Touch sensor with reduced anti-touch effects

• US 9,634,660 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Trend, Matthew, Brunet, Samuel, Guard, David B., Hristov, Luben H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Application Number:
  US13/330,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901, 178 1903, 345169, 345173-178
• 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: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system comprises a touch sensor. The touch sensor comprises an insulating substrate and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate. The plurality of electrodes comprises a drive line having a plurality of drive electrodes and a sense line having a plurality of sense electrodes. At least one of the electrodes comprises a first conductive material having a hole portion substantially free of the first conductive material.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor comprises;

an insulating substrate; and

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate, the plurality of electrodes comprising a drive line having a plurality of drive electrodes and a sense line having a plurality of sense electrodes;

wherein at least one of the plurality of drive electrodes comprises a first spine and at least one of the plurality of sense electrodes comprises a second spine such that the second spine intersects, in plan view, the first spine;

wherein a plurality of branches protruding from the first spine are interleaved with a plurality of branches protruding from the second intersecting spine; and

wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a first conductive material having a hole portion substantially free of the first conductive material, the hole portion comprising a ground area that is part of a device ground node of the touch sensor independent of any coupling caused by an input object, wherein the ground area is conductive and is separated from the boundary of the at least one of the electrodes by a gap.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground area is formed of the first conductive material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground area is formed of a second material distinct from the first conductive material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electrodes comprising the first conductive material is a drive electrode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electrodes comprising the first conductive material is a sense electrode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electrodes comprising the first conductive material has a snowflake pattern.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electrodes comprising the first conductive material has a diamond pattern.

8. A system comprising:

a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor comprises;

an insulating substrate;

a first sense line disposed on the insulating substrate, the sense line comprising a plurality of sense electrodes;

a first drive line disposed on the insulating substrate and arranged in a first plurality of segments, the first drive line comprising a first set of drive electrodes;

a second drive line disposed on the substrate and arranged in a second plurality of segments, the second drive line comprising a second set of drive electrodes; and

a third drive line disposed on the substrate and arranged in a third plurality of segments, the third drive line comprising a third set of drive electrodes;

wherein a first segment of the first plurality of segments is disposed between a first and second segment of the second plurality of segments and a first segment of the third plurality of segments is disposed between the second and a third segment of the second plurality of segments;

wherein the first, second, and third segments of the second plurality of segments are positioned to be grounded when the first segment of the first plurality of segments and the first segment of the third plurality of segments are driven by a drive signal such that when the first segment of the first plurality of segments and the first segment of the third plurality of segments are driven, segments adjacent to the first segment of the first plurality of segments and the first segment of the third plurality of segments are grounded; and

wherein the first drive line with the first plurality of segments and the second drive line with the second plurality of segments are arranged on a single side of the insulating substrate along with the first sense line, the first sense line intersecting in plan view the first plurality of segments of the first drive line, the second plurality of segments of the second drive line, and the third plurality of segments of the third drive line.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first segment of the first plurality of segments is substantially parallel to a second segment of the first plurality of segments.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of segments is less than the second plurality of segments.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sense line is arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel sense line segments.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one the drive electrodes in the first set of drive electrodes comprises conductive material formed in a diamond pattern.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the drive electrodes in the first set of drive electrodes comprises conductive material formed in a snowflake pattern.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one the sense electrodes in the plurality of sense electrodes comprises conductive material formed in a diamond pattern.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one the sense electrodes in the plurality of sense electrodes comprises conductive material formed in a snowflake pattern.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein:

at least one of the drive electrodes in the first set of drive electrodes comprises a conductive material,

the conductive material comprises a hole portion substantially free of the conductive material; and

the hole portion comprises floating material, wherein the floating material is not electrically coupled directly to the at least one of the drive electrodes.

17. A touch sensor comprising:

an insulating substrate;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate, the plurality of electrodes comprising a drive line having a plurality of drive electrodes and a sense line having a plurality of sense electrodes; and

wherein a continuous ground track is disposed between a first drive electrode of the drive line and a second drive electrode of the drive line that is adjacent to the first drive electrode, the continuous ground track is also disposed between the first drive electrode of the drive line and a first sense electrode of the sense line that is adjacent to the first drive electrode, the continuous ground track is also disposed between the second drive electrode of the drive line and the first sense electrode of the sense line that is adjacent to the first drive electrode, and the continuous ground track is also disposed between the first drive electrode of the drive line and a second sense electrode of the sense line that is adjacent to the first drive electrode, wherein the continuous ground track is electrically coupled to a ground node independent of any coupling caused by an input object.