Trace shielding for input devices

• US 8,970,545 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Shepelev, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US13/547,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide shield electrodes for shielding one or more conductive routing traces from one or more receiver electrodes in an input device comprising a display device integrated with a sensing device to reduce the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. The shield electrode may be configured to reduce the effect of an input object on the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. In other embodiments, end portions of common electrodes shield the receiver electrodes from the conductive routing traces, thereby reducing the capacitive coupling between the receiver electrodes and the conductive routing traces.

Claims

1. A touch screen device with an integrated capacitive sensing device comprising:

a display device;

a plurality of common electrodes disposed in the display device and configured for updating the display device and for transmitting transmitter signals for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of receiver electrodes; and

a plurality of conductive routing traces coupled to the plurality of common electrodes, the conductive routing traces shielded from the plurality of receiver electrodes by end portions of the plurality of common electrodes in a manner that reduces a capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes.

2. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive routing traces are configured for driving the plurality of common electrodes.

3. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of conductive routing traces and disposed on a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate layer of the display device, and

the plurality of receiver electrodes is disposed below a lens of the display device.

4. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common electrodes is configured to reduce the effect of an input object on the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes.

5. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the end portions of the plurality of common electrodes are disposed between the plurality of receiver electrodes and the plurality of conductive routing traces, and

each of the end portions of the plurality of common electrodes is coupled with a respective one of the plurality of conductive routing traces through a via.

6. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common electrodes further comprises apertures formed therethrough and disposed over the plurality of conductive routing traces.

7. The touch screen device of claim 6, wherein the apertures are configured to decrease the capacitive coupling between the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of conductive routing traces.

11. The touch screen device of claim 1, further comprising an aperture formed in the end portions of the plurality of common electrodes.

12. The touch screen device of claim 11, further comprising an insulating material disposed in the apertures.

8. A system for capacitive sensing in a display device comprising:

a plurality of common electrodes configured for display updating and for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of conductive routing traces coupled to the plurality of common electrodes;

a driver module coupled to the plurality of conductive routing traces and configured to drive transmitter signals onto the plurality of common electrodes;

a plurality of receiver electrodes shielded from the plurality of conductive routing traces by end portions of the plurality of common electrodes in a manner that reduces influence of a presence of an input object on capacitive coupling between the plurality of receiver electrodes and conductive routing traces; and

a receiver module coupled to the plurality of receiver electrodes and configured to receive resulting signals with the receiver electrodes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the end portions of the plurality of common electrodes are positioned between the plurality of receiver electrodes and the plurality of conductive routing traces.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the end portions of the plurality of common electrodes are coupled with a respective one of the plurality of conductive routing traces through a via.