Modular connector for touch sensitive device

• US 8,711,113 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Taylor, Gordon F., Rebeschi, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/022,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatus for providing modular connection means to electrodes in a touch-sensitive device. The modular connections may include electronics allowing controlling electronics to individually address electrodes associated with driving electrodes and sensing signals occurring on electrodes.

Claims

1. A modular connector for use with a touch sensor comprising at least one array of electrodes disposed proximate a touch sensitive area, comprising:

a substrate;

a modular connector electronics disposed on the substrate;

an electrode interface disposed on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the connector electronics, the electrode interface including a plurality of terminal areas for making electrical connections with a subset of the array of electrodes;

one or more inter-module interfaces disposed on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the connector electronics, the inter-module interfaces including a plurality of terminal areas for making electrical connections to another modular connector;

and wherein the terminal areas of the electrode interface are individually addressable by communication signals provided to the modular connector electronics via the inter-module interfaces.

2. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the communications signals are provided to the modular connector electronics by an inter-module controller.

3. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the inter-module interfaces comprise:

one or more male plugs for connecting with female sockets of other modular connectors, and;

one or more female sockets for connecting with male plugs of other modular connectors.

4. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the terminal areas of the inter-module interfaces comprise conductive pads.

5. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

6. The modular connector of claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

7. The modular connector of claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a hard flex printed circuit board, having an integral flex tail.

8. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the modular connector electronics comprises an application specific integrated circuit.

9. The modular connector of claim 1, further comprising:

a drive signal generator, communicatively coupled to the modular connector electronics and the electrode interface, for applying drive signals to the subset of the array of electrodes.

10. The modular connector of claim 9, wherein communication signals provided to the modular connector electronics via the inter-module interfaces additionally control the drive signal generator.

11. The modular connector of claim 10, wherein, responsive to the communication signals, the modular connector electronics and the drive signal generator cause the drive signals to be applied to the electrodes of the subset one at a time.

12. The touch sensor of claim 10, further comprising:

an inter-module controller communicatively coupled to one of the modular connectors, the inter-module controller configured to communicatively interface with modular connectors and individually address any of the electrodes that comprise the array of electrodes.

13. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the inter-module controller may address more than one individual electrode of the array of electrodes at the same time.

14. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the modular connector further comprises:

a drive signal generator, communicatively coupled to the modular connector electronics and the electrode interface, for applying drive signals to the subset of the array of electrodes.

15. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein communications signals provided from the inter-module controller via the inter-module interfaces control the drive signal generator.

16. The touch sensor of claim 15, wherein, responsive to communication signals provided from the inter-module controller, a drive signal is applied by the drive signal generator to electrodes of the subset of the array of electrodes one at a time.

17. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the modular connector further comprises:

sense electronics, communicatively coupled to the modular connector electronics and the electrode interface, for sensing signals occurring on the subset of the array of electrodes.

18. The touch sensor of claim 17, wherein communication signals provided to the modular connector electronics from the inter-module controller provide communicative coupling between the inter-module controller and the sense electronics.

19. The modular connector of claim 1, further comprising:

sense electronics, communicatively coupled to the modular connector electronics and the electrode interface, for sensing signals occurring on the subset of the array of electrodes.

20. The modular connector of claim 19, wherein communication signals provided to the modular connector electronics via the inter-module interfaces additionally provide communicative coupling between the inter-module interfaces and the sense electronics.

21. A touch sensor comprising:

an array of electrodes, the array comprising a plurality of electrodes proximate a touch sensitive area of the touch sensor;

a plurality modular connectors interconnected together, each modular connector electrically coupled to a subset of the array of electrodes, wherein the modular connectors comprise;

a substrate;

a modular connector electronics disposed on the substrate;

an electrode interface disposed on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the connector electronics, the electrode interface including a plurality of terminal areas for making electrical connections with a subset of the array of electrodes;

one or more inter-module interfaces disposed on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the connector electronics, the inter-module interfaces including a plurality of terminal areas for making electrical connections to other modular connectors;

and wherein the terminal areas of the electrode interface are individually addressable by communication signals provided to the modular connector electronics via the inter-module interfaces.

22. The touch sensor of claim 21, wherein the inter-module interfaces comprise:

a male plug for connecting with female sockets of other modular connectors, and;

a female socket for connecting with male plugs of other modular connectors.

23. The touch sensor of claim 21, further comprising a touch sensor drive unit that comprises electronics for providing drive signals to electrodes that comprise the array of electrodes, the touch sensor drive unit communicatively coupled to the inter-module controller.

24. The touch sensor of claim 23, wherein the touch sensor drive unit provides signals to the inter-module controller to provide drive signals to electrodes that comprise the array of electrodes one at a time.

25. The touch sensor of claim 21, further comprising a touch sensor receive unit that comprises electronics for receiving signals from electrodes that comprise the array of electrodes, the touch sensor receive unit communicatively coupled to the inter-module controller.