CAPACITIVE TOUCH SENSITIVE OVERLAY INCLUDING TOUCH SENSOR AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING SAME

• US 20110193791A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pereverzev, Stanislav, Golovchenko, Mykola, Tong, Kuo-Feng
• Application Number:
  US12/703,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193791A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A touch-sensitive overlay includes a substrate, and a capacitive touch sensor arrangement comprising a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor disposed on the substrate in a region and arranged and constructed such that a coordinate of the touch is determined based on a relation of signals from at least the first and the second touch sensors, wherein the first touch sensor is electrically isolated from the second touch sensor.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive overlay comprising:

a substrate;

a capacitive touch sensor arrangement comprising a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor disposed on the substrate in a region and arranged and constructed such that a coordinate of the touch is determined based on a relation of signals from at least the first and the second touch sensors;

wherein the first touch sensor is electrically isolated from the second touch sensor.

2. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor extends from a first end of the region and the second touch sensor extends from a second end of the region.

3. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor covers a majority of an area at a first end of the region and the second touch sensor covers a majority of an area at a second end of the region.

4. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor comprises a plurality of fingers and the second touch sensor comprises a plurality of fingers.

5. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein fingers of the first touch sensor are interleaved with fingers of the second touch sensor.

6. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein fingers of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor extend across a majority of a width of the region.

7. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein spacing between the fingers of the first touch sensor increases with distance from a first end of the region and spacing between fingers of the second touch sensor increases with distance from a second end of the region.

8. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein at least one finger of the first touch sensor extends from a first end of the region.

9. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein a first finger of the first touch sensor is wider at a first end of the finger than at a second end of the finger.

10. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the region comprises a third touch sensor that is electrically isolated from the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.

11. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 10, wherein the region comprises a fourth touch sensor that is electrically isolated from the first touch sensor, the second touch sensor, and the third touch sensor.

12. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive touch sensor arrangement is disposed in a single layer on the substrate.

13. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, comprising a first conductor electrically isolated from a second conductor, wherein the first conductor connects the first touch sensor to a controller and the second conductor connects the second touch sensor to the controller, wherein the first conductor does not cross under the second conductor, and wherein the first conductor does not cross over the second conductor.

14. The touch-sensitive overlay according to claim 1, wherein the a capacitive touch sensor arrangement further comprises a third touch sensor and a fourth touch sensor disposed in a second region that is adjacent to the region and is arranged and constructed such that:

a first coordinate of the touch is determined based on a relation of touch sensor signals from one of the first region and the second region;

a second coordinate of the touch is determined based on which of the first touch sensor, the second touch sensor, the third touch sensor, and the fourth touch sensor detects the touch and a relation of signals from the first touch sensor, the second touch sensor, the third touch sensor, and the fourth touch sensor;

wherein a first touch sensor is electrically isolated from the second touch sensor, the third touch sensor, and the fourth touch sensor, and a third touch sensor is electrically isolated from the second touch sensor and the fourth touch sensor.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display exposed by the housing;

a touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display, the touch-sensitive overlay comprising;

a substrate, and

a capacitive touch sensor arrangement comprising a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor disposed on the substrate in a region and arranged and constructed such that a coordinate of the touch is determined based on a relation of signals from at least the first and the second touch sensors, wherein the first touch sensor is electrically isolated from the second touch sensor; and

a processor operably coupled to the display and the overlay.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the region first touch sensor extends from a first end of the region and the second touch sensor extends from a second end of the region.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the first touch sensor covers a majority of an area at a first end of the region and the second touch sensor covers a majority of an area at a second end of the region.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the first touch sensor comprises a plurality of fingers and the second touch sensor comprises a plurality of fingers.

19. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein fingers of the first touch sensor are interleaved with fingers of the second touch sensor.

20. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein fingers of the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor extend across a majority of a width of the region.

21. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein spacing between the fingers of the first touch sensor increases with distance from a first end of the region and spacing between fingers of the second touch sensor increases with distance from a second end of the region.

22. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein at least one finger of the first touch sensor extends from a first end of the region.

23. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein a first finger of the first touch sensor is wider at a first end of the finger than at a second end of the finger.

24. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the region comprises a third touch sensor that is electrically isolated from the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.

25. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the region comprises a fourth touch sensor that is electrically isolated from the first touch sensor, the second touch sensor, and the third touch sensor.

26. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the capacitive touch sensor arrangement is disposed in a single layer on the substrate.

27. The electronic device according to claim 15, comprising a first conductor electrically isolated from a second conductor, wherein the first conductor connects the first touch sensor to a controller and the second conductor connects the second touch sensor to the controller, wherein the first conductor does not cross under the second conductor, and wherein the first conductor does not cross over the second conductor.