Two layer capacitive sensor

• US 10,048,815 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Yau, Tai-Wei, Tan, Yeh-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hawkins, Dominic
• Application Number:
  US14/993,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20160202803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 324600, 324658, 324659
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

The embodiments described herein provide improved sensor devices and methods that facilitate improved sensor devices. Specifically, the devices and methods provide capacitive image sensors that require only two layers of conductive elements formed on a single substrate. The ability to provide an image sensor using only a single substrate with two layers of conductive elements may substantially reduce the cost and complexity of the capacitive image sensor. In one embodiment, an input device is provided that comprises a first substrate having a first and second side. Each of the second array of second sensor electrodes comprises a plurality of isolated components disposed on the first side and a plurality of connectors disposed on the second side. The connectors and isolated components of the second sensor electrodes are arranged such that adjacent pairs of connectors along the first direction are separated by a distance substantially greater than the first pitch.

Claims

1. A capacitive input device comprising:

a single substrate having a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, and wherein the single substrate is a printed circuit board;

a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the first side of the single substrate, wherein each sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes is continuous and extends across the first side in a first direction;

a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the second side of the single substrate, wherein each sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises;

a plurality of isolated components disposed on the first side of the single substrate;

a plurality of connectors disposed on the second side of the single substrate; and

a plurality of vertical interconnects, each vertical interconnect ohmically coupling an isolated component on the first side with a connector on the second side such that the resulting second plurality of sensor electrodes are discontinuous and extend across the first side in a second direction,

wherein a distance along the first direction between a pair of adjacent connectors of two adjacent sensor electrodes of the second plurality is at least 1.5 times greater than a distance along the first direction between the center of the isolated components of the two adjacent sensor electrodes.

2. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein a distance between each connector of at least one electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes along the second direction is constant.

3. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein each connector disposed on the second side of the single substrate is ohmically coupled to two isolated components on the first side through two vertical interconnects.

4. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit mounted on the second side and between the pair of adjacent connectors.

5. The capacitive input device of claim 4, wherein the integrated circuit is communicably coupled to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes through the single substrate.

6. The capacitive input device of claim 4, wherein the integrated circuit is communicably coupled to the second plurality of second sensor electrodes through routing traces to the plurality of connectors.

7. The capacitive input device of claim 4, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to detect input objects in a sensing region of the capacitive input device by transmitting sensor signals and receiving resulting signals using the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

8. A capacitive input device comprising:

a single substrate having a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, and wherein the single substrate is a printed circuit board;

a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the first side of the single substrate, wherein each sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes has a first major axis aligned in a first direction;

a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the second side of the single substrate, each sensor electrode of the second plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises;

at least two isolated components disposed on the first side of the single substrate; and

at least one connector disposed on the second side, wherein the at least two isolated components are ohmically coupled at distal ends by the at least one connector to form the sensor electrode,

wherein each sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes has second major axis aligned in a second direction, and

wherein the second plurality of sensor electrodes has a first distance between centers of an adjacent pair of isolated components of different sensor electrodes in the second plurality of sensor electrodes, and a second distance between two connectors of two pairs of isolated components are separated by a second distance that is at least 1.5 times the first distance.

9. The capacitive input device of claim 8, wherein each of the at least two isolated components has a distal end located away from the second major axis of a second sensor electrode in the second plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein each connector is coupled to the distal end of the at least two isolated components.

10. The capacitive input device of claim 8, further comprising an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit mounted on the second side of the single substrate and between the two connectors.

11. The capacitive input device of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit is communicably coupled to the first plurality sensor electrodes and the second plurality second sensor electrodes through the single substrate.

12. The capacitive input device of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit is communicably coupled to the second plurality of sensor electrodes through routing traces to the at least one connector.

13. The capacitive input device of claim 8, wherein the at least two isolated components are ohmically coupled to the at least one connector through a vertical interconnect in the single substrate.

14. A method for forming a capacitive input device, the method comprising:

providing a single substrate having a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, and wherein the single substrate is a printed circuit board;

forming a first plurality of sensor electrodes on the first side of the single substrate, wherein each sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes is continuous and extends across the first side in a first direction;

forming a plurality of isolated components on the first side of the single substrate;

forming a second plurality of sensor electrodes by forming a plurality of connectors on the second side of the single substrate and a plurality of vertical interconnects, each vertical interconnect ohmically coupling an isolated component on the first side with a connector on the second side such that the resulting second plurality of sensor electrodes are discontinuous and extend across the first side in a second direction, wherein a distance along the first direction between a pair of adjacent connectors of two adjacent sensor electrodes of the second plurality is at least 1.5 times greater than a distance along the first direction between the center of the isolated components of the two adjacent sensor electrodes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a distance between each connector of at least one electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes along the second direction is constant.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising mounting an integrated circuit on the second side and between the pair of adjacent connectors.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming a communication coupling between the integrated circuit and the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes through the single substrate.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming a communication coupling between the integrated circuit and the second plurality of second sensor electrodes through routing traces to the plurality of connectors.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising mounting the single substrate into an electronic system.