Field-line repeater (FLR) structure of a sense array

• US 8,970,796 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Hoshtanar, Oleksandr
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIEN, LUCY P
• Application Number:
  US14/015,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods of field-line repeater structures for sense arrays are described. One apparatus includes a substrate, a capacitive-sense array with electrodes disposed on one or more sides of the substrate in one or more layers and a protective cover layer disposed to cover the capacitive-sense array. A coating film is disposed over the protective cover layer and a field-line repeater (FLR) structure of floating electrodes is disposed between the coating film and the protective cover layer.

Claims

1. A touch-sensing device comprising:

a capacitive-sense array comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed in a first layer;

a second layer of material to cover the capacitive-sense array;

a third layer of material disposed over the second layer; and

a field-line repeater structure comprising a plurality of floating electrodes disposed between the second layer and the third layer,

wherein the plurality of electrodes are diamond-shape electrodes and arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes comprises a first set of floating electrodes arranged in a diamond shape and disposed to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first row of the plurality of rows and to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first column of the plurality of columns.

2. The touch-sensing device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is a protective cover layer, and wherein the third layer is a coating film disposed over the protective cover layer.

3. The touch-sensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes comprises a second set of floating electrodes comprising:

a first bar electrode that overlaps a first portion of a first diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a second portion of a second diamond-shape electrode in a second column; and

a second bar electrode that overlaps a third portion of a third diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a fourth portion of a fourth diamond-shape electrode in the second column, and wherein the first bar electrode and the second bar electrode intersect over a fifth diamond-shape electrode in the first row.

4. The touch-sensing device of claim 3, wherein a pattern of the first set of floating electrodes and the second set of floating electrodes is repeated over the plurality of columns and the plurality of rows.

10. The touch-sensing device of claim 2, wherein the protective cover layer comprises at least one of glass or plastic, and wherein the coating film is at least one of an anti-shatter (AS) coating film, an anti-glare (AG) coating film or a scratch resistance film.

11. The touch-sensing device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes are floating conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) patches disposed between the coating film and the protective cover layer.

12. The touch-sensing device of claim 2, wherein the protective cover layer, coating film and the plurality of floating electrodes are transparent.

5. A touch-sensing device comprising:

a capacitive-sense array comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed in a first layer;

a second layer of material to cover the capacitive-sense array;

a third layer of material disposed over the second layer; and

a field-line repeater structure comprising a plurality of floating electrodes disposed between the second layer and the third layer, wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes comprises;

a first u-shape electrode disposed in a first orientation to overlap portions of a first electrode in a first column of the plurality of columns, a second electrode in a first row of the plurality of rows and a third electrode in a second row of the plurality of rows;

a second u-shape electrode disposed in a second orientation to overlap portions of a fourth electrode in a second column of the plurality of columns, the second electrode in the first row and the third electrode in the second row, wherein the second orientation is an opposite orientation of the first orientation and the first u-shape electrode and second u-shape electrode form an opening; and

a first bar electrode disposed within the opening, wherein the first bar electrode is to overlap portions of the first electrode in the first column and the fourth electrode in the second column.

6. The touch-sensing device of claim 5, wherein a pattern of the first u-shape electrode, second u-shape electrode and first bar electrode and second bar electrode is repeated over the plurality of columns and the plurality of rows.

7. The touch-sensing device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electrodes are diamond-shape electrodes.

8. The touch-sensing device of claim 7, wherein the first bar electrode is disposed to further overlap the second electrode in the first row and the third electrode in the second row.

9. The touch-sensing device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes further comprises

a second bar electrode disposed adjacent to one side of the first u-shape electrode and the second u-shape electrode, wherein the second bar electrode is disposed to overlap portions of the first electrode in the first row, the second electrode in the first row, the fourth electrode in the second column, a fifth electrode in the first column and a sixth electrode in the second column.

18. The touch-sensing device of claim 5, wherein the second layer is a protective cover layer, and wherein the third layer is a coating film disposed over the protective cover layer.

19. The touch-sensing device of claim 18, wherein the protective cover layer comprises at least one of glass or plastic, and wherein the coating film is at least one of an anti-shatter (AS) coating film, an anti-glare (AG) coating film or a scratch resistance film.

20. The touch-sensing device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes are floating conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) patches disposed between the coating film and the protective cover layer.

13. A method comprising:

disposing a plurality of electrodes of a sense array in a first layer of a touch-sensing device;

disposing a second layer of material to cover the sense array;

disposing a third layer of material over the second layer; and

disposing a field-line repeater structure comprising a plurality of floating electrodes between the second layer and the third layer, wherein the plurality of electrodes are diamond-shape electrodes, and wherein the disposing the plurality of electrodes comprises arranging the plurality of electrodes in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and wherein the disposing the plurality of floating electrodes comprises disposing a first set of floating electrodes of the plurality of floating electrodes in a diamond-shape and to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first row of the plurality of rows and to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first column of the plurality of columns.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the disposing the plurality of floating electrodes further comprises disposing a second set of floating electrodes of the plurality of floating electrodes, wherein the second set of floating electrodes comprises:

a first bar electrode that overlaps a first portion of a first diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a second portion of a second diamond-shape electrode in a second column; and

a second bar electrode that overlaps a third portion of a third diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a fourth portion of a fourth diamond-shape electrode in the second column, and wherein the first bar electrode and the second bar electrode intersect over a fifth diamond-shape electrode in the first row.

15. A method comprising:

disposing a plurality of electrodes of a sense array in a first layer of a touch-sensing device;

disposing a second layer of material to cover the sense array;

disposing a third layer of material over the second layer; and

disposing a field-line repeater structure comprising a plurality of floating electrodes between the second layer and the third layer, wherein the disposing the plurality of electrodes comprises arranging the plurality of electrodes in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the disposing the plurality of floating electrodes comprises;

disposing a first u-shape electrode in a first orientation to overlap portions of a first electrode in a first column of the plurality of columns, a second electrode in a first row of the plurality of rows and a third electrode in a second row of the plurality of rows;

disposing a second u-shape electrode in a second orientation to overlap portions of a fourth electrode in a second column of the plurality of columns, the second electrode in the first row and the third electrode in the second row, wherein the second orientation is an opposite orientation of the first orientation and the first u-shape electrode and second u-shape electrode form an opening; and

disposing a first bar electrode within the opening, wherein the first bar electrode is to overlap portions of the first electrode in the first column and the fourth electrode in the second column.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a capacitive-sense array comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed on a first side of the substrate; and

a field-line repeater structure comprising a plurality of floating electrodes disposed on a second side of the substrate, wherein the plurality of electrodes are diamond-shape electrodes and arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the plurality of floating electrodes comprises;

a first set of floating electrodes arranged in a diamond-shape and disposed to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first row of the plurality of rows and to overlap portions of at least two of the diamond-shape electrodes in a first column of the plurality of columns; and

a second set of floating electrodes comprising;

a first bar electrode that overlaps a first portion of a first diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a second portion of a second diamond-shape electrode in a second column; and

a second bar electrode that overlaps a third portion of a third diamond-shape electrode in the first column and a fourth portion of a fourth diamond-shape electrode in the second column, and wherein the first bar electrode and the second bar electrode intersect over a fifth diamond-shape electrode in the first row.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a capacitance-sensing circuit coupled to the capacitive-sense array, wherein the capacitance-sensing circuit comprises:

a transmit (TX) signal generator to generate a TX signal to be applied to the plurality of electrodes of the sense array;

a receiver coupled to measure an receive (RX) signal on the plurality of electrodes of the sense array; and

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to an output of the receiver to convert the measured RX signal to a digital value.