TOUCH PANEL ELECTRODE STRUCTURE FOR USER GROUNDING CORRECTION

• US 20190138152A1
• Filed: 11/27/2018
• Published: 05/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: YOUSEFPOR, Marduke, SHAHPARNIA, Shahrooz
• Application Number:
  US16/201,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20190138152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 disclosed. 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 sensitive device comprising:

an array of touch node electrodes, each touch node electrode defining a unique (x, y) coordinate of the array of touch node electrodes, and each touch node electrode addressable by sense circuitry to measure a unique associated self-capacitance at each touch node electrode; and

a processor coupled to the array of touch node electrodes and configured to;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at a first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

apply a first voltage signal to a second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes; and

apply a second voltage signal to a third touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes, the second voltage signal different from the first voltage signal.

2. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein measuring the unique associated self-capacitance of the first touch node electrode comprises applying the first voltage signal to the first touch node electrode.

3. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the second touch node electrode is disposed adjacent to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

4. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the third touch node electrode is disposed diagonal to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

5. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, after measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes:

measure the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

apply the first voltage signal to one or more of the first touch node electrode or the third touch node electrode; and

apply the second voltage signal to a fourth touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

6. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the second voltage signal is a common voltage.

7. A method for determining touch signals at a touch sensitive device including an array of touch node electrodes, the method comprising:

addressing, with sense circuitry, a first touch node electrode included in the array of touch node electrodes;

measuring a unique associated self-capacitance of the first touch node electrode included in the array of touch node electrodes, wherein each touch node electrode defines a unique (x, y) coordinate of the array of touch node electrodes;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at a first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

applying a first voltage signal to a second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes; and

applying a second voltage signal to a third touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes, the second voltage signal different from the first voltage signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein measuring the unique associated self-capacitance of the first touch node electrode comprises applying the first voltage signal to the first touch node electrode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second touch node electrode is disposed adjacent to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the third touch node electrode is disposed diagonal to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

applying the first voltage signal to one or more of the first touch node electrode or the third touch node electrode; and

applying the second voltage signal to a fourth touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second voltage signal is a common voltage.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for detecting touch signals at a touch sensitive device including an array of touch node electrodes, that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

addressing, with sense circuitry, a first touch node electrode included in the array of touch node electrodes;

measuring a unique associated self-capacitance of the first touch node electrode included in the array of touch node electrodes, wherein each touch node electrode defines a unique (x, y) coordinate of the array of touch node electrodes;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at a first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

applying a first voltage signal to a second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes; and

applying a second voltage signal to a third touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes, the second voltage signal different from the first voltage signal.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein measuring the unique associated self-capacitance of the first touch node electrode comprises applying the first voltage signal to the first touch node electrode.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second touch node electrode is disposed adjacent to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the third touch node electrode is disposed diagonal to the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

after measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the first touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

while measuring the unique associated self-capacitance at the second touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes;

applying the first voltage signal to one or more of the first touch node electrode or the third touch node electrode; and

applying the second voltage signal to a fourth touch node electrode in the array of touch node electrodes.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second voltage signal is a common voltage.