Sensor device for a display

• US 10,303,285 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorfner, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/135,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• 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 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

Abstract

A display with an inner visible display area and an outer support area which does not provide a display function is enhanced with an electrode arrangement. The electrode arrangement provides for a substrate layer on which a transmitting electrode is arranged which is surrounded by a plurality of receiving electrodes, wherein at least the transmit electrodes is transparent and at least partially covers the inner visible display area and the receiving electrodes are arranged on portions of the substrate layer covering the outer support area.

Claims

1. An electrode arrangement configured for attachment to a display, wherein the display comprises an inner visible display area and an outer support area which does not provide a display function, wherein the electrode arrangement only comprises a single electrode layer and provides for a substrate layer on which a transmitting electrode is arranged which is surrounded by a plurality of receiving electrodes in the single electrode layer, wherein at least the transmit electrodes is transparent and at least partially covers the inner visible display area and the receiving electrodes are arranged on portions of the a transparent adhesive foil layer covering the outer support area, wherein the transparent adhesive foil forms the substrate layer.

2. The electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transparent adhesive foil is a flexible foil.

3. The electrode arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting electrode comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

4. The electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transparent adhesive foil comprises a foil laminated with an optical clear adhesive.

5. The electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting electrode comprises a plurality of electrode segments.

6. The electrode arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a second layer is provided comprising sensors for projected capacitance measurement arranged within the inner visible display area.

7. The electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a layer at the back of the transparent adhesive foil comprises within the outer support area a low impedance conductive material which may be coupled with ground.

8. The electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a layer of low impedance conductive material coupled with ground is provided under the receive electrodes within the outside support area.

9. A display module with an electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transparent adhesive foil is attached to a top surface of the display module such that the receiving electrodes are surrounding a display screen of the display module.

10. The display module according to claim 9, wherein the outer support area is a metal bezel of the display module coupled with a ground connection of the display module.

11. The display module according to claim 9, wherein a non-conductive bezel covers the outside area of the transparent adhesive foil.

12. The display module according to claim 9, wherein the transparent adhesive foil is flexible.

13. The display module according to claim 12, wherein the transparent adhesive foil comprises a foil laminated with an optical clear adhesive.

14. The display module according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting electrode comprises a plurality of electrode segments.

15. The display module according to claim 14, wherein a second layer is provided comprising sensors for projected capacitance measurement arranged within the inner visible display area.

16. A method for providing a sensor for a display module comprising the steps of:

providing an electrode arrangement configured for attachment to a display module, wherein the display module comprises an inner visible display area and an outer support area which does not provide a display function, wherein the electrode arrangement only comprises a single electrode layer and provides for a substrate layer on which a transmitting electrode is arranged which is surrounded by a plurality of receiving electrodes in the single electrode layer, wherein at least the transmit electrodes is transparent and at least partially covers the inner visible display area and the receiving electrodes are arranged on portions of the a transparent adhesive foil layer covering the outer support area, wherein the transparent adhesive foil forms the substrate layer, the method comprising;

attaching the transparent adhesive foil on top of the display module.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the outer support area is a metal bezel of the display module.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a layer at the back of the transparent adhesive foil comprises within the outer support area a low impedance conductive material which may be coupled with ground.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising mounting a non-conductive bezel over the outside area of the transparent adhesive foil.