Touchscreen electrode arrangement

• US 10,146,382 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Philipp, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US15/185,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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

Abstract

An assembly has an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen. An array of second electrodes is distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction along an x-axis of the touchscreen, wherein the first electrodes are coupled together in a first sensing channel;

an array of second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction along the x-axis of the touchscreen, wherein the second electrodes are coupled together to in a second sensing channel;

an array of third electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of third electrodes increases in a second direction along a y-axis of the touchscreen; and

an array of fourth electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of fourth electrodes decreases in the second direction along the y-axis of the touchscreen.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to a first external electrical connection; and

the second electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to a second external electrical connection.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the density of first and second electrodes changes by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes present across the first direction.

4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an array of fifth electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen, wherein:

the first and second electrodes are drive electrodes, and

the fifth electrodes are receive electrodes such that the first and second electrodes interact with the fifth electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprise at least one of metal wire, fine line metal, indium tin oxide, and a conductive polymer.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are nonintersecting in the active area of the touchscreen.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen assembly comprises at least one of a self-capacitance touchscreen, a mutual capacitance touchscreen, and a resistive touchscreen.

8. A method comprising:

driving an array of first electrodes with a first drive signal, the first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction along the x-axis of the touchscreen, wherein the first electrodes are coupled together in a first sensing channel;

driving an array of second electrodes with a second drive signal, the second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction along the x-axis of the touchscreen, wherein the second electrodes are coupled together in a second sensing channel;

driving an array of third electrodes with a third drive signal, the third electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of third electrodes increases in a second direction along a y-axis of the touchscreen; and

driving an array of fourth electrodes with a fourth drive signal, the fourth electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of fourth electrodes decreases in the second direction along the y-axis of the touchscreen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to the first drive signal, and

the second electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to the second drive signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the density of first and second electrodes changes by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes present in the first direction.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a mutual capacitive coupled signal from at least one of the first and second electrodes in an array of fifth electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen, such that the first and second electrodes interact with the fifth electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first, second, and fifth electrodes are nonintersecting in the active area of the touchscreen.

13. A method comprising:

forming an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction along an x-axis of the touchscreen;

coupling the first electrodes together in a first sensing channel;

forming an array of second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction along the x-axis of the touchscreen;

coupling the second electrodes together to in a second sensing channel;

forming an array of third electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of third electrodes increases in a second direction along a y-axis of the touchscreen; and

forming an array of fourth electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of fourth electrodes decreases in the second direction along the y-axis of the touchscreen.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

directly coupling the first electrodes to one another and to a first external electrical connection; and

directly coupling the second electrodes to one another and to a second external electrical connection.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the density of first and second electrodes is changed by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes formed across the first direction.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming an array of fifth electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen, such that the first and second electrodes interact with the fifth electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first, second, and fifth electrodes comprise at least one of fine line metal, indium tin oxide, and a conductive polymer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first, second, and fifth electrodes are nonintersecting in the active area of the touchscreen.

19. An assembly comprising:

an array of first electrodes distributed across a plurality of zones of an active area of a touchscreen assembly; and

an array of second electrodes distributed across the plurality of zones of the active area of the touchscreen assembly; and

an array of third electrodes distributed across the plurality of zones of the active area of the touchscreen assembly; and

an array of fourth electrodes distributed across the plurality of zones of the active area of the touchscreen assembly, and

wherein;

the first electrodes are coupled together in a first sensing channel;

the second electrodes are coupled together in a second sensing channel;

in a first zone disposed along an x-axis of the touchscreen assembly, there are a greater number of first electrodes than second electrodes, and

in a second zone disposed along the x-axis of the touchscreen assembly, there are a fewer number of first electrodes than second electrodes;

in a first zone disposed along a y-axis of the touchscreen assembly, there are a greater number of third electrodes than fourth electrodes, and

in a second zone disposed along the y-axis of the touchscreen assembly, there are a fewer number of third electrodes than fourth electrodes.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein a position of an input on the touchscreen assembly can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrodes in the area of input.

21. The assembly of claim 19, wherein:

a third zone is disposed between the first zone and the second zone along the x-axis of the touchscreen assembly,

there are a fewer number of first electrodes in the third zone than a number of first electrodes in the first zone, and

there are a greater number of second electrodes in the third zone than a number of second electrodes in the second zone.