USER INTERFACE UNIT, ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20160170532A1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Suwald, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,916,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

There is disclosed a user interface unit for an electronic device, said user interface unit comprising a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, wherein the capacitive sensor structure comprises an array of corner sensor elements each comprising a capacitor over its area, and wherein the capacitive sensor structure further comprises a central sensor element located between the corner sensor elements and comprising a capacitor over its area. Furthermore, there is disclosed a corresponding electronic device, as well as a corresponding method of manufacturing a user interface unit for an electronic device.

Claims

1. A user interface unit for an electronic device, said user interface unit comprising a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, wherein the capacitive sensor structure comprises an array of corner sensor elements each comprising a capacitor over its area, and wherein the capacitive sensor structure further comprises a central sensor element located between the corner sensor elements and comprising a capacitor over its area.

2. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective capacitors of neighbouring corner sensor elements in each dimension extend towards each other thereby defining at least one intermediate region therebetween, the area of each intermediate region covered by the respective capacitors being in a respective fixed ratio, and wherein the intermediate regions in both dimensions define at least one central region therebetween, the area of each central region being covered by the capacitor of the central sensor element.

3. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central sensor element has a substantially octagonal shape or a substantially rectangular shape.

4. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each capacitor has a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is specific to the sensor element comprising the respective capacitor, and wherein the second electrode is a common signal electrode.

5. A user interface unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one intermediate region is defined by interdigitated first electrodes of the capacitors extending from the neighbouring corner sensor units.

6. An electronic device comprising a user interface unit as claimed in claim 1, said electronic device further comprising a processing unit for processing sensor signals generated by the user interface unit and a plurality of signal lines for transmitting said sensor signals from the user interface unit to the processing unit, wherein each one of the capacitors is connected to one of the signal lines, wherein each one of the capacitors is arranged to generate one of the sensor signals and to transmit said one of the sensor signals to the processing unit through said one of the signal lines.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit is arranged to execute a computer program which applies a weighting function to the sensor signals generated by the user interface unit.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, said electronic device further comprising a wireless communication module and a loop antenna for wireless communication, wherein the wireless communication module comprises an integrated antenna cross-over, said integrated antenna cross-over comprising a first antenna terminal of the wireless communication module being located outside the loop of the antenna and a second antenna terminal of the wireless communication module being located inside the loop of the antenna.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit and the wireless communication module are comprised in a monolithically integrated circuit.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user interface unit and the loop antenna are integrated in a single-layer printed circuit-board.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user interface unit is arranged to identify a touch-based user input interaction within a plurality of different areas formed by predefined position boundaries, and wherein each one of the different areas represents a particular key of a keypad.

12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, said electronic device further comprising a user feedback indicator for guiding a user through a touch-based user input process.

13. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user interface unit is arranged to receive a touch-based user input which represents a gesture for activating a function of the electronic device.

14. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, being a smart card, a controller for controlling a consumer device, a controller for controlling a white good appliance, or a controller for controlling a vehicle component.

15. A method of manufacturing a user interface unit for an electronic device, the method comprising providing the user interface unit with a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, providing the capacitive sensor structure with an array of corner sensor elements each comprising a capacitor over its area, and providing the capacitive sensor structure with a central sensor element located between the corner sensor elements and comprising a capacitor over its area.