Touch Sensor

• US 20180224964A1
• Filed: 02/02/2018
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solomon Systech Limited
• Original Assignee: Solomon Systech Limited
• Inventors: CHURCH, Justin Anthony, GUARD, David Brent
• Granted Patent: US 10,235,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A capacitive touch sensor device comprising set of crossing X and Y electrodes whose crossing points form a two-dimensional array of nodes which define a touch sensitive area. As well as the main electrode spines which cross, referred to as zeroth order electrode branches, the electrodes have higher order branches, some of which interdigitate. By varying the dimensions of the electrode branches, such as width and length, the overall area of the X and Y electrodes can be varied relatively independently of each other. It is therefore possible to produce an electrode pattern in which the self capacitances of the X and Y electrodes have a certain ratio, e.g. unity, and thereby compensate for the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area, and/or to have a certain absolute value, e.g. in order not to overload a touch-sensor controller to which the sensor is to be connected.

Claims

1. A device incorporating a capacitive touch sensor, the device comprising:

a touch panel having on an upper side a touch surface and on a lower side an internal surface, the touch panel being made of a dielectric material;

a set of X electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in an x direction; and

a set of Y electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in a y direction different from the x direction, such that the zeroth order branches of the X and Y electrodes cross each other at crossing points to form a two-dimensional array of nodes which defines a touch sensitive area on the touch panel, wherein the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area is equal to or greater than at least one of;

4;

3, 3;

2, 8;

5, 16;

9 and 8;

3,

wherein the ratio of the area covered by each of the X electrodes to the area covered by each of the Y electrodes is matched to lie within 20% of the aspect ratio of touch sensitive area, so that the self capacitance of each of the X electrodes and the self capacitance of each of the Y electrodes are at least approximately the same.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode area ratio is matched to lie within at least one of ±

2%, ±

4%, ±

6%, ±

8%, ±

10%, ±

12%, ±

14%, ±

16% and ±

18% of the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each node is associated with a sub-area bounded by adjacent zeroth order X and Y electrode branches, and wherein, in each sub-area, the ratio of the area covered by the X electrodes to the area covered by the Y electrodes is at least approximately the same as the inverse of the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the zeroth order branches have different widths in X and Y;

at least one of the X and Y zeroth order branches have internal microstructure which includes micro-areas absent of conductive material that are enclosed by conductive material; and

/or

the X and Y zeroth order branches have internal microstructure which includes micro-areas absent of conductive material that are enclosed by conductive material, wherein the proportion of micro-areas in the zeroth order X and Y branches are different.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the X and Y electrodes each further comprise higher order branches of order n, each of which is confined to the sub-area into which it buds, where order n is a positive integer and where an nth order branch buds from an (n−

1)th order branch, so that, away from edges of the node array, each node is associated with four sub-areas.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the higher order branches have different widths in X and Y;

the higher order branches have different lengths in X and Y;

the higher order branches have different numbers in X and Y;

at least one of the X and Y higher order branches have internal microstructure which includes micro-areas absent of conductive material that are enclosed by conductive material; and

/or

the X and Y higher order branches have internal microstructure which includes micro-areas absent of conductive material that are enclosed by conductive material, wherein the proportion of micro-areas in the higher order X and Y branches are different.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein, in each sub-area, at least some of the higher order X and Y branches extend alongside one another separated by a gap suitable for making a mutual capacitance measurement of a touching object impinging on the touch surface.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the co-extending higher order X and Y branches comprise at least one of first, second and third order branches of one of X and Y and at least one of first, second and third order branches of one of Y and X respectively.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the zeroth and higher order branches represent macrostructure of an overall electrode pattern formed by the X and Y electrodes in a conductive material, and wherein there are further areas of said conductive material that are arranged to fill in gaps in the electrode pattern such that said further areas of said conductive material remain electrically isolated from the X and Y electrodes.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to operate in conjunction with a capacitive touch sensor and thereby form a touch screen.

11. A method of manufacturing a device incorporating a capacitive touch sensor, the method comprising:

providing a touch panel having on an upper side a touch surface and on a lower side an internal surface, the touch panel being made of a dielectric material;

fabricating a set of X electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in an x direction; and

fabricating a set of Y electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in a y direction different from the x direction, such that the zeroth order branches of the X and Y electrodes cross each other at crossing points to form a two-dimensional array of nodes which defines a touch sensitive area on the touch panel, wherein the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area is equal to or greater than at least one of;

4;

3, 3;

2, 8;

5, 16;

9 and 8;

3,

wherein the ratio of the area covered by each of the X electrodes to the area covered by each of the Y electrodes is matched to lie within 20% of the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area, so that the self capacitance of each of the X electrodes and the self capacitance of each of the Y electrodes are at least approximately the same.

12. A computer automated method for designing an electrode pattern for a capacitive touch sensor, the method comprising:

selecting an electrode pattern template relating to an electrode pattern comprising;

(a) a set of X electrodes having a zeroth order branch extending in an x direction and a plurality of higher order branches; and

(b) a set of Y electrodes having a zeroth order branch extending in a y direction different from the x direction, such that the zeroth order branches of the X and Y electrodes cross each other at crossing points to form a two-dimensional array of nodes which defines a touch sensitive area, the set of Y electrodes further comprising a plurality of higher order branches, wherein at least some of the higher order X and Y branches extend alongside one another separated by a gap;

generating a specification for the desired electrode pattern which specifies;

(a) lateral dimensions in x and y directions for the touch sensitive area;

(b) a number of nodes in each of the x and y directions for the touch sensitive area which correspond to the number of Y and X electrodes respectively; and

(c) at least one area parameter for the X and Y electrodes; and

generating an electrode pattern by varying dimensional parameters within the electrode pattern template affecting at least one of the zeroth order and higher order branches of at least one of the X and Y electrodes in order that the generated electrode pattern meets the specification.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the specification defines as an area parameter a desired ratio of the area covered by each of the X electrodes to the area covered by each of the Y electrodes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the desired ratio is unity.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the specification defines as an area parameter a desired absolute area, or range of areas, for at least one of the X and Y electrodes.

16. The method of any of claims 12, wherein the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area is equal to or greater than at least one of:

4;

3, 3;

2, 8;

5, 16;

9 and 8;

3.

17. The method of any of claims 12, further comprising manufacturing a device incorporating a capacitive touch sensor having the generated electrode pattern.

18. A device incorporating a capacitive touch sensor connected to a touch-sensor controller,

wherein the capacitive touch sensor comprises:

a touch panel having on an upper side a touch surface and on a lower side an internal surface, the touch panel being made of a dielectric material;

a set of X electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in an x direction;

a set of Y electrodes arranged under the touch panel and having a zeroth order branch extending in a y direction different from the x direction, such that the zeroth order branches of the X and Y electrodes cross each other at crossing points to form a two-dimensional array of nodes which defines a touch sensitive area on the touch panel, wherein the aspect ratio of the touch sensitive area is equal to or greater than at least one of;

4;

3, 3;

2, 8;

5, 16;

9 and 8;

3,

wherein the touch-sensor controller comprises;

a plurality of X sensor inputs connected to the X electrodes and a plurality of Y sensor inputs connected to the Y electrodes, the X sensor inputs being operable up to a maximum X self capacitance, and the Y sensor inputs being operable up to a maximum Y self capacitance, wherein the area covered by each of the X electrodes and the area covered by each of the Y electrodes are associated with respective X and Y self capacitances which are at or below said maximum X and Y self capacitances of the X and Y sensor inputs.