Far-field sensing with a display device having an integrated sensing device

• US 9,870,105 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr, Schwartz, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US14/040,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide an input device comprising a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device. The input device includes a plurality of transmitter electrodes, each transmitter electrode comprising one or more common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing, a plurality of near-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in a near-field sensing region, and a plurality of far-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in a far-field sensing region. The input device further includes a processing system coupled to the plurality of transmitter electrodes, the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes. The processing system is configured to determine a near-field capacitive image based on the first resulting signals received from the near-field receiver electrodes and determine a far-field capacitive image based on the second resulting signals received from the far-field receiver electrodes.

Claims

1. An input device comprising a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device, the input device comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrodes, each transmitter electrode comprising one or more common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing;

a plurality of near-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in a near-field sensing region disposed between an input surface of the input device and a far-field sensing region;

a plurality of far-field receiver electrodes configured to perform capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region, wherein a geometric property of a far-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes is different than the geometric property of a near-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes; and

a processing system coupled to the plurality of transmitter electrodes, the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes, the processing system configured to;

drive the plurality of transmitter electrodes for capacitive sensing;

receive first resulting signals with the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of transmitter electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing;

determine a near-field capacitive image based on the first resulting signals;

receive second resulting signals with the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of transmitter electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing; and

determine a far-field capacitive image based on the second resulting signals.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the geometric property is an electrode width, and the electrode width of the far-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes is greater than the electrode width of a near-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are spatially interleaved with the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes are associated with a first pattern, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are associated with a second pattern that is complementary to the first pattern.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to switch from performing capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region to performing capacitive sensing in the near-field sensing region in response to the second resulting signals.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is coupled to the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes via one or more multiplexers.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are disposed on a first substrate of the input device.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes are disposed on a first substrate of the input device, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are disposed on a second substrate of the input device.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes comprise one or more common electrodes, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are disposed between a thin-film transistor substrate of the input device and a color filter glass of the input device.

10. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes comprise one or more common electrodes, and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are disposed between a cover lens of the input device and a color filter glass of the input device.

11. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to simultaneously receive the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals.

12. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to receive the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals in an alternating manner.

13. A processing system for a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device comprising:

a driver module comprising driver circuitry, the driver module coupled to a plurality of common electrodes configured to be driven for display updating and capacitive sensing;

a receiver module coupled to a plurality of near-field receiver electrodes and a plurality of far-field receiver electrodes, wherein a geometric property of a far-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes is different than the geometric property of a near-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, the receiver module configured for;

receiving first resulting signals with the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of common electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes are configured for performing capacitive sensing in a near-field sensing region disposed between an input surface of the capacitive sensing device and a far-field sensing region; and

receiving second resulting signals with the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of common electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are configured for performing capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region; and

a determination module configured for;

determining a near-field capacitive image based on the first resulting signals; and

determining a far-field capacitive image based on the second resulting signals.

14. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the geometric property is an electrode width, and the electrode width of the far-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes is greater than the electrode width of a near-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes.

15. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are spatially interleaved with the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes.

16. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the receiver module is further configured for switching from performing capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region to performing capacitive sensing in the near-field sensing region in response to the second resulting signals.

17. The processing system of claim 13, further comprising one or more multiplexers configured to switch the receiver module between the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes and the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes.

18. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing system is configured to simultaneously receive the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals.

19. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing system is configured to receive the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals in an alternating manner.

20. A method of capacitive sensing with a display device integrated with a capacitive sensing device having a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, and a plurality of far-field receiver electrodes, wherein a geometric property of a far-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes is different than the geometric property of a near-field receiver electrode included in the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes, the method comprising:

driving the plurality of common electrodes for display updating and capacitive sensing;

receiving first resulting signals with the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of common electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of near-field receiver electrodes are configured to perform capacitive sensing in a near-field sensing region disposed between an input surface of the input device and a far-field sensing region;

determining a near-field capacitive image based on the first resulting signals;

receiving second resulting signals with the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes when the plurality of common electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of far-field receiver electrodes are configured to perform capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region; and

determining a far-field capacitive image based on the second resulting signals.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising switching from performing capacitive sensing in the far-field sensing region to performing capacitive sensing in the near-field sensing region in response to the second resulting signals.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals are received simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first resulting signals and the second resulting signals are received in an alternating manner.