Sensor device, input device, and electronic apparatus

• US 10,055,067 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shinkai, Shogo, Tsukamoto, Kei, Katsuhara, Tomoko, Kawaguchi, Hiroto, Hasegawa, Hayato, Iida, Fumihiko, Tanaka, Takayuki, Suzuki, Tomoaki, Nishimura, Taizo, Mizuno, Hiroshi, Abe, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Regn, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/774,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

[Object] To provide a sensor device capable of detecting an operation position and a pressing force with high accuracy.

[Solution] A sensor device includes a first conductor layer, an electrode substrate, and a plurality of first structural bodies configured to separate the first conductor layer from the electrode substrate. At least one of the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate has flexibility. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes intersecting the plurality of first electrodes. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes a plurality of sub-electrodes.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

a first conductor layer;

an electrode substrate;

a plurality of first structural bodies configured to separate the first conductor layer from the electrode substrate, wherein;

at least one of the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate has flexibility,

the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes intersecting the plurality of first electrodes,

at least one first electrode of the plurality of first electrodes includes a plurality of first sub-electrodes, and

the plurality of first sub-electrodes intersect at least one second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes at a plurality of different locations along the at least one second electrode;

a second conductor layer; and

a plurality of second structural bodies configured to separate the electrode substrate from the second conductor layer, wherein;

the at least one second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes includes a plurality of second sub-electrodes, and

a density of intersecting points formed by intersection of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes is higher in a region aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with a first structural body or a group of first structural bodies of the plurality of first structural bodies than in a region aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with a second structural body of the plurality of second structural bodies.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate has flexibility.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first sub-electrodes included in the at least one first electrode and the plurality of second sub-electrodes included in the at least one second electrode intersect in a mesh form.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate is capable of electrostatically detecting a change in a distance to the first conductor layer and a change in a distance to the second conductor layer.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of detection units formed at intersections between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5,

wherein a detection unit of the plurality of detection units is included in a unit region corresponding to an intersection of the intersections between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes, and

wherein the detection unit is aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with the first structural body or the group of first structural bodies of the plurality of first structural bodies.

7. The sensor device according to claim 5,

wherein a density of intersecting points formed by intersection of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes is higher in a center portion of a detection unit of the plurality of detection units than in a peripheral portion of the detection unit.

8. The sensor device according to claim 7,

wherein the sensor device is supported by the peripheral portion of the detection unit from a rear surface of the second conductor layer.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first frame provided along a circumference of the electrode substrate between the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate; and

a second frame provided along the circumference of the electrode substrate between the second conductor layer and the electrode substrate.

10. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the second conductor layer includes a step portion.

11. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the second conductor layer includes a plurality of openings, and

wherein the openings are arranged at a region not aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with any second structural body of the plurality of second structural bodies.

12. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of detection units formed at intersections between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes

wherein the second conductor layer includes a plurality of openings, and

wherein the openings are arranged at a region not aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with any detection unit of the plurality of detection units.

13. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the intersecting points formed by the intersection of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes are not provided in the region aligned, in the direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with the second structural body.

14. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the intersecting points formed by the intersection of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes are provided in the region aligned, in the direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with the first structural body or the group of the first structural bodies.

15. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor device is supported at a position aligned, in a direction perpendicular to the electrode substrate, with the second structural body from a rear surface of the second conductor layer.

16. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first electrodes are provided between the plurality of second electrodes and the first conductor layer.