TWO-DIMENSIONAL POSITION SENSOR

• US 20100321043A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sleeman, Peter T., Hristov, Luben, Philipp, Harald, Yilmaz, Esat, Brunet, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/686
• 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

Abstract

A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes (52) and sense electrodes (62, 64, 66) both extending in the x-direction and interleaved in the y-direction. The sense electrodes comprise several groups, two of which co-extend in the x-direction over each different portions of extent in the x-direction. The drive and sense electrodes are additionally arranged to capacitively couple with each other. In use, drive signals are applied to the drive electrodes and then the resultant sense signals received from the sense electrodes measured. The position of a touch or stylus actuation on the sensor is determined in the x- and y-directions as follows. In the x-direction, the position is determined by an interpolation between sense signals obtained from co-extending pairs of sense electrodes, and in the y-direction by interpolation between sense signals obtained from different sequences of drive signals applied to the drive electrodes.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of drive electrodes provided on the substrate;

plurality of sense electrodes provided on the substrate, each of the sense electrodes being capacitively coupled with at least one of the drive electrodes; and

a controller, comprising at least one drive unit and at least one sense unit, the controller configured to apply a drive signal to each of the drive electrodes and to sense signals received from the sense electrode,

wherein the each of the plurality of sense electrodes is formed of at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrodes.

16. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the controller further comprises a processing unit configured to calculate a position of an interaction with the sensor from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying the drive signal to the drive electrode.

17. The sensor of claim 15, wherein each of the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode are separated by a channel.

18. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode each comprise a group of one or more element portions that form a first, second, and third groups of elements.

19. The sensor of claim 18, wherein a portion of the first and second groups of elements co-extend in a first direction over a first area of the substrate and the second and third groups of elements co-extend in the first direction over a second area of the substrate.

20. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the group of sense electrodes which co-extend have complementary tapers over their distance of co-extension to provide ratiometric capacitive signals.

21. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the elements of respective groups of sense electrodes which co-extend have adjacent blocks of varying area over their distance of co-extension to provide ratiometric capacitive signals.

22. The sensor of claim 15, wherein drive and sense electrodes interdigitate.

23. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode is hollow in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate.

24. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the elements of adjacent sense electrodes are complimentary in shape and separated by a channel.

25. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a touch-sensitive sensor disposed within the housing, the touch-sensitive sensor comprising;

a substrate;

a plurality of drive electrodes provided on the substrate;

plurality of sense electrodes provided on the substrate, each of the sense electrodes being capacitively coupled with at least one of the drive electrodes,

wherein the each of the plurality of sense electrodes is formed of at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode; and

a controller, comprising at least one drive unit and at least one sense unit, the controller configured to apply a drive signal to each of the drive electrodes and to sense signals received from the sense electrodes.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the controller further comprises a processing unit configured to calculate a position of an interaction with the sensor from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying the drive signal to the drive electrode.

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein each of the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode are separated by a channel.

28. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode each comprise a group of one or more element portions that form a first, second, and third groups of elements.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein a portion of the first and second groups of elements co-extend in a first direction over a first area of the substrate and the second and third groups of elements co-extend in the first direction over a second area of the substrate.

30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the group of sense electrodes which co-extend have complementary tapers over their distance of co-extension to provide ratiometric capacitive signals.

31. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the elements of respective groups of sense electrodes which co-extend have adjacent blocks of varying area over their distance of co-extension to provide ratiometric capacitive signals.

32. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein drive and sense electrodes interdigitate.

33. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the at least three elements that cooperate to form a respective sense electrode is hollow in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate.

34. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the elements of adjacent sense electrodes are complimentary in shape and separated by a channel.