CAPACITIVE SENSING PATTERN

• US 20110018557A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Badaye, Massoud
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/658
• 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

A sensor electrode pattern configured to enable the detection of multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor comprising a plurality of first sensor electrodes oriented along a first axis, and a plurality of second sensor electrodes oriented along a second axis and configured to be capacitively coupled with the plurality of first sensor electrodes. At least one sensor electrode of the plurality of first sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to the second axis. At least two of the plurality of first sensor electrodes or at least two of the plurality of second sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other proximate to the sensing region of the mutual capacitance sensor. The pluralities of first sensor electrodes and second sensor electrodes either comprise transmitter sensor electrodes or receiver sensor electrodes.

Claims

1. A sensor electrode pattern configured to enable the detection of multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor, said sensor electrode pattern comprising:

a plurality of first sensor electrodes oriented along a first axis; and

a plurality of second sensor electrodes oriented along a second axis and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of first sensor electrodes;

wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to said second axis, said multiple crossings occurring proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor, wherein at least two of said plurality of first sensor electrodes or at least two of said plurality of second sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor, and wherein one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises transmitter sensor electrodes and the other of said one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises receiver sensor electrodes.

2. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said pluralities of first and second sensor electrodes has portions of different widths.

3. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of first sensor electrodes differ in width or at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of second sensor electrodes differ in width.

4. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said pluralities of first and second sensor electrodes comprises:

one or more sets of a plurality of extensions, said plurality of extensions within each set of said one or more sets being substantially parallel to each other.

5. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one extension coupler configured for coupling at least two extensions of said one or more sets of said plurality of extensions, thereby providing an area bounded by said at least one sensor electrode of said pluralities of said first and second sensor electrodes.

6. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of first sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other and at least two of said plurality of second sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other.

7. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of second sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to said first axis.

8. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor electrode comprises first and second parallel portions substantially along said first axis traversing across most of a footprint of said sensing region or at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises first and second parallel portions traversing substantially along said second axis across most of said footprint.

9. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, further comprising:

a guard sensor electrode proximate to said pluralities of first and second sensor electrodes.

10. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 1, wherein all of said plurality of first sensor electrodes or all of said pluralities of second sensor electrodes are connected to routing traces positioned on a same side of a footprint of said sensing region.

11. A sensor electrode pattern configured to enable the detection of multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor, said sensor electrode pattern comprising:

a plurality of first sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a first axis, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes is an intrudable sensor electrode, said intrudable sensor electrode substantially surrounding a fillable two-dimensional area, said area occurring proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor; and

a plurality of second sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of first sensor electrodes;

wherein at least one other sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes intrudes said fillable two-dimensional area of said intrudable sensor electrode, and wherein one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises transmitter sensor electrodes and the other one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises receiver sensor electrodes.

12. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 11, wherein at least one portion of said intrudable sensor electrode is of a different width than another portion of said intrudable sensor electrode.

13. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 11, wherein at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of first sensor electrodes differ in width or at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of second sensor electrodes differ in width.

14. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 11, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of second sensor electrodes is a second intrudable electrode.

15. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 11, wherein at least two portions of said intrudable sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes are positioned substantially parallel to each other and traverse across most of a footprint of said sensing region substantially along said first axis.

16. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 11, wherein all of said plurality of first sensor electrodes or all of said plurality of second sensor electrodes are coupled with routing traces along a first edge of a footprint of said sensing region.

17. A mutual capacitance sensing apparatus comprising:

mutual capacitance sensing circuitry;

a plurality of first sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a first axis proximate to a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor and coupled with said mutual capacitance sensing circuitry; and

a plurality of second sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis proximate to said sensing region and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of first sensor electrodes;

wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to said second axis, said multiple crossings occurring proximate to said sensing region, and wherein one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises transmitter sensor electrodes and the other one of said plurality of first sensor electrodes and said plurality of second sensor electrodes comprises receiver sensor electrodes.

18. The mutual capacitance sensing apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of first sensor electrodes or at least two sensor electrodes of said plurality of second sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor.

19. A sensor electrode pattern configured to enable the detection of multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor, said sensor electrode pattern comprising:

a plurality of receiver sensor electrodes configured to be oriented substantially parallel to a first axis, wherein at least two of said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes are interleaved proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor; and

a plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes.

20. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 19, wherein at least two of said plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes are interleaved proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor.

21. A method for detecting multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor, said method comprising:

receiving input at mutual capacitance sensing circuitry via a plurality of first sensor electrodes or a plurality of second sensor electrodes, said plurality of first sensor electrodes being oriented substantially parallel to a first axis proximate to a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor and coupled with said mutual capacitance sensor circuitry, said plurality of second sensor electrodes being oriented substantially parallel to a second axis proximate to said sensing region and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of first sensor electrodes, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of first sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to said second axis, said multiple crossings occurring proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor, wherein at least two of said plurality of first sensor electrodes or at least two of said plurality of second sensor electrodes are interleaved with each other proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor.

22. A sensor electrode pattern configured to enable the detection of multiple input objects concurrently disposed in a sensing region of a mutual capacitance sensor, said sensor electrode pattern comprising:

a plurality of receiver electrodes oriented along a first axis; and

a plurality of non-interleaved transmitter sensor electrodes oriented along a second axis and configured to be capacitively coupled with said plurality of first sensor electrodes;

wherein at least one sensor electrode of said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is parallel to said second axis, said multiple crossings occurring proximate to said sensing region of said mutual capacitance sensor, and wherein at least one receiver sensor electrode of said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes comprises multiple non-interleaving extensions that are substantially parallel to each other and at least one extension coupler coupling said multiple non-interleaving extensions to thereby define an area bounded by said at least one receiver sensor electrode.

23. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 22, wherein said at least one receiver sensor electrode of said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes consists of two extensions that are substantially parallel to each other.

24. The sensor electrode pattern of claim 22, wherein said plurality of non- interleaved transmitter sensor electrodes comprises a sensor electrode of a substantially rectangular shape.