Single layer sensor pattern

• US 9,292,138 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gourevitch, Alexandre, Korobov, Vladimir, Vavaroutsos, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US13/904,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160004343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of a capacitive sensor array may comprise a first set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more large subelements and a second set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more small subelements. In one embodiment, each of the small subelements may be smaller than any of the large subelements, and the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes are formed from a single layer of conductive material. In one embodiment, the surface area of the capacitive sensor array may be divisible into a grid of N×M unit cells, wherein each of the N×M unit cells contains one of the large subelements and k of the small subelements, where k is greater than or equal to 2.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor array, comprising:

a first set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more large subelements; and

a second set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more small subelements, wherein each of the small subelements is smaller than any of the large subelements, wherein at least one of the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes includes at least three sensor electrodes, wherein the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes are formed from a single layer of conductive material, wherein a surface area of the capacitive sensor array is divisible into a grid of N×

M unit cells, wherein each of the N×

M unit cells contains one of the large subelements and k of the small subelements, wherein for each set of the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes, a longitudinal axis crosses at least a portion of each of the subelements of sensor electrodes in the set that are in the same column of unit cells, wherein any subelements of the large and small subelements contained within a first unit cell of the N×

M unit cells that is nearer to an end of the column than a second unit cell of the N×

M unit cells have a smaller combined area than subelements contained within the second unit cell, wherein the first unit cell is shorter than the second unit cell along the longitudinal axis, wherein the large subelement in the first unit cell is electrically isolated from the large subelement in the second unit cell, and wherein N is greater than or equal to 2, M is greater than or equal to 2, and k is greater than or equal to 2.

2. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein the total number of small subelements is k times the total number of large subelements.

3. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein at least one of the unit cells includes a first region of greatest capacitive coupling between a large subelement and a first small subelement and a second region of greatest capacitive coupling between the large subelement and a second small subelement.

4. The capacitive sensor array of claim 3, wherein the first small subelement and the second small subelement are arranged along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the large subelement.

5. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein each of the large subelements is electrically isolated from each of the large subelements in a different row of the grid of N×

M unit cells, and wherein each of the small subelements is electrically coupled via one or more connecting traces with another of the small subelements in a same column of the grid of N×

M unit cells, wherein each of the small subelements is wider than any of the one or more connecting traces.

6. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein each of the large subelements is electrically coupled with at least another large subelement in the same column of the grid of N×

M unit cells, and wherein each of the small subelements is electrically coupled with at least one other small subelement in a different unit cell.

7. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the small subelements is less than a combined area of the large subelements.

8. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein two or more of the large subelements are substantially equal in size, and wherein two or more of the small subelements are substantially equal in size.

9. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of sensor electrodes comprises a routing trace extending from the one or more large subelements to a first edge of the surface area, and wherein each of the second set of sensor electrodes comprises a routing trace extending from the one or more small subelements to the first edge of the surface area.

10. A capacitive sensor array, comprising:

a first set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more large subelements; and

a second set of sensor electrodes each comprising one or more small subelements, wherein at least one of the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes includes at least three sensor electrodes, wherein the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes are formed from a single layer of conductive material, wherein a surface area of the capacitive sensor array is divisible into a first set of column regions and a second set of column regions interleaved with the first set of column regions, wherein each of the first set of column regions and second set of column regions extends from a first edge of the surface area to a second edge of the surface area, and wherein for each column region in the first set of column regions, the column region includes N large subelements each intersected by a longitudinal axis of the column region, wherein for each column region in the second set of column regions, the column region includes N×

k small subelements each intersected by a longitudinal axis of the column region, wherein N is greater than or equal to 2, wherein k is greater than or equal to 2, wherein any subelements of the large and small subelements contained within a first unit cell, which includes one of the large subelements and k of the small subelements and is nearer to an end of the column region than a second unit cell in the same column region, have a smaller combined area than subelements contained within the second unit cell, wherein the first unit cell is shorter than the second unit cell along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the large subelement in the first unit cell is electrically isolated from the large subelement in the second unit cell.

11. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein the total number of small subelements is k times the number of large subelements, and wherein a combined area of the small subelements is less than a combined area of the large subelements.

12. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein two or more of the large subelements are substantially equal in size, and wherein two or more of the small subelements are substantially equal in size.

13. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein the surface area is substantially rectangular, and wherein the second edge of the surface area is opposite the first edge of the surface area.

14. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein the surface area is divisible into a grid of N×

M unit cells each overlapping one of the first set of column regions and one of the second set of column regions, and wherein each unit cell includes a region of greatest capacitive coupling between one of the large subelements and each of k small subelements.

15. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein each of the large subelements in the same column region are electrically isolated from each other, and wherein each of the small subelements in a column region is electrically connected to at least another of the small subelements in the same column region.

16. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein each of the large subelements is electrically coupled with at least another large subelement in the same column region, and wherein each of the small subelements is electrically coupled with at least another small subelement in the same column region.

17. The capacitive sensor array of claim 10, wherein each of the first set of sensor electrodes comprises a routing trace extending from the one or more large subelements to the first edge of the surface area, and wherein each of the second set of sensor electrodes comprises a routing trace extending from the one or more small subelements to the first edge of the surface area.

18. A capacitance sensing system, comprising:

a capacitance sensor;

a first set of sensor electrodes of a capacitive sensor array coupled with the capacitance sensor, wherein each of the first set of sensor electrodes comprises one or more large subelements; and

a second set of sensor electrodes of the capacitive sensor array, wherein each of the second set of sensor electrodes comprises one or more small subelements, wherein each of the small subelements is smaller than any of the large subelements, wherein at least one of the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes includes at least three sensor electrodes, wherein the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes are constructed from a single layer of conductive material, wherein a surface area of the capacitive sensor array is divisible into a grid of N×

M unit cells, wherein each of the N×

M unit cells contains one large subelement and k small subelements, wherein any subelements of the large and small subelements contained within a first unit cell of the N×

M unit cells that is nearer to an end of the column than a second unit cell of the N×

M unit cells have a smaller combined area than subelements contained within the second unit cell, wherein for each set of the first set of sensor electrodes and the second set of sensor electrodes, a longitudinal axis crosses at least a portion of each of the subelements of sensor electrodes in the set that are in the same column of unit cells, wherein the first unit cell is shorter than the second unit cell along the longitudinal axis, wherein the large subelement in the first unit cell is electrically isolated from the large subelement in the second unit cell, and wherein N is greater than or equal to 2, M is greater than or equal to 2, and k is greater than or equal to 2.

19. The capacitance sensing system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the unit cells includes a first region of greatest capacitive coupling between a large subelement and a first small subelement and a second region of greatest capacitive coupling between the large subelement and a second small subelement, and wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to measure a first mutual capacitance between the large subelement and the first small subelement and a second mutual capacitance between the large subelement and the second small subelement.

20. The capacitance sensing system of claim 18, wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to generate a matrix of capacitance values by performing a matrix transformation operation based on a matrix of mutual capacitance values measured from the capacitive sensor array.