Sensing

• US 9,024,909 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: White, Richard, Kivioja, Jani, Cotton, Darryl, Haque, Samiul Md, Andrew, Piers, Ryhanen, Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US13/437,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/167, 345/168, 345173-184, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1904, 178/20.01
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

An apparatus including a capacitance touch sensor arrangement configured to have a variable capacitance that varies when a user finger touches the capacitance touch sensor arrangement; and at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement wherein the variable resistor sensor has a variable resistance that varies with a sensed parameter; the apparatus including an input configured to receive an input signal including a time varying component and an output configured to provide an output signal that depends upon both the capacitance of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement and the resistance of the variable resistance sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitance touch sensor arrangement configured to have a variable capacitance that varies when a user finger touches the capacitance touch sensor arrangement; and

at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement wherein the variable resistor sensor has a variable resistance that varies with a sensed parameter;

the apparatus comprising an input configured to receive, during a first time, an input signal comprising a time varying component and an output configured to provide, during the first time, a time varying output signal that depends simultaneously upon both a time variation of the capacitance of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement during the first time in response to a user touch, and a time variation of the resistance of the variable resistance sensor during the first time in response to a sensed parameter.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitance touch sensor arrangement and the at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement are flexible and stretchable, being capable of withstanding strain in excess of 5%.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitance touch sensor arrangement comprises a distributed network of electrodes on a conformal, stretchable membrane.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitance touch sensor arrangement and the at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement are transparent.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitance touch sensor arrangement further comprises a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, such that each row comprises a first plurality of interconnected first electrodes and wherein each column comprises a second plurality of interconnected second electrodes and at least one variable resistor is associated with each row and/or column.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one variable resistor sensor is connected between each row and column, where the rows and column cross, and connected in parallel to a capacitor formed by a first electrode and a second electrode.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes do not overlap.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising first variable resistor sensors that vary with a first sensed parameter and second variable resistor sensors that vary with a second sensed parameter.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein variable resistors integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement have a resistance that changes with applied strain, or that changes with a predetermined biological or chemical molecule, or that changes with incident light.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising first selection circuitry configured to selectively provide the input signal to a first portion of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement

and second selection circuitry configured to selectively receive the output signal from a second portion of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement, wherein the second portion overlaps the first portion of the first portion of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first selection circuitry is configured to sequence the first portion to which the input signal is provided through a series of different first portions of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement and the second selection circuitry is configured to sequence the second portion from which the output signal is received through a series of different second portions of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to process output signals from different areas of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement, each of which has an integrated at least one variable sensor, to determine the current capacitance for the different areas and the current resistance for the different areas;

analysis circuitry configured to analyse the current capacitance and the current resistance for the different areas.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured to analyse the current capacitance and the current resistance for the different areas to detect a user touch input and estimate a magnitude of pressure applied by the user touch input or to estimate a contortion of the apparatus by the user.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured, in a touch only mode, to analyse only the current capacitance for the different areas to detect a pattern of user touch inputs and is configured in another mode to analyse the current capacitance and the current resistance for the different areas.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured to analyse the current capacitance and the current resistance for the different areas, wherein when the current capacitance and the current resistance, for an area, are indicative of a deforming touch by a user, using the current capacitance and the current resistance for the area to detect a user touch input at the area and wherein when the current capacitance and the current resistance, for an area are not indicative of a deforming touch by a user, using the current capacitance and the current resistance for the area in determining a contortion of the apparatus.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable resistance varies with an externally controlled parameter.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitance touch sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of capacitor cells distributed over an input area wherein each of the capacitor cells comprises at least one variable capacitor and one or more of the capacitor cells comprises at least one variable resistor sensor,

wherein the capacitance of the variable capacitor of a capacitor cell changes when the user touches the input area corresponding to that capacitor cell,

wherein when a capacitor cell receives the input signal at a first time it provides an output signal dependent upon both the capacitance of the variable capacitor at the first time, and a resistance of the variable resistor at the first time.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the capacitor cells share in common the input and share in common the output.

19. A method of manufacturing a capacitance touch sensor arrangement comprising at least one integrated variable resistor, comprising:

selectively forming a plurality of first capacitor electrodes;

selectively forming a plurality of second capacitor electrodes;

selectively forming at least one variable resistor sensor in electrical connection with a capacitor formed between a first capacitor electrode and an adjacent second capacitor electrode;

forming an input configured to receive, during a first time, an input signal comprising a time varying component; and

forming an output configured to provide, during the first time, a time varying output signal that depends simultaneously upon both a time variation of the capacitance of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement during the first time in response to a user touch, and a time variation of the resistance of the variable resistance sensor during the first time in response to a sensed parameter.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising forming an encapsulating layer.