METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING ELECTRODE LAYERS AND ASSOCIATED ROUTING TRACES IN A SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20150145817A1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Yi-Yun, Rehn, Chris, Tan, Yeh-Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,587 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 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 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A capacitive input device including a substrate, a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a top surface of the substrate and extending along a first direction, a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a bottom surface of the substrate and extending along a second direction different from the first direction, and a plurality of routing traces coupled to the second sensor electrodes. Each routing trace is configured to extend along the first direction between respective first sensor electrodes, and to extend along the second direction underneath a second sensor electrode.

Claims

1. A capacitive input device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a top surface of the substrate and extending along a first direction;

a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a bottom surface of the substrate and extending along a second direction different from the first direction; and

a plurality of routing traces coupled to the second sensor electrodes, each routing trace being configured to extend along the first direction between respective first sensor electrodes, and to extend along the second direction underneath a second sensor electrode.

2. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the plurality of routing traces such that the second plurality of sensor electrodes electromagnetically shield the first plurality of sensor electrodes from the plurality of routing traces.

3. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the second sensor electrodes are ohmically isolated from the first sensor electrodes.

4. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein each routing trace is ohmically connected to a single one of the second sensor electrodes.

5. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a tactile switch configured to be actuated by downward pressure applied to the substrate by a user.

6. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing traces comprises a patterned layer of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material deposited on the substrate.

7. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein:

the second plurality of sensor electrodes and the routing traces are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate;

the second plurality of sensor electrodes and the routing traces comprise at least one of copper, silver paste, copper paste and carbon ink; and

the second plurality of sensor electrodes and the routing traces are formed by at least one of screen printing, chemical etching, and deposition.

8. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a processing system communicatively coupled to the first and second pluralities of sensor electrodes, and wherein the processing system is configured to operate the first plurality of sensor electrodes as receiver electrodes and to operate the second plurality of sensor electrodes as transmitter electrodes.

9. The capacitive input device of claim 8, further comprising:

a substantially rectangular touch surface having respective first, second, third, and fourth edges; and

a plurality of receiver routing elements extending along the first direction and coupling the first plurality of sensor electrodes to the processing system;

wherein the receiver routing elements and the plurality of routing traces are disposed along the first edge and are not disposed along the second, third, and fourth edges.

10. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

11. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) layer proximate the substrate, wherein:

the second plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the bottom surface of the substrate and a top surface of the PCB layer; and

each routing trace extends from a respective second sensor electrode, through a via formed in the PCB layer, and along a bottom surface of the PCB layer.

12. A trancapacitive input device, comprising:

an insulating substrate;

a first array of sensor electrodes disposed on a top surface of the substrate and arranged in rows which extend along a first direction;

a second array of sensor electrodes ohmically isolated from the first array and arranged in columns which extend along a second direction different from the first direction, each column comprising at least two adjacent electrode elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate, and a jumper disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate and interconnecting the two adjacent sensor electrode elements through vias formed in the substrate; and

a plurality of routing traces disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate, each routing trace coupled to a column and extending along the first direction in an interior region of the substrate in non-overlapping relation to the first sensor electrode rows.

13. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein each routing trace is ohmically connected to an electrode element.

14. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, further comprising a processing system communicatively coupled to the first and second arrays and configured to operate the first array as receiver electrodes and the second array as transmitter electrodes.

15. The trancapacitive input device of claim 14, further comprising:

a substantially rectangular touch surface having respective first, second, third, and fourth edges; and

a plurality of receiver routing elements extending along the first direction and coupling the receiver electrodes to the processing system;

wherein the receiver routing elements and the plurality of routing traces are disposed along the first edge and are not disposed along the second, third, and fourth edges.

16. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

17. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein each routing trace is configured to extend along the first direction parallel to the first sensor electrodes, and configured to extend along the second direction substantially between adjacent columns of the second array of sensor electrodes.

18. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein the jumper and routing traces are formed of at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), copper, silver ink, and carbon ink.

19. A method of manufacturing a sensor device, comprising:

depositing a plurality of rows of first sensor electrodes on a top surface of an insulating substrate, each row extending along a first direction;

depositing a plurality of columns of second sensor electrode elements on the top surface, each column extending along a second direction different from the first direction;

depositing a plurality of connecting elements on a bottom surface of the substrate;

interconnecting each jumper to two adjacent sensor electrode elements through vias formed in the substrate; and

depositing a plurality of routing traces on the bottom surface of the substrate, each routing trace coupled to a single electrode element in each column and extending along the first direction within an interior region of the substrate in non-overlapping relation to the first sensor electrode rows.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of routing traces and the connecting elements comprise at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), copper, silver ink, and carbon ink.