Panel for position sensors

• US 8,766,929 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/780,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

This document discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufactures, related to position sensors and uses therefor. Various patterns of drive electrodes and sense electrodes that can be used to in a panel for a position sensor are shown and described. In various examples, the drive electrodes and sense electrodes can be arranged in a grid-like matrix.

Claims

1. A panel for a position sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

drive electrodes extending in a first direction on the substrate, that drive one or more drive signals; and

sense electrodes provided on the substrate, the sense electrodes being capacitively coupled with the drive electrodes and arranged to sense one or more signals, wherein;

each of the sense electrodes comprises a first sense element extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one second sense element extending in the first direction;

each of the second sense elements intersects and connects with one of the first sense elements; and

areas of the second sense elements on the substrate are surrounded by the drive electrodes on the substrate, at least one second sense element of a first sense electrode forming a non-contact overlap area with at least one of the second sense elements of an adjacent sense electrode, wherein the non-contact overlap area is situated between two first sense elements.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the drive electrodes on the substrate surrounds areas of a row of second sensing elements.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein each second sense element of each sense electrode forms a non-contact overlap area with one of the second sense elements of at least one adjacent sense electrode, wherein each non-contact overlap area is situated between two first sense elements.

4. The panel according to claim 1, wherein each drive electrode is coupled to its adjacent drive electrodes by a resistor for resistive interpolation.

5. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the drive electrodes comprise a larger surface area than the sense electrodes.

6. The panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the drive electrodes comprises:

second drive elements extending in the second direction connected with one of the drive electrodes extending in the first direction.

7. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the drive electrodes are provided adjacent to the substrate, and the panel further comprises:

an adhesive layer provided adjacent to the drive electrodes;

the sense electrodes are provided adjacent to the adhesive layer;

a second substrate provided adjacent to the sense electrodes;

a second adhesive layer provided adjacent to the second substrate; and

a front panel provided adjacent to the second adhesive layer.

8. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the drive electrodes and the sense electrodes are provided adjacent to the substrate, and the panel further comprises:

an adhesive layer provided adjacent to the drive electrodes and the sense electrodes; and

a front panel provided adjacent to the adhesive layer;

wherein crossovers are used at the point of intersection of the drive and sense electrodes with a dielectric insulator to prevent shorting.

9. A position sensor comprising:

a panel comprising;

a substrate;

drive electrodes extending in a first direction on the substrate;

sense electrodes provided on the substrate, the sense electrodes being capacitively coupled with the drive electrodes and arranged to sense one or more signals, wherein;

each of the sense electrodes comprises a first sense element extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one second sense element extending in the first direction;

each of the second sense elements intersects and connects with one of the first sense elements; and

areas of the second sense elements on the substrate are surrounded by the drive electrodes on the substrate, at least one second sense element of a first sense electrode forming a non-contact overlap area with at least one of the second sense elements of an adjacent sense electrode, wherein the non-contact overlap area is situated between two first sense elements;

a drive unit coupled to the drive electrodes that supply the one or more drive signals to each of the drive electrodes;

a sense unit coupled to the sense electrodes that receive the signals from each of the sense electrodes; and

a processing unit that process the signals and determines a position of a touch or a proximity of a touch at the panel.

10. The position sensor according to claim 9, wherein the sense unit is coupled to each of the first sense elements of the sense electrodes.

11. The position sensor according to claim 9, wherein the drive unit comprises a plurality of drive units, each of the plurality of drive units coupled to one of the drive electrodes.

12. The position sensor according to claim 9, wherein each drive electrode is coupled to its adjacent drive electrodes by a resistor, and wherein the drive unit supplies the one or more drive signals to each group of three drive electrodes.

13. A panel for a position sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

drive electrodes extending in a first direction on the substrate, that receive one or more drive signals; and

sense electrodes extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction on the substrate, the sense electrodes being capacitively coupled with the drive electrodes and arranged to supply one or more signals, wherein;

each of the sense electrodes comprises a first sense element extending in the second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one second sense element extending in the first direction; and

each of the second sense elements intersects and connects with one of the first sense elements, at least one second sense element of a first sense electrode forming a non-contact overlap area with at least one of the second sense elements of an adjacent sense electrode, wherein the non-contact overlap area is situated between two first sense elements, wherein;

the drive electrodes are not provided directly behind the sense electrodes on the substrate or the overlap is minimized.