Sensor device, input device, and electronic apparatus

• US 9,785,297 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Hiroto, Shinkai, Shogo, Tsukamoto, Kei, Katsuhara, Tomoko, Hasegawa, Hayato, Iida, Fumihiko, Tanaka, Takayuki, Suzuki, Tomoaki, Nishimura, Taizo, Mizuno, Hiroshi, Abe, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Regn, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/763,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20150363023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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: 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: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

The sensor device includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, an electrode substrate, a first support, and a second support. The first conductive layer is formed to be deformable sheet-shaped. The second conductive layer is disposed to be opposed to the first conductive layer. The electrode substrate includes multiple first electrode wires and multiple second electrode wires and is disposed to be deformable between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the multiple second electrode wires being disposed to be opposed to the multiple first electrode wires and intersecting with the multiple first electrode wires. The first support includes multiple first structures, the multiple first structures connecting the first conductive layer and the electrode substrate. The second support includes multiple second structures, the multiple second structures connecting the second conductive layer and the electrode substrate.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising:

a deformable sheet-shaped first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer that is disposed to be opposed to the first conductive layer;

an electrode substrate that includes multiple first electrode wires and multiple second electrode wires and is disposed to be deformable between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the multiple second electrode wires being disposed to be opposed to the multiple first electrode wires and intersecting with the multiple first electrode wires;

a first support that includes multiple first structures, the multiple first structures connecting the first conductive layer and the electrode substrate; and

a second support that includes multiple second structures, the multiple second structures connecting the second conductive layer and the electrode substrate,

wherein the electrode substrate is configured to be capable of electrostatically detecting a change in distance from each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the electrode substrate further includes multiple detection portions, each of the multiple detection portions being formed in each of intersection regions of the multiple first electrode wires and the multiple second electrode wires and having a capacitance variable in accordance with a relative distance from each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein

the multiple detection portions are formed to be opposed to the multiple first structures.

4. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein

the multiple detection portions are formed to be opposed to the multiple second structures.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the first support includes a first frame, the first frame connecting the first conductive layer and the electrode substrate and being disposed along a circumferential edge of the electrode substrate, and

the second support includes a second frame, the second frame connecting the second conductive layer and the electrode substrate and being disposed to be opposed to the first frame.

6. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the second conductive layer includes a step portion.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the first support further includes a first space portion, the first space portion being formed between the multiple first structures.

8. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the second support further includes a second space portion, the second space portion being formed between the multiple second structures.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the multiple first electrode wires includes multiple first unit electrode bodies, the multiple first unit electrode bodies each including multiple first sub-electrodes,

each of the multiple second electrode wires includes multiple second unit electrode bodies, the multiple second unit electrode bodies each including multiple second sub-electrodes and being opposed to the multiple first unit electrode bodies, and

the electrode substrate includes

a base material, the multiple first electrode wires and the multiple second electrode wires being disposed on the base material, and

multiple detection portions in which the multiple first sub-electrodes of each of the first unit electrode bodies and the multiple second sub-electrodes of each of the second unit electrode bodies are opposed to each other in an in-plane direction of the electrode substrate.

10. A sensor device, comprising:

a deformable sheet-shaped first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer that is disposed to be opposed to the first conductive layer;

an electrode substrate that includes multiple first electrode wires and multiple second electrode wires, the multiple second electrode wires being disposed to be opposed to the multiple first electrode wires and intersecting with the multiple first electrode wires, the electrode substrate being disposed to be deformable between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and being capable of electrostatically detecting a change in distance from each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer;

a first support that includes multiple first structures and a first space portion, the multiple first structures connecting the first conductive layer and the electrode substrate, the first space portion being formed between the multiple first structures; and

a second support that includes multiple second structures and a second space portion, the multiple second structures being each disposed between the first structures adjacent to each other and connecting the second conductive layer and the electrode substrate, the second space portion being formed between the multiple second structures.