Touch sensor panel using regional and local electrodes to increase number of sense locations
First Claim
1. An input sensor for an electronic device, comprising:
- a touch sensor panel having a first dimension and a second dimension;
a plurality of electrically-isolated electrodes distributed across said touch sensor panel, wherein said plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of regional electrodes and at least four local electrodes;
wherein each of said plurality of regional electrodes covers a corresponding one of a plurality of regions of said touch sensor panel, wherein each of said plurality of regional electrodes extends no more than half of said first dimension and no more than half of said second dimension, and wherein a touch anywhere along said touch sensor panel is detected by at least one of said plurality of regional electrodes;
wherein each of said at least four local electrodes comprises a plurality of electrically-connected pads distributed within said plurality of regional electrodes so that each of said plurality of regions covered by a regional electrode includes at least one pad of each of said at least four local electrodes, wherein a touch anywhere across said touch sensor panel is detected by at least one of said at least four local electrodes; and
a sensor circuit which determines a value for each of said plurality of electrodes indicating relative change, and which compares relative values of said plurality of electrodes to identify a location of a touch of said touch sensor panel.
25 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An input sensor for an electronic device which includes a touch sensor panel, multiple electrodes and a sensor circuit. The electrodes include multiple regional electrodes and multiple local electrodes. Each regional electrode covers a corresponding region of the touch sensor panel and each local electrode includes multiple pads including one pad located within each of the regional electrodes. The electrodes are distributed so that a touch anywhere across the touch sensor panel is detected by at least one regional electrode and at least one local electrode. A sensor circuit determines a value for each of the electrodes indicating relative change, and compares relative values of the electrodes to identify a location of a touch of the touch sensor panel. The regional electrodes are used to determine a region of a touch and the local electrodes are used to determine a more specific touch location within the determined region.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An input sensor for an electronic device, comprising:
-
a touch sensor panel having a first dimension and a second dimension; a plurality of electrically-isolated electrodes distributed across said touch sensor panel, wherein said plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of regional electrodes and at least four local electrodes; wherein each of said plurality of regional electrodes covers a corresponding one of a plurality of regions of said touch sensor panel, wherein each of said plurality of regional electrodes extends no more than half of said first dimension and no more than half of said second dimension, and wherein a touch anywhere along said touch sensor panel is detected by at least one of said plurality of regional electrodes; wherein each of said at least four local electrodes comprises a plurality of electrically-connected pads distributed within said plurality of regional electrodes so that each of said plurality of regions covered by a regional electrode includes at least one pad of each of said at least four local electrodes, wherein a touch anywhere across said touch sensor panel is detected by at least one of said at least four local electrodes; and a sensor circuit which determines a value for each of said plurality of electrodes indicating relative change, and which compares relative values of said plurality of electrodes to identify a location of a touch of said touch sensor panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20)
-
-
10. An electronic device, comprising:
-
a touch sensor panel having a first dimension and a second dimension, comprising; a plurality of electrically-isolated regional electrodes distributed across said touch sensor panel for distinguishing a touch within or between each of a plurality of regions of said touch sensor panel, wherein each of said plurality of regional electrodes extends no more than half of said first dimension and no more than half of said second dimension; and at least four electrically-isolated local electrodes distributed across said touch sensor panel, each comprising a plurality of electrically-connected pads distributed within said plurality of regional electrodes so that each of said plurality of regions covered by a regional electrode includes at least one pad of each of said at least four local electrodes, wherein a touch anywhere across said touch sensor panel is detected by at least one of said at least four local electrodes; and a sensor circuit which senses changes of any of said plurality of electrodes, and which compares relative changes of said plurality of electrodes to identify a corresponding touch location of said touch sensor panel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 21)
-
-
16. A method of determining a touch location along a touch area of a touch sensor panel having a first dimension and a second dimension, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of electrically-isolated electrodes comprising a plurality of regional electrodes and at least four local electrodes; locating each of the plurality of regional electrodes within a corresponding one of a plurality of regions of the touch area wherein each region includes one regional electrode, wherein each regional electrode extends no more than half of the first dimension and no more than half of the first dimension, and wherein a touch anywhere along the touch area is detected by at least one of the plurality of regional electrodes; dividing each of the at least four local electrodes into a plurality of electrically-coupled touch pads; distributing the plurality of touch pads of each of the at least four local electrodes within the plurality of regional electrodes so that each of said plurality of regions covered by a regional electrode includes a touch pad of each local electrode, and so that a touch anywhere along the touch area is detected by at least one of the at least four local electrodes; and determining the touch location by determining which of the regional electrodes are changed above a minimum activity threshold and by weighing relative changes of the plurality of electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 22)
-
Specification