TOUCH SCREEN PANEL WITH SLIDE FEATURE

• US 20140035861A1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Soo, Jenn Woei, Tan, Kien Beng, Poh, Tze Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch screen having a capacitive touch-sensitive pad overlaying a display area incorporates one or more slide features each having conductive plates. The conductive plates are located outside the display area of the touch screen and are powered via one or more connections to existing touch sensor circuitry comprising the touch-sensitive pad. The slide features of the touch screen do not obstruct a user'"'"'s view of the display screen and, when compared to conventional touch screen slide features, reduce the circuitry required for detecting and/or processing a slide touch.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a plurality of sensor elements;

a slide feature operable to detect a slide touch, the slide feature comprising;

a first conductive plate coupled to a first channel of the sensor elements, the first conductive plate operable to generate a first changing capacitance in response to the slide touch, and

a second conductive plate coupled to a second channel of the sensor elements, the second conductive plate operable to generate a second changing capacitance in response to the slide touch;

first output circuitry operable to produce a first signal; and

second output circuitry operable to produce a second signal.

2. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein, during a first mode, the first signal is produced in response to the first changing capacitance and the second signal is produced in response to the second changing capacitance.

3. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein relative magnitudes of the first signal and the second signal indicate a location of the slide touch along the slide feature.

4. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor elements comprising the first channel is operable with a second sensor element to produce a first touch capacitance.

5. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 4, wherein, during a second mode, the first signal is produced in response to the first touch capacitance.

6. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor elements comprising the second channel is operable with a third sensor element to produce a second touch capacitance.

7. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 6, wherein, during the second mode, the second signal is produced in response to the second touch capacitance.

8. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 5 or claim 7, wherein the magnitude of the first signal or second signal indicates a user touch detected by the sensor elements.

9. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first output circuitry comprises a first switched integrator circuit operable during a first phase to apply a voltage to one of the first channel of sensor elements or the first conductive plate, and operable during a second phase to transfer the first touch capacitance or the first changing capacitance to a first capacitor.

10. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second output circuitry comprises a second switched integrator circuit operable during a first phase to apply a voltage to one of the second channel of sensor elements or the second conductive plate, and operable during a second phase to transfer the first touch capacitance or the second changing capacitance to a second capacitor.

11. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, further comprising additional output circuitry operable to receive the first signal and second signal, and to produce an output signal indicative of the slide touch or the user touch.

12. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive plates form inverse-facing triangular shapes.

13. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second conductive plates has a cross-sectional width that varies along a length of the at least one of the first and second conductive plates.

14. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slide feature is disposed outside a display portion of the touch screen panel.

15. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a matrix of sensor elements operable to detect a user touch, the matrix of sensor elements comprising;

a plurality of first sensors, and

a plurality of second sensors,

wherein a first one of the first sensors and a first one of the second sensors are operable to generate a first sensing capacitance, and a second one of the first sensors and a second one of the second sensors are operable to generate a second sensing capacitance;

a slide feature operable to detect a slide touch, the slide feature comprising;

a first conductive plate coupled to the first one of the first sensors and operable to generate a first slide touch capacitance in response to an instant location of the slide touch relative to the first conductive plate, and

a second conductive plate coupled to the second one of the first sensors and operable to generate a second slide touch capacitance in response to the instant location of the slide touch relative to the second conductive plate; and

output circuitry operable, in a first mode, to produce a first output signal indicative of the user touch and operable, in a second mode, to produce a second output signal indicative of the slide touch.

16. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 15, wherein the output circuitry comprises:

first circuitry operable, in the first mode, to sense the first sensing capacitance and to produce a first sensing signal indicative of the first sensing capacitance, and further operable, in the second mode, to sense the first slide touch capacitance and to produce a first slide touch signal indicative of the first slide touch capacitance; and

second circuitry operable, in the first mode, to sense the second sensing capacitance and to produce a second sensing signal indicative of the second sensing capacitance, and further operable, in the second mode, to sense the second slide touch capacitance and to produce a second slide touch signal indicative of the second slide touch capacitance.

17. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 16, wherein relative magnitudes of the first slide touch signal and the second slide touch signal indicate the instant location of the slide touch along the slide feature.

18. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 16, wherein the magnitude of the first sensing signal or the second sensing signal indicates the user touch detected by the matrix of sensor elements.

19. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 16, wherein the first circuitry comprises a first switched integrator circuit operable during a first phase to apply a voltage to one of the first one of the second sensors or the first conductive plate, and operable during a second phase to transfer the first sensing capacitance or the first slide touch capacitance to a first capacitor.

20. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 16, wherein the second circuitry comprises a second switched integrator circuit operable during a first phase to apply a voltage to one of the second one of the second sensors or the second conductive plate, and operable during a second phase to transfer the second sensing capacitance or the second slide touch capacitance to a second capacitor.

21. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the first and second conductive plates each have a cross-sectional width that varies along a length of the respective first and second conductive plates.

22. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first slide touch signal is indicative of the cross-sectional width of the first conductive plate proximate the instant location of the slide touch, and the second slide touch signal is indicative of the cross-sectional width of the second conductive plate proximate the instant location of the slide touch.

23. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first and second conductive plates form inverse-facing triangular shapes.

24. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 15, wherein the second output signal is indicative of an instant location of the slide touch along a length of the slide feature.

25. The touch screen panel as set forth in claim 15, wherein the slide feature is disposed on the touch screen panel outside the matrix of sensor elements.