Two layer forcepad

• US 10,592,057 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Yeh-Cheng, Chen, Yu-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US16/189,592
• Time in Patent Office: 490 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

An input device sensor includes proximity receiver electrodes on a first single layer, force receiver electrodes on a second single layer, and transmitter electrodes configured to transmit a transmitter signal. Each transmitter electrode includes proximity transmitter segments linearly arranged on the first single layer and separated by the proximity receiver electrodes. The transmitter electrodes further each include force transmitter segments linearly arranged on the second single layer and separated by the force receiver electrodes, the force transmitter segments connecting adjacent proximity transmitter segments in the proximity transmitter segments. The input device sensor further includes a first ground shield on the first single layer, the first ground shield shielding the force receiver electrodes from the proximity transmitter segments. The input device sensor further includes a ground plane, and a compressible layer interposed between the second single layer and the ground plane.

Claims

1. A input device sensor comprising:

a plurality of proximity receiver electrodes on a first single layer;

a plurality of force receiver electrodes on a second single layer;

a plurality of transmitter electrodes configured to transmit a transmitter signal, each transmitter electrode comprising;

a plurality of proximity transmitter segments linearly arranged on the first single layer and separated by the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes, the plurality of proximity transmitter segments capacitively coupled to the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes;

a plurality of force transmitter segments linearly arranged on the second single layer and separated by the plurality of force receiver electrodes, the plurality of force transmitter segments connecting adjacent proximity transmitter segments in the plurality of proximity transmitter segments, the plurality of force transmitter segments capacitively coupled to the plurality of force receiver electrodes;

a first ground shield on the first single layer, the first ground shield shielding the plurality of force receiver electrodes from the plurality of proximity transmitter segments;

a ground plane; and

a compressible layer interposed between the second single layer and the ground plane.

2. The input device sensor of claim 1,

wherein the first single layer and the second single layer are printed on a film.

3. The input device sensor of claim 2, wherein the film is a Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) substrate.

4. The input device sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a second ground shield on the second single layer shielding the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes from the plurality of force transmitter segments.

5. The input device sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of floating electrodes in a third layer between the second single layer and the ground plane, the plurality of floating electrodes capacitively coupled to the plurality of force receiver electrodes.

6. The input device sensor of claim 5, wherein the third layer comprises a plurality of rubber support structures interleaved with the plurality of floating electrodes.

7. The input device sensor of claim 5, further comprising force sensing resistor (FSR) ink interposed between the ground plane and the plurality of floating electrodes.

8. The input device sensor of claim 5, wherein the third layer is within the compressible layer.

9. The input device sensor of claim 1, wherein the first ground shield comprises a plurality of grounding segments, the plurality of grounding segments being within the plurality of proximity transmitter segments, the plurality of grounding segments substantially overlapping the plurality of force receiver electrodes.

10. The input device sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of force receiver electrodes comprises a comb structure, wherein the plurality of force transmitter segments comprises an inverse comb structure, and wherein the plurality of force receiver electrodes and the plurality of force transmitter electrodes comprises a capacitive coupling along the comb structure and the inverse comb structure.

11. The input device sensor of claim 1, wherein the compressible layer comprises:

a compressible material extending along the ground plane.

12. The input device sensor of claim 1, wherein the compressible layer comprises piezoelectric ink.

13. The input device sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

insulative ink between the first layer and the second layer.

14. A method for manufacturing an input device sensor comprising:

printing, on a film, a first single layer comprising;

a plurality of proximity receiver electrodes,

a plurality of proximity transmitter segments separated by the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes, the plurality of proximity transmitter segments capacitively coupled to the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes, and

a first ground shield;

printing, on the film, a second single layer, the second single layer comprising;

a plurality of force receiver electrodes, wherein the plurality of force receiver electrodes is shielded from the plurality of proximity transmitter segments, and

a plurality of force transmitter segments and separated by the plurality of force receiver electrodes, the plurality of force transmitter segments connecting adjacent proximity transmitter segments in the plurality of proximity transmitter segments, the plurality of force transmitter segments capacitively coupled to the plurality of force receiver electrodes; and

affixing, to the input device sensor, a ground plane and a compressible layer interposed between the second single layer and the ground plane.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein printing the second single layer comprises:

printing a second ground shield shielding the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes from the plurality of force transmitter segments.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

printing a third layer comprising a plurality of floating electrodes between the second single layer and the ground plane, the plurality of floating electrodes capacitively coupled to the plurality of force receiver electrodes.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

affixing a plurality of rubber support structures interleaved with the plurality of floating electrodes in the third layer.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

printing force sensing resistor (FSR) ink interposed between the ground plane and the plurality of floating electrodes.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein affixing the compressible layer comprising:

printing piezoelectric ink as at least part of the compressible layer.

20. An input device comprising:

an input surface;

an input device sensor comprising;

a plurality of proximity receiver electrodes on a first single layer;

a plurality of force receiver electrodes on a second single layer;

a plurality of transmitter electrodes configured to transmit a transmitter signal, each transmitter electrode comprising;

a plurality of proximity transmitter segments linearly arranged on the first single layer and separated by the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes, the plurality of proximity transmitter segments forming a first capacitive coupling with the plurality of proximity receiver electrodes;

a plurality of force transmitter segments linearly arranged on the second single layer and separated by the plurality of force receiver electrodes, the plurality of force transmitter segments connecting adjacent proximity transmitter segments in the plurality of proximity transmitter segments, the plurality of force transmitter segments forming a second capacitive coupling with the plurality of force receiver electrodes;

a first ground shield on the first single layer, the first ground shield shielding the plurality of force receiver electrodes from the plurality of proximity transmitter segments;

a ground plane;

a compressible layer interposed between the second single layer and the ground plane,

wherein the first single layer and the second single layer are printed on a film; and

a processing circuitry configured to;

determine positional information of an input object proximate to the input surface based on the first capacitive coupling, and

determine a force applied to the input surface based on the second capacitive coupling.