Touch sensor with RFID

• US 9,218,561 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): ILUYOMADE, IFEDAYO B
• Application Number:
  US13/115,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

The examples describe the integration of a RFID tag with a touch sensor.

Claims

1. A panel comprising:

at least one substrate having a main portion that includes a sensing area and a peninsula portion that is separate from and outside the sensing area of the main portion;

a plurality of electrodes on the at least one substrate disposed within the sensing area of the main portion of the at least one substrate and arranged to sense touch of an object within the sensing area; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on the peninsula portion of the at least one substrate, wherein an antenna portion of the RFID tag does not overlap, in plan view on a common side of the at least one substrate, one or more connecting lines for connecting one or more of the plurality of electrodes to a controller disposed on a flexible printed circuit board coupled to the at least one substrate, the flexible printed circuit board being distinct from the peninsula portion of the at least one substrate.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is selected from the group consisting of an active RFID tag, a passive RFID tag, and a semi-passive RFID tag.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes are on a same substrate surface.

4. The panel of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise a drive electrode on a first surface of the at least one substrate and a sense electrode on another surface of the at least one substrate.

5. The panel of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes and the RFID tag are disposed on the same surface of the at least one substrate.

6. The sensing panel of claim 1 wherein the peninsula portion of the substrate is folded underneath the main portion of the substrate.

7. A device comprising:

a panel, the panel comprising;

at least one substrate having a main portion that includes a sensing area and a peninsula portion that is separate from and outside the sensing area of the main portion;

a plurality of electrodes on the at least one substrate disposed within the sensing area of the main portion of the at least one substrate and configured to sense touch of an object within the sensing area; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag having an antenna portion disposed at least in part on the peninsula portion of the at least one substrate; and

control circuitry disposed on a flexible printed circuit board coupled to the at least one substrate, the flexible printed circuit board being distinct from the peninsula portion of the at least one substrate, the control circuitry configured to communicate with the electrodes, and to sense the touch of an object within the sensing panel;

wherein the antenna portion of the RFID tag does not overlap, in plan view on a common side of the at least one substrate, one or more connecting lines for connecting one or more of the plurality of electrodes to the control circuitry, the antenna portion of the RFID tag being coupled to the control circuitry disposed on the flexible printed circuit board.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the plurality of electrodes are on a same substrate surface.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise a drive electrode on a first surface of the at least one substrate and a sense electrode on another surface of the at least one substrate.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein the plurality of electrodes and the RFID tag are disposed on the same surface of the at least one substrate.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein the peninsula portion of the substrate is folded underneath the main portion of the substrate.

20. The device of claim 7 wherein the control circuitry disposed on the flexible printed circuit board comprises:

a first control unit configured to communicate with the electrodes, and to sense the touch of an object within the sensing panel; and

a second control unit to which the antenna portion of the RFID tag is coupled.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor disposed in a housing of the electronic device, the touch sensor comprising;

a sensing panel, the sensing panel comprising;

a substrate having a main portion that includes a sensing area and a peninsula portion that is separate from and outside the sensing area of the main portion; and

a plurality of electrodes on the substrate disposed within the sensing area of the main portion of the substrate and configured to sense the presence of an object;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on the peninsula portion of the at least one substrate; and

control circuitry disposed on a flexible printed circuit board coupled to the substrate, the flexible printed circuit board being distinct from the peninsula portion of the substrate, the control circuitry configured to communicate with the sensing panel, and to sense the presence of an object in proximity to the sensing panel;

wherein an antenna portion of the RFID tag does not overlap, in plan view on a common side of the at least one substrate, one or more connecting lines for connecting one or more of the plurality of electrodes to the control circuitry.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the RFID tag is selected from the group consisting of a passive RFID tag, an active RFID tag, and a semi-passive RFID tag.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of electrodes are on a same surface of the substrate.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise a drive electrode on a first surface of the substrate and a sense electrode on another surface of the substrate.

16. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of electrodes and the RFID tag are disposed on the same surface of the substrate.

17. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the peninsula portion of the substrate is folded underneath the main portion of the substrate.

18. A panel comprising:

at least one substrate having a main portion that includes a sensing area;

a flexible printed circuit board bonded to a portion of the substrate;

a plurality of electrodes on the at least one substrate disposed within the sensing area of the main portion of the at least one substrate and arranged to sense touch of an object within the sensing area; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on the flexible printed circuit board and not on the at least one substrate, at least a portion of an antenna portion of the RFID tag being disposed on a peninsula portion of the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the antenna portion of the RFID tag does not overlap, in plan view on a common side of the at least one substrate, one or more connecting lines for connecting one or more of the plurality of electrodes to a controller.

19. The panel of claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is selected from the group consisting of an active RFID tag, a passive RFID tag, and a semi-passive RFID tag.