Matrix sensor for image touch sensing

• US 10,088,951 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr, Ludden, Christopher A., Lukanc, Jeffrey, Morein, Stephen L., Semeraro, Greg P., Reynolds, Joseph Kurth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Vinh T
• Application Number:
  US14/750,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 178 1801- 1808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• 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 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include an input device, a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device. In one embodiment, an input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a planar matrix array. Each sensor electrode is coupled to unique routing trace and has an identical geometric plan form that is symmetrical about a center of area of the sensor electrode. The geometric plan form of each sensor electrode includes core and a plurality of protrusions extending outward from the core. The protrusions are configured to overlap with protrusions extending outward from each adjacent sensor electrode of the matrix array.

Claims

1. A processing system for an input device, the processing system comprising:

a sensor module, comprising sensor circuitry configured to couple to a plurality of sensor electrodes, the sensor module is configured to drive a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes to acquire first changes of absolute capacitance during a first non-display update period of a display frame and a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes to acquire second changes of absolute capacitance during a second non-display update period of the display frame, wherein the first non-display update period and the second non-display update period occur between different pairs of display line update periods of the display frame and are at least as long as a display line update period of the display frame.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is further configured to drive a grid electrode with a shielding signal during the first and second non-display update periods, wherein at least a segment of the grid electrode is disposed between the first and second sensor electrodes.

3. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the sensor module is further configured to drive the grid electrode with the shielding signal comprising a varying voltage.

4. The processing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a determination module configured to determine a capacitive image based on the first and second changes of absolute capacitance, and wherein the first changes of absolute capacitance corresponds to a first pixel of the capacitive image and the second changes of absolute capacitance corresponds to a second pixel of the capacitive image.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first changes of absolute capacitance corresponds to a first pixel of a capacitive image and the second changes of absolute capacitance corresponds to a second pixel of the capacitive image.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed in a matrix array of discrete sensor electrodes.

7. The processing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprise a common electrode of a plurality of common electrodes of a display device.

8. The processing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a display driver module coupled to a plurality of display electrodes of a display device, the display driver module comprising circuitry configured to drive the display electrodes to update a display of the display device.

9. The processing system of claim 8, wherein the sensor module is disposed on a first integrated circuit and the display driver module is disposed on a second integrated circuit.

10. The processing system of claim 8, where the sensor module and the display driver module are disposed on a first integrated controller.

11. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one common electrode of a plurality of common electrodes of a display device, the plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a matrix array of discrete sensor electrodes;

a processing system coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to;

drive a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing during a first non-display update period of a display frame, and

drive a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing during a second non-display update period of the display frame, wherein the display frame comprises a plurality of display line update periods and wherein the first non-display update period and the second non-display update period occur between different pairs of the plurality of display line update periods and wherein the first non-display update period and the second non-display update period are at least as long as one of the display line update periods.

12. The input device of claim 11 further comprising:

a grid electrode at least partially disposed between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode, wherein the grid electrode comprises at least one common electrode of the plurality of common electrodes, and wherein the processing system is configured to drive the grid electrode with a shielding signal during the first and second non-display update periods.

13. The input device of claim 12, wherein the processing system, when driving the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode for capacitive sensing, is further configured to drive the first and second sensor electrodes with a modulated signal, and wherein the shielding signal and the modulated signal are similar in at least one of phase and amplitude.

14. The input device of claim 11, wherein, the processing system, when driving the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode for capacitive sensing, is further configured to drive the first and second sensor electrodes with a modulated signal for absolute capacitive sensing.

15. The input device of claim 11 further comprising:

a grid electrode wherein at least one segment of the grid electrode is disposed between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode.

16. The input device of claim 15, wherein the processing system is configured to drive the grid electrode with a shielding signal during the first and second non-display update periods.

17. A method for capacitive sensing with a display device comprising an integrated capacitive sensing device, the method comprising:

driving a first plurality of sensor electrodes to acquire first changes of absolute capacitance during a first non-display update period of a display frame and a second plurality of sensor electrodes to acquire second changes of absolute capacitance during a second non-display update period of the display frame, wherein the first non-display update period occurs between first and second display line update periods of the display frame and wherein the second non-display update period occurs between third and fourth display update periods of the display frame, wherein the first and second non-display update periods are at least as long as a display line update period of the display frame; and

determining a capacitive image based on the first and second changes of absolute capacitance.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising driving a gird electrode with a shielding signal during the first and second non-display update periods, wherein the grid electrode is at least partially disposed between the first and second sensor electrodes.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising driving the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a shielding signal during the first non-display update time period.