Capacitive touch keyboard

• US 9,638,731 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touchplus information Corp.
• Original Assignee: Touchplus information Corp.
• Inventors: Hu, Shih Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rajaputra, Suresh K
• Application Number:
  US13/829,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20140097857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/98 having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive touch keyboard includes a shielding layer, a intermediate layer, and a one-dimensional sensor layer where the soft intermediate layer is interposed between the other two to form a capacitor structure. The shielding layer includes a ground plane, and plural first key areas at its outer surface. The one-dimensional sensor layer includes plural sensing cells and plural second key areas where the first key areas correspond to the second key areas, and respective cells are electrically connected to a sensing circuit. Therefore, features of more compact size, simplified structure design, and tactile feel are provided in a capacitive keyboard.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch keyboard, comprising:

a shielding layer comprising a ground plane, wherein the shielding layer further comprises plural first key areas at an outer surface of the shielding layer;

a one-dimensional sensor layer comprising plural sensing cells, wherein the one-dimensional sensor layer further comprises plural second key areas at an outer surface of the one-dimensional sensor layer, and the plural sensing cells correspond to the plural second key areas and the plural first key areas;

an intermediate layer interposed between the ground plane of the shielding layer and the one-dimensional sensor layer so as to form a capacitor structure, wherein the shielding layer, the intermediate layer and the one-dimensional sensor layer are configured to have a clearance between the shielding layer and the one-dimensional sensor layer changeable in response to a pressing operation of a user on the plural first key areas or the plural second key areas; and

a sensing circuit electrically connected to the plural sensing cells to probe a capacitance change.

2. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the shielding layer further comprises a dielectric material covering on the ground plane.

3. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 2, wherein the dielectric material is referred to PMMA, PET film, or rubber.

4. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the ground plane is in form of plate sheet.

5. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the ground plane comprises plural hexagonal ground plane cells and the adjacent ground plane cells are electrically connected with each other.

6. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the plural sensing cells is surrounded by six other sensing cells so as to form a honeycomb pattern altogether.

7. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the ground plane of the shielding layer is made of copper, silver paste, indium tin oxide, ATO, IZO, ZnO or the combination thereof.

8. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the one-dimensional sensor layer is connected to the sensing circuit through an FPC.

9. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit provides a stimulus voltage to the ground plane.

10. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer comprises plural through holes and the first key areas and the second key areas are defined on the outer surface of the shielding layer and the outer surface of the one-dimensional sensor layer, respectively, at positions corresponding to different ends of the plural through holes.

11. A capacitive touch keyboard, comprising:

a shielding layer comprising a grounding conductive structure;

a one-dimensional sensor layer comprising a plurality of sensing cells, and having at least one key area on an outer surface of the one-dimensional sensor layer;

an intermediate layer interposed between the shielding layer and the one-dimensional sensor layer so as to form a plurality of capacitor members, and having a through hole thereon corresponding to the key area, wherein the one-dimensional sensor layer deforms by way of a space of the through hole in response to a pressing operation on the key area, thereby changing a clearance between one of the sensing cells and the grounding conductive structure; and

a sensing circuit electrically connected to the plurality of sensing cells for sensing both an electronic parameter change correlating to the clearance between one of the sensing cells and the grounding conductive structure, and a capacitance change resulting from a finger touch on the one-dimensional sensor layer.

12. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the electronic parameter change is a capacitance change.

13. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the electronic parameter change is a voltage change when the clearance between one of the sensing cells and the grounding conductive structure is substantially zero as one of the sensing cells and the grounding conductive structure contact each other.

14. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the shielding layer further comprises a dielectric material covering on the grounding conductive structure.

15. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 14, wherein the dielectric material is referred to PMMA, PET film, or rubber.

16. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the grounding conductive structure is provided with openings at positions corresponding to the sensing cells.

17. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein each of the plural sensing cells is surrounded by six other sensing cells so as to form a honeycomb pattern altogether.

18. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the grounding conductive structure of the shielding layer is made of copper, silver paste, indium tin oxide, ATO, IZO, ZnO or the combination thereof.

19. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the one-dimensional sensor layer is connected to the sensing circuit through an FPC.

20. The capacitive touch keyboard of claim 11, wherein the sensing circuit provides a stimulus voltage to the grounding conductive structure.