Force sensor substrate

• US 10,126,861 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwartz, Adam L., Hsu, Hsiao-Lan, Tu, Chieh-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Priyank
• Application Number:
  US15/135,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A force-sensitive input device and related method and processing system are disclosed. The input device comprises a first substrate mounted to a housing and defining a touch surface extending along first and second dimensions. The input device further comprises a second substrate disposed within the housing on a side of the first substrate opposite the touch surface. The second substrate comprises a first sensor electrode disposed along a periphery of the touch surface in the first and second dimensions, and a second sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the touch surface and at least partly circumscribing the first sensor electrode in the first and second dimensions. The input device further comprises a processing system configured to perform capacitive sensing using the first and second sensor electrodes to determine a deflection of the first substrate relative to the housing in response to force applied to the touch surface.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a display comprising a first substrate mounted to a housing, the first substrate defining a touch surface extending along first and second dimensions;

a second substrate disposed within the housing on a side of the first substrate opposite the touch surface, the second substrate comprising;

a first sensor electrode disposed along a periphery of the touch surface in the first and second dimensions; and

a second sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the touch surface and at least partly circumscribing the first sensor electrode in the first and second dimensions, wherein the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode spatially overlap an active area of the display; and

a processing system configured to perform capacitive sensing using the first and second sensor electrodes to determine a deflection of the first substrate relative to the housing in response to force applied to the touch surface.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is mounted to a non-touch surface of the first substrate opposite the touch surface, and wherein the capacitive sensing determines changes in capacitance between the housing and at least one of the first and second sensor electrodes.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is mounted to the housing, and wherein the capacitive sensing determines changes in capacitance between a conductive layer of the first substrate and at least one of the first and second sensor electrodes.

4. The input device of claim 3, wherein the conductive layer of the first substrate comprises a common electrode layer used for updating the display.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to perform absolute capacitive sensing and transcapacitive sensing using the first and second sensor electrodes,

wherein performing absolute capacitive sensing comprises operating the first sensor electrode as a receiver electrode and operating the second sensor electrode as a guard electrode, and

wherein performing transcapacitive sensing comprises operating the first sensor electrode as a receiver electrode and operating the second sensor electrode as a transmitter electrode.

6. The input device of claim 5, wherein the second substrate further comprises:

a third sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the touch surface and circumscribed by the first and second sensor electrodes in the first and second dimensions, and

wherein the processing system is further configured to operate the third sensor electrode as a guard electrode.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor electrode is disposed on a first layer of the second substrate and the second sensor electrode is disposed on a second layer of the second substrate, wherein the second sensor electrode entirely circumscribes the first sensor electrode in the first and second dimensions.

8. A method of operating a force-sensitive input device comprising a substrate disposed on a non-viewing side of a display, the display mounted to a housing and having a first surface extending along first and second dimensions, the method comprising:

driving, during a first time period, a first sensor electrode of the substrate with a first sensing signal, the first sensor electrode disposed along a periphery of the first surface in the first and second dimensions;

driving, during the first time period, a second sensor electrode of the substrate with a guard signal, the second sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the first surface and at least partly circumscribing the first sensor electrode in the first and second dimensions, wherein the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode spatially overlap an active area of the display;

receiving, using the first sensor electrode, a first resulting signal comprising effects of the driven first sensing signal and effects of a first deflection of the display relative to the housing;

determining, based on the received first resulting signal, a first force applied to the first surface; and

performing, using the display, a first user interface action based on the first force.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

driving, during a second time period, the second sensor electrode with a second sensing signal;

receiving, using the first sensor electrode, a second resulting signal comprising effects of the driven second sensing signal and effects of a second deflection of the display relative to the housing;

determining, based on the received second resulting signal, a second force applied to the first surface; and

performing, using the display, a second user interface action based on the second force.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

driving, during the first time period, a third sensor electrode of the substrate with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the first surface and circumscribed by the first and second sensor electrodes in the first and second dimensions.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate is mounted to a second surface of the display opposite the first surface, and wherein determining a first force applied to the first surface comprises:

determining a change in capacitance between the housing and the first sensor electrode.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate is mounted to the housing, and wherein determining a first force applied to the first surface comprises:

determining a change in capacitance between a conductive layer of the display and the first sensor electrode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the conductive layer of the display comprises a common electrode layer used for updating the display.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining one or more locations corresponding to the first force applied to the first surface; and

compensating a detected amount of the first force applied to the first surface based on the determined one or more locations.

15. A processing system for a force-sensitive input device comprising a substrate disposed on a non-viewing side of a display, the display mounted to a housing and having a first surface extending along first and second dimensions, the processing system comprising:

first circuitry communicatively coupled with first and second sensor electrodes of the substrate, wherein the first circuitry is configured to;

drive, during a first time period, the first sensor electrode with a first sensing signal, the first sensor electrode disposed along a periphery of the first surface in the first and second dimensions;

drive, during the first time period, the second sensor electrode with a guard signal, the second sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the first surface and at least partly circumscribing the first sensor electrode in the first and second dimensions, wherein the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode spatially overlap an active area of the display;

receive, using the first sensor electrode, a first resulting signal comprising effects of the driven first sensing signal and effects of a first deflection of the display relative to the housing;

determine, based on the received first resulting signal, a first force applied to the first surface; and

perform, using the display, a first user interface action based on the first force.

16. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the first circuitry is further configured to:

drive, during a second time period, the second sensor electrode with a second sensing signal;

receive, using the first sensor electrode, a second resulting signal comprising effects of the driven second sensing signal and effects of a second deflection of the display relative to the housing;

determine, based on the received second resulting signal, a second force applied to the first surface; and

perform, using the display, a second user interface action based on the second force.

17. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the first circuitry is further configured to:

drive, during the first time period, a third sensor electrode of the substrate with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode disposed along the periphery of the first surface and circumscribed by the first and second sensor electrodes in the first and second dimensions.

18. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the substrate is mounted to a second surface of the display opposite the first surface, and wherein determining a first force applied to the first surface comprises:

determining a change in capacitance between the housing and the first sensor electrode.

19. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the substrate is mounted to the housing, and wherein determining a first force applied to the first surface comprises:

determining a change in capacitance between a conductive layer of the display and the first sensor electrode.

20. The processing system of claim 19, wherein the conductive layer of the display comprises a common electrode layer used for updating the display.

21. The processing system of claim 15, further comprising:

second circuitry communicatively coupled with a plurality of sensor electrodes of the input device, wherein the second circuitry is configured to;

determine, based on signals received from the plurality of sensor electrodes, one or more locations corresponding to the first force applied to the first surface,

wherein the first circuitry is further configured to compensate a detected amount of the first force applied to the first surface based on the determined one or more locations.