Capacitive touchpad having dual traces coupled with uneven spaced interlaced sensors

• US 7,714,847 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chiu, Yen-Chang, Hsu, Chao-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards; Carolyn R
• Application Number:
  US11/296,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-175, 178/18.01, 178/19.03
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A capacitive touchpad comprises two traces with a plurality of first and second sensors coupled thereto respectively, and the first and second sensors are arranged interlaced and uneven spaced to each other. By detecting the capacitance variances produced by the sensors from the traces, phase leading or lagging Z-axis signals are generated to determine the moving direction of a finger sliding on the capacitive touchpad.

Claims

1. A capacitive touchpad comprising:

a first trace and a second trace;

a plurality of first sensors and a plurality of second sensors alternately coupled to the first and second traces, the first and second sensors interlaced and unevenly spaced therebetween, the plurality of first sensors being coupled to the first trace and the plurality of second sensors being coupled to the second trace; and

a detecting circuit coupled to the first and second traces for detecting a phase difference between a first signal on the first trace and a second signal on the second trace responsive to a capacitive change detected by the plurality of first and second sensors due to movement of an object on the capacitive touchpad, the detecting circuit determining a direction of movement based on which phase of the first and second signals is leading with respect to the other.

2. The touchpad of claim 1, further comprising:

a third trace; and

a plurality of third sensors coupled to the third trace and interlaced between the first and second sensors.

3. The touchpad of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more fourth traces; and

a plurality of fourth sensors coupled to the fourth traces an interlaced between the first and second sensors.

4. A detection method for a capacitive touchpad including a first trace and a second trace with a plurality of first and second sensors coupled thereto respectively, the first and second sensors alternately coupled to the first and second traces, the first and second sensors being arranged interlaced and unevenly spaced to each other, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a capacitance variance of the sensors to produce a first trace signal and a second trace signal; and

determining a moving direction of an object sliding on the capacitive touchpad based on a phase difference between the first and second trace signals.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the phase based on shifting a reference of a voltage level corresponding to the capacitance variance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining the moving direction comprises determining a phase leading or lagging between the first and second trace signals.

7. A detection method for a capacitive touchpad including a first trace, a second trace and a third trace with a plurality of first, second and third sensors coupled thereto respectively, the first and second sensors alternately coupled to the first and second traces, the first and second sensors being arranged interlaced and unevenly spaced to each other, the third sensors being arranged interlaced between the first and second sensors, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a capacitance variance of the sensors to produce a first trace signal, a second trace signal and a third trace signal; and

determining a moving direction of an object sliding on the capacitive touchpad based on a phase difference between the first and second trace signals;

wherein the third trace signal is used as a reference for establishing the first and second trace signals.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the phase based on shifting the reference of the voltage level corresponding to the capacitance variance.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the moving direction comprises determining a phase leading or lagging between the first and second trace signals.

10. A detection method for a capacitive touchpad including a first trace, a second trace, a third trace and a fourth trace with a plurality of first, second, third and fourth sensors coupled thereto respectively, the first and second sensors alternately coupled to the first and second traces, the first and second sensors being arranged interlaced and unevenly spaced to each other, the third and fourth sensors being arranged interlaced between the first and second sensors, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a capacitance variance of the sensors to produce a first trace signal, a second trace signal, a third trace signal and a fourth trace signal; and

determining a moving direction of an object sliding on the capacitive touchpad based on a phase difference between the first and second trace signals;

wherein the third trace signal is used as a first reference for establishing the first and second trace signals, and the fourth trace signal is used as a second reference for determining a capacitance variance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining the phase based on a voltage level corresponding to the capacitance variance.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the moving direction comprises determining a phase leading or lagging between the first and second trace signals.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the fourth trace comprises a plurality of sub-traces.