Systems and methods for determining touch location

• US 20070132737A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Badaye, Massoud, Mulligan, Roger
• Application Number:
  US11/298,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

A touch panel includes first and second layers of electrodes. The first layer of electrodes is electrically connected in an arrangement that produces a regional ambiguity in a touch location determined using the first electrodes with respect to a first axis. The second layer of electrodes is configured to resolve the regional ambiguity of the touch location with respect to the first axis. Conversely, the second layer of electrodes may also be connected in an arrangement that creates regional ambiguity in touch location determination of the second layer, and the first layer of electrodes may be configured to resolve that regional ambiguity.

Claims

1. A touch system, comprising:

a touch panel, comprising;

a first layer of one or more first electrodes electrically connected in an arrangement that produces a regional ambiguity in a touch location determined using the first electrodes with respect to a first axis; and

a second layer of one or more second electrodes configured to resolve the regional ambiguity of the touch location with respect to the first axis.

2. The touch system of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrodes are configured to be predominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to the first axis and less dominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to a second axis; and

the second electrodes are configured to be predominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to the second axis and less dominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to the first axis.

3. The touch system of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrodes comprise a first layer of substantially parallel electrodes; and

the second electrodes comprise a second layer of substantially parallel electrodes.

4. The touch system of claim 3, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first electrodes is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second electrodes.

5. The touch system of claim 1, wherein:

the second electrodes comprise a single electrode sheet; and

the first electrodes comprise a layer of substantially parallel electrodes.

6. The touch system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first electrodes and the second electrodes comprise substantially parallel electrodes electrically connected in a discrete pattern.

7. The touch system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first electrodes and the second electrodes comprise substantially parallel electrodes electrically connected in a non-discrete pattern.

8. The touch system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first electrodes and the second electrodes comprise substantially parallel electrodes electrically connected in a repeating pattern.

9. The touch system of claim 1, wherein:

the arrangement of the first electrodes allows determination of the touch location using a non-ratiometric process; and

the arrangement of the second electrodes allows resolution of the regional ambiguity using a ratiometric process.

10. The touch system of claim 1, wherein:

the second electrodes are electrically connected in an arrangement that produces a regional ambiguity in a touch location determined using the second electrodes with respect to a second axis; and

the first electrodes are configured to resolve the regional ambiguity of the touch location with respect to the second axis.

11. The touch system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to receive touch signals generated using the first electrodes and touch signals generated using the second electrodes, to use the touch signals generated by the first electrodes to determine the touch location with respect to a first axis, and to use the touch signals generated using the second electrodes to resolve the regional ambiguity with respect to the first axis.

12. The touch system of claim 1, further comprising a display viewable through the touch panel.

13. A touch sensing method, comprising:

determining a touch location having a regional ambiguity with respect to a first axis of a touch panel using touch signals generated by one or more first electrodes; and

resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by one or more second electrodes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the touch signals generated by the first electrodes are predominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to a first axis and are less dominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to a second axis; and

the touch signals generated by the second electrodes are predominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to the second axis and are less dominantly responsive to the touch location with respect to the first axis.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining the touch location having a regional ambiguity with respect to a second axis of the touch panel using touch signals generated by the second layer of one or more second electrodes; and

resolving the second axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by the first layer of one or more first electrodes.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more first electrodes are disposed in a first layer of the touch panel; and

the one or more second electrodes are disposed in a second layer of the touch panel.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using non-ratiometric touch signals; and

resolving the ambiguity in the touch location using the touch signal generated by the second electrodes comprises resolving the ambiguity in the touch location using ratiometric signals.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by substantially parallel first electrodes; and

resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by the second electrodes comprises resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using the touch signals generated by substantially parallel second electrodes.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein:

determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by substantially parallel first electrodes; and

resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by the second electrodes comprises resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using the touch signals generated by a planar electrode.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes which are substantially parallel and electrically connected in a discrete pattern.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes which are substantially parallel and electrically connected in a non-discrete pattern.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the touch location using the touch signals generated by the first electrodes comprises determining the touch location using the touch signals generated the by first electrodes which are substantially parallel and electrically connected in a repeating pattern.

23. A touch sensing system, comprising:

means for determining a touch location having a regional ambiguity with respect to a first axis of a touch panel using touch signals generated by one or more first electrodes; and

means for resolving the first axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by one or more second electrodes.

24. The touch sensing system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining the touch location having a regional ambiguity with respect to a second axis of the touch panel using touch signals generated by the second electrodes; and

means for resolving the second axis regional ambiguity using touch signals generated by the first electrodes.