Sense electrode design

• US 10,338,759 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2019
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiyabu, Karin
• Application Number:
  US16/277,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20190179454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 137 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A touch sensitive device includes a plurality of sense electrodes arranged in a pattern to receive charge from drive electrodes. The pattern of sense electrodes has extreme portions having worst case charge transfer times, wherein the worst case charge transfer time at multiple extreme portions is substantially equal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touchscreen display comprising;

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent longitudinal drive electrodes separated from each other by a gap;

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent sense electrodes formed in the shape of spines running transverse to the drive electrodes;

wherein each sense electrode spine comprises an end to couple to drive lines and a plurality of crossbars that generally run in the same direction as the drive electrodes;

a first plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of drive electrodes;

a second plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of sense electrodes;

a dielectric layer separating the layer of drive electrodes from the layer of sense electrodes; and

an underlying display configured to produce an image;

wherein the plurality of sense electrodes comprises at least two sense electrode spines wherein a first sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a first end of the first sense electrode spine, and a second sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a second end of the second sense electrode spine;

wherein the first end and second end are on opposite sides;

wherein the first sense electrode spine and the second sense electrode spine are adjacent to each other;

wherein the plurality of crossbars generally increase in width;

wherein the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the largest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the smallest width, and the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the smallest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the largest width;

wherein the crossbar that has the smallest width is located closest to the end to couple to sense circuitry and the crossbar that has the largest width is located furthest away from the end to couple to sense circuitry; and

sense circuitry connected to the first and second plurality of conductive drive lines;

the sense circuitry configured to detect and process the change in capacitance at one or more touch-sensor nodes to determine the presence and location of a touch input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive and sense electrodes comprise indium tin oxide.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each crossbar has at least one tip that is furthest from the spine;

wherein a worst case charge transfer time from the tip to the end of the spine to couple to drive lines does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the worst case charge transfer time to each tip is substantially equal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lengths of each crossbar for at least one spine are substantially the same.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the widths of two adjacent crossbars of at least one spine are substantially the same.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive and sense electrodes comprise transparent conductive polymers.

8. A touchscreen display comprising:

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent longitudinal drive electrodes separated from each other by a gap;

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent sense electrodes formed in the shape of spines running transverse to the drive electrodes;

wherein each sense electrode spine comprises an end to couple to drive lines and a plurality of crossbars that generally run in the same direction as the drive electrodes;

a first plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of drive electrodes;

a second plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of sense electrodes;

a dielectric layer separating the layer of drive electrodes from the layer of sense electrodes; and

an underlying display configured to produce an image;

wherein the plurality of sense electrodes comprises at least two sense electrode spines wherein a first sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a first end of the first sense electrode spine, and a second sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a second end of the second sense electrode spine;

wherein the first end and second end are on opposite sides;

wherein the first sense electrode spine and the second sense electrode spine are adjacent to each other;

wherein the plurality of crossbars generally increase in width wherein the crossbar that has the smallest width is located closest to the end to couple to sense circuitry and the crossbar that has the largest width is located furthest away from the end to couple to sense circuitry;

wherein the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the largest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the smallest width, and the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the smallest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the largest width.

9. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the drive and sense electrodes comprise indium tin oxide.

10. The touchscreen display of claim 9, wherein each crossbar has at least one tip that is furthest from the spine;

wherein a worst case charge transfer time from the tip to the end of the spine to couple to drive lines does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

11. The touchscreen display of claim 10, wherein the worst case charge transfer time to each tip is substantially equal.

12. The touchscreen display of claim 11, wherein the lengths of each crossbar for at least one spine are substantially the same.

13. The touchscreen display of claim 10, wherein the widths of two adjacent crossbars of at least one spine are substantially the same.

14. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the drive and sense electrodes comprise transparent conductive polymers.

15. A touchscreen display comprising:

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent longitudinal drive electrodes separated from each other by a gap;

a layer containing a plurality of substantially transparent sense electrodes formed in the shape of spines running transverse to the drive electrodes;

wherein each sense electrode spine comprises an end to couple to drive lines and a plurality of crossbars that generally run in the same direction as the drive electrodes;

a first plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of drive electrodes;

a second plurality of conductive drive lines electrically connected to the plurality of sense electrodes;

a dielectric layer separating the layer of drive electrodes from the layer of sense electrodes; and

an underlying display configured to produce an image;

wherein the plurality of sense electrodes comprises at least two sense electrode spines wherein a first sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a first end of the first sense electrode spine, and a second sense electrode spine is connected to drive lines at a second end of the second sense electrode spine;

wherein the first sense electrode spine and the second sense electrode spine are adjacent to each other;

wherein the plurality of crossbars generally increase in width wherein the crossbar that has the smallest width is located closest to the end to couple to sense circuitry and the crossbar that has the largest width is located furthest away from the end to couple to sense circuitry;

wherein the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the largest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the smallest width, and the crossbar of the first sense electrode spine that has the smallest width runs adjacent to the crossbar of the second sense electrode spine that has the largest width.

16. The touchscreen display of claim 15, wherein the drive and sense electrodes comprise indium tin oxide.

17. The touchscreen display of claim 16, wherein each crossbar has at least one tip that is furthest from the spine;

wherein a worst case charge transfer time from the tip to the end of the spine to couple to drive lines does not exceed a predetermined threshold;

wherein the worst case charge transfer time to each tip is substantially equal.

18. The touchscreen display of claim 17, wherein the lengths of each crossbar for at least one spine are substantially the same.

19. The touchscreen display of claim 17, wherein the widths of two adjacent crossbars of at least one spine are substantially the same.

20. The touchscreen display of claim 15, wherein the first end of the first sense electrode spine and the second end of the second sense electrode spine are on the same side.