Capacitive coordinate detection device

• US 7,589,713 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Tadamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, TONY O
• Application Number:
  US11/206,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/84, 345/103, 345168-170
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/0293 with an integrated touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2205/016 Separate bridge contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/036 Metallic disc
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/002 superimposed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/03 Different type of switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/006 Containing a capacitive switch or usable as such

Abstract

A composite capacitance between a common electrode and an X detection electrode having a plurality of detours is small, whereas lengths of parallel electrodes of the X detection electrode are set to have large values. A comprehensive composite capacitance is set to be constant by increasing a composite capacitance between the common electrode and the X detection electrode. For this reason, although the detours are formed in the electrode patterns, a coordinate position can be detected with high accuracy.

Claims

1. A capacitive coordinate detection device in which a plurality of detection electrodes, which extend in the Y direction and are disposed with a predetermined gap in the X direction, each detection electrode being applied with a voltage, and a plurality of common electrodes, which are located between the detection electrodes adjacent to each other and extend in the Y direction, are formed in a base sheet, and in which when a contact body serving as a conductor is brought into contact with or approaches the base sheet, variations in a capacitance between the detection electrodes and the common electrodes opposite to the detection electrodes are detected to detect a location of a place which the contact body touches or approaches on an XY coordinate plane,

wherein when one of the common electrodes is set as a reference common electrode, one of the detection electrodes, which is adjacent to one side of the reference common electrode, is set as a first detection electrode, and one of the detection electrodes, which is adjacent to the other side of the reference common electrode, is set as a second detection electrode, detours that approach one of the reference common electrode and the first detection electrode, and the reference common electrode and the second detection electrode are formed in at least the other one of the reference common electrode and the first detection electrode, and the reference common electrode and the second detection electrode in a specific place, and

wherein when a capacitance between the reference common electrode and the first detection electrode is set to CR and a capacitance between the reference common electrode and the second detection electrode is set to CL, a pattern of each of the electrodes is set such that a composite capacitance between the capacitance CR and the capacitance CL can be kept constant in such a manner that one of the two capacitances compensates for an increase or a decrease of the other of the two capacitances.

2. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 1,

wherein holes are formed in the base sheet, and detours are formed at sides of the holes.

3. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 2,

wherein operation members are provided at one side of the base sheet and electronic components operated by the operation members are provided at the other side of the base sheet,

some of the operation members pass through the holes to operate the electronic components.

4. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 2,

wherein light sources for illumination are disposed in the holes of the base sheet, and the holes serve as passages of light emitted from the light sources.

5. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 1,

wherein common branch electrodes extending toward both sides of the X direction and formed with a predetermined gap in the Y direction are formed in the reference common electrode, first auxiliary electrodes, which extend in the X direction and are opposite to the common branch electrodes, are formed in the first detection electrode, and second auxiliary electrodes, which extend in the X direction and are opposite to the common branch electrodes, are formed in the second detection electrode, and

the common branch electrodes and the first auxiliary electrodes are provided in the detours or near the detours, and the common branch electrodes and the second auxiliary electrodes are not opposite to each other in the detours or near the detours.

6. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 1,

wherein common branch electrodes extending toward both sides of the X direction and formed with a predetermined gap in the Y direction are formed in the reference common electrode, first auxiliary electrodes, which extend in the X direction and are opposite to the common branch electrodes, are formed in the first detection electrode, and second auxiliary electrodes, which extend in the X direction and are opposite to the common branch electrodes, are formed in the second detection electrode, and

in the detours or near the detours, an opposite length between the common branch electrodes and the first auxiliary electrodes is larger than an opposite length between the common branch electrodes and the second auxiliary electrodes.

7. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the X direction is replaced with the Y direction, and the Y direction is replaced with the X direction.

8. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 7,

wherein both a coordinate position of the X direction and a coordinate position of the Y direction of a contact place of the contact body are input.

9. A capacitive coordinate detection device including a base sheet having a plurality of holes formed therein, a plurality of X detection electrodes, which extend in the Y direction and are disposed with a predetermined gap in the X direction, on one surface of the base sheet, each X detection electrode being applied with a voltage, a plurality of Y detection electrodes, which extend in the X direction and are disposed with a predetermined gap in the Y direction, on the other surface of the base sheet, each Y detection electrode being applied with a voltage, a plurality of common electrodes that are opposite to both X detection electrodes adjacent to each other and Y detection electrodes adjacent to each other, the X detection electrodes and the Y detection electrodes being provided on any one surface of the base sheet, a control unit for applying the voltage between the X detection electrodes and the common electrodes and between the Y detection electrodes and the common electrodes with a predetermined timing, and a plurality of leading lines connecting the X detection electrodes and the Y detection electrodes and the control unit,

wherein the leading lines are densely provided near the outside of the X detection electrodes or the Y detection electrodes located at one end, and holes are disposed opposite to the leading lines near the inside of the X or Y detection electrodes, and

first adjustment electrodes, which adjust a capacitance between the X detection electrodes or the Y detection electrodes and the common electrodes by causing the X detection electrodes or the Y detection electrodes and the common electrode to be opposite to each other face to face, are formed on one of the X detection electrodes or the Y detection electrodes and the common electrode with the base sheet interposed therebetween.

10. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 9

wherein second adjustment electrodes, which are adjacent to the first adjustment electrodes and opposite to each other at locations where the second adjustment electrodes do not overlap each other with the base sheet interposed therebetween, are formed in one of the X detection electrodes or the Y detection electrodes and the common electrode, which are opposite to each other with the base sheet interposed therebetween.

11. The capacitive coordinate detection device according to claim 9,

wherein common counter electrodes, which are opposite to both a pair of the X detection electrodes adjacent to each other and a pair of the Y detection electrodes adjacent to each other and extend by detouring the holes, are disposed in the common electrodes.