Sensor patterns with reduced noise coupling

• US 9,632,629 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Prendergast, Patrick Norman, Rouse, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pretlow, Demetrius
• Application Number:
  US13/248,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 324658-686, 345173-174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing 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 sense array configured to improve noise immunity in detecting a presence of a conductive object is described. In one embodiment, a capacitive sense array includes at least a first set of sense elements disposed in straight parallel lines along a first axis of the capacitive sense array. A second set of sense elements is disposed in crooked paths about a second axis of the capacitive sense array. The first and second sets form a capacitive sense array that includes crooked sense paths in at least one of the axes of the sense array.

Claims

1. A capacitive sense array, comprising:

a first set of sense elements disposed in straight parallel paths along a first axis of the capacitive sense array; and

a second set of sense elements disposed in crooked paths along a second axis of the capacitive sense array and arranged in columns along the second axis, the second set of sense elements comprising a plurality of subsets, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets is disposed in a distinct one of the crooked paths, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets is connected to a distinct one of a plurality of conductive traces of the capacitive sense array, wherein within each subset of the plurality of subsets, each sense element of the subset is connected to the same distinct one of the plurality of conductive traces, wherein for each subset of the plurality of subsets, a plurality of sense elements of the subset is aligned in different columns, and wherein a column of the columns includes sense elements from two or more subsets of the plurality of subsets;

wherein the capacitive sense array is coupled to a processing device configured to measure capacitances associated with the first set of sense elements and the second set of sense elements.

2. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the crooked paths are disposed in straight lines at an oblique angle relative to the straight parallel paths along the first axis.

3. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the first set of sense elements are straight rows of the capacitive sense array and the second set of sense elements are crooked columns of the capacitive sense array.

4. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the first set of sense elements are transmit electrodes of the capacitive sense array and the second set of sense elements are receive electrodes of the capacitive sense array.

5. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the crooked paths are disposed to not be parallel to LCD or AMOLED control signal carrying lines that are disposed in straight parallel lines along the second axis.

6. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the crooked paths form a repeating wavy pattern.

7. The capacitive sense array of claim 6, wherein the crooked paths form a repeating semicircular wavy pattern.

8. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the crooked paths form a concentric radial pattern.

9. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein each of the second set of sense elements has a shape of at least one of a single-solid diamond (SSD), a dual-solid diamond (DSD), a set of horizontal and vertical bars, a totem pole, an interdigitated comb, a spiral, or a double arrow.

10. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein the crooked paths may repeat and the crooked paths may have some of the second set of sense elements in the same column, but not as consecutive sense elements in the same column.

11. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, wherein a density of the first set of sense elements and the second set of sense elements is about one sense element per finger touch area.

12. The capacitive sense array of claim 1, coupled to the processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to detect a conductive object proximate to the capacitive sense array, the processing device is configured to use the first set of sense elements as one of Tx electrodes and Rx electrodes and the second set of sense elements as the other one of the Tx electrodes and the Rx electrodes.

13. An electronic system comprising:

a processing device; and

a capacitive sense array including a first axis and a second axis, wherein the capacitive sense array comprises a first set of sense elements disposed in crooked paths along one of the first axis and second axis, wherein the processing device is configured to detect a conductive object proximate to the capacitive sense array, wherein the first set of sense elements comprises a plurality of subsets, each of which is disposed in a distinct one of the crooked paths, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets is connected to a distinct one of a plurality of conductive traces of the capacitive sense array, wherein a plurality of sense elements of each of the subsets of the first set of sense elements are aligned in different columns, wherein alignment of the columns is in relation to the other one of the first axis and the second axis, wherein the first set of sense elements are crooked columns of the capacitive sense array, wherein each of the crooked columns comprises a respective subset of the plurality of subsets, each respective subset of the plurality of subsets being connected to a respective sensing channel coupled to the processing device, and wherein consecutive sense elements within a respective subset of the plurality of subsets are disposed in different columns of the capacitive sense array to form the crooked columns.

14. The electronic system of claim 13, wherein the capacitive sense array comprises a second set of sense elements disposed in straight parallel lines along the other one of the first axis or second axis.

15. The electronic system of claim 14, wherein the second set of sense elements are straight rows of the capacitive sense array.

16. The electronic system of claim 15, wherein each of the subsets comprises a group of segmented diamond shaped elements.

17. The electronic system of claim 15, wherein the crooked paths are disposed in straight lines at an oblique angle relative to the straight parallel lines along the other one of the first axis or second axis.