Display device having an integrated sensing device with improved proximity sensing

• US 10,534,485 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stone, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US15/639,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include a method and apparatus for capacitive sensing in input devices integrated with a display device. In one example, an input device is provided that includes a display device, a plurality of transmitter electrodes integrated with the display device, and a processing system. The plurality of transmitter electrodes include at least a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode. The first transmitter electrode includes a plurality of transmitter electrode segments. The plurality of transmitter electrode segments includes at least a first transmitter electrode segment connectable with a second transmitter electrode segment. The processing system is configured to: when operating in a first mode, simultaneously drive the first transmitter electrode segment and the second transmitter electrode segment connected as the first transmitter electrode, and when operating in a second mode, drive the first transmitter electrode segment separately from the second transmitter electrode segment.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a transmitter electrode comprising a first transmitter electrode segment and a second transmitter electrode segment, wherein the first transmitter electrode segment is substantially equal in length but different in width relative to the second transmitter electrode segment; and

a processing system configured to;

simultaneously drive the first transmitter electrode segment and the second transmitter electrode segment in a first capacitive sensing mode, and

drive the first transmitter electrode segment separately from the second transmitter electrode segment in a second capacitive sensing mode.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein a plane area of the first transmitter electrode segment is different than a plane area of the second transmitter electrode segment.

3. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch configured to couple the first transmitter electrode segment to the second transmitter electrode segment.

4. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch configured to couple the first transmitter electrode segment to the second transmitter electrode segment, wherein the first capacitive sensing mode is a transcapacitive sensing mode and the processing system is configured to drive a common signal on the first and second transmitter electrode segments during the transcapacitive sensing mode.

5. The input device of claim 4 further comprising:

a switch configured to open a circuit connecting the first transmitter electrode segment and the second transmitter electrode segment while coupling the first transmitter electrode segment to the processing system, wherein the second capacitive sensing mode is an absolute sensing mode, and the processing system is configured to drive a transmitter signal on the first transmitter electrode segment while the second transmitter electrode segment is not modulated relative to the first transmitter electrode segment during the absolute sensing mode.

6. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrode switches configured to change a plane area of the transmitter electrode.

7. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch configured to change a plane area of the transmitter electrode, wherein the switch is disposed in or on at least one of gate switching logic, the processing system, a substrate stack of a display device integrated with the transmitter electrode and a separate switching mechanism.

8. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of receiver electrodes configured to couple to the processing system.

9. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first switch configured to couple a first set of transmitter electrodes comprising at least the first transmitter electrode segment to the processing system in the second capacitive sensing mode, and configured to couple a second set of transmitter electrodes comprising the first transmitter electrode segment and at least the second transmitter electrode segment to the processing system in the first capacitive sensing mode, wherein a plane area of the second set of transmitter electrodes is greater than a plane area of the first set of transmitter electrodes.

10. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a display device integrated with the first transmitter electrode segment and the second transmitter electrode segment.

11. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter electrode segment and the second transmitter electrode segment are paired with different transmitter electrode segments of another transmitter electrode.

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

a driver module configured to be selectively coupled to at least a first transmitter electrode segment of a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode segment of the first transmitter electrode, wherein the first transmitter electrode segment is substantially equal in length but different in width relative to the second transmitter electrode segment, and wherein the driver module is further configured to drive a transmitter signal on the first and second transmitter electrode segments for transcapacitive sensing; and

a sensor module configured to be selectively coupled to at least the first transmitter electrode segment of the first transmitter electrode, and to drive and receive with the first transmitter electrode segment for absolute capacitive sensing.

13. The processing system of claim 12, wherein the sensor module is configured to switch from an absolute sensing mode of operation to a transcapacitive sensing mode of operation in response to presence of an object detected by the sensor module while in the absolute sensing mode of operation.

14. The processing system of claim 12, wherein the sensor module is configured to switch from an absolute sensing mode of operation to a transcapacitive sensing mode of operation in response to presence of more than one object detected by the sensor module while in the absolute sensing mode of operation.

15. The processing system of claim 12, wherein the sensor module is configured to switch between an absolute sensing mode of operation and a transcapacitive sensing mode of operation at a predefined frequency.

16. The processing system of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of switches configured to couple different transmitter electrode segments to the sensor module, the switches configured to couple at least the first transmitter electrode segment to the sensor module when the sensor module is operating in an absolute sensing mode of operation, and the switches configured to couple the first transmitter electrode segment and at least the second transmitter electrode segment to the driver module when the sensor module is operating in a transcapacitive sensing mode of operation.

17. A method for sensing presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device, comprising:

simultaneously driving a first transmitter electrode segment and a second transmitter electrode segment in a first capacitive sensing mode; and

driving the first transmitter electrode segment separately from the second transmitter electrode segment in a second capacitive sensing mode, wherein the first transmitter electrode segment is substantially equal in length but different in width relative to the second transmitter electrode segment.