Methods and apparatus for arranging electrode layers and associated routing traces in a sensor device

• US 9,372,587 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Yi-Yun, Rehn, Chris, Tan, Yeh-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US14/462,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 296/22, 178 1801- 18011
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A capacitive input device including a substrate, a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a top surface of the substrate and extending along a first direction, a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed proximate a bottom surface of the substrate and extending along a second direction different from the first direction, and a plurality of routing traces coupled to the second sensor electrodes. Each routing trace is configured to extend along the first direction between respective first sensor electrodes, and to extend along the second direction underneath a second sensor electrode.

Claims

1. A capacitive input device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of receiver sensor electrodes disposed proximate a top surface of the substrate and extending along a first direction;

a plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes disposed proximate a bottom surface of the substrate and extending along a second direction different from the first direction; and

a plurality of routing traces coupled to the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes, each routing trace being configured to extend along the first direction between respective sensor electrodes of the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes, and to extend along the second direction underneath the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes.

2. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes are disposed between the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes and the plurality of routing traces such that the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes electromagnetically shield the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes from the plurality of routing traces.

3. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes are ohmically isolated from the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes.

4. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein each routing trace is ohmically connected to a single one of the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes.

5. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a tactile switch configured to be actuated by downward pressure applied to the substrate by a user.

6. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing traces comprises a patterned layer of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material deposited on the substrate.

7. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes and the routing traces are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate;

the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes and the routing traces comprise at least one of copper, silver paste, copper paste and carbon ink; and

the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes and the routing traces are formed by at least one of screen printing, chemical etching, and deposition.

8. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a processing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes and the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes.

9. The capacitive input device of claim 8, further comprising:

a substantially rectangular touch surface having respective first, second, third, and fourth edges; and

a plurality of receiver routing elements extending along the first direction and coupling the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes to the processing system;

wherein the plurality of receiver routing elements and the plurality of routing traces are disposed along the first edge and are not disposed along the second, third, and fourth edges.

10. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

11. The capacitive input device of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) layer proximate the substrate, wherein:

the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes are disposed between the bottom surface of the substrate and a top surface of the PCB layer; and

each routing trace extends from a respective second sensor electrode, through a via formed in the PCB layer, and along a bottom surface of the PCB layer.

12. A trancapacitive input device, comprising:

an insulating substrate;

an array of receiver sensor electrodes disposed on a top surface of the substrate and arranged in rows which extend along a first direction;

an array of transmitter sensor electrodes ohmically isolated from the array of receiver sensor electrodes and arranged in columns which extend along a second direction different from the first direction, each column comprising at least two adjacent electrode elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate, and a jumper disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate and interconnecting the at least two adjacent sensor electrode elements through vias formed in the substrate; and

a plurality of routing traces disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate, each routing trace coupled to a column of the array of transmitter sensor electrodes and extending along the first direction in an interior region of the substrate in non-overlapping relation to the array of receiver sensor electrodes.

13. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein each routing trace is ohmically connected to an electrode element.

14. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, further comprising a processing system communicatively coupled to the array of receiver sensor electrodes and the array of transmitter sensor electrodes.

15. The trancapacitive input device of claim 14, further comprising:

a substantially rectangular touch surface having respective first, second, third, and fourth edges; and

a plurality of receiver routing elements extending along the first direction and coupling the array of receiver electrodes to the processing system;

wherein the plurality of receiver routing elements and the plurality of routing traces are disposed along the first edge and are not disposed along the second, third, and fourth edges.

16. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

17. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein each routing trace is configured to extend along the first direction parallel to the array of receiver sensor electrodes, and configured to extend along the second direction substantially between adjacent columns of the array of transmitter sensor electrodes.

18. The trancapacitive input device of claim 12, wherein the jumper and routing traces are formed of at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), copper, silver ink, and carbon ink.

19. A method of manufacturing a sensor device, comprising:

depositing a plurality of rows of receiver sensor electrode elements on a top surface of an insulating substrate, each row extending along a first direction;

depositing a plurality of columns of transmitter sensor electrode elements on the top surface, each column extending along a second direction different from the first direction;

depositing a plurality of connecting elements on a bottom surface of the insulating substrate;

interconnecting each jumper to two adjacent sensor electrode elements through vias formed in the insulating substrate; and

depositing a plurality of routing traces on the bottom surface of the insulating substrate, each routing trace coupled to a single electrode element in a column from the plurality of columns and extending along the first direction within an interior region of the insulating substrate in non-overlapping relation to the plurality of rows of receiver sensor electrode elements.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of routing traces and the plurality of connecting elements comprise at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), copper, silver ink, and carbon ink.