MUTUAL CAPACITANCE INTEGRAL SENSING APPARATUS FOR TOUCH AND FORCE SENSING AND METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20170300167A1
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superc-Touch Corporation
• Original Assignee: Superc-Touch Corporation
• Inventors: LEE, Hsiang-Yu, CHIN, Shang, LIN, Ping-Tsun
• Granted Patent: US 10,496,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

A mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus for touch and force sensing includes a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, a protection layer, a resilient dielectric layer and a capacitance sensing module. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of first electrodes extended along a first direction; the second electrode layer includes a plurality of second electrodes extended along a second direction; and the third electrode layer includes at least one third electrode extended along the first direction; where the first direction is substantially vertical to the second direction. In touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module sequentially or randomly applies a touch driving signal to selected ones of the second electrodes, and sequentially or randomly receives a touch sensing signal from selected ones of the first electrodes. In force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module senses applied force through the second electrodes and the third electrode.

Claims

1. A mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus for touch and force sensing, the mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus comprising:

a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrodes extended along a first direction;

a second electrode layer comprising a plurality of second electrodes extended along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction;

a third electrode layer comprising at least one third electrode extended along the first direction;

a protection layer arranged on a side of the first electrode layer;

a resilient dielectric layer arranged between the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer; and

a capacitance sensing module electrically connected to the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer;

in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module configured to select a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of first electrodes, the capacitance sensing module configured to sequentially or randomly apply a touch driving signal to the selected second electrodes and sequentially or randomly receive a touch sensing signal from the selected first electrodes;

in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module configured to perform force sensing by using the second electrodes and the at least one third electrode.

2. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module is configured to apply a force driving signal to the at least one third electrode and sequentially or randomly receive a force sensing signal from the selected second electrodes.

3. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module is configured to sequentially or randomly apply a force driving signal to the selected second electrodes and receive a force sensing signal from the at least one third electrode.

4. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 2 or 3, wherein the touch driving signal or the force driving signal is alternating signal.

5. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein the protection layer is a glass substrate, a polymer thin film substrate or a cured coating layer.

6. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module is configured to apply a reference voltage to the at least one third electrode.

7. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 6, wherein the reference voltage is a zero volt voltage.

8. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module is configured to apply an auxiliary signal having same phase as the touch driving signal to the at least one third electrode.

9. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein the resilient dielectric layer comprises a resilient gelatinous material, the resilient gelatinous material is compressively deformed under pressure and restores to original shape and volume if pressure is not present.

10. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, wherein in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module is configured to apply a reference voltage to the second electrodes surrounding the selected second electrodes.

11. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 10, wherein the reference voltage is a zero volt voltage.

12. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 1, further comprising a substrate arranged on a side of the resilient dielectric layer and opposite to the protection layer, the substrate is a glass substrate or polymer substrate.

13. The mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus in claim 12, wherein the substrate is a color filter substrate for a display panel and the force electrode layer is a static shielding layer of the display panel.

14. A method for mutual capacitance integral touch and force sensing, the method comprising:

providing a mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus, the mutual capacitance integral sensing apparatus comprising a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrodes extended along a first direction, a second electrode layer comprising a plurality of second electrodes extended along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a third electrode layer comprising at least one third electrode extended along the first direction, a protection layer arranged on a side of the first electrode layer, a resilient dielectric layer arranged between the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer; and

a capacitance sensing module;

in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module selecting a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of first electrodes, the capacitance sensing module sequentially or randomly applying a touch driving signal to the selected second electrodes and sequentially or randomly receiving a touch sensing signal from the selected first electrodes; and

the capacitance sensing module performing a force sensing operation.

15. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module applying a force driving signal to the at least one third electrode and sequentially or randomly receiving a force sensing signal from the selected second electrodes.

16. The method in claim 15, further comprising:

in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module applying a DC reference voltage to the first electrodes.

17. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module sequentially or randomly applying a force driving signal to the selected second electrodes and receiving a force sensing signal from the at least one third electrode.

18. The method in claim 17, further comprising:

in force sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module applying a DC reference voltage to the first electrodes.

19. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module applying an auxiliary signal having same phase as the touch driving signal to the at least one third electrode.

20. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

in touch sensing operation, the capacitance sensing module applying a DC reference voltage to the at least one third electrode.

21. The method in claim 16, 18 or 20, wherein the DC reference voltage is a zero volt grounded voltage.

22. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether a touch event is sensed after the touch sensing operation is finished; and

performing the force sensing operation if the touch event is sensed.

23. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether a touch event is sensed in the touch sensing operation; and

setting a touch flag and a recording a coordinate of a touch point corresponding to the touch event if the touch event is sensed; and

clearing or resetting the touch flag if the touch event is not sensed.

24. The method in claim 23, wherein the force sensing operation is selectively performed according to the setting of touch flag or not.

25. The method in claim 15 or 17, wherein the touch driving signal or the force driving signal is alternating signal.