Miniature highly manufacturable mouse pointing device
First Claim
1. A pointing device for integrating into portable electronic devices comprising:
- a bottom substrate having a top face and a bottom face, the top face including a sensing region comprising a plurality of interdigitated conductive trace regions, each trace region including interdigitated common and sense traces, the bottom substrate defining at least one via through the bottom substrate for each sense trace and the common trace, each via supporting a conductive path from one trace to at least one lead element, the bottom face supporting at least one lead element for each sense trace and the common trace, each lead element solderable to a printed circuit board;
a flexible substrate constructed from a heat resistant polymer, the flexible substrate having a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side;
a raised pedestal formed on the bottom substrate top face around at least a portion of the sensing region, the pedestal separating the plurality of the interdigitated conductive traces from the flexible substrate resistive layer; and
an adhesive spacer layer joining the flexible substrate to the bottom substrate such that the resistive layer is facing the bottom substrate sensing region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pointing device may be directly soldered to a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, a bottom substrate defines a sensing region with a plurality of interdigitated conductive trace regions. Each trace region includes interdigitated common and sense traces. At least one via passes through the bottom substrate for each trace. Each via supports a conductive path from one trace to at least one lead element. Each lead element is solderable to a printed circuit board. A flexible substrate is constructed from a heat resistant polymer. The flexible substrate has a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side. A raised pedestal is formed on the bottom substrate top face around at least a portion of the sensing region. The pedestal separates the interdigitated conductive traces from the flexible substrate resistive layer. A button on a keypad membrane may be used to depress the flexible substrate onto the trace region.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A pointing device for integrating into portable electronic devices comprising:
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a bottom substrate having a top face and a bottom face, the top face including a sensing region comprising a plurality of interdigitated conductive trace regions, each trace region including interdigitated common and sense traces, the bottom substrate defining at least one via through the bottom substrate for each sense trace and the common trace, each via supporting a conductive path from one trace to at least one lead element, the bottom face supporting at least one lead element for each sense trace and the common trace, each lead element solderable to a printed circuit board; a flexible substrate constructed from a heat resistant polymer, the flexible substrate having a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side; a raised pedestal formed on the bottom substrate top face around at least a portion of the sensing region, the pedestal separating the plurality of the interdigitated conductive traces from the flexible substrate resistive layer; and an adhesive spacer layer joining the flexible substrate to the bottom substrate such that the resistive layer is facing the bottom substrate sensing region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portable user interface including a plurality of keys and a pointing device comprising:
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a first substrate supporting a plurality of conductive traces; a plurality of key switches affixed to the first substrate; a second substrate soldered to the first substrate conductive traces, the second substrate having a plurality of contact regions, each contact region including a plurality of spaced apart traces, the plurality of spaced apart traces electrically connected to the first substrate conductive traces; a flexible substrate spaced above the second substrate, the flexible substrate coated with a resistive coating on a side facing the contact regions such that, when pressure is applied to the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate deflects onto the second substrate to form a resistive connection between the spaced apart traces in at least one contact region; and a keypad membrane covering the flexible substrate and the key switches, the membrane defining a button in a region of the membrane over each of the key switches, the membrane further defining a rounded region for contacting the flexible substrate, the rounded region deflecting portions of the flexible substrate onto at least one contact region based on pressure applied to a side of the keypad membrane opposite of the rounded region. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of making a surface mountable pointing device comprising:
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forming a thin bottom substrate material to have a top surface area of sufficient size to support a plurality of pointing devices; for each pointing device supported, forming a plurality of through holes in the bottom substrate material; for each pointing device supported, forming on the bottom substrate top surface a plurality of sets of sensing conductive traces in a sensing region, each set of sensing conductive traces including at least two electrically separate interdigitated sensing traces; for each pointing device supported, forming at least one connecting conductive trace from each sensing conductive trace to and into at least one of the through holes; depositing an insulative material on the bottom substrate top surface substantially around each sensing region, the insulative material forming a raised pedestal; forming a high temperature resistant flexible substrate sized to substantially cover the bottom substrate top surface, the flexible substrate coated with a resistive material on a bottom surface; adhering the flexible substrate bottom surface to the bottom substrate top surface such that, for each pointing device supported, resistive material is suspended above the sensing region; and dicing the bottom substrate to separate each pointing device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A pointing device for integrating into portable electronic devices comprising:
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a bottom substrate having a top face and a bottom face, the top face including a sensing region comprising a plurality of interdigitated conductive trace regions, each trace region including interdigitated common and sense traces, the top face defining at least one conductive pad electrically connected to each trace; an electrical lead element in electrical connection with each pad; a flexible substrate constructed from a heat resistant polymer, the flexible substrate having a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side; a raised pedestal formed on the bottom substrate around at least a portion of the sensing region, the pedestal separating the plurality of the interdigitated conductive traces from the flexible substrate resistive layer; an adhesive spacer layer joining the flexible substrate to the bottom substrate such that the resistive layer is facing the bottom substrate sensing region; and a package encapsulating the bottom substrate, the flexible substrate, the raised pedestal, the adhesive spacer layer and a portion of each electrical lead element, the package defining an opening over the sensing region.
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Specification