TOUCH PANEL ELECTRODE STRUCTURE

• US 20150049044A1
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: YOUSEFPOR, Marduke, Shahparnia, Shahrooz
• Application Number:
  US14/082,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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
• 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 touch panel electrode structure for user grounding correction in a touch panel is discloses. The electrode structure can include an array of electrodes for sensing a touch at the panel, and multiple jumpers for selectively coupling groups of the electrodes together to form electrode rows and columns that cross each other. In some examples, the array can have a linear configuration and can form the rows and columns by coupling diagonally adjacent electrodes using the jumpers in a zigzag pattern, or the array can have a diamond configuration and can form the rows and columns by coupling linearly adjacent electrodes using the jumpers in a linear pattern. In various examples, each electrode can have a solid structure with a square shape, a reduced area with an outer electrode and a physically separate center electrode, a hollow center, or a solid structure with a hexagonal shape.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

an array of electrodes capable of sensing a touch; and

multiple jumpers capable of selectively coupling groups of the electrodes together to form electrode rows and columns in zigzag patterns, at least some of the jumpers forming the rows and columns crossing each other.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein the array of electrodes has a linear configuration.

3. The panel of claim 2, wherein each electrode has a solid surface and a square shape.

4. The panel of claim 2, wherein each electrode has an outer electrode and a center electrode, the outer and center electrodes being physically separate.

5. The panel of claim 2, wherein each electrode has a hollow center.

6. The panel of claim 2, wherein an electrode row comprises:

a first jumper coupling a first electrode in a first row and first column of the array and a second electrode in a second row and second column of the array and diagonal to the first electrode, the first jumper coupling proximate corners of the first and second electrodes; and

a second jumper coupling the second electrode to a third electrode in the first row and third column of the array and diagonal to the second electrode, the second jumper coupling proximate corners of the second and third electrodes,

the first and second jumpers forming the electrode row in one of the zigzag patterns.

7. The panel of claim 2, wherein an electrode column comprises:

a first jumper coupling a first electrode in a first row and second column of the array and a second electrode in a second row and first column of the array and diagonal to the first electrode, the first jumper coupling proximate corners of the first and second electrodes; and

a second jumper coupling the second electrode to a third electrode in the third row and second column of the array and diagonal to the second electrode, the second jumper coupling proximate corners of the second and third electrodes,

the first and second jumpers forming the electrode column in one of the zigzag patterns.

8. The panel of claim 1, wherein the zigzag patterns are capable of correcting user grounding conditions in the panel.

9. The panel of claim 1 incorporated into at least one of a mobile telephone, a media player, or a portable computer.

10. A touch device comprising:

a touch panel including;

an array of electrodes capable of sensing mutual capacitance and self capacitance, and

multiple jumpers capable of selectively coupling groups of the electrodes together to form electrode rows and columns in zigzag patterns; and

a processor capable of

receiving at least one of a set of mutual capacitance touch measurements or a set of self capacitance touch measurements taken from multiple sensing patterns of the electrodes, and

determining a user grounding correction factor for the touch panel using the at least one set of measurements.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein a first of the sensing patterns comprises the electrode rows and columns of the touch panel, the rows and columns being stimulated simultaneously to provide the set of self capacitance measurements,

wherein a second of the sensing patterns comprises a pair of the electrode rows, one of the row pair being stimulated to drive the other of the row pair to transmit at least some of the set of mutual capacitance measurements,

wherein a third of the sensing patterns comprises a pair of the electrode columns, one of the column pair being stimulated to drive the other of the column pair to transmit at least others of the set of mutual capacitance measurements, and

wherein the processor receives the sets of mutual and self capacitance measurements from the first, second, and third sensing patterns.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein a first of the sensing patterns comprises the electrode rows and columns of the touch panel, the rows and columns being stimulated simultaneously to provide the set of self capacitance measurements,

wherein a second of the sensing patterns comprises simultaneously a pair of the electrode rows, one of the row pair being stimulated to drive the other of the row pair to transmit at least some of the set of mutual capacitance measurements, and a pair of an electrode row and an electrode column, the row of the row-column pair being stimulated to drive the column of the row-column pair and the column of the row-column pair to transmit at least others of the set of mutual capacitance measurements, and

wherein the processor receives the sets of mutual and self capacitance measurements from the first and second sensing patterns.

13. A method for forming a touch panel, comprising:

forming an array of electrodes for sensing a touch;

forming multiple jumpers between the electrodes;

selectively coupling first groups of the electrodes together with first groups of the jumpers to form electrode rows for driving the panel, the electrode rows forming a first zigzag pattern;

selectively coupling second groups of the electrodes together with second groups of the jumpers to form electrode columns for transmitting a touch signal indicative of the touch, the electrode columns forming a second zigzag pattern; and

crossing at least some of the first and second groups of jumpers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively coupling first groups of the electrodes comprises coupling with the first groups of the jumpers adjacent diagonal corners of the first groups of electrodes together in a substantially horizontal direction to form the first zigzag pattern.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively coupling second groups of the electrodes comprises coupling with the second groups of the jumpers adjacent diagonal corners of the second groups of the electrodes together in a substantially vertical direction to form the second zigzag pattern.

16. A touch panel comprising:

an array of electrodes capable of sensing a touch, each electrode having a non-solid surface; and

multiple jumpers capable of selectively coupling groups of the electrodes together to form electrode rows and columns, at least some of the jumpers forming the rows and columns crossing each other.

17. The panel of claim 16, wherein the array of electrodes has a diamond configuration.

18. The panel of claim 16, wherein the non-solid surface comprises an outer electrode and a center electrode, the outer and center electrodes being physically separate.

19. The panel of claim 16, wherein the non-solid surface comprises a hollow center.

20. The panel of claim 16, wherein an electrode row comprises some of the jumpers coupling adjacent corners of a row of the electrodes.

21. The panel of claim 16, wherein an electrode column comprises some of the jumpers coupling adjacent corners of a column of the electrodes.

22. The panel of claim 16, wherein the non-solid surface is capable of mitigating noise at the panel.

23. The panel of claim 16, wherein the electrodes are capable of correcting user grounding conditions in the panel.