Position detecting device

• US 9,910,546 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Hara, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US14/627,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/10 the recording element, e.g. stylus, being controlled in accordance with the variable, and the recording medium, e.g. paper roll, being controlled in accordance with time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• 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 3/0448 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The invention allows size reduction of a sensor of a position detecting device of a capacitive system, which detects a position indicated by an indicator. The sensor has plural electrode conductors that are disposed adjacent to each other and are configured to receive a signal from the indicator on a first surface of a substrate having the first surface and a second surface opposed to each other. The position detecting device includes a signal processing circuit including a differential amplifier circuit that calculates a difference between signals from at least two of the plural electrode conductors. Plural connecting lines are formed on the second surface of the substrate. The plural connecting lines each have one end connected to one of the plural electrode conductors disposed on the first surface by a through-hole or a via formed through the substrate, and the other end connected to a line-concentrated part.

Claims

1. A position detecting device of a capacitive system that detects a position indicated by an indicator based on a signal transmitted from the indicator, the position detecting device comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface;

a plurality of first elongated electrode conductors that extend along a first direction and are disposed in parallel to each other, wherein the first elongated electrode conductor is formed of conductor patterns that are disposed on the first surface of the substrate along the first direction and are electrically coupled to each other by first connecting parts, which are disposed on the second surface of the substrate and are coupled to the conductor patterns through vias formed in the substrate;

a plurality of second elongated electrode conductors that extend along a second direction, which intersects the first direction, and are disposed in parallel to each other, wherein the second elongated electrode conductor is formed of conductor patterns that are disposed on the first surface of the substrate along the second direction and are electrically coupled to each other by second connecting parts disposed on the first surface of the substrate;

a plurality of second connecting lines that are led out from the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors through vias formed in the substrate to extend on the second surface of the substrate along a third direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction; and

a signal processing circuit including a differential amplifier circuit which, in operation, calculates and outputs a difference between signals received by at least two elongated electrode conductors selected from the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors, wherein the signal processing circuit, in operation, detects the position indicated by the indicator based on the difference output by the differential amplifier circuit.

2. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the third direction is in parallel to the first direction.

3. The position detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductor patterns forming the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors do not overlap with the conductor patterns forming the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors in a direction orthogonal to the first and second surfaces of the substrate.

4. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors are in parallel to the plurality of second connecting lines.

5. The position detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a tab projecting in the third direction.

6. The position detecting device according to claim 5,

wherein some or all of the plurality of second connecting lines are disposed on the tab.

7. The position detecting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the conductor patterns has a diamond shape.

8. The position detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductor patterns forming the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors are interlaced with the conductor patterns forming the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors in a mesh pattern.

9. The position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first connecting lines that are led out from the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors to extend along the third direction;

wherein the differential amplifier, in operation, calculates and outputs a difference between signals received by at least two elongated electrode conductors selected from the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors and the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors.

10. The position detecting device according to claim 9,

wherein the substrate is formed of a first substrate and a second substrate that are insulated from each other, the first substrate providing the first surface and including a first tab projecting in the third direction, and the second substrate providing the second surface and including a second tab projecting in the third direction,

the plurality of first connecting lines are disposed on the first tab, and

the plurality of second connecting lines are disposed on the second tab.

11. The position detecting device according to claim 9, wherein the signal processing circuit is formed of first and second differential amplifier circuits, wherein the first and second differential amplifier circuits, in operation, calculate a difference between signals from at least two elongated electrode conductors selected from the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors and the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors, respectively.

12. The position detecting device according to claim 9,

wherein the plurality of first connecting lines are disposed on the first surface of the substrate.

13. The position detecting device according to claim 9, wherein the substrate includes a tab projecting in the third direction and including first and second portions, and the plurality of first connecting lines are disposed on the first portion of the tab and the plurality of second connecting lines are disposed on the second portion of the tab.

14. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

15. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein two or more of the second connecting lines are disposed in parallel to each other within a width of the conductor pattern along the second direction.

16. A position detecting device of a capacitive system that detects a position indicated by an indicator based on a signal transmitted from the indicator, the position detecting device comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface;

a plurality of first elongated electrode conductors that extend along a first direction and are disposed in parallel to each other, wherein the first elongated electrode conductor is formed of conductor patterns that are disposed on the first surface of the substrate along the first direction and are electrically coupled to each other by first connecting parts, which are disposed on the second surface of the substrate and are coupled to the conductor patterns through vias formed in the substrate;

a plurality of second elongated electrode conductors that extend along a second direction, which intersects the first direction, and are disposed in parallel to each other, wherein the second elongated electrode conductor is formed of conductor patterns that are disposed on the first surface of the substrate along the second direction and are electrically coupled to each other by second connecting parts disposed on the first surface of the substrate;

a plurality of second connecting lines that are led out from the plurality of second elongated electrode conductors through vias formed in the substrate to extend on the second surface of the substrate along a third direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction; and

a signal processing circuit configured to detect the position indicated by the indicator based on signals provided by the plurality of second connecting lines.

17. The position detecting device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of first connecting lines that are led out from the plurality of first elongated electrode conductors to extend along the third direction.

18. The position detecting device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of first connecting lines are disposed on the first surface of the substrate.