Sensor, display including a sensor, and method for using a sensor

• US 8,305,358 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Klinghult, Gunnar, Kleverman, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Gene W
• Application Number:
  US12/368,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/19.03, 178/19.04, 307112-144
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A sensor includes an insulating support defining a front side; a membrane arranged on the front side of the support, the membrane including at least one layer including a pattern of electrically conductive material; at least one capacitance measuring unit configured for measuring a capacitance between at least a portion of the pattern of one of the at least one layer and its surrounding environment; and at least one resistance measuring unit configured for measuring a resistance between a pair of points of the pattern of one of the at least one layer. A display including the sensor and a method of using the sensor are also disclosed.

Claims

1. Sensor including

an insulating support defining a front side;

a membrane arranged on the front side of the support, the membrane including at least one layer including a pattern of electrically conductive material representing an electrode;

at least one capacitance measuring unit configured for measuring a capacitance between at least a portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer and its surrounding environment; and

at least one resistance measuring unit configured for measuring a resistance between a pair of points of a continuous portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer.

2. Sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material is indium tin oxide.

3. Sensor of claim 1, wherein

the at least one capacitance measuring unit is configured to detect the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

and

the at least one resistance measuring unit is configured to detect whether a force is exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

4. Sensor of claim 1, wherein

the at least one capacitance measuring unit is configured to detect the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

and

the at least one resistance measuring unit is configured to estimate the force exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

5. Sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitance measuring unit includes

a first capacitance measuring unit configured for measuring a capacitance between a first continuous portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer and its surrounding environment, and

a second capacitance measuring unit configured for measuring a capacitance between a second continuous portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer and its surrounding environment;

and

the at least one resistance measuring unit includes

a first resistance measuring unit configured for measuring a resistance between a pair of points of the first continuous portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer, and

a second resistance measuring unit configured for measuring a resistance between a pair of points of the second continuous portion of the electrode of one of the at least one layer.

6. Sensor according to claim 5, wherein

the at least one capacitance measuring unit is configured to detect the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof and to estimate the position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor;

and

the at least one resistance measuring unit is configured to detect whether a force is exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

7. Sensor according to claim 5, wherein

the at least one capacitance measuring unit is configured to detect the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof and to estimate the position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor;

and

the at least one resistance measuring unit is configured to estimate the force exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

8. Sensor according to claim 1, configured so that one resistance measuring unit is activated when one capacitance measuring unit indicates a change of capacitance exceeding a threshold value.

9. Sensor according to claim 1, configured so that the capacitance measurements and the resistance measurements are performed one after the other in sequence.

10. A display including a sensor according to claim 1.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor

outputs a signal indicating the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

and

outputs a signal indicating whether a force is exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

12. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor

outputs a signal indicating the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

and

outputs a signal indicating the force exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

13. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the sensor

outputs a signal indicating the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

outputs a signal indicating whether a force is exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor; and

outputs a signal indicating an estimation of the two-dimensional position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

14. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the sensor

outputs a signal indicating the presence of a finger, hand or other object on the sensor or in the vicinity thereof;

outputs a signal indicating the force exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor; and

outputs a signal indicating an estimation of the two-dimensional position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor.

15. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the sensor outputs a signal indicating an estimation of the three-dimensional position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor, based on

the signal indicating an estimation of the two-dimensional position of the finger, hand or other object on the sensor, which provides coordinates x and y;

and

the signal indicating an estimation of the force exerted by the finger, hand or other object on the sensor, which provides coordinate z;

wherein coordinates x and y correspond to two distinct directions along the surface of the sensor and coordinate z corresponds a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sensor.