Meshed touchscreen pattern

• US 20100045615A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Gray, Michael S., Yamamoto, Sadao, Gray, Patrick T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0443 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

Meshed touchscreen pattern. A conductive pattern implemented within a touchscreen (e.g., using indium tin oxide (ITO) such as may be deposited on a substrate composed of polyester or some other material) provides paths for signals traveling through the touchscreen. By monitoring these signal in accordance with some means (e.g., cross point detection, zone detection, etc.) an estimate may be made as to a location of user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen (e.g., finger or stylus touching of the touchscreen). The conductive pattern includes a number of conductors aligned in various directions (e.g., row and column conductors) across the touchscreen, and they are separated by a dielectric layer (e.g., air, SiO₂, or any other desirable dielectric layer). The conductors include a great deal of interlacing and meshing as achieved by spurs, extensions, and/or protrusions (e.g., of any desired shape) extending from one conductor into an adjacent conductor within the conductive pattern.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touchscreen including a plurality of first conductors aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors aligned in a second direction; and

wherein;

the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors are separated by a dielectric layer; and

respective spacing between the plurality of first conductors is greater than respective spacing between the plurality of second conductors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors are disposed on a top layer of the touchscreen; and

the plurality of second conductors are disposed on a bottom layer of the touchscreen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors occupy an active surface area percentage of the touchscreen having a value in a range of 25% to 75%.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors occupy an active surface area percentage of the touchscreen that is greater than the active surface area percentage of the touchscreen occupied by the plurality of first conductors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors occupy at least 90% of an active surface area of the touchscreen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors are non-complementary.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors includes a first conductor and a second conductor;

the first conductor has a first plurality of spurs; and

the second conductor has a second plurality of spurs that interlace with the first plurality of spurs.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

a spur pitch of at least one of the first plurality of spurs and the second plurality of spurs is less than an estimated human finger width of 12 milli-meters.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a conductor of the plurality of first conductors includes a plurality of spurs having a spur pitch; and

the plurality of first conductors has a conductor pitch that is at least twice as large as the spur pitch.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a conductor of at least one of the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors includes a plurality of spurs that define a sawtooth pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of spurs includes a first spur on a first side of the conductor and a second spur on a second side of the conductor; and

the first spur and the second spur are axially offset relative to one another with respect to an axis of the conductor.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of spurs includes a first spur on a first side of the conductor and a second spur on a second side of the conductor; and

the first spur and the second spur are axially aligned relative to one another with respect to an axis of the conductor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

one spur of the plurality of spurs includes a first edge and a second edge that are convergent such that at least one of;

the first edge is perpendicularly aligned with an axis of the conductor and the second edge is diagonally aligned relative to the first edge; and

the first edge and second edge are diagonally aligned relative to the axis of the conductor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

at least one of the first edge and the second edge defines a stair-step pattern;

or

at least one of the first edge and the second edge has a parabolic shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuitry that provides a signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors; and

a detection circuitry that;

detects a signal received from a second conductor of the plurality of second conductors;

based on the received signal, identifies a location of a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen corresponding to an intersection of the first conductor and the second conductor.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a circuitry that provides a signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a change in the signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuitry that provides a first signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors; and

a detection circuitry that;

detects a second signal received from a second conductor of the plurality of second conductors;

detects a third signal received from a third conductor of the plurality of second conductors; and

processes the second signal and the third signal to identify a user'"'"'s relative interaction with the second conductor of the plurality of second conductors and the third conductor of the plurality of second conductors to determine an interpolated axial position.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuitry that;

provides a first signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a first change in the first signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen;

provides a second signal to a second conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a second change in the second signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen; and

processing the first change and the second change to identify a user'"'"'s relative interaction with the first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and the second conductor of the plurality of first conductors to determine an interpolated axial position.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a touchscreen including a plurality of first conductors aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors aligned in a second direction; and

wherein;

the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors are separated by a dielectric layer;

the plurality of second conductors substantially occupies an active surface area of the touchscreen; and

the plurality of second conductors are complementary with respect to each other and non-complementary with respect to the first plurality of second conductors.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors are disposed on a top layer of the touchscreen; and

the plurality of second conductors are disposed on a bottom layer of the touchscreen.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors occupy an active surface area percentage of the touchscreen having a value in a range of 25% to 75%.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a circuitry that provides at least one signal to the plurality of second conductors to shield interference from passing through the plurality of second conductors to the plurality of first conductors within the active surface area of the touchscreen.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors substantially non-complementarily overlap with the first plurality of second conductors.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors includes a first conductor and a second conductor;

the first conductor has a first plurality of spurs; and

the second conductor has a second plurality of spurs that interlace with the first plurality of spurs.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

a spur pitch of at least one of the first plurality of spurs and the second plurality of spurs is less than an estimated human finger width of 12 milli-meters.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

a conductor of the plurality of first conductors includes a plurality of spurs having a spur pitch; and

the plurality of first conductors has a conductor pitch that is at least twice as large as the spur pitch.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

a conductor of at least one of the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors includes a plurality of spurs that define a sawtooth pattern.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a circuitry that provides a signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors; and

a detection circuitry that;

detects a signal received from a second conductor of the plurality of second conductors;

based on the received signal, identifies a location of a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen corresponding to an intersection of the first conductor and the second conductor.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

a circuitry that provides a signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a change in the signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a circuitry that provides a first signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors; and

a detection circuitry that;

detects a second signal received from a second conductor of the plurality of second conductors;

detects a third signal received from a third conductor of the plurality of second conductors; and

processes the second signal and the third signal to identify a user'"'"'s relative interaction with the second conductor of the plurality of second conductors and the third conductor of the plurality of second conductors to determine an interpolated axial position.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a circuitry that;

provides a first signal to a first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a first change in the first signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen;

provides a second signal to a second conductor of the plurality of first conductors and detects a second change in the second signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen; and

processing the first change and the second change to identify a user'"'"'s relative interaction with the first conductor of the plurality of first conductors and the second conductor of the plurality of first conductors to determine an interpolated axial position.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a circuitry; and

a touchscreen including a plurality of first conductors aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors aligned in a second direction; and

wherein;

the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors are separated by a dielectric layer;

the plurality of second conductors includes a first conductor and a second conductor;

the first conductor has a first plurality of spurs;

the second conductor has a second plurality of spurs that interlace with the first plurality of spurs;

the circuitry detects a first signal on the first conductor and a second signal on the second conductor; and

the circuitry processes the first signal and the second signal to identify a user'"'"'s relative interaction with the first conductor and the second conductor to determine an interpolated axial position.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the circuitry determines at least one additional interpolated axial position;

the circuitry processes the interpolated axial position and the at least one additional interpolated axial position to identify a location of the user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors substantially occupies an active surface area of the touchscreen.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors are disposed on a top layer of the touchscreen; and

the plurality of second conductors are disposed on a bottom layer of the touchscreen.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors occupy an active surface area percentage of the touchscreen having a value in a range of 25% to 75%.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

at least one additional circuitry that provides at least one signal to the plurality of second conductors to shield interference from passing through the plurality of second conductors to the plurality of first conductors within the active surface area of the touchscreen.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein:

the at least one additional circuitry is the circuitry.

39. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors are non-complementary.

40. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the plurality of second conductors substantially non-complementarily overlap with the first plurality of second conductors.

41. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

a spur pitch of at least one of the first plurality of spurs and the second plurality of spurs is less than an estimated human finger width of 12 milli-meters.

42. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

at least one of the first plurality of spurs and the second plurality of spurs has a spur pitch; and

the plurality of first conductors has a conductor pitch that is at least twice as large as the spur pitch.

43. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

at least one of the first plurality of spurs and the second plurality of spurs defines a sawtooth pattern.