Circular outline single layer pattern

• US 9,910,531 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Han, Sang Chul, Solven, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US14/733,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20160202826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/0448 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 circular, single-layer sensor electrode pattern for input devices, such as wearable devices, is described. The sensor electrode pattern features transmitter electrodes and receiver electrodes tiled in alternating fashion, such that each receiver electrode is surrounded by transmitter electrodes. The individual sensor electrodes of the described pattern are designed to provide a substantially uniform electrode area size across the sensor. Additionally, the sensor electrode pattern is arranged to be symmetric across both horizontal and vertical axes. The provided characteristics of the sensor electrode pattern leads to a sensor structure having uniform absolute capacitive sensing measurements for all sensor electrodes as well as uniform transcapacitive sensing measurements for all “pixels.”

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor, comprising:

a sensor substrate; and

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on a first side of the sensor substrate, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensor electrodes defining an inner circle within a symmetric circular pattern and further comprising a plurality of second sensor electrodes defining an outer ring within the symmetric circular pattern and disposed radially outward from the inner circle;

wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are configured to sense an input object in a sensing region of the capacitive sensor;

wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are arranged in a tiling configuration in which the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes each have an alternating pattern of first and second types of sensor electrodes; and

wherein each sensor electrode of the plurality of first sensor electrodes and the plurality of second sensor electrodes has a substantially equal surface area.

2. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein the symmetric circular pattern is symmetric along a first axis and along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

3. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes and second sensor electrodes defines two macroscopically straight line edges and one macroscopically curved edge.

4. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes defines a macroscopically convex edge, and each of the second sensor electrodes defines at least one of a macroscopically convex edge and a macroscopically concave edge.

5. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises a touch screen and the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed on a display device.

6. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein the first side of the sensor substrate comprises a top surface of a color filter of a display device.

7. The capacitive sensor of claim 1, wherein within the tiling configuration, at least one electrode of the first type is bordered by at least two other sensor electrodes of the second type, the at least two other sensor electrodes of the second type including at least one of the plurality of first sensor electrodes within the inner circle and at least one of the plurality of second sensor electrodes within the outer ring.

8. The capacitive sensor of claim 7, wherein the at least one electrode of the first type defines a perimeter, wherein the at least two other sensor electrodes of the second type substantially surround the perimeter.

9. The capacitive sensor of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of first sensor electrodes is bordered by at least two other sensor electrodes of the second type.

10. A capacitive sensor device comprising:

a sensor substrate;

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on a first side of the sensor substrate and are arranged in a symmetric circular pattern, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are configured to sense an input object in a sensing region of the capacitive sensor device;

wherein each of the plurality of sensor electrodes has a substantially equal surface area; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to;

perform mutual capacitive sensing by driving a sensing signal on a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes and receiving a resulting signal on a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein each sensor electrode of the first subset shares a border with one or more sensor electrodes of the second subset; and

perform absolute capacitive sensing with the plurality of sensor electrodes.

11. The capacitive sensor device of claim 10, wherein the symmetric circular pattern is symmetric along a first axis and along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

12. The capacitive sensor device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of sensor electrodes defines two macroscopically straight line edges and one macroscopically curved edge.

13. The capacitive sensor device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises:

a plurality of first sensor electrodes defining an inner circle within the symmetric circular pattern; and

a plurality of second sensor electrodes defining an outer ring within the symmetric circular pattern and disposed radially outward from the inner circle.

14. The capacitive sensor device of claim 13, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes defines a macroscopically convex edge, and each of the second sensor electrodes defines at least one of a macroscopically convex edge and a macroscopically concave edge.

15. The capacitive sensor device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first sensor electrodes and the plurality of second sensor electrodes are each arranged in a tiling configuration having alternating sensor electrodes of the first subset and the second subset.

16. The capacitive sensor device of claim 10, wherein the first side of the sensor substrate comprises a top surface of a color filter of a display device.

17. A processing system for a touch screen device, the processing system comprising:

a sensor module communicatively coupled to a plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed on a first side of a sensor substrate and are arranged in a symmetric circular pattern, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are configured to sense an input object in a sensing region of the touch screen device, wherein each of the plurality of sensor electrodes has a substantially equal surface area, wherein the sensor module is configured to;

drive a sensing signal on a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes;

receive a resulting signal on a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes; and

wherein each sensor electrode of the first subset shares a border with one or more sensor electrodes of the second subset.

18. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the symmetric circular pattern is symmetric along a first axis and along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

19. The processing system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of sensor electrodes defines two macroscopically straight line edges and one macroscopically curved edge.

20. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises:

a plurality of first sensor electrodes defining an inner circle within the symmetric circular pattern; and

a plurality of second sensor electrodes defining an outer ring within the symmetric circular pattern disposed radially outward from the inner circle.

21. The processing system of claim 20, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes defines a macroscopically convex edge, and each of the second sensor electrodes defines at least one of a macroscopically convex edge and a macroscopically concave edge.

22. The processing system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of first sensor electrodes and the plurality of second sensor electrodes are each arranged in a tiling configuration having alternating sensor electrodes of the first subset and second subset.