INTEGRATED TOUCH SENSOR AND SOLAR ASSEMBLY

• US 20100078230A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Filson, John Benjamin, Hotelling, Steve Porter, Frazier, Cameron, Rosenblatt, Michael Nathaniel, Lyon, Benjamin, Cameron, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0516 specially adapted for interconnection of back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Integrated touch sensor and solar panel configurations that may be used on portable devices, particularly handheld portable devices such as a media player or phone are disclosed. The integrated touch sensor array and solar cell stack-ups may include electrodes that are used both for collecting solar energy and for sensing on a touch sensor array. By integrating both the touch sensors and the solar cell layers into the same stack-up, surface area on the portable device may be conserved. In addition to being used for capacitive sensing, the integrated touch sensor and solar panel configurations may also be used for optical sensing.

Claims

1. An integrated solar cell panel and touch sensor comprising:

a solar panel comprising an electrode pattern and a solar energy collection medium; and

switching circuitry configured to switch the electrode pattern from a touch sensing mode to a solar energy collection mode.

2. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing mode comprises mutual capacitance sensing.

3. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrode pattern comprises drive lines and sense lines.

4. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrode pattern is circumferentially arranged around a circular surface.

5. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to optically detect an object based on a change in voltage or current produced in the solar energy collection mode.

6. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 5, wherein the circuitry switches the electrode pattern from the touch sensing mode to the solar energy collection mode based on the optical detection.

7. The integrated solar panel and touch sensor of claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to increase a touch sensing rate when an object is optically detected.

8. A solar cell panel and touch sensor comprising:

a solar panel;

an electrode pattern comprising a capacitance sensor array; and

circuitry configured to optically detect an incoming object based on a change in voltage or current produced by the solar panel, and configured to capacitively sense the position of the object utilizing the electrode pattern.

9. The solar panel and touch sensor of claim 8, wherein the electrode pattern is part of the solar panel.

10. The solar panel and touch sensor of claim 8, wherein the electrode pattern comprises drive lines and sense lines.

11. The solar panel and touch sensor of claim 8, wherein the electrode pattern is circumferentially arranged around a circular surface.

12. The solar panel and touch sensor of claim 9, wherein the circuitry switches the electrode pattern from a touch sensing mode to a solar energy collection mode based on the optical detection.

13. The solar panel and touch sensor of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to increase a rate of capacitance sensing when an object is optically detected.

14. A method of collecting solar energy and detecting an objects position comprising:

collecting solar energy using a solar panel;

optically detecting an incoming object by a change in voltage or current produced by the solar panel; and

capacitively sensing the position of the object utilizing an electrode pattern.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrode pattern is part of the solar panel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrode pattern comprises drive lines and sense lines.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrode pattern is circumferentially arranged around a circular surface.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a rate of capacitively sensing the position of the object is based on optically detecting the incoming object.

19. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

an integrated solar cell panel and touch sensor comprising a solar panel comprising an electrode pattern and a solar energy collection medium within a front surface of the housing, and switching circuitry configured to switch the electrode pattern from a touch sensing mode to a solar energy collection mode.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the integrated solar cell panel and touch sensor substantially fills the front surface of the housing.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the housing further comprising a transparent cover that covers the integrated solar cell panel and touch sensor.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the cover comprises icons that indicate where on the front surface a user may press to control the portable electronic device.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 22, wherein the icons are embossed or etched onto the surface of the transparent cover.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 19, further comprising a display on the front surface of the housing.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the portable electronic device is a PDA, phone, or media player.