Touch input device having interleaved scroll sensors

• US 20070146349A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interlink Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interlink Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Jeffrey, Errico, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,791,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A touch input device includes two or more interleaved scroll sensors. A common area is interposed between two of the scroll sensors. A sense line snakes through the common area. Scrolling pressure applied to a sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the scroll sensors thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line. The scroll sensors are potentiometric and may be linear strip scroll sensors or rotary ring scroll sensors. The interleaved scroll sensors with the common area allow smooth scrolling action from one major leg to another major leg.

Claims

1. A touch input device comprising:

a bottom substrate;

first and second resistors on the bottom substrate;

a first pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the first resistor for applying a voltage across the first resistor;

a second pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the second resistor for applying a voltage across the second resistor;

a plurality of first finger traces on the bottom substrate, the first finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the first resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each first finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the first resistor and the position of the first finger trace across the first resistor;

a plurality of second finger traces on the bottom substrate, the second finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the second resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each second finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the second resistor and the position of the second finger trace across the second resistor;

a top substrate spaced above the bottom substrate, the top substrate having a conductive sense layer; and

a sense line having an electrically contiguous set of sense finger traces on the bottom substrate, the sense finger traces being interdigitated with the first and second finger traces;

whereby pressure applied to either substrate causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense finger traces to at least one of the first and second finger traces thus permitting the position of the applied pressure to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in an interaction zone between the first and second resistors, some of the first finger traces extend towards the interaction zone and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the interaction zone, and some of the second finger traces extend towards the interaction zone and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the interaction zone.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in a first zone away from the interaction zone near the first resistor, some of the first finger traces extend towards the first zone and are interdigitated with the sense fingers located in the first zone.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in a second zone away from the interaction zone near the second resistor, some of the second finger traces extend towards the second zone and are interdigitated with the sense fingers located in the second zone.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom substrate includes a cross-shaped section having a center region and four arms;

wherein the first and second resistors respectively extend at right-angles through a respective pair of the arms, wherein the center region is interposed between the first and second resistors.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in the center region, some of the first finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region, and some of the second finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in the two arms through which the first resistor extends, some of the first finger traces extend towards these arms and are interdigitated with the sense fingers located in these arms;

some of the sense fingers are located in the other two arms through which the second resistor extends, some of the second finger traces extend towards these other arms and are interdigitated with the sense fingers located in these other arms.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein:

pressure applied to either substrate in the center region causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect some of the sense finger traces in the center region to at least some of the first and second finger traces in the center region thus causing both resistors to effect the voltage on the sense line;

wherein the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line and by measuring the effects of the resistors to the voltage on the sense line.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein:

the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be mapped to X and Y coordinates relative to the cross-shaped section using look-up tables.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein:

pressure applied to either substrate in one arm causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect some of the sense finger traces in the one arm to at least one of the finger traces in the one arm thus causing the resistor which extends through the one arm to effect the voltage on the sense line while the other resistor does not effect the voltage on the sense line;

wherein the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line and by measuring the effect of the resistor extending through the one arm to the voltage on the sense line.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein:

each resistor is linear such that the resistance per unit length across the resistor is substantially constant.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom substrate includes dual arc-shaped sections having a center region, wherein the first and second resistors respectively extend at arcs with the center region being interposed between the first and second resistors.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in the center region, some of the first finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region, and some of the second finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein:

pressure applied to either substrate in the center region causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect some of the sense finger traces in the center region to at least some of the first and second finger traces in the center region thus causing both resistors to effect the voltage on the sense line;

wherein the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line and by measuring the effects of the resistors to the voltage on the sense line.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein:

the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be mapped to X and Y coordinates relative to the dual arc-shaped sections using look-up tables.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom substrate includes dual circular-shaped sections, wherein the first and second resistors are circular and are positioned in respective circular-shaped sections with a center region of the dual circular-shaped sections being interposed between the first and second resistors.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein:

some of the sense finger traces are located in the center region, some of the first finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region, and some of the second finger traces extend towards the center region and are interleaved with the sense finger traces in the center region.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein:

pressure applied to either substrate in the center region causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect some of the sense finger traces in the center region to at least some of the first and second finger traces in the center region thus causing both resistors to effect the voltage on the sense line;

wherein the position of the applied pressure is permitted to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line and by measuring the effects of the resistors to the voltage on the sense line.

19. A touch input device comprising:

a first scroll sensor;

a second scroll sensor interleaved with the first scroll sensor such that the scroll sensors share a common area;

a sense line that snakes through the common area;

whereby scrolling pressure applied to a sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the scroll sensors thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein:

the scroll sensors are linear strip scroll sensors.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein:

the scroll sensors are rotary ring scroll sensors.

22. The device of claim 19 wherein:

the sense line further snakes through a first area of the first scroll sensor, whereby scrolling pressure applied to the sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the first scroll sensor while the second scroll sensor is electrically disconnected from the sense line thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein:

the sense line further snakes through a second area of the second scroll sensor, whereby scrolling pressure applied to the sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the second scroll sensor while the first scroll sensor is electrically disconnected from the sense line thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line.