Transparent overlay input device

• US 20040080486A1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oberdier, Larry M., Troxell, John R., Lambert, David K., Harrington, Marie I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,352,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A transparent overlay input device includes a transparent non-conductive substrate, a plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs and a transparent non-conductive cover. The plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs are formed on the substrate and each form a proximity sensitive region and include a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal. The first and second electrodes are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of the electrode pair changes when a conductive member, e.g., a user'"'"'s finger, is located near the electrode pair. The transparent non-conductive cover is formed on the substrate over the electrode pairs.

Claims

1. A transparent overlay input device, comprising:

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs formed on the substrate, wherein each of the electrode pairs forms a proximity sensitive region and includes a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal, and wherein the first and second electrodes of each of the electrode pairs are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of each of the electrode pairs changes when a conductive member is located near a given one of the electrode pairs; and

a first transparent non-conductive cover formed on the substrate over the transparent electrode pairs.

2. The device of claim 1, further including:

a signal source for providing the input signal to the first electrodes; and

a phase sensitive detector for receiving the output signal from the second electrodes, wherein a reference input of the detector receives a reference signal from the signal source and an output of the detector provides an indication when the conductive member is located near one of the electrode pairs.

3. The device of claim 2, further including:

a signal distributor including an input, a plurality of outputs and a plurality of select lines, where the input of the signal distributor receives the input signal from the signal source and a different one of the plurality of outputs of the signal distributor is coupled to each of the first electrodes; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the signal distributor and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the signal distributor to periodically causes the signal distributor to sequentially provide the input signal to each of the first electrodes.

4. The device of claim 2, further including:

a multiplexer including an output, a plurality of inputs and a plurality of select lines, wherein a different one of the inputs of the multiplexer are coupled to each of the second electrodes whose associated first electrode receives the input signal from the signal source, and wherein the output of the multiplexer is coupled to the input of the detector; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the multiplexer and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the multiplexer to periodically cause the multiplexer to sequentially couple each of the second electrodes to the input of the detector.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes each include fingers, and wherein the fingers of the first and second electrodes are interdigitated.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode surrounds the second electrode.

7. The device of claim 1, further including:

a second transparent conductive layer formed on the first transparent non-conductive cover in areas away from the electrode pairs; and

a second transparent non-conductive cover formed over the second transparent conductive layer.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the second transparent non-conductive cover includes textured areas above the electrode pairs to provide tactile feedback to a user.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first transparent non-conductive cover includes textured areas above the electrode pairs to provide tactile feedback to a user.

10. An automotive display system, comprising:

an automotive display panel for providing at least one of motor vehicle operating information and motor vehicle accessory information; and

a transparent overlay input device attached to the automotive display panel such that graphics displayed by the panel are visible through the device, the device including;

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs formed on the substrate, wherein each of the electrode pairs forms a proximity sensitive region and includes a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal, and wherein the first and second electrodes of each of the electrode pairs are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of each of the electrode pairs changes when a conductive member is located near a given one of the electrode pairs; and

a first transparent non-conductive cover formed on the substrate over the transparent electrode pairs.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the device further includes:

a signal source for providing the input signal to the first electrodes; and

a phase sensitive detector for receiving the output signal from the second electrodes, wherein a reference input of the detector receives a reference signal from the signal source and an output of the detector provides an indication when the conductive member is located near one of the electrode pairs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device further includes:

a signal distributor including an input, a plurality of outputs and a plurality of select lines, where the input of the signal distributor receives the input signal from the signal source and a different one of the plurality of outputs of the signal distributor is coupled to each of the first electrodes; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the signal distributor and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the signal distributor to periodically causes the signal distributor to sequentially provide the input signal to each of the first electrodes.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the device further includes:

a multiplexer including an output, a plurality of inputs and a plurality of select lines, wherein a different one of the inputs of the multiplexer are coupled to each of the second electrodes whose associated first electrode receives the input signal from the signal source, and wherein the output of the multiplexer is coupled to the input of the detector; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the multiplexer and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the multiplexer to periodically cause the multiplexer to sequentially couple each of the second electrodes to the input of the detector.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second electrodes each include fingers, and wherein the fingers of the first and second electrodes are interdigitated.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first electrode surrounds the second electrode.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the device further includes:

a second transparent conductive layer formed on the first transparent non-conductive cover in areas away from the electrode pairs; and

a second transparent non-conductive cover formed over the second transparent conductive layer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second transparent non-conductive cover includes textured areas above the electrode pairs to provide tactile feedback to a user.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the first transparent non-conductive cover includes textured areas above the electrode pairs to provide tactile feedback to a user.

19. A transparent overlay input device, comprising:

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs formed on the substrate, wherein each of the electrode pairs forms a proximity sensitive region and includes a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal, and wherein the first and second electrodes of each of the electrode pairs are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of each of the electrode pairs changes when a conductive member is located near a given one of the electrode pairs;

a first transparent non-conductive cover formed on the substrate over the transparent electrode pairs;

a signal source for providing the input signal to the first electrodes; and

a phase sensitive detector for receiving the output signal from the second electrodes, wherein a reference input of the detector receives a reference signal from the signal source and an output of the detector provides an indication when the conductive member is located near one of the electrode pairs.

20. The device of claim 19, further including:

a signal distributor including an input, a plurality of outputs and a plurality of select lines, where the input of the signal distributor receives the input signal from the signal source and a different one of the plurality of outputs of the signal distributor is coupled to each of the first electrodes; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the signal distributor and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the signal distributor to periodically causes the signal distributor to sequentially provide the input signal to each of the first electrodes.

21. The device of claim 19, further including:

a multiplexer including an output, a plurality of inputs and a plurality of select lines, wherein a different one of the inputs of the multiplexer are coupled to each of the second electrodes whose associated first electrode receives the input signal from the signal source, and wherein the output of the multiplexer is coupled to the input of the detector; and

a control unit including a plurality of outputs and an input, wherein a different one of the outputs of the control unit are coupled to each of the select lines of the multiplexer and the input of the control unit is coupled to the output of the detector, and wherein the control unit controls the select lines of the multiplexer to periodically cause the multiplexer to sequentially couple each of the second electrodes to the input of the detector.