U.S. patent application number 12/459544 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for portable computer.
This patent application is currently assigned to Tsinghua University. Invention is credited to Shou-Shan Fan, Kai-Li Jiang, Qun-Qing Li.
Application Number | 20100001975 12/459544 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41463994 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100001975 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jiang; Kai-Li ; et
al. |
January 7, 2010 |
Portable computer
Abstract
A portable computer includes a display panel having a display
surface and a touch panel. The touch panel is disposed on the
display surface and comprises at least one transparent conductive
layer. The transparent conductive layer includes a carbon nanotubes
layer having a carbon nanotube film.
Inventors: |
Jiang; Kai-Li; (Beijing,
CN) ; Li; Qun-Qing; (Beijing, CN) ; Fan;
Shou-Shan; (Beijing, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. Steven Reiss
288 SOUTH MAYO AVENUE
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91789
US
|
Assignee: |
Tsinghua University
Beijing City
CN
HON HAI Precision Industry CO., LTD.
Tu-Cheng City
TW
|
Family ID: |
41463994 |
Appl. No.: |
12/459544 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/174 ;
345/173; 977/952 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1626 20130101;
G09G 5/003 20130101; G06F 3/0445 20190501; G06F 1/1643 20130101;
G06F 3/045 20130101; G09G 2300/0426 20130101; G06F 3/047 20130101;
G06F 3/0447 20190501 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/174 ;
345/173; 977/952 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/045 20060101
G06F003/045; G06F 3/041 20060101 G06F003/041 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 4, 2008 |
CN |
200810068332.8 |
Claims
1. A portable computer, comprising: a display panel having a
display surface; a body connected with the display panel; and a
touch panel disposed on the display surface of the display panel,
the touch panel comprising at least one transparent conductive
layer, the transparent conductive layer comprising a carbon
nanotube structure.
2. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a
passivation layer interposed between the display panel and the
touch panel.
3. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
transparent conductive layer is a free stranding carbon nanotube
structure.
4. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon
nanotube structure comprises a layer of carbon nanotube film, the
carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the
carbon nanotubes are approximately parallel to each other.
5. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
transparent conductive layer consists of the carbon nanotube
film.
6. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carbon
nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are joined end to end by van
deer Waals forces therebetween.
7. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carbon
nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single walled
carbon nanotubes, double walled carbon nanotubes, and multi walled
carbon nanotubes.
8. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon
nanotube structure comprises a layer of carbon nanotube film, the
carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the
carbon nanotubes are entangled with one another.
9. The portable computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
transparent conductive layer consists of the carbon nanotube
film.
10. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch
panel comprise a capacitive-type touch panel, the capacitive-type
tough panel comprises a transparent substrate and at least two
transparent electrodes; the transparent conductive layer is
disposed on the transparent substrate; the at least two transparent
electrodes are spaced from each other and electrically connected to
the transparent conductive layer.
11. The portable computer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
transparent electrodes are fixed on the periphery of the
transparent conductive layer via sliver paste.
12. The portable computer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
transparent electrodes consist of carbon nanotube film.
13. The portable computer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
transparent electrodes are made of conductive metal.
14. The portable computer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
capacitive-type touch panel comprises a transparent protective film
disposed on the transparent conductive layer opposite to the
transparent substrate.
15. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch
panel comprises a resistive-type touch panel, the resistive-type
touch panel comprising a first electrode plate and a second
electrode plate connected to the first electrode plate, the first
electrode plate comprising a first substrate defining a first
surface, a first transparent conductive layer mounted on the first
surface of the first substrate, and two first transparent
electrodes fixed on the two ends of the first transparent
conductive layer along a first direction; the first transparent
conductive layer comprises a carbon nanotube structure, the carbon
nanotube structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes
arranged along a first direction; the second electrode plate
comprises a second substrate defining a second surface opposite to
the display panel, a second transparent conductive layer mounted on
the second surface of the second transparent substrate, and two
second transparent electrodes fixed on the two ends of the first
transparent conductive layer; the second transparent conductive
layer and the two second transparent electrodes of the second
electrode plate are facing the first electrode plate; the second
transparent conductive layer comprises a carbon nanotube structure,
the carbon nanotube structure comprising a plurality of carbon
nanotubes arranged along a second direction, the second direction
is approximately perpendicular to the first direction.
16. The portable computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the
resistive-type touch panel comprises an insulated pad interposed
between the peripheries of the first and second electrode plates
and to space the first and second electrodes apart.
17. The portable computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the two
first and second transparent electrodes are fixed on the opposite
ends of the first and second transparent conductive layer,
respectively.
18. The portable computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the
resistive-type touch panel comprises a plurality of transparent dot
spacers sandwiched between the first and second electrode plates
and to space the first and second electrode plates apart.
19. The portable computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least
one transparent conductive layer consists of a carbon nanotube
film.
20. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
carbon nanotube film is selected from the group consisting of a
drawn carbon nanotube film, a flocculated carbon nanotube film, and
a pressed carbon nanotube film.
21. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
carbon nanotube film is a drawn carbon nanotube film; the carbon
nanotubes in the drawn carbon nanotube film are oriented along a
preferred orientation and approximately parallel to each other.
22. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
carbon nanotube film is a flocculated carbon nanotube film that is
porous and isotropic; the carbon nanotubes of the flocculated
carbon nanotube film are entangled with each other and uniformly
dispersed in the flocculated carbon nanotube film; adjacent carbon
nanotubes in the flocculated carbon nanotube film are attracted by
van der Waals attractive force.
23. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
carbon nanotube film is a pressed carbon nanotube film; the carbon
nanotubes in the pressed carbon nanotube film are arranged along a
same direction or arranged along different directions and rest upon
each other.
24. The portable computer as claimed in claim 23, wherein an angle
between a primary alignment direction of the carbon nanotubes in
the pressed carbon nanotube film and a surface of the pressed
carbon nanotube film is approximately 0 degrees to approximately 15
degrees.
25. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
pressed carbon nanotube film are isotropic when the carbon
nanotubes in the pressed carbon nanotube film are arranged along
different directions.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to application Ser. No.
12/286,145, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY
DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,216, filed Sep.
29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME,"
application Ser. No. 12/286,152, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled,
"TOUCH PANEL, METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING
THE SAME", application Ser. No. 12/384,328, filed Apr. 2, 2009,
titled, "PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT," application Ser. No.
12/286,151, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL, METHOD FOR
MAKING THE SAME AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application
Ser. No. 12/286,160, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND
DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,146,
filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING
THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,181, filed Sep. 29, 2008,
titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME,"
application Ser. No. 12/286,176, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled,
"TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser.
No. 12/286,219, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL, METHOD
FOR MAKING THE SAME AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application
Ser. No. 12/286,189, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND
DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,179,
filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING
THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,220, filed Sep. 29, 2008,
titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME,"
application Ser. No. 12/286,227, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled,
"TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser.
No. 12/286,166, filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND
DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,178,
filed Sep. 29, 2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING
THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,228, filed Sep. 29, 2008,
titled, "TOUCH PANEL, METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME AND DISPLAY DEVICE
USING THE SAME," application Ser. No. 12/286,144, filed Sep. 29,
2008, titled, "TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME,"
"TOUCH PANEL AND COMPUTER USING THE SAME", filed currently (Atty.
Docket No. US20968)"; "MOBILE PHONE", filed currently (Atty. Docket
No. US19447)".
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present disclosure relates to portable computers, and,
in particular, to a portable computer having a carbon nanotube
based touch panel.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Conventional portable computers include display panels and
bodies connected to the display panels. Touch panels are mounted on
surfaces of the display panels. The touch panels can function as
inputting devices, effectively replacing a mouse or keyboard, to
control and input information. A user of any such electronic
apparatus operates the touch panel by pressing or touching the
touch panel with a finger, a pen, a stylus, or any tool while
visually observing the display panel.
[0006] At present, different types of touch panels have been
developed, including a resistance-type, a capacitance-type, an
infrared-type, and a surface sound wave-type. The resistance-type
and capacitance-type touch panels have been widely used in the
portable computers because of higher accuracy and resolution.
[0007] Conventional capacitance-type or resistive-type touch panels
employ conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent conductive
layers. However, the ITO layer of the conventional touch panel have
poor mechanical durability, low chemical endurance, and uneven
resistance over an entire area of the touch panel. Furthermore, the
ITO layer has relatively low transparency in humid environments.
All the above-mentioned problems of the ITO layer tend to yield a
touch panel with relatively low sensitivity, accuracy, and
brightness. Moreover, the ITO layer is generally formed by means of
ion-beam sputtering, a relatively complicated method.
[0008] What is needed, therefore, is a portable computer having a
carbon nanotube based touch panel that can overcome the
above-described shortcomings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood
with references to the following drawings. The components in the
drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead
being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals
designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a portable
computer having one embodiment of a resistive-type touch panel.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an isometric, partial exploded view of the
resistive-type touch panel of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the
resistive-type touch panel of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the resistive-type touch panel
of FIG. 1 when in use.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a
portable computer having one embodiment of a capacitive-type touch
panel when in use.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the
capacitive-type touch panel of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a portable computer
100 includes a display panel 80, a body 90, and one embodiment of a
touch panel 10. The display panel 80 has a display surface 801. The
body 90 is disposed on another surface of the display panel 80
opposite to the display surface 801. The touch panel 10 is mounted
on the display surface 801 of the display panel 80. The display
panel 80 may be one of a liquid crystal display panel, a field
emission display panel, a plasma display panel, an
electroluminescent display panel, a vacuum fluorescent display
panel, or the like. The display panel 80 is used to display data,
images, and other objects from the body 90. In the present
embodiment, the display panel 80 is a liquid crystal display panel.
Electrical connections between the display panel 80, the body 90
and the touch panel 10 are achieved via internal input and output
ports because the display panel 80, the body 90, and the touch
panel 10 are integrated together.
[0017] The portable computer 100 includes an external input port 60
and at least one external output port 70 disposed on a side wall of
the body 90. The input port 60 may be used to connect a mouse
and/or a keyboard to the body 90. The output port 70 may be used to
connect to another device.
[0018] The body 90 includes a mother board, a central processing
unit (CPU), a memory, and a hard disk. The mother board includes a
system bus, a data bus, a control bus, sockets, and connectors
disposed thereon. The CPU, the memory, a display card, an audio
card, a net card, or a video card may be directly installed on the
mother board. The hard disk and a power source mounted in the body
90 are electrically connected to the mother board via cables. One
end of the display card electrically connects to an inner input
port (not shown) to transport signals to the display panel 80 from
the body 90. The portable computer 100 may further include buttons,
lamps, or switches installed to the mother board, and two speakers
904 and a hard disk drive 902 disposed on side walls thereof.
[0019] The touch panel 10 has a function of inputting signals. The
signals can be command signals, text signals, and so on. The touch
panel 10 can replace conventional input means, such as a mouse and
a keyboard. A user of any such electronic apparatus operates the
touch panel 10 by pressing or touching the touch panel 10 with a
finger, a pen, a stylus, or another like tool to input signals to
the body 90. The touch panel 10 can be spaced from the display
surface 801 or installed directly on the display panel 80. When the
display panel 80 is installed directly on the touch panel 10, the
touch panel 10 can be adhered on the display surface 801 via paste,
such as silver paste. In the present embodiment, the touch panel 10
is installed directly on the display panel 80. The touch panel 10
may have substantially the same surface area as the display surface
801 of the display panel 80. Understandably, when the touch panel
10 has an area sufficiently less than that of the display surface
801, more than one touch panel 10 may be mounted on the display
surface 801 for inputting different instructions at the same time
via different touch panels 10. The touch panel 10 and the display
panel 80 may be integrated, such as using a same base. Furthermore,
a screen keyboard 802 can be disposed on the display surface 801 of
the display panel 80 for directly inputting information via the
touch panel 10.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, one embodiment of the touch
panel 10 is a resistive-type touch panel, and includes a first
electrode plate 12, a second electrode plate 14, and a plurality of
transparent dot spacers 16 interposed between the first and second
electrode plates 12, 14.
[0021] The first electrode plate 12 includes a first substrate 120,
a first transparent conductive layer 122, and two first electrodes
124. The first substrate 120 has a planar structure, and includes a
first surface. The first transparent conductive layer 122 and the
two first electrodes 124 are mounted on the first surface of the
first substrate 120. The two first electrodes 124 are respectively
disposed on the two ends of the first substrate 120 along a first
direction and electrically connected to the first transparent
conductive layer 122. The second electrode plate 14 includes a
second substrate 140, a second transparent conductive layer 142 and
two second electrodes 144. The second substrate 140 has a planar
structure, and includes a second surface facing the first surface.
The second transparent conductive layer 142 and the two second
electrodes 144 are disposed on the second surface of the second
substrate 140. The two second electrodes 144 are respectively
disposed on the two ends of the second surface of the second
substrate 140 along a second direction and electrically connected
to the second transparent conductive layer 142. The first direction
is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, namely, the
two first electrodes 124 are orthogonal to the two second
electrodes 144. The second substrate 140 of the touch panel 10 is
mounted on the display surface 801 of the display panel 80.
[0022] The first substrate 120 can be a transparent and flexible
film or plate made of polymer, resin, or any other suitable
flexible material. The second substrate 140 can be a rigid and
transparent board made of glass, diamond, quartz, plastic or any
other suitable material, or can be a transparent flexible film or
plate similar to the first substrate 120 when the touch panel 10 is
flexible. The first electrodes 124 and the second electrodes 144
are made of metal, metallic carbon nanotube film or any other
conductive material, so long as it is electrically conductive. In
the present embodiment, the first substrate 120 is made of resin
material, the second substrate 140 is made of glass, and the first
and second electrodes 124, 144 are carbon nanotube films having a
width of about 1 .mu.m to about 1 mm.
[0023] Furthermore, an insulating pad 18 is disposed on the
periphery of the second surface of the second electrode plate 14.
The first electrode plate 12 is disposed on the insulating pad 18.
The first transparent conductive layer 122 of the first electrode
plate 12 faces the second transparent conductive layer 142 of the
second electrode plate 14. The plurality of transparent dot spacers
16 are spaced apart from one another and disposed on the second
transparent conductive layer 142 of the second electrode plate 14.
A distance between the first and second electrode plates 12, 14 are
in a range of about 2 .mu.m to about 100 .mu.m. The insulating pad
18 and the transparent dot spacers 16 are made of transparent resin
or the like and are used for insulating the first electrode plate
14 with the second electrode plate 12. Understandably, if the
resistive-type touch panel 10 is small enough, the dot spacers 16
may be omitted.
[0024] A transparent protective film 126 may be disposed on the top
surface of the first electrode plate 12 opposite to the first
surface of the first electrode plate 12. The transparent protective
film 126 may be directly adhered on the first electrode plate 12
via paste, or combined with the first electrode plate 12 via a
heat-press method. The transparent protective film 126 may be a
plastic layer or a resin layer, which are dealt with via surface
rigid treating. The resin layer may be made of benzo-cyclo-butene,
polymethyl methacrylate, polymer resin, polyethylene terephthalate,
or the like. In the present embodiment, the transparent protective
film 126 is made of polyethylene terephthalate, and configured for
protecting the first electrode plate 12 by improving wearability
thereof. The transparent protective film 126 may provide some
additional function, such as decreasing glare and reflection.
[0025] At least one of the first and second transparent conductive
layers 122, 142 includes a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon
nanotube structure includes one or more carbon nanotube films. The
carbon nanotube film is formed by a plurality of carbon nanotubes,
ordered or otherwise, and has a uniform thickness. The carbon
nanotube film can be an ordered film or a disordered film. The
ordered carbon nanotube film consists of ordered carbon nanotubes.
Ordered carbon nanotube films include films where the carbon
nanotubes are arranged along a primary direction. Examples include
films where the carbon nanotubes are arranged approximately along a
same direction or have two or more sections within each of which
the carbon nanotubes are arranged approximately along a same
direction (different sections can have different directions). In
the ordered carbon nanotube film, the carbon nanotubes can be
primarily oriented along a same direction. However, the ordered
carbon nanotube film can also have sections of carbon nanotubes
aligned in a common direction. The ordered carbon nanotube film can
have two or more sections, and the sections can have different
alignments. The ordered carbon nanotube film may have a
free-standing structure. The free-standing carbon nanotube film may
include two types. One type is that the carbon nanotube film needs
no substrate to support the carbon nanotubes thereof. Another type
is that the carbon nanotube film only needs one or more supporting
dots (not shown) to support one or more points thereof. Thus, left
parts of the carbon nanotube film are hung. In the ordered carbon
nanotube films, the carbon nanotubes are oriented along a same
preferred orientation and approximately parallel to each other. The
term "approximately" as used herein means that it is impossible and
unnecessary that each of the carbon nanotubes in the carbon
nanotube films are exactly parallel to one another, namely that
every carbon nanotube is parallel to each other, because in the
course of fabricating the carbon nanotube film, some factor, such
as the change of drawing speed, affects the non-uniform drawing
force on the carbon nanotube film as the carbon nanotube film is
drawn from a carbon nanotube array. A film can be drawn from a
carbon nanotube array, to form the ordered carbon nanotube film,
namely a drawn carbon nanotube film. Examples of drawn carbon
nanotube film are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,108 to Jiang et
al., and WO 2007015710 to Zhang et al. The drawn carbon nanotube
film includes a plurality of successive and oriented carbon
nanotubes joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force
therebetween. The drawn carbon nanotube film is a free-standing
film. The carbon nanotube film can be treated with an organic
solvent to increase the mechanical strength and toughness of the
carbon nanotube film and reduce the coefficient of friction of the
carbon nanotube film. A thickness of the carbon nanotube film can
range from about 0.5 nanometers to about 100 micrometers.
[0026] The ordered film also can be a pressed carbon nanotube film.
The carbon nanotubes in the pressed carbon nanotube film can
overlap each other. The adjacent carbon nanotubes are combined and
attracted by van der Waals attractive force, thereby forming a
free-standing structure. The pressed carbon nanotube film has two
or more sections, each of which has the carbon nanotubes arranged
approximately along a same direction (different sections can have
different directions). The pressed carbon nanotube film can be
formed by pressing a carbon nanotube array on a substrate. An angle
between a primary alignment direction of the carbon nanotubes and
the substrate is in a range from about 0 degrees to about 15
degrees. The angle is closely related to pressure applied to the
carbon nanotube array. The greater the pressure, the smaller the
angle. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes in the pressed
carbon nanotube film can be approximately parallel to the surface
of the pressed carbon nanotube film when the angle is about 0
degrees.
[0027] The disordered carbon nanotube film consists of disordered
carbon nanotubes. Disordered carbon nanotube films include randomly
aligned carbon nanotubes. When the disordered carbon nanotube film
has a number of the carbon nanotubes aligned in every direction
that are substantially equal, the disordered carbon nanotube film
can be isotropic. The disordered carbon nanotubes can be entangled
with each other and/or are approximately parallel to a surface of
the disordered carbon nanotube film. The disordered carbon nanotube
film may be a flocculated carbon nanotube film. The flocculated
carbon nanotube film can include a plurality of long, curved,
disordered carbon nanotubes entangled with each other. Furthermore,
the carbon nanotubes in the flocculated carbon nanotube film can be
isotropic. The carbon nanotubes can be substantially uniformly
dispersed in the carbon nanotube film. Adjacent carbon nanotubes
are attracted by van der Waals attractive force to form an
entangled structure with micropores defined therein. It is
understood that the flocculated carbon nanotube film is very
porous. Sizes of the micropores can be less than 10 micrometers.
The porous nature of the flocculated carbon nanotube film will
increase a specific surface area of the carbon nanotube structure.
Furthermore, due to the carbon nanotubes in the flocculated carbon
nanotube film being entangled with each other, the touch panel 10
employing the flocculated carbon nanotube film has excellent
durability, and can be fashioned into desired shapes with a low
risk to the integrity of the flocculated carbon nanotube film. The
thickness of the flocculated carbon nanotube film can range from
about 0.5 nanometers to about 1 millimeter.
[0028] A length and a width of the carbon nanotube film can be
arbitrarily set as desired. A thickness of the drawn carbon
nanotube film is in a range from about 0.5 nanometers to about 100
micrometers. A thickness of the pressed or flocculated carbon
nanotube film is in a range from about 0.5 nm to about 1 mm. The
carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film can be selected from
the group consisting of single-walled, double-walled, multi-walled
carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof. Diameters of the
single-walled carbon nanotubes, the double-walled carbon nanotubes,
and the multi-walled carbon nanotubes can, respectively, be in the
approximate range from about 0.5 nm to about 50 nanometers, about 1
nm to about 50 nanometers, and about 1.5 nm to about 50
nanometers.
[0029] In the present embodiment, the first transparent conductive
layer 122 and the second transparent conductive layer 124 each
include a carbon nanotube structure. In particular, the first and
second transparent conductive layers 122, 124 are free standing
carbon nanotube films and are made of the carbon nanotube film. The
carbon nanotube structure is an ordered drawn carbon nanotube film.
The drawn carbon nanotube structure may include a number of carbon
nanotube films stacked with each other. The carbon nanotubes of
each of the drawn carbon nanotube films are arranged along a
preferred orientation. The drawn carbon nanotube film includes a
number of carbon nanotube segments joined end by end via van der
Waals attractive forces. The carbon nanotube segments have a
substantially same length and composed of a number of substantially
parallel arranged carbon nanotubes. In the present embodiment, the
drawn carbon nanotube films of the first transparent conductive
layer 122 are overlapped along the first direction, and the drawn
carbon nanotube films of the second transparent conductive layer
124 are overlapped along the second direction. The drawn carbon
nanotube films have a thickness of about 0.5 nm to about 100 mm and
a width of about 0.01 centimeters to about 10 meters.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, the touch panel 10 further includes a
touch controller 19. The touch controller 19 is configured to
control and handle data and signals of touch points of the touch
panel 10. The display panel 80 further includes a display
controller 82. The display controller 82 is configured to control
the input and output of data of the display panel 80.
[0031] In operation of the portable computer 100, a voltage of
about 5 volts is applied to the first and second electrodes 124,
144, forming equipotential lines respectively substantially
parallel to the first and second electrodes 124, 144 in the first
and second transparent conductive layers 122, 142. A user operates
the portable computer 100 by pressing or touching the first
electrode plate 12 of the touch panel 10 with a touch tool 180,
such as a finger, or an electrical pen/stylus, while visually
observing the display panel 80 through the touch panel 10. This
pressing causes a deformation of the first electrode plate 12. The
deformation of the first electrode plate 12 causes a connection
between the first and second transparent conductive layers 122,
124. Changes in voltages in the first direction of the first
transparent conductive layer 122 and the second direction of the
second transparent conductive layer 142 can be detected by the
touch controller 19. Then, the touch controller 19 transforms the
changes in voltages into coordinates of a touch point 51, and sends
the coordinates of the touch point 51 to the body 90. The body 90
finds an instruction according to the coordinates of the touch
point 51 and executes the instruction, such as sending a control
signal to the display panel 82 of the display panel 80, and the
display panel 80 operates according to the control signal.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, another embodiment of the
portable computer 200 includes a display panel 180, a body 190, and
a capacitive-type touch panel 30.
[0033] When the display panel 180 is spaced apart from the
capacitive-type touch panel 30, a passivation layer 104 is disposed
on the touch panel 30 and the display panel 180. The passivation
layer 104 is used for preventing crosstalk, electrochemical
corrosion, and reducing power consumption. The passivation layer
104 is made of silicon nitrogen, silicon oxide, or the like. The
portable computer 200 may further includes a supporter 108 for
supporting the capacitive-type touch panel 30. The supporter 108 is
sandwiched between the capacitive-type touch panel 30 and the
display panel 180. Understandably, when the touch panel 30 is
directly disposed on the display panel 80, the supporter 108 can be
omitted, and the passivation layer 104 can be directly mounted on
the display surface 181 of the display panel 80.
[0034] The touch panel 30 is a capacitive-type touch panel. The
touch panel 30 includes a substrate 32, a transparent conductive
layer 34, at least two electrodes 38, and a transparent protective
film 36. The substrate 32 includes a first surface 321 and a second
surface 322 opposite to the first surface 321. The transparent
conductive layer 34 is mounted on the first surface 321 of the
substrate 32. The electrodes 38 are disposed at the periphery of
the transparent conductive layer 34, spaced from each other, and
electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer 34 to
form equipotential lines thereon. The transparent protective layer
36 can be directly disposed on the transparent conductive layer 34
and the electrodes 38.
[0035] The substrate 32 can have a curved structure or a planar
structure and functions as a supporter. The substrate 32 may be
made of a rigid material or a flexible material, such as glass,
silicon, diamond, plastic, or the like.
[0036] The transparent conductive layer 34 includes a carbon
nanotube layer. The carbon nanotube structure includes a number of
uniformly arranged carbon nanotubes, orderly or disorderly. In the
present embodiment, the carbon nanotube structure of the
transparent conductive layer 34 has a same configuration as the
first and second transparent conductive layer 122, 124.
[0037] There are no particular restrictions on the shape of the
touch panel 30, the transparent conductive layer 34, or the
substrate 32. The touch panel 30 may have a linear-shaped,
triangular-shaped or rectangular-shaped touch area. In the present
embodiment, the touch panel 30 has a rectangular-shaped touch
area.
[0038] For compatibility with the rectangular-shaped touch area,
the transparent conductive layer 34 and the substrate 32 also have
a rectangular shape. In order to form a uniform resistive net on
the transparent conductive layer 34, the touch panel 30 has four
electrodes 38 respectively disposed at the four sides of the
transparent conductive layer 34. Understandably, the four
electrodes 38 can be disposed on different surfaces of the
transparent conductive layer 34 as long as equipotential lines can
be formed on the transparent conductive layer 34. The four
electrodes 38 are made of conductive metal, carbon nanotube thin
film, or the like. In the present embodiment, the four electrodes
38 are layers of silver, copper, or foils of metal, and have
strip-shaped structures. The electrodes 38 can be formed on the
transparent conductive layer 34 via a deposition method, such as
sputter, electroplating, chemical plating, or the like.
Furthermore, the four electrodes 38 can be adhered on the
transparent conductive layer 34 via paste, such as silver
paste.
[0039] In order to prolong the life of the transparent conductive
layer 34 and limit capacitance between the touch point and the
transparent conductive layer 34, a transparent protective film 36
is disposed on the transparent conductive layer 34 and the
electrodes 38. The transparent protective film 36 is made of
polyethylene terephthalate, silicon nitrogen, silicon oxide or the
like, and configured for protecting the transparent conductive
layer 34 for improving wearability thereof. The transparent
protective film 36 may provide some additional function, such as
decreasing glare and reflection after special surface
treatment.
[0040] In the present embodiment, the transparent protective film
36, which is made of silicon dioxide, is disposed on the
transparent conductive layer 34 on which the electrodes 38 are
mounted. The transparent protective film 36 has a hardness of about
7H (H established according to Rockwell hardness test).
Understandably, the hardness and the thickness of the transparent
protective film 36 may be determined in practice as desired. The
transparent protective film 36 is directly adhered on the
transparent conductive layer 34 via paste.
[0041] The portable computer 200 further includes a shielding layer
35 disposed on the second surface 322 of the touch panel 30 when
the touch panel 30 is integrated with the display panel 180. The
material of the shielding layer 35 can be a conductive resin film,
indium tin oxide; antimony doped tin oxide, carbon nanotube film,
or another kind of flexible and conductive film. In the present
embodiment, the shielding layer 35 is a carbon nanotube film. The
carbon nanotube film includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and
the orientation of the carbon nanotubes therein can be arbitrarily
determined. Understandably, the carbon nanotubes in the carbon
nanotube film of the shielding layer 35 can be arranged along a
same direction. The carbon nanotube film is connected to ground and
acts as shielding, thus enabling the touch panel 30 to operate
without interference (e.g., electromagnetic interference).
[0042] Furthermore, the touch panel 30 includes a touching
controller 39. The touching controller 39 is configured to control
and calculate the information of the touch panel 30. The display
panel 180 further includes a touch panel control element 182. The
touch panel control element 182 is configured to control the input
and output of data of the displaying panel 180.
[0043] In operation, voltages are applied to the electrodes 38, by
the touch controller 39. A user operates the portable computer 200
by pressing or touching the transparent protective layer 36 of the
touch panel 30 with a touch tool 150, such as a finger, or an
electrical pen/stylus, while visually observing the display panel
180 through the touch panel 30. A coupling capacitance forms
between the user and the transparent conductive layer 34 due to an
electrical field from the user. For high frequency electrical
current, the coupling capacitance is a conductor, and thus the
touch tool takes away little current from the touch point. Currents
flowing through the four electrodes 38 cooperatively replace the
current lost at the touch point. The quantity of current supplied
by each electrode 38 is directly proportional to the distance from
the touch point to the electrodes 38. The touch panel control
element 182 is used to calculate the proportion of the four
supplied currents, thereby detecting coordinates of the touch point
on the touch panel 30. The touch panel control element 182 then
sends the coordinates of the touch point to the body 190. The body
190 then sends out commands corresponding to the touch point, such
as to the display control element 182, and the display control
element 182 further controls the display of the display panel
180.
[0044] As described above, the carbon nanotube films employed in
the touch panel have superior properties, such as excellent
toughness, high mechanical strength, and uniform conductivity.
Thus, the touch panel and the mobile phone using the same are
durable and highly conductive. Each of the carbon nanotube films
includes a number of successively oriented carbon nanotubes joined
end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween. As
such, the carbon nanotube films are flexible, and suitable for
using as the conductive layer in a flexible touch panel.
Furthermore, the carbon nanotube films have high transparency,
thereby promoting improved brightness of the touch panel and the
mobile phone using the same. Additionally, since the carbon
nanotubes have excellent electrical conductivity properties, the
carbon nanotube films have a uniform resistance distribution. Thus,
the touch panel and the mobile phone adopting the carbon nanotube
films have improved sensitivity and accuracy.
[0045] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
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