Sensor electrode routing for an integrated device

• US 9,400,583 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Shepelev, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US14/743,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide shield electrodes for shielding one or more conductive routing traces from one or more receiver electrodes in an input device comprising a display device integrated with a sensing device to reduce the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. The shield electrode may be configured to reduce the effect of an input object on the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. In other embodiments, end portions of common electrodes shield the receiver electrodes from the conductive routing traces, thereby reducing the capacitive coupling between the receiver electrodes and the conductive routing traces.

Claims

1. A touch screen device with an integrated capacitive sensing device comprising:

a facesheet;

a display device comprising a plurality of common electrodes configured for updating the display device and for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one common electrode of the plurality of common electrodes;

an insulating layer disposed on a side of the plurality of sensor electrodes facing away from the facesheet; and

a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of conductive routing traces are coupled to a respective one of the plurality of sensor electrodes through a via, at least a first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces passing under at least two sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor electrodes that are not coupled to the first conductive routing trace, and wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the facesheet and the plurality of conductive routing traces.

2. The touch screen device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing system integrated circuit (IC) and wherein the processing system (IC) is coupled to plurality of the sensor electrodes through the plurality of conductive routing traces.

4. The touch screen device of claim 1 further comprising:

an OLED layer, wherein the plurality of conductive routing traces are disposed between the OLED layer and the plurality of sensor electrodes.

5. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace is coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes and is routed beneath a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

6. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace and a second conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace are coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrode.

7. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein the facesheet is a lens for the display device.

3. A touch screen device with an integrated capacitive sensing device comprising:

a facesheet;

a display device comprising a plurality of common electrodes configured for updating the display device and for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one common electrode of the plurality of common electrodes;

an insulating layer disposed on a side of the plurality of sensor electrodes facing away from the facesheet; and

a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of conductive routing traces are coupled to a respective one of the plurality of sensor electrodes through a via, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the facesheet and the plurality of conductive routing traces, and wherein the plurality of conductive routing traces are routed in parallel below the sensor electrodes.

8. An input device comprising:

a facesheet;

a display device comprising a plurality of common electrodes configured for updating the display device and for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one common electrode of the plurality of common electrodes;

an insulating layer disposed on a side of the plurality of sensor electrodes facing away from the facesheet;

a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of conductive routing traces are coupled to one of the plurality of sensor electrodes through a via, at least a first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces passing under at least two sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor electrodes that are not coupled to the first conductive routing trace, and wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the facesheet and the plurality of conductive routing traces; and

a processing system configured to be coupled to the plurality of conductive routing traces and to drive plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing comprises:

driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing.

10. The input device of claim 8, where driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing comprises;

driving a first one of the plurality of sensor electrodes with a transmitter signal for transcapacitive sensing.

11. The input device of claim 8, wherein the processing system comprises:

a first integrated circuit and a second integrated circuit and wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to drive the sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing.

14. The input device of claim 8, wherein the first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace is coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes and is routed beneath a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

15. The input device of claim 8, wherein the first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace and a second conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing trace are coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrode.

16. The input device of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of receiver electrodes.

17. The input device of claim 16, wherein the receiver electrodes are disposed between the facesheet and the plurality of sensor electrodes.

12. An input device comprising:

a facesheet;

a display device comprising a plurality of common electrodes configured for updating the display device and for capacitive sensing;

a plurality of sensor electrodes, each of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising at least one common electrode of the plurality of common electrodes;

an insulating layer disposed on a side of the plurality of sensor electrodes facing away from the facesheet;

a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of conductive routing traces are coupled to one of the plurality of sensor electrodes through a via, and wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between the facesheet and the plurality of conductive routing traces; and

a processing system configured to be coupled to the plurality of conductive routing traces and to drive plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing, and wherein the plurality of conductive routing traces are routed in parallel below the sensor electrodes.

13. The input device of claim 12 further comprising:

an OLED layer, wherein the plurality of conductive routing traces are disposed between the OLED layer and the plurality of sensor electrodes.

18. A processing system for an input device comprising a display device with an integrated capacitive sensing device, the processing system comprising:

a driver module configured to couple to a plurality of sensor electrodes through a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed on an insulator layer, the insulting layer disposed below the sensor electrodes, wherein each sensor electrode comprises at least one common electrode of the display device, the common electrodes configured for updating a display of the display device and capacitive sensing, wherein each conductive routing trace is coupled to a one of the plurality of sensor electrodes through a via, wherein at least a first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces passing under at least two sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor electrodes that are not coupled to the first conductive routing trace, and wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed between a facesheet of the touch screen device and the plurality of conductive routing traces,

wherein the driver module is configured to drive plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing; and

a determination module configured to determine positional information of an input object in a sensing region of the input device based on resulting signals received while driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing.

19. The processing system of claim 18, wherein driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing comprises:

driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing.

20. The processing system of claim 18, where driving the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing comprises:

driving a first one of the plurality of sensor electrodes with a transmitter signal for transcapacitive sensing.