Touch sensor panels with reduced static capacitance

• US 9,268,445 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steven Porter, Yousefpor, Marduke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/921,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 345/174, 345/173, 345/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

Capacitive touch panels may include a plurality of positive voltage lines that are driven at a first phase. These positive voltage lines may be used to provide the drive capacitance signal sensed by one or more sense regions. The touch panels may also include a plurality of negative phase voltage lines that are driven at a phase that is different than the first phase. Both the positive and negative voltage lines may cross-under one or more sense regions. The negative phase voltage lines are able to counter act and reduce the static capacitance in the sense regions.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive panel comprising:

a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

a plurality of second voltage lines that are driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

a plurality of drive regions comprising some of the plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each drive region coupled at least to one of the plurality of first voltage lines; and

at least one sense region comprising others of the plurality of pixels, arranged in a matrix and disposed between at least a first and a second drive regions of the plurality of drive regions, the plurality of first voltage lines and the plurality of second voltage lines crossing the at least one sense region and electrically isolated therefrom; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the at least one sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.

2. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive panel comprises an integrated touch screen and display.

3. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sense regions, each sense region disposed between two of the plurality of drive regions.

4. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, wherein touch regions are formed by capacitive coupling between at least one of the first and second drive regions and the at least one sense regions and the touch sensitive panel is configured for having a touch phase and a display phase.

5. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second voltage lines cross-under the first and second drive regions.

6. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, wherein the number of second voltage lines that cross-under the first and second drive regions is less than the number of second voltage lines that cross-under the at least one sense region.

7. The touch sensitive panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive region and the at least one sense region comprise a plurality of capacitive elements of the plurality of pixels.

8. The touch sensitive panel of claim 7, wherein:

all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the first drive region are electrically connected together;

all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the second drive region are electrically connected together; and

all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the at least one sense region are electrically connected together.

9. The touch sensitive panel of claim 7, comprising a conductive member that electrically connects together all the pixels in a region.

10. The touch sensitive panel of claim 9, where the capacitive elements of pixels within each of the first and second drive regions are electrically connected together within their respective region by a plurality of first common voltage lines disposed along a first direction and a plurality of second common voltage lines disposed along a second, different direction.

11. The touch sensitive panel of claim 10, wherein the capacitive elements of pixels within the at least one sense region are electrically connected together by a plurality of third common voltage lines.

12. The touch sensitive panel of claim 10, wherein the plurality of first and second common voltage lines within each of the first and second drive regions are coupled to a drive plate disposed within each of the first and second drive regions.

13. A method of reducing static capacitance in a touch panel comprising:

providing a plurality of pixels;

driving a plurality of first voltage lines at a first phase;

driving a plurality of second voltage lines at a second phase that is different than the first phase, wherein the first voltage lines and the second voltage lines cross-under a sense region;

coupling at least one of the plurality of first voltage lines to a plurality of drive regions comprising some of the plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix; and

disposing at least one sense region, comprising others of the plurality of pixels, arranged in a matrix, between at least a first and a second drive regions of the plurality of drive regions, the plurality of first voltage lines and the plurality of second voltage lines crossing the at least one sense region and electrically isolated therefrom; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of the first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the at least one sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming touch regions by capacitive coupling between at least one of the first and second drive regions and the at least one sense regions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second voltage lines cross-under the first and second drive regions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of second voltage lines that cross-under the first and second drive regions is less than the number of second voltage lines that cross-under the at least one sense region.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of drive region and the at least one sense region comprise a plurality of capacitive elements of the plurality of pixels.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch sensitive panel comprises an integrated touch screen and display.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a plurality of sense regions, each sense region disposed between two of the plurality of drive regions.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch sensitive panel has a touch phase and a display phase.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

coupling together all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the first drive region;

coupling together all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the second drive region; and

coupling together all of the capacitive elements of pixels in the at least one sense region.

22. The touch sensitive panel of claim 21, comprising a conductive member that electrically connects all the pixels in a region.

23. A method of making a touch panel comprising:

providing a plurality of pixels;

providing a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

providing a first and second drive region, each comprising a plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and connected to the first voltage lines;

providing a sense region comprising a plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix;

disposing the sense region between the first and second drive regions;

disposing the plurality of first voltage lines such that they cross-under the sense region and are electrically isolated therefrom;

selecting a number of second voltage lines to be driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

providing the selected number of second voltage lines that cross-under the sense region and are electrically isolated therefrom; and

wherein the second phase is the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the at least one sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.

24. A touch screen including display pixels with capacitive elements, the touch screen comprising:

a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

a plurality of second voltage lines that are driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

a drive region comprising a plurality of capacitive elements of pixels connected to the first voltage lines;

a sense region, wherein the first voltage lines and the second voltage lines cross-under the sense region; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of the first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.

25. A digital media player comprising a touch screen comprising:

a plurality of pixels each have capacitive elements;

a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

a plurality of second voltage lines that are driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

a plurality of drive regions each comprising a some of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and connected to the first voltage lines;

a sense region comprising others of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and disposed between two of the plurality of drive regions, wherein the first voltage lines and the second voltage lines cross-under the sense region; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lies are not utilized.

26. A mobile telephone comprising a touch screen comprising:

a plurality of pixels each have capacitive elements;

a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

a plurality of second voltage lines that are driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

a plurality of drive regions each comprising a some of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and connected to the first voltage lines;

a sense region comprising others of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and disposed between two of the plurality of drive regions, wherein the first voltage lines and the second voltage lines cross-under the sense region; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.

27. A personal computer comprising a touch screen comprising:

a plurality of pixels each have capacitive elements;

a plurality of first voltage lines that are driven at a first phase;

a plurality of second voltage lines that are driven at a second phase that is different than the first phase;

a plurality of drive regions each comprising a some of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and connected to the first voltage lines;

a sense region comprising others of the plurality of capacitive elements of pixels arranged in a matrix and disposed between two of the plurality of drive regions, wherein the first voltage lines and the second voltage lines cross-under the sense region; and

wherein the second phase is opposite the first phase and wherein the first phase of the plurality of first voltage lines and the second phase of the plurality of second voltage lines reduce static capacitance in the sense region as compared to a configuration in which the second voltage lines are not utilized.