Capacitive sensor array with pattern variation

• US 9,519,391 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, Jonathan R, Wilson, Cole D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US14/663,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.06
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide capacitive sensor arrays. The capacitive sensor arrays include a plurality of column sensor elements arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of row sensor elements arranged in a plurality of rows. The plurality of rows and the plurality of columns are arranged such that each of the row sensor elements is at least partially within a gap between adjacent ones of the column sensor elements. A capacitance between a first portion of one of the columns and an adjacent first portion of one of the rows is greater than a capacitance between a second portion of one of the columns and an adjacent second portion of one of the rows.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor array, comprising:

a plurality of first electrodes, each including at least two first sensor elements connected by at least one first interconnect, wherein each of the plurality of first electrodes is disposed along a first axis; and

a plurality of second electrodes, each including at least two second sensor elements, wherein each of the plurality of second electrodes is disposed along a second axis, and wherein each of the at least two second sensor elements is at least partially disposed within a gap between two adjacent first sensor elements,

wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes only cross one another at intersections of the at least one first interconnect and the at least one second interconnect, and

wherein a distance between the at least two second sensor elements and each of the two adjacent first sensor elements is variable and decreasing from the intersections.

2. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes are substantially coplanar and electrically isolated from one another, and the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis.

3. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1 wherein the distance between the at least two second sensor elements and each of the two adjacent first sensor elements is the largest adjacent to the intersections.

4. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1 wherein the at least one first interconnect is narrower than the at least two first sensor elements and the at least one second interconnect is narrower than the at least two second sensor elements.

5. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1, wherein the at least two first sensor elements and the at least two second sensor elements include a first shape, wherein the first shape is substantially a diamond shape including the at least one first or second interconnect disposed at two of its four corners.

6. The capacitive sensor array of claim 5, wherein at least one side edge of the diamond shape of the at least two first and second sensor elements is concave.

7. The capacitive sensor array of claim 1 is arranged in column and row electrodes, wherein the first plurality of electrodes is the column electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes is the row electrodes.

8. A capacitive sensor array, comprising:

row sensor elements arranged in a set of rows and column sensor elements arranged in a set of columns, wherein the set of rows and columns only intersect one another at at least one intersection which is positioned between the row and the column sensor elements, wherein each of the row sensor elements is located at least partially within a space between two adjacent column sensor elements, and wherein a distance measurement between at least one of the row sensors and its at least one of the two adjacent column sensor elements is varying such that the distance measurement is the largest adjacent to the at least one intersection.

9. The capacitive sensor array of claim 8, wherein each of the row sensor elements and the column sensor elements substantially include a diamond shape comprising four side edges.

10. The capacitive sensor array of claim 9, wherein the distance measurement includes a distance between corresponding side edges of the at least one of the row sensor elements and the at least one of the two adjacent column sensor elements that are closest to one another.

11. The capacitive sensor array of claim 9, wherein at least one side edge of at least one of the row and the column sensor elements includes a concave shape.

12. The capacitive sensor array of claim 9, wherein at least one side edge of at least one of the row and the column sensor elements includes a sawtooth shape.

13. A method, comprising:

providing a sensor array including

a set of column electrodes each including at least two column sensors connected by at least one column interconnect;

a set of row electrodes each including at least two row sensors connected by at least one row interconnect, wherein the set of column electrodes and the set of row electrodes are coupled to one another via mutual capacitance, and cross one another only at intersections of the at least one column and row interconnects;

providing the set of column electrodes and the row electrodes such that each row sensor is located between at least two adjacent column sensors, and vice versa; and

providing, in a first area of the sensor array, a distance between at least one row sensor and its corresponding the at least two adjacent column sensors such that the distance is variable and the largest adjacent to the intersections.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the distance between the at least one row sensor and its corresponding the at least two adjacent column sensors is the largest adjacent to the intersections such that a mutual capacitance is the weakest thereabout.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the row and the column sensors includes substantially a diamond shape comprising four side edges.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing, in a second area of the sensor array, at least one of the side edges of at least one row sensor in a concave shape to reduce the mutual capacitance between the at least one row sensor and its corresponding the at least two adjacent column sensors.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second area is physically close to an interface connecting the sensor array to a capacitance sensor circuit.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing, in a third area of the sensor array, at least one of the side edges of at least one row sensor into a sawtooth shape to increase the mutual capacitance between the at least one row sensor and its corresponding the at least two adjacent column sensors.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the third area is physically adjacent to a perimeter of the sensor array.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of row electrodes and the set of column electrodes are interchangeable.

21. The method claim 13, wherein the first area, the second area and the third area are at least partially overlapping one another.