Multiplexer for a TX/RX capacitance sensing panel

• US 9,377,905 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Grivna, Edward, Williams, Timothy, Klein, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Onyekaba, Amy C
• Application Number:
  US13/360,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174
• 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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 multiplexer circuit may include a plurality of P_TOTAL receive (RX) channel outputs and a plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, where Q_TOTAL is greater than P_TOTAL. Each of a first subset and a third subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins may be switchably coupled to at least one of the plurality of RX channels, each of a second subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins is switchably coupled to two of the plurality of RX channels, and for each possible subset of P_TOTAL contiguous pins from the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, each pin in the possible subset may be switchably coupled to a different RX channel output of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

Claims

1. A multiplexer circuit, comprising:

a plurality of P_TOTAL receive (RX) channel outputs coupled with a plurality of mutual capacitance sensing channels, wherein P_TOTAL is a total number of the RX channel outputs;

a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of RX channel outputs; and

a plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, wherein Q_TOTAL is a total number of the pins, each of the plurality of pins is coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sensor electrodes at a first end and a respective one of the plurality of switches at a second end, and Q_TOTAL is greater than P_TOTAL, wherein each of a first subset and a third subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins is switchably coupled to at least a respective one of the plurality of RX channel outputs, and wherein for each possible subset of P_TOTAL contiguous pins from the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, each pin in the respective possible subset is switchably coupled to a respective different RX channel output of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

2. The multiplexer circuit of claim 1, wherein each of a second subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins is switchably coupled to a respective pair of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

3. The multiplexer circuit of claim 2, wherein a variable P identifies a spatial ordinal position of a respective RX channel output of the plurality of RX channel outputs, and wherein a variable Q identifies a spatial ordinal position of a respective pin within one of the first subset, the second subset, and the third subset, and wherein a Q^th pin within the first subset is switchably coupled to an (Q modulo P_TOTAL)^th RX channel output.

4. The multiplexer circuit of claim 3, wherein a Q^th pin within the second subset is switchably coupled to an ((Q_TOTAL−

Q) modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel.

5. The multiplexer circuit of claim 3, wherein a Q^th pin within the third subset is switchably coupled to both of an (Q modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel and an ((Q_TOTAL−

Q) modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel.

6. The multiplexer circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first transmit (TX) signal input, wherein the first TX signal input is switchably connected to each of the pins of the first, second, and third subsets of pins; and

a second TX signal input, wherein the second TX signal input is configured to carry a signal that is complementary to a signal carried by the first TX signal input.

7. The multiplexer circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches are configured to couple any of the plurality of pins with any of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

8. The multiplexer circuit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of group scanning switches configured to connect each of the plurality of P_TOTAL RX channel outputs with each pin of a group of contiguous pins from a plurality of groups of contiguous pins, and wherein each group of contiguous pins includes one or more pins included in another group of contiguous pins.

9. The multiplexer circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second subsets of the plurality of pins each comprises at least two pins.

10. A multiplexer circuit, comprising:

a plurality of P_TOTAL receive (RX) channel outputs, wherein P_TOTAL is a total number of the RX channel outputs;

a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of RX channel outputs; and

a plurality Q_TOTAL of pins, wherein Q_TOTAL is a total number of the pins, each of the plurality of pins is coupled to one of a plurality of sensor electrodes at a first end and one of the plurality of switches at a second end, the plurality of pins includes;

a first subset of pins in a first mapping region, wherein each of the first subset of pins is switchably connected to a respective one of the plurality of RX channel outputs according to a first mapping order; and

a third subset of pins in a third mapping region, wherein each of the third subset of pins is switchably connected to a respective one or more of the plurality of RX channel outputs according to the first mapping order and a second mapping order.

11. The multiplexer circuit of claim 10, wherein the plurality of pins further includes a second subset of pins in a second mapping region, wherein each of the second subset of pins is switchably connected to a respective one of the plurality of RX channel outputs according to the second mapping order, wherein the second mapping order is a reverse of the first mapping order.

12. The multiplexer circuit of claim 11, wherein a variable P identifies a spatial ordinal position of a respective RX channel output of the plurality of RX channel outputs, and wherein a variable Q identifies a spatial ordinal position of a respective pin within one of the first subset, the second subset, and the third subset, and wherein a Q^th pin within the first subset is switchably coupled to an (Q modulo P_TOTAL)^th RX channel output.

13. The multiplexer circuit of claim 12, wherein a Q^th pin within the second subset is switchably coupled to an ((Q_TOTAL−

Q) modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel.

14. The multiplexer circuit of claim 12, wherein a Q^th pin within the third subset is switchably coupled to either of an (Q modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel or an ((Q_TOTAL−

Q) modulo P_TOTAL)^th channel.

15. The multiplexer circuit of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of group scanning switches configured to connect each of the plurality of P_TOTAL channel outputs with each pin of a group of contiguous pins from a plurality of groups of contiguous pins, wherein each group of contiguous pins includes one or more pins included in another group of contiguous pins.

16. A system, comprising:

a mutual capacitance sensor, comprising;

a transmit (TX) signal generator, and

a plurality of P_TOTAL receive (RX) channels, wherein P_TOTAL is a total number of the RX channel outputs;

a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of RX channel outputs and the TX signal generator; and

a plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, wherein Q_TOTAL is a total number of the pins, each of the plurality of pins is coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sensor electrodes at a first end and a respective one of the plurality of switches at a second end, and Q_TOTAL is greater than P_TOTAL, wherein each of the pins is switchably coupled with the TX signal generator, wherein each of a first subset and a third subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins is switchably coupled to at least a respective one of the plurality of RX channel outputs, and wherein for each possible subset of P_TOTAL contiguous pins from the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins, each pin in the respective possible subset is switchably coupled to a respective different RX channel output of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of a second subset of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins is switchably coupled to a respective pair of the plurality of RX channel outputs.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the mutual capacitance sensor is configured to measure a mutual capacitance between a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes coupled with a first pin of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins and a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes coupled with a second pin of the plurality of Q_TOTAL pins.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the mutual capacitance sensor is configured to perform a series of window scans, wherein each window scan of the series of window scans includes a respective plurality of sequential capacitance measurements for a respective set of contiguous sensor elements.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the mutual capacitance sensor is configured to perform a series of group scans, wherein each group scan includes a respective plurality of simultaneous capacitance measurements for a respective set of contiguous sensor elements.