Wraparound assembly for combination touch, handwriting and fingerprint sensor

• US 8,724,038 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganapathi, Srinivasan Kodaganallur, Buchan, Nicholas Ian, Petersen, Kurt Edward, Shenoy, Ravindra V., Lin, Peng Cheng, Cheng, Ericson
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Kendrick
• Application Number:
  US13/271,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 345173-174, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04146 using pressure sensitive conductive elements delivering a boolean signal and located between crossing sensing lines, e.g. located between X and Y sensing line layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a combined sensor device. In some implementations, a combined sensor device includes a wrap-around configuration wherein an upper flexible substrate has patterned conductive material on an extended portion to allow routing of signal lines, electrical ground, and power. One or more integrated circuits or passive components, which may include connecting sockets, may be mounted onto the flexible layer to reduce cost and complexity. Such implementations may eliminate a flex cable and may allow a bezel-less configuration.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate;

a first plurality of substantially transparent electrodes formed in a first region of the first substantially transparent substrate;

a second plurality of substantially transparent electrodes formed in a second region of the first substantially transparent substrate;

a first plurality of resistors formed on at least some of the first plurality of electrodes;

a second plurality of resistors formed on the second plurality of electrodes;

a second substantially transparent substrate;

a third plurality of substantially transparent electrodes formed in a first region of the second substantially transparent substrate;

a fourth plurality of substantially transparent electrodes formed in a second region of the second substantially transparent substrate, the fourth plurality of electrodes being located in a zone in which fourth electrode positions correspond to second electrode positions of the second plurality of electrodes; and

substantially transparent second substrate signal lines formed on the second substrate, the second substrate signal lines being configured for electrical connection with at least the third plurality of electrodes and the fourth plurality of electrodes, wherein the second substrate is wrapped around at least one side of the first substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an integrated circuit configured for electrical connection with at least some of the second substrate signal lines.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second pluralities of electrodes are formed on a first side of the first substrate, and wherein the integrated circuit is disposed on a portion of the second substrate that is wrapped around and disposed proximate a second side of the first substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is part of a sensor control system.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is a fingerprint sensor control device that is configured for communication with the second and fourth pluralities of electrodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is a touch or handwriting sensor control device that is configured for communication with the first and third pluralities of electrodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further including substantially transparent first substrate signal lines disposed on the first substrate, the first substrate signal lines configured for electrical connection with the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes, wherein the first substrate signal lines are also configured for electrical connection with corresponding portions of the second substrate signal lines.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of electrodes has a smaller pitch than the first plurality of electrodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fourth plurality of electrodes has a pitch that is substantially the same as that of the second plurality of electrodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a substantially transparent elastomeric material extending from the first region of the first substrate to the first region of the second substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of resistors are formed on some, but not all, of the first plurality of electrodes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of electrodes include fingerprint sensor electrodes.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of electrodes include touch and handwriting sensor electrodes.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a display, wherein the first substrate forms a cover over the display.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with the display, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with the processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display; and

a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, a transceiver, and a transmitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a mobile display device having a display, wherein the first substrate forms a cover over the display and wherein the first substrate extends substantially all the way to an edge of a mobile display device.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further including force-sensitive resistor material disposed between the first substantially transparent substrate and the second substantially transparent substrate.

22. A method, comprising:

depositing a first layer of substantially transparent conductive material on a first substantially transparent substrate, wherein depositing the first layer involves forming a first plurality of substantially transparent electrodes in a first region of the first substrate and forming a second plurality of substantially transparent electrodes in a second region of the first substrate;

forming a layer of resistive material on the first layer of substantially transparent conductive material, wherein the forming includes forming a first plurality of resistors on at least some of the first plurality of electrodes and forming a second plurality of resistors on the second plurality of electrodes;

depositing a second layer of substantially transparent conductive material on a second substantially transparent and flexible substrate, wherein depositing the second layer involves forming a third plurality of substantially transparent electrodes in a first region of the second substrate and forming a fourth plurality of substantially transparent electrodes in a second region of the second substrate in which fourth electrode positions correspond to second electrode positions of the second plurality of electrodes;

forming substantially transparent second substrate signal lines on the second substrate, the second substrate signal lines being configured for electrical connection with at least the third plurality of electrodes and the fourth plurality of electrodes; and

wrapping a portion of the second substrate around at least one side of the first substrate.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the forming includes forming a first plurality of resistors on some, but not all, of the first plurality of electrodes.

24. The method of claim 22, further including configuring an integrated circuit for electrical connection with at least some of the second substrate signal lines.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the integrated circuit is part of a sensor control system.

26. The method of claim 25, further including configuring the sensor control system for processing touch or handwriting sensor data according to electrical signals received from the first and third pluralities of substantially transparent electrodes.

27. The method of claim 25, further including configuring the sensor control system for processing fingerprint sensor data according to electrical signals received from the second and fourth pluralities of substantially transparent electrodes.