Single layer capacitive sensor pattern

• US 10,488,994 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Meng, De-Quan, Zhang, Yi-Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Sujit
• Application Number:
  US15/254,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive sensor is provided that includes an array of sensor electrodes deposed in single layer on a substrate. The array includes a number of columns of sensor electrode sets arranged in a row. Each column of the sensor electrode sets includes a plurality of transmitter electrode elements and at least one receiver electrode. The transmitter electrode elements are deposed in a staggered arrangement in a direction of the column, wherein each transmitter electrode element has a trace led out from a first end thereof along the direction of column. The at least one receiver electrode is deposed along the direction of column and is interdigitated with the transmitter electrode elements for capacitively coupling with the transmitter electrode elements. At least part of the transmitter electrode elements has an extension extending from a second end of the transmitter electrode element along a direction opposite the direction of the trace.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor, comprising:

a substrate; and

an array of sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate in single layer, the array of sensor electrodes including a number of columns of sensor electrode sets orderly arranged in a direction of row, wherein each column of the sensor electrode sets comprises;

a plurality of transmitter electrode elements disposed in an orderly staggered arrangement in the direction of a column, wherein a first transmitter electrode element of the plurality of transmitter electrode elements comprises a first trace having a first end and a second end, the first trace extending in the direction of the column, and a plurality of second traces extending from the first trace in the direction of a row, the first transmitter electrode element further having a first extension trace comprising a first portion led out from the first end of the first trace along the direction of the row opposite the second traces, a second portion coupled to the first portion extending along the direction of the column, a third portion coupled to the second portion extending along the direction of the row opposite the second traces, and a fourth portion coupled to the third portion extending along the direction of the column; and

at least one receiver electrode which is disposed meanderingly along the direction of the column and is interdigitated with the transmitter electrode elements for capacitively coupling with the transmitter electrode elements, wherein a first transmitter electrode element has a second extension trace extended from the second end of the first trace comprising a first portion led out from the second end of the first trace along the direction of the row opposite the second traces and a second portion coupled to the first portion extending along the direction of the column opposite the direction of the second portion of the first extension trace, where the first extension trace extends further along the direction of the row opposite the second traces than the second extension trace.

2. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first extension is equal to half of a length of the first transmitter electrode element in the direction of the column.

3. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transmitter electrode elements has the first extension;

and wherein;

the capacitive sensor comprises n columns of sensor electrode sets, each column of sensor electrode sets including m rows of the first transmitter electrode;

wherein the extension of row c of the transmitter electrode element of column i of the sensor electrode sets is located between a part of a receiver electrode corresponding to row (c+1)/(c−

1) of the transmitter electrode element of column i of the sensor electrode sets and row (c+1)/(c−

1) of the transmitter electrode element of column (i+1) or (i−

1) of the sensor electrode sets;

wherein, 2≤

i<

n, n≥

3 2≤

c<

m, m≥

3, and m, n, i and c are integers.

4. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises n columns of the sensor electrode sets, each column of sensor electrode sets including m rows of transmitter electrode elements;

wherein the traces of rows 1 to t of the transmitter electrode element of n columns of the sensor electrode sets are upwards led out from along the direction of the column, and the traces of rows (t+1) to m of the transmitter electrode element of n columns of the sensor electrode sets are downwards led out from along the direction of the column;

wherein t<

(m−

2), m≥

4, n≥

3, and m, n and t are integers; and

wherein at least rows (t−

1) to (t+2) of the transmitter electrode elements of n columns of the sensor electrodes have the first extension.

5. The capacitive sensor according to claim 4, wherein the first extensions, extended from rows (t+1) and (t−

1)/ t and (t−

2) of the transmitter electrode elements of column (i+1) or (i−

1) of the sensor electrode sets respectively, are disposed corresponding to row t/(t+1) of the transmitter electrode elements of column i of the sensor electrode sets;

wherein 2≤

i<

n, wherein i is an integer.

6. The capacitive sensor according to claim 3, wherein the array of sensor electrodes further comprises a border;

wherein a plurality of the traces are disposed in the border, and the first extension of row c of the transmitter electrode elements of the first column of the sensor electrode sets is located between a part of a receiver electrode corresponding to row (c+1) or (c−

1) of the transmitter electrode element of the first column of the sensor electrode sets and the border;

wherein 2≤

c<

m, and c is an integer.

7. The capacitive sensor according to claim 4, wherein the array of sensor electrodes further comprises a border;

wherein a plurality of the traces are disposed in the border, and the first extension of row c of the transmitter electrode elements of the first column of the sensor electrode sets is located between a part of a receiver electrode corresponding to row (c+1) or (c−

1) of the transmitter electrode element of the first column of the sensor electrode sets and the border;

wherein 2≤

c<

m, and c is an integer.

8. The capacitive sensor according to claim 4, wherein the first extension of row f of the transmitter electrode element of column i of the sensor electrode sets is relatively close to row (f+1)/(f−

1) of the transmitter electrode elements of column (i+1) or (i−

1) of the sensor electrode sets;

wherein, (t−

1)≤

f≤

(t+1), and f is an integer.

9. The capacitive sensor according to claim 5, wherein the first extension of row f of the transmitter electrode element of column i of the sensor electrode sets is relatively close to row (f+1)/(f−

1) of the transmitter electrode element of column (i+1) or (i−

1) of the sensor electrode sets;

wherein, (t−

1)≤

f≤

(t+1), and f is an integer.

10. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first extension is an extending line having a width equal to a width of the first trace.

11. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein each transmitter electrode is disposed across a center line in the direction of a column of the sensor electrode sets.

12. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is one element of a displaying panel of a display.