Two-Dimensional Position Sensor
First Claim
1. A capacitive position sensor for determining the position of an object in a sensing area, the sensor comprising a substrate having a surface with an arrangement of electrodes mounted thereon, wherein the electrodes define an array of sensing cells arranged in columns and rows to form the sensing area, each sensing cell including a column sensing electrode and a row sensing electrode, the column sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same column being electrically coupled together and the row sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same row being electrically coupled together, wherein row sensing electrodes of sensing cells at opposing ends of at least one of the rows are electrically coupled to one another by respective row wrap-around connections made outside of the sensing area.
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Abstract
A capacitive position sensor for determining the position of an object along first and second directions is described. The sensor comprises a substrate having an arrangement of electrodes mounted on a single surface thereof. The electrodes are arranged so as to define an array of sensing cells arranged in columns and rows to form a sensing area. Each of the sensing cell including a column sensing electrode and a row sensing electrode with the column sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same column being electrically coupled together and the row sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same row also being electrically coupled together. Row sensing electrodes of sensing cells at opposing ends of at least one of the rows are connected together by an electrical connection made outside of the sensing area so that there is no requirement for electrical connections to cross within the sensing area, thus providing a capacitive position sensor having a sensing area with electrodes on only one side of a substrate.
321 Citations
27 Claims
- 1. A capacitive position sensor for determining the position of an object in a sensing area, the sensor comprising a substrate having a surface with an arrangement of electrodes mounted thereon, wherein the electrodes define an array of sensing cells arranged in columns and rows to form the sensing area, each sensing cell including a column sensing electrode and a row sensing electrode, the column sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same column being electrically coupled together and the row sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same row being electrically coupled together, wherein row sensing electrodes of sensing cells at opposing ends of at least one of the rows are electrically coupled to one another by respective row wrap-around connections made outside of the sensing area.
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20. A method of constructing a capacitively sensitive surface disposed on a substrate which reports an X-Y coordinate position of an object within an active sensing region when the object is adjacent to said surface, comprising the steps of:
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(a) depositing a single layer of patterned conductive material in the active sensing region, the pattern comprising rows and columns of electrodes connected to individual ones of capacitive sensing channels, and wherein at least one row or column is broken into a plurality of segments within the active region;
(b) connecting the broken segments together with an electrical conductor, wherein the conductor is made to lie outside of the active sensing region;
(c) connecting the rows and columns to individual sensing channels of a multi-channel capacitive sensor circuit having multiple outputs representing amplitudes of capacitance on the rows and columns; and
(d) providing a processor operable to process the multiple outputs to determine a coordinate position of the adjacent object as an XY location. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 25. A capacitive position sensor for determining the position of an object in a sensing area, the sensor comprising a substrate having a surface with an arrangement of conductive electrodes mounted thereon, wherein the electrodes define an array of sensing cells arranged in columns and rows to form the sensing area, each sensing cell including a column sensing electrode and a row sensing electrode, the column sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same column being electrically coupled together and the row sensing electrodes of sensing cells in the same row being electrically coupled together, wherein at least one column sensing electrode comprises a continuous spine within the sensing area, and at least one other column sensing electrode is made electrically continuous via connections external to the sensing area.
Specification