Non-planar touch sensor pad

• US 20070229469A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Seguine, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/605,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

A non-planar touch sensor pad is described.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensing array having a plurality of sensor elements to detect a presence of a conductive object on the touch sensing array, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor elements is non-planar with respect to one or more adjacent sensor elements of the plurality of sensor elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing array comprises a plurality of layers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of layers comprises a flexible substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor elements form a dome-shape.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor elements is fabricated from indium tin oxide.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein groups of the plurality of sensor elements form separate sensor traces and wherein each sensor trace diverges at least twice to have a position on the sensor array in more than one location.

4. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of layers comprises a conductive layer having the plurality of sensor elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of sensor elements has a first polygon shape having five or more sides.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first polygon shape having five or more sides is a hexagon shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements has the hexagon shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of sensor element have the hexagon shape to increase a vertical capacitance of each of the sensor elements to the conductive object while not increasing a fringe capacitance of each of the plurality of sensor elements to each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first polygon shape having five or more sides is a pentagon shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein another one or more of the plurality of sensor elements has a second polygon shape having five or more sides.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first polygon shape having five or more sides is a hexagon shape, and wherein the second polygon shape having five or more sides is a pentagon shape.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the hexagon shaped sensor elements are configured to increase a vertical capacitance of each of the sensor elements to the conductive object while not increasing a fringe capacitance of the plurality of sensor elements to each other.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensing array having a plurality of sensor elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor elements is non-planar with respect to one or more adjacent sensor elements of the plurality of sensor elements; and

means for detecting a presence of a conductive object on the touch sensing array.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for determining a surface coordinate position of the presence of the conductive object on the touch sensing array.

18. A method, comprising:

providing a sensing array having a plurality of sensor elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor elements is non-planar with respect to one or more adjacent sensor elements of the plurality of sensor elements; and

detecting a presence of a conductive object on at least one of the plurality of sensor elements.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor elements has a hexagon shape, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor elements has a pentagon shape.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a surface coordinate position of the presence of the conductive object on the sensing array.