Laser-ablated translucent region of a touchscreen

Abstract

Embodiments enhance graphic capabilities in projected-capacitive (PCAP) touch sensitive systems, and more specifically to a border component of a PCAP touchscreen. Embodiments include a method and an apparatus for a PCAP touchscreen layered structure. Some embodiments include screen printing a border component on a cover sheet, curing the border component, ablating a pattern on the border component, and screen printing one colored ink onto the pattern on the border component. In some embodiments the border layer is black, and the colored ink is coupled to a cover sheet. The pattern causes the colored ink to appear as a continuous gradient of the colored ink. In some embodiments the border component includes two or more border-layer components. At least one of the border-layer components may include an ablated pattern. Each ablated pattern may be coupled to a different colored ink.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for a projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen layered structure, comprising:
 screen printing an opaque border component on a cover sheet;   curing the border component;   creating translucent regions within the border component by removing portions of the border component from the cover sheet, wherein the translucent regions comprise ablated lines or ablated dots; and   screen printing ink of one color onto the translucent regions, wherein the translucent regions produce gradient shades of the one color.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the border component comprises two or more colored border-layer components, and wherein the gradient shades of the one color exceeds a sum of the two or more colored border-layer components and the one color. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one color is translucent or opaque. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a translucent region of the translucent regions is based on a diameter of the ablated dot and a pitch of the ablated dot, and wherein the translucent region is based on a square of the diameter of the ablated dot, divided by a square of the pitch of the ablated dot. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a translucent region of the translucent regions is determined by a first width of the ablated line divided by a pitch of the ablated line. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pitch of the ablated line comprises a distance measured from of a center of the ablated line to a center of an adjacent ablated line. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a translucent region of the translucent regions includes a first width of the ablated line, and a second width of a second ablated line, wherein the second width of the second ablated line is smaller than the first width of the ablated line. 
     
     
         8 . A projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen layered structure, comprising:
 a cover sheet;   a border component coupled to the cover sheet wherein an ablated pattern of the border component yields translucent regions comprising a plurality of ablated lines or ablated dotes; and   one colored ink coupled to the translucent regions, wherein the translucent regions produce gradient shades of the one color.   
     
     
         9 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein the border component comprises two or more colored border-layer components. 
     
     
         10 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein the border component is opaque or black. 
     
     
         11 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein the one color is translucent or opaque. 
     
     
         12 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein a translucent region of the translucent regions is determined by a first width of the ablated line divided by a pitch of the ablated line. 
     
     
         13 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 12 , wherein the pitch of the ablated line comprises a distance measured from of a center of the ablated line to a center of an adjacent ablated line. 
     
     
         14 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 12 , wherein the ablated pattern includes the first width of the ablated line, and a second width of a second ablated line, wherein the second width of the second ablated line is smaller than the first width of the ablated line. 
     
     
         15 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein a translucent region of the translucent regions is based on a diameter of the ablated dot and a pitch of the ablated dot. 
     
     
         16 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 15 , wherein the translucent region is based on a square of the diameter of the ablated dot, divided by a square of the pitch of the ablated dot. 
     
     
         17 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 15 , wherein the ablated pattern includes the diameter of the ablated dot and a second diameter of a second ablated dot, wherein the second diameter of the second ablated dot is smaller than the diameter of the ablated dot. 
     
     
         18 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , wherein the cover sheet comprises glass or film. 
     
     
         19 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 8 , further comprising a circuitry layer coupled to the cover sheet and the border component. 
     
     
         20 . The PCAP touchscreen layered structure of  claim 19 , wherein the circuitry layer comprises: indium-tin-oxide (ITO), silver, or metal mesh.