Single-layer capacitive sensing device

• US 20080074398A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Wright, David Gordon
• Application Number:
  US11/528,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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-sensor device, and method of making same, having a sensor element, conductive sensor trace, and active electronic components disposed on a single-layer.

Claims

1. A touch-sensor device, comprising:

a sensor element;

an active electronic component; and

a sensor trace coupled to the sensor element and the active electronic component, wherein the sensor element, active electronic component, and sensor trace are disposed on a single layer without any other sensor trace residing on a different layer.

2. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor element comprises a metal sensor element and the active electronic component comprises a controller.

3. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the single layer comprises a same side of a non-conductive substrate.

4. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a connector coupled to the active electronic component, wherein the connector is disposed on a same side of the non-conductive substrate as the single layer.

5. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a ground plane disposed on a different side of the non-conductive substrate opposite of the side with the single layer.

6. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, wherein the ground plane comprises a conductive ink.

7. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, wherein the ground plane is a carbon printed ground plane.

8. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, wherein the ground plane is a ground grid.

9. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, further comprising a system ground disposed on the same side as the single layer, wherein the ground plane is coupled to the system ground using a pressure contact.

10. The touch-sensor device of claim 9, wherein the pressure contact comprises a spring conductive clip coupled between the ground plane and the system ground.

11. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor trace comprises conductive ink.

12. The touch-sensor device of claim 11, wherein the conductive ink comprises carbon ink.

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

a first set of sensor traces disposed in a first direction coupling a first set of sensor elements in the first direction; and

a second set of sensor traces disposed in a second direction coupling a second set of sensor elements in the second direction.

14. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first set of sensor traces comprises metal and the second set of sensor traces comprises conductive ink.

15. The touch-sensor device of claim 14, wherein an insulator is provided at each intersection of a metal sensor trace and a conductive ink sensor trace.

16. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

17. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first set of sensor traces disposed in the first direction is on the same side of a non-conductive substrate as the second set of sensor traces disposed in the second direction.

18. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first set of sensor traces disposed in the first direction lies on a substantially different plane than the second set of sensor traces disposed in the second direction.

19. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor trace resides on a same plane as the sensor element.

20. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a tapered sensor element having a first end and a second end, wherein a width of the first end is larger than a width of the second end.

21. The touch-sensor device of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of the tapered sensor elements and a plurality of the sensor traces, wherein the plurality of sensor traces are configured to couple the plurality of tapered sensor elements to the active electronic component.

22. The touch-sensor device of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of the tapered sensor elements, wherein the plurality of tapered sensor elements are coupled to the active electronic component without sensor traces.

23. The touch-sensor device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of tapered sensor elements are interleaved.

24. The touch-sensor device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sensor elements comprises a first group of sensor traces alternated with a second group of sensor elements.

25. A method of manufacturing a touch-sensor device, comprising:

providing a non-conductive substrate; and

disposing a sensor element, an active electronic component, and a sensor trace on a single layer, without disposing any other sensor trace on a different layer.

26. A method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 25, further comprising coupling the sensor element to the active electronic component using the sensor trace.

27. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 25, wherein disposing the sensor trace on the single layer comprises applying a conductive ink to the non-conductive substrate to form a sensor trace, wherein the sensor trace is configured to couple the sensor element to another sensor element or to the active electronic component.

28. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 27, wherein the conductive ink comprises a carbon ink.

29. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 25, further comprising:

disposing a first set of sensor traces in a first direction, the first set of sensor traces coupling a first set of sensor elements in the first direction; and

disposing a second set of sensor traces in a second direction, the second set of sensor traces coupling a second set of sensor elements in the second direction.

30. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 29, wherein

disposing the first set of sensor traces comprises disposing metal on the non-conductive substrate;

and

disposing the second set of sensor traces comprises disposing conductive ink.

31. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 30, wherein

disposing metal comprises disposing copper;

and

disposing conductive ink comprises disposing carbon ink.

32. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 29, further comprises disposing an insulator at each intersection of the first set of sensor traces and second set of sensor traces.

33. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 32, wherein disposing the insulator comprises disposing solder mask insulator.

34. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 25, wherein disposing the sensor element and sensor trace comprises disposing the sensor element and sensor trace substantially on a common plane.

35. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 25, further comprises disposing a plurality of tapered sensor elements and a plurality of sensor traces.

36. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 35, wherein disposing a plurality of tapered sensor elements comprises:

forming on a plane, a plurality of interleaved conductive sensor traces of a touch-sensor device on a non-conductive substrate, the tapered sensor elements comprising a plurality of interleaved conductive sensor traces,

wherein each conductive sensor trace has a first end and a second end, the width of the first end being larger than the width of the second end.

37. The method of manufacturing the touch-sensor device of claim 36, wherein forming the plurality of interleaved conductive sensor traces comprises forming a first group of conductive sensor traces alternated with a second group of conductive sensor traces.