Matrix sensor with via routing

• US 9,939,972 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shepelev, Petr, Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Hinterberger, David, Mackin, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Sanjiv D
• Application Number:
  US14/788,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

Disclosed herein include an input device, processing system and methods for touch sensing. In one embodiment, an input device is provided that includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a sensor pattern and a plurality of conductive routing traces. Each conductive routing trace is conductively paired with a respective one of the plurality of sensing elements. The sensor routing traces are configured to reduce an RC load of the corresponding paired sensing elements compared to a base RC load of a plurality of base electrodes arranged in a base pattern that is identical to the sensor pattern. Each base sensor electrode is conductively paired with a base routing trace. The base sensor electrode and paired base routing trace have a size that is identical to a size of the paired sensing elements and conductive routing trace. The base routing trace terminates at the base sensor electrode to which the base routing trace is paired.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a sensor pattern, the plurality of sensing elements including a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode; and

a plurality of conductive routing traces disposed below the plurality of sensing elements, each of the conductive routing traces conductively paired with a respective sensor electrode of the plurality of sensing elements and configured to communicatively couple the respective sensor electrode to driver circuitry of a processing system, wherein the first sensor electrode is conductively paired with at least two of the conductive routing traces and wherein the second sensor electrode is conductively paired with fewer or more conductive routing traces than the first sensor electrode.

2. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of vias coupling each of the at least two conductive routing traces to the first sensor electrode.

3. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a via coupling a first conductive routing trace of the at least two conductive routing traces to the first sensor electrode, the first conductive routing trace extending to an uncoupled end, wherein a region of the first conductive routing trace extending between the via and the uncoupled end is disposed below the second sensor electrode.

4. The input device of claim 3, wherein the first sensor electrode is the only sensing element of the sensing elements conductively coupled to the first conductive routing trace.

5. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first via coupling a first conductive routing trace of the at least two conductive routing traces to the first sensor electrode, the first conductive routing trace extending to an uncoupled end; and

a conductive line linearly aligned with the first conductive routing trace, the conductive line not coupled to the first sensor electrode and disposed below the second sensor electrode.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein a number of conductive routing traces conductively paired with the second sensor electrode is based at least in part on a distance between the processing system and the second sensor electrode.

7. The input device of claim 6, wherein the conductive routing traces conductively paired with the first sensor electrode do not extend below the second sensor electrode.

8. The input device of claim 6, wherein the conductive routing traces conductively paired with the first sensor electrode extend below the second sensor electrode.

9. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a conductive line aligned with the at least two conductive routing traces conductively paired with the first sensor electrode and disposed below the second sensor electrode, the conductive line coupled to the second sensor electrode but not the first sensor electrode.

10. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first via coupling a first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces to the first sensor electrode; and

a second via coupling a second conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces to the second sensor electrode, the second conductive routing trace extending below the first sensor electrode.

11. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first via coupling a first conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces to the first sensor electrode; and

a second via coupling a second conductive routing trace of the plurality of conductive routing traces to the second sensor electrode, wherein the second conductive routing trace is wider than the first conductive routing trace.

12. The input device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor electrode is located closer to the processing system than the first sensor electrode, and wherein the second sensor electrode is conductively paired with fewer conductive routing traces than the first sensor electrode.

13. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a matrix array adapted to detect presence of an input device in a sensing area associated with the matrix array; and

a plurality of conductive routing traces conductively paired with the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to communicatively couple the sensor electrodes to driver circuitry of a processing system, wherein each of the sensor electrodes is coupled to a number of the conductive routing traces based at least in part on a distance of the sensor electrode from the processing system, and wherein a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes is conductively paired with more conductive routing traces than a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

14. The input device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor electrodes is conductively paired with two or more of the conductive routing traces.

15. The input device of claim 13, wherein a conductive routing trace coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes is wider than a conductive routing trace coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes.

16. The input device of claim 13, wherein conductive routing traces coupled to the first sensor electrode do not extend below the second sensor electrode.

17. The input device of claim 13, wherein conductive routing traces coupled to the first sensor electrode extend below the second sensor electrode.

18. The input device of claim 13, further comprising:

a conductive line aligned with at least two conductive routing traces coupled to the first sensor electrode and disposed below the second sensor electrode, the conductive line coupled to the second sensor electrode but not the first sensor electrode.

19. The input device of claim 13, wherein the second sensor electrode is located closer to the processing system than the first sensor electrode.