Touch sensor pattern

• US 9,436,339 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Prendergast, Patrick N, Peterson, Jonathan R, Wilson, Cole D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/677,769
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• 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 2203/04111 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

A capacitive sensor array includes a second sensor element intersecting a first sensor element to form an intersection associated with a unit cell. The second sensor element includes, within the unit cell: a first primary trace crossing the unit cell and a second primary trace crossing the unit cell, a first secondary trace connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace, and a first tertiary trace branching away from the first secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace. An area of the first sensor element is greater than an area of the second sensor element within the unit cell.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor array comprising:

a first sensor element; and

a second sensor element intersecting the first sensor element to form an intersection associated with a unit cell, the second sensor element comprising, within the unit cell, a first primary trace crossing the unit cell and second primary trace crossing the unit cell, a first secondary trace connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace, and a first tertiary trace branching away from the first secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace, wherein an area of the first sensor element is greater than an area of the second sensor element within the unit cell.

2. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein the first sensor element comprises a transmit (TX) sensor element and the second sensor element comprises a receive (RX) sensor element.

3. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein the second sensor element further comprises, within the unit cell, a second secondary trace connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace and a second tertiary trace branching away from the second secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace.

4. The capacitive sensor array of claim 3, wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second secondary traces is perpendicular to the first and second primary traces at a junction between the secondary trace and the primary trace.

5. The capacitive sensor array of claim 3, wherein the first tertiary trace is aligned along a same axis as the second tertiary trace.

6. The capacitive sensor array of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first primary trace, the second primary trace, the first secondary trace, the second secondary trace, the first tertiary trace or the second tertiary trace falls within a second unit cell.

7. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein the unit cell further comprises a single bridge coupled to the first sensor element.

8. A capacitive touch-sensing system comprising:

a capacitive sensor array comprising a plurality of intersections between a plurality of first sensor elements and a second sensor element, wherein each of the plurality of intersections is associated with a unit cell, the second sensor element comprising, within each unit cell, a first primary trace crossing the unit cell and second primary trace crossing the unit cell, a first secondary trace connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace, and a first tertiary trace branching away from the first secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace, wherein an area of the first sensor element is greater than an area of the second sensor element within the unit cell; and

a capacitance sensor coupled to the capacitive sensor array, wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to measure a mutual capacitance for each of the plurality of intersections between the plurality of first sensor elements and the second sensor element.

9. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor element comprises a transmit (TX) sensor element and the second sensor element comprises a receive (RX) sensor element.

10. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 8, wherein the second sensor element further comprises, within the unit cell, a second secondary trace connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace and a second tertiary trace branching away from the second secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace.

11. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 10, wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second secondary traces is perpendicular to the first and second primary traces at a junction between the secondary trace and the primary trace.

12. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 10, wherein the first tertiary trace is aligned along a same axis as the second tertiary trace.

13. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first primary trace, the second primary trace, the first secondary trace, the second secondary trace, the first tertiary trace or the second tertiary trace falls within a second unit cell.

14. The capacitive touch-sensing system of claim 8, wherein the unit cell further comprises a single bridge coupled to the first sensor element.

15. A capacitive sensor array comprising:

a first plurality of sensor elements; and

a second sensor element intersecting each of the first plurality of sensor elements to form a plurality of intersections, wherein each of the plurality of intersections is associated with a unit cell, wherein the unit cell designates a set of locations nearest a corresponding intersection, the second sensor element comprising, within the unit cell, a first primary trace crossing the unit cell and second primary trace crossing the unit cell, a first secondary trace and a second secondary trace each connecting the first primary trace and the second primary trace, a first tertiary trace branching away from the first secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace, and a second tertiary trace branching away from the second secondary trace between the first primary trace and the second primary trace, wherein an area of one of the first plurality of sensor elements is greater than an area of the second sensor element within the unit cell.

16. The capacitive sensor array of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of sensor elements comprises transmit (TX) sensor elements and the second sensor element comprises a receive (RX) sensor element.

17. The capacitive sensor array of claim 15, wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second secondary traces is perpendicular to the first and second primary traces at a junction between the secondary trace and the primary trace.

18. The capacitive sensor array of claim 15, wherein the first tertiary trace is aligned along a same axis as the second tertiary trace.

19. The capacitive sensor array of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first primary trace, the second primary trace, the first secondary trace, the second secondary trace, the first tertiary trace or the second tertiary trace falls within a second unit cell.

20. The capacitive sensor array of claim 15, wherein the unit cell further comprises a single bridge coupled to the one of the first plurality of sensor elements.