Conductive Trace Routing for Display and Bezel Sensors

• US 20160291787A1
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cady, Andrew N., Whitman, Christopher A., Bathiche, Steven Nabil, Oliver, Thomas Charles, Dighde, Rajesh Manohar
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Conductive trace routing techniques for display and bezel sensors are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes display sensors, bezel sensors, and a plurality of conductive traces. The display sensors are configured to detect proximity of an object and are arranged in conjunction with a display area of a display device to support interaction with a user interface displayed by the display device. The bezel sensors are configured to detect proximity of an object and are disposed in a bezel that at least partially surrounds the display device and is outside the display area. The plurality of conductive traces are disposed between the display and bezel sensors and communicatively couple the display sensors and the bezel sensors to one or more computing components that are configured to process inputs received from the display sensors and the bezel sensors.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display panel including;

display sensors disposed in a display area of the display panel and configured to detect proximity of objects relative to a surface of the display panel; and

bezel sensors disposed in a bezel of the display panel that are also configured to detect proximity of objects relative to a surface of the display panel;

one or more computing components configured to process inputs received from the display and bezel sensors to identify gestures; and

a plurality of conductive traces, routed between the display sensors and bezel sensors, the conductive traces communicatively coupling the display sensors and the bezel sensors to the one or more computing components.

2. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the display sensors are configured to perform detection of the object using a different sensing technology than the bezel sensors.

3. system apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein the display sensors are configured to detect the proximity of the object using mutual capacitance and the bezel sensors are configured to detect the proximity of the object using direct capacitance.

4. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive traces, the bezel sensors, and the plurality of conductive traces are at least partially coplanar.

5. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive traces is routed in a channel between the display sensors and bezel sensors.

6. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the bezel sensors have a detection range that is different than a detection range for the display sensors.

7. A system as described in claim 6, wherein the detection range of the bezel sensors is greater than the detection range for the display sensors.

8. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more computing components include an object detection module.

9. A system as described in claim 8, wherein the object detection module is configured to recognize a gesture from inputs received from one or more of the display sensors or bezel sensors and initiate actions corresponding to the gesture.

10. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more computing components include a component to manage radiation emission for specific absorption rate (SAR) management responsive to inputs received from one or more of the display sensors or bezel sensors indicating proximity of a user to the system.

11. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the display sensors, plurality of conductive traces, and bezel sensors are formed on a surface of a single substrate.

12. A tablet computing device comprising:

display sensors disposed in a display area of the tablet computing device configured to detect proximity of objects relative to a surface of the display panel;

bezel sensors disposed in a bezel of the tablet computing device that are also configured to detect proximity of objects relative to a surface of the display panel, the display sensors configured to perform detection of the object using a different sensing technology than the bezel sensors; and

a plurality of conductive traces, routed in a channel between the display sensors and bezel sensors, the conductive traces communicatively coupling the display sensors and the bezel sensors to an object detection component configured to process inputs received via the display and bezel sensors.

13. A tablet computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the conductive traces, the bezel sensors, and the plurality of conductive traces are at least partially coplanar.

14. A tablet computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the bezel sensors have a detection range that is different than a detection range for the display sensors.

15. A tablet computing device as described in claim 12, wherein object detection component is configured to analyze the inputs received from the display and bezel sensors to identify gestures.

16. A computing device comprising:

a touch panel having display sensors configured to detect proximity of an object, and bezel sensors disposed in a bezel of the touch panel also configured to detect proximity of an object, the bezel sensors disposed along one or more sides of the computing device within a distance of one millimeter to the edge of a housing of the computing device; and

a plurality of conductive traces, routed between the display and bezel sensors, that communicatively couple the display sensors and the bezel sensors to one or more components configured to analyze the inputs received from the display and bezel sensors.

17. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the display sensors are configured to perform detection of the object using a different sensing technology than the bezel sensors.

18. A computing device as described in claim 17, wherein the bezel sensors have a detection range that is different than a detection range for the display sensors.

19. A computing device as described in claim 17, wherein the one or more computing components include an object detection module configured to recognize a gesture from inputs received from one or more of the display sensors or bezel sensors and initiate actions corresponding to the gesture.

20. A tablet computing device as described in claim 17, wherein the plurality of conductive traces are routed in a channel between the display sensors and bezel sensors.