
22
are in contact. The ratio of the resistance between a contact point and the electrode
33
to the resistance between the contact point and the electrode
34
and the ratio of the resistance between the contact point and the electrode
23
to the resistance between the contact point and the electrode
24
are obtained via the lead electrodes
38
,
39
,
27
and
28
.
The ends of the lead electrodes
27
and
28
of the electrodes
23
and
24
and those of the lead electrodes
38
and
39
of the electrodes
33
and
34
are formed close to each other to be connected to outside, for example, by connectors.
Therefore, the lead electrode
27
extending from the electrode
23
on the lower transparent substrate member
20
is formed on the insulating film
26
so as to be insulated from the ITO film
22
and the other lead electrode
28
, and the lead electrode
38
extended from the electrode
33
on the upper transparent substrate member
30
is formed on the insulating films
36
and
37
so as to be insulated from the ITO film
32
, the other electrode
34
, and the lead electrode
39
.
As is mentioned above, in the co-ordinates input device of the prior art, the insulating film
26
is formed for insulating the lead electrode
27
from the operation region
25
and the lead electrode
28
, and the insulating films
36
and
37
are provided for insulating the lead electrode
38
from the operation region
35
, electrode
34
, and the lead electrode
39
. Therefore, the production cost is raised due to the increased number of production steps and the material cost required for forming the insulating films
26
,
36
, and
37
.
In addition, due to pin holes formed in the insulating films
26
,
36
, and
37
, the lead electrodes
27
and
38
may have continuity with the ITO films
22
and
32
, respectively, resulting in inferior products.
Furthermore, steps are formed between the ITO film
22
and the insulating film
26
, and between the ITO film
32
and the insulating films
36
and
37
. Therefore, when the lead electrodes are prepared by printing, they may be broken at the steps or may become very thin, also resulting in inferior products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a co-ordinates input device having a transparent substrate member is composed of: a transparent substrate; an ITO film formed on a surface of the transparent substrate; a pair of electrodes formed at a given distance from each other on the ITO film; an operation region formed between the pair of electrodes; and lead electrodes, extending from the pair of electrodes, formed on the ITO film; in which at least one of the lead electrodes extending from the pair of electrodes is formed on the ITO film on a side of the operation region, and between the lead electrode and the operation region, a groove is formed in the ITO film alone or in the ITO film and continuously extending into the transparent substrate.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a co-ordinates input device having a transparent substrate member has the following structure: one of the lead electrode extending from the pair of electrodes is extended to a portion of the ITO film on the side of the other electrode; and between the lead electrode and the other electrode, a groove is formed in the ITO film alone or in the ITO film and continuously extending into the transparent substrate.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a co-ordinates input device has the following steps for: forming an ITO film on a surface of a transparent substrate; forming a pair of electrodes at a given distance from each other on the ITO film; forming lead electrodes extending from the pair of electrodes; extending at least one of the lead electrodes extended from the pair of electrodes to a side of an operation region formed between the pair of electrodes; and forming a groove in the ITO film alone or in the ITO film and continuously extending into the transparent substrate, between the lead electrode and the operation region by laser irradiation or a cutter.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in a method for producing a co-ordinates input device, one of the lead electrodes extending from the pair of electrodes is extended to the side of the other electrode, and between the lead electrode and the other electrode, a groove is formed in the ITO film alone or in the ITO film and continuously extending into the transparent substrate by laser irradiation or a cutter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4479118 (1984-10-01), Cole, Jr.
patent: 4695827 (1987-09-01), Beining et al.
patent: 4748445 (1988-05-01), Togashi et al.
patent: 4794634 (1988-12-01), Torihata et al.
patent: 4822957 (1989-04-01), Talmage, Jr. et al.
patent: 5220136 (1993-06-01), Kent
patent: 5659332 (1997-08
Ito Takayuki
Sasagawa Hideto
Sawai Katsunori
Watanabe Takeshi
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Shankar Vijay
LandOfFree
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