Capacitive sensing pattern

• US 9,740,348 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoch, David, Badaye, Massoud
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US14/832,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 324658, 324667, 324674
• 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 input device comprises a plurality of receiver electrodes and a plurality of transmitter electrodes. The plurality of receiver sensor electrodes is oriented substantially parallel to a first axis proximate to a sensing region of the capacitive input device. The plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes is oriented substantially parallel to a second axis proximate to the sensing region and configured to be capacitively coupled with the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes. At least one of a receiver sensor electrode of the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes and a transmitter sensor electrode of the plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is perpendicular to the first axis, the multiple crossings occurring proximate to the sensing region.

Claims

1. A capacitive input device comprising:

a plurality of receiver sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a first axis and proximate to a sensing region of said capacitive input device; and

a plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis and proximate to said sensing region, said plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes capacitively coupled with said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes;

wherein at least one sensor electrode selected from a group of sensor electrodes consisting of said plurality of receiver sensor electrodes and said plurality of transmitter sensor electrodes is disposed in a configuration forming multiple crossings with a line that is perpendicular to said first axis, said multiple crossings occurring proximate to said sensing region.

2. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor electrode is u-shaped.

3. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor electrode has a fillable two-dimensional area.

4. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor electrode has a bounded two-dimensional area.

5. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein a receiver sensor electrode of said plurality of receiver electrodes is interleaved with a transmitter sensor electrode of said plurality of transmitter electrodes.

6. The capacitive input device of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor electrode comprises portions of different widths.

7. The capacitive input device of claim 6, wherein said at least one sensor electrode comprises portions of a same width at said multiple crossings with said line that is perpendicular to said first axis.

8. A capacitive touchscreen configured to detect multiple input objects in a sensing region, said capacitive touchscreen comprising:

a display overlapped by said sensing region;

a first plurality of sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a first axis;

a second plurality of sensor electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis; and

sensing circuitry communicatively coupled to said first plurality and said second plurality of sensor electrodes, said sensing circuitry configured to transmit and receive sensing signals using said first plurality and said second plurality of sensor electrodes;

wherein an input object moving across said sensing region along said first axis crosses over a sensor electrode from said second plurality of sensor electrodes multiple times.

9. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein said sensor electrode from said second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a closed two-dimensional area, wherein said input object moving across said sensing region along said first axis crosses over an open area after a first crossing and before a second crossing of said sensor electrode.

10. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein at least one axis selected from the group consisting of said first axis and second axis is angled with respect to said display.

11. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein said sensor electrode from said second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises an open two-dimensional area, wherein said input object moving across said sensing region along said first axis crosses over said open two-dimensional area after a first crossing and before a second crossing of said sensor electrode.

12. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 11, wherein said open two-dimensional area is defined by said sensor electrode having a u-shape.

13. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 11, wherein said open two-dimensional area is further defined by an extension of said sensor electrode from said second plurality of sensor electrodes.

14. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 13, wherein said two-dimensional area is further defined by an extension coupler of said sensor electrode from said second plurality of sensor electrodes.

15. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein said first plurality of sensor electrodes comprises transmitter sensor electrodes and said second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises receiver sensor electrodes.

16. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 15, wherein said sensing circuitry is further configured to simultaneously transmit sensor signals on multiple sensor electrodes of said first plurality of sensor electrodes.

17. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein at least one sensor electrode of said first plurality of sensor electrodes comprises portions of different widths.

18. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8 further comprising at least one guard electrode disposed in a sensing footprint of said sensing region.

19. The capacitive touchscreen of claim 8, wherein a pair of electrodes from said first plurality of sensor electrodes are interleaved.

20. A capacitive touchscreen configured to detect input objects in a sensing region, said capacitive touchscreen comprising:

a display overlapped by said sensing region;

a plurality of transmitter electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a first axis, said plurality of transmitter electrodes having portions diagonally angled with respect to said first axis;

a plurality of receiver electrodes oriented substantially parallel to a second axis, said plurality of receiver electrodes having portions diagonally angled with respect to said second axis, wherein said receiver electrode comprises a sensor electrode portion bounding an area; and

sensing circuitry communicatively coupled to said plurality of transmitter electrodes and said plurality of receiver electrodes, said sensing circuitry configured to operate said plurality of transmitter electrodes and said plurality of said receiver electrodes to detect said input objects in said sensing region.