INPUT DEVICE WITH DEFLECTABLE ELECTRODE

• US 20100253651A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Day, Shawn P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• 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

Devices and methods are provided that facilitate improved input device performance. The devices and methods utilize a set of sensor electrodes comprising at least one transmitter sensor electrode and at least one receiver sensor electrode that are capacitively coupled to form a transcapacitance for capacitively sensing input objects in a sensing region. A measure of the transcapacitance may be used to determine positional information for the input objects in the sensing region. In accordance with the various embodiments, the devices and methods additionally utilize at least one deflectable electrode, where the deflectable electrode is electrically floating. The deflectable electrode is configured to be deflectable toward the set of sensor electrodes, where the deflection causes a change in the transcapacitance.

Claims

1. An input device for capacitively sensing input objects in a sensing region, comprising:

a set of sensor electrodes comprising;

a transmitter sensor electrode; and

a receiver sensor electrode, wherein the transmitter sensor electrode is capacitively coupled to the receiver sensor electrode to form a transcapacitance; and

a deflectable electrode overlapping at least a portion of the set of sensor electrodes, the deflectable electrode configured to be electrically floating in operation and configured to be deflectable toward the set of sensor electrodes, wherein deflection of the deflectable electrode causes a change in the transcapacitance.

2. The input device of claim 1 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine positional information for an input object in the sensing region from the measure of the transcapacitance.

3. The input device of claim 1 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine pressure information for an input object causing deflection of the deflectable electrode, wherein the pressure information is based upon a magnitude of a change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

4. The input device of claim 1 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine a type of input object based upon a sign of a change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

5. The input device of claim 4 wherein the type of input object includes conductive objects and nonconductive objects such that the processing system is configured to distinguish between a conductive object and a nonconductive object based upon the sign of the change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

6. The input device of claim 1 further comprising an insulating layer between the deflectable electrode and the set of sensor electrodes.

7. The input device of claim 1 further comprising at least one gap between the deflectable electrode and the set of sensor electrodes.

8. An input device for capacitively sensing input objects in a sensing region, comprising:

a set of sensor electrodes comprising;

a transmitter sensor electrode; and

a receiver sensor electrode, wherein the transmitter sensor electrode is capacitively coupled to the receiver sensor electrode to form a transcapacitance; and

a first substrate; and

a deflectable electrode disposed on a surface of the first substrate, the deflectable electrode configured to be electrically floating in operation and configured to be deflectable toward the set of sensor electrodes, wherein deflection of the deflectable electrode causes a change in the transcapacitance.

9. The input device of claim 8 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine positional information for an input object in the sensing region from the measure of the transcapacitance.

10. The input device of claim 8 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine pressure information for an input object causing deflection of the deflectable electrode, the pressure information based upon a magnitude of a change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

11. The input device of claim 8 further comprising a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to determine a measure of the transcapacitance, the processing system further configured to determine a type of input object based upon a sign of a change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

12. The input device of claim 11 wherein the type of input object includes conductive objects and nonconductive objects such that the processing system is configured to distinguish between a conductive object and a nonconductive object based upon the sign of the change in the measure of the transcapacitance.

13. The input device of claim 8 wherein the deflectable electrode comprises a printed material.

14. The input device of claim 8 wherein the deflectable electrode comprises a patterned material.

15. The input device of claim 14 wherein the deflectable electrode is patterned using a lithographic process.

16. The input device of claim 8 further comprising an insulating layer between the deflectable electrode and the set of sensor electrodes.

17. The input device of claim 8 further comprising at least one gap between the deflectable electrode and the set of sensor electrodes.

18. The input device of claim 8 wherein the deflectable electrode overlaps at least a portion of the set of sensor electrodes.

19. An input device for capacitively sensing input objects in a sensing region, comprising:

a set of sensor electrodes comprising

a set of transmitter sensor electrodes; and

a set of receiver sensor electrodes, wherein each transmitter sensor electrode in the set of transmitter sensor electrodes is capacitively coupled to at least one receiver sensor electrode in the set of receiver sensor electrodes to form a set of transcapacitances; and

a deflectable electrode layer proximate to at least a portion of the set of sensor electrodes, the deflectable electrode layer comprising at least one deflectable electrode configured to be electrically floating, the at least one deflectable electrode overlapping at least a portion of the set of sensor electrodes, the deflectable electrode layer configured to be deflectable toward the set of sensor electrodes, wherein deflection of the deflectable electrode layer toward the sensor electrodes causes a change in at least one of the set of transcapacitances; and

a processing system coupled to the set of sensor electrodes and configured to determine measures of the set of transcapacitances, the processing system further configured to determine positional information for an input object in the sensing region based on the measures of the set of transcapacitances.

20. The input device of claim 19 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine pressure information for an input object causing deflection of the deflectable electrode layer, the pressure information based upon a magnitude of a change in at least one of the measures of the set of transcapacitances.

21. The input device of claim 20 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine pressure information for the input object by identifying a change in the magnitude of at least one of the measures of the set of transcapacitances beyond a baseline.

22. The input device of claim 19 wherein the processing system is further configured to distinguish between a conductive object and a nonconductive object based upon a sign of the change in at least one of the measures of the set of transcapacitances.

23. The input device of claim 22 wherein the processing system is further configured to distinguish between the conductive object and the nonconductive object by identifying a conductive object in response to a decrease in at least one of the measures of the set of transcapacitances and by identifying a nonconductive object in response to an increase in at least one of the measures of the set of transcapacitances.

24. The input device of claim 19 wherein the deflectable electrode layer comprises a plurality of deflectable electrodes.

25. The input device of claim 19 wherein the deflectable electrode layer comprises a resistive material.

26. A method for determining user input on a device, comprising:

driving signals onto a set of transmitter sensor electrodes;

receiving signals on a set of receiver sensor electrodes, where at least one deflectable electrode is proximate both the set of transmitter sensor electrodes and the set of receiver sensor electrodes and configured to be deflectable toward the set of transmitter sensor electrodes, wherein deflection of a deflectable electrode of the at least one deflectable electrode toward the set of transmitter sensor electrodes causes a change in at least one of a set of transcapacitances;

determining a measure of the set of transcapacitances from the received signals;

determining positional information for an input object in a sensing region from the measure of the set of transcapacitances; and

providing an output representative of the positional information.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one deflectable electrode overlaps at least one of the transmitter sensor electrodes and at least one of the receiver sensor electrodes.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one deflectable electrode comprises a plurality of deflectable electrodes, and wherein each deflectable electrode in the plurality of deflectable electrodes overlaps one of the transmitter sensor electrodes and one of the receiver sensor electrodes.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

determining pressure information for an input object causing deflection of the deflectable electrode, wherein the pressure information is based upon a magnitude of change in the measure of the set of transcapacitances; and

providing an output representative of the pressure information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of determining pressure information comprises determining the magnitude of the change in the measure of transcapacitances by comparing the change to a baseline.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

distinguishing between a conductive object and a nonconductive object based upon a sign of a change in the measure of transcapacitances to determine an object type; and

providing an output representative of the object type.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of distinguishing between a conductive object and a nonconductive object comprises identifying a conductive object in response to a decrease in at least one of the measure of transcapacitances and identifying a nonconductive object in response to an increase in the measure of the set of transcapacitances.

33. A processing system configured to:

drive signals onto a set of transmitter sensor electrodes;

receive signals on a set of receiver sensor electrodes, where at least one deflectable electrode is proximate both the set of transmitter sensor electrodes and the set of receiver sensor electrodes and configured to be deflectable toward the set of transmitter sensor electrodes, wherein deflection of a deflectable electrode of the at least one deflectable electrode toward the set of transmitter sensor electrodes causes a change in at least one of a set of transcapacitances;

determine a measure of the set of transcapacitances from the received signals;

determine positional information for an input object in a sensing region from the measure of the set of transcapacitances; and

provide an output representative of the positional information.

34. The processing system of claim 33 further configured to:

determine pressure information for an input object causing deflection of the deflectable electrode, wherein the pressure information is based upon a magnitude of change in the measure of the set of transcapacitances; and

provide an output representative of the pressure information.

35. The processing system of claim 34 further configured to:

determine the magnitude of the change in the measure of the set of transcapacitances by comparing the change to a baseline.

36. The processing system of claim 33 further configured to:

distinguish between a conductive object and a nonconductive object based upon a sign of a change in the measure of the set of transcapacitances to determine an object type; and

provide an output representative of the object type.