User interface unit, electronic device and manufacturing method

• US 9,916,053 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Suwald, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/970,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345174, 178 1806
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

There is disclosed a user interface unit for an electronic device, said user interface unit comprising a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, wherein the capacitive sensor structure comprises an array of corner sensor elements each comprising a capacitor over its area, and wherein the capacitive sensor structure further comprises a central sensor element located between the corner sensor elements and comprising a capacitor over its area. Furthermore, there is disclosed a corresponding electronic device, as well as a corresponding method of manufacturing a user interface unit for an electronic device.

Claims

1. A user interface unit for an electronic device, the user interface unit comprising:

a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, the capacitive sensor structure includes an array of a plurality of corner sensor elements and a central sensor element located between the plurality of corner sensor elements, each of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element including circuitry and a capacitor over its respective area,

wherein the capacitors of the corner sensor elements extend toward neighboring corner sensor elements of the plurality of corner sensor elements, thereby defining intermediate regions therebetween being covered by respective capacitors of neighboring corner sensor elements, and

each of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element being configured and arranged to generate a signal responsive to an object at a respective area of at least one of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element, wherein an area of each intermediate region covered by the respective capacitors is in a respective fixed ratio, and wherein a portion of the intermediate regions define a central region therebetween, the area of the central region being covered by the capacitor of the central sensor element.

2. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central sensor element has a substantially octagonal shape.

3. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each capacitor has a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is specific to the sensor element comprising the respective capacitor, and wherein the second electrode is a common signal electrode that is common to the plurality of corner sensor elements and the central sensor element.

4. An electronic device comprising a user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, said electronic device further comprising a processing unit for processing sensor signals generated by the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element of the user interface unit and a plurality of signal lines for transmitting said sensor signals from the user interface unit to the processing unit, wherein each one of the capacitors is connected to one of the signal lines, wherein each one of the capacitors is arranged to generate one of the sensor signals and to transmit said one of the sensor signals to the processing unit through said one of the signal lines.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processing unit is arranged to execute a computer program which applies a weighting function to the sensor signals generated by the user interface unit, the weighting function including a weighting factor of 0.5 for intermediate regions as compared to other areas of the corner sensor elements or the central sensor element.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, said electronic device further comprising a wireless communication module and a loop antenna for wireless communication, wherein the wireless communication module comprises an integrated antenna cross-over, said integrated antenna cross-over comprising a first antenna terminal of the wireless communication module being located outside the loop of the antenna and a second antenna terminal of the wireless communication module being located inside the loop of the antenna.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit and the wireless communication module are comprised in a monolithically integrated circuit.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user interface unit and the loop antenna are integrated in a single-layer printed circuit-board.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user interface unit is arranged to identify a touch-based user input interaction within a plurality of different areas formed by predefined position boundaries, and wherein each one of the different areas represents a particular key of a keypad.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, said electronic device further comprising a user feedback indicator for guiding a user through a touch-based user input process.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user interface unit is arranged to receive a touch-based user input which represents a gesture for activating a function of the electronic device.

12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, being a smart card, controller circuitry configured and arranged to control a consumer device, a white good appliance, or a vehicle component.

13. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area of each intermediate region covered by the respective capacitors is in a respective fixed ratio of 50:

50.

14. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central sensor element has a substantially rectangular shape.

15. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object includes at least part of a user.

16. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the object includes a digit of a human hand.

17. A user interface unit for an electronic device, the user interface unit comprising:

a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, the capacitive sensor structure includes an array of a plurality of corner sensor elements and a central sensor element located between the plurality of corner sensor elements, each of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element including circuitry and a capacitor over its respective area;

wherein the capacitors of the corner sensor elements extend toward neighboring corner sensor elements of the plurality of corner sensor elements, thereby defining intermediate regions therebetween being covered by respective capacitors of neighboring corner sensor elements; and

each of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element being configured and arranged to generate a signal responsive to an object at a respective area of at least one of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element, wherein each capacitor has a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is specific to the sensor element comprising the respective capacitor, and wherein the second electrode is a common signal electrode that is common to the plurality of corner sensor elements and the central sensor element, and wherein the intermediate regions are defined by interdigitated first electrodes of the capacitors extending from the neighbouring corner sensor elements.

18. A method of manufacturing a user interface unit for an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing the user interface unit with a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure,

providing the two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure with an array of a plurality of corner sensor elements each comprising circuitry and a capacitor over its area, wherein the capacitors of the corner sensor elements extend toward neighboring corner sensor elements of the plurality of corner sensor elements, thereby defining intermediate regions therebetween being covered by respective capacitors of neighboring corner sensor elements,

providing the two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure with a central sensor element located between the plurality of corner sensor elements and comprising circuitry and a capacitor over its area; and

generating a signal responsive to an object at a respective area of at least one of the corner sensor elements and the central sensor element, wherein an area of each intermediate region covered by the respective capacitors is in a respective fixed ratio, and wherein a portion of the intermediate regions define a central region therebetween, the area of the central region being covered by the capacitor of the central sensor element.