Single-layer touchpad having touch zones

• US 7,423,635 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Brian, Taylor, David, Layton, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/213,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178 1803- 1805
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A single-layer touchpad comprised of a relatively clear substrate, a first active electrode disposed thereon, and a sense electrode disposed thereon, wherein the first active electrode and the sense electrode are comprised of a conductive material, wherein the first active electrode in combination with the sense electrode are used to detect the presence of a pointing object in a zone, determining in which zone the pointing object has been detected, or the simultaneous presence of multiple pointing objects in multiple zones, and wherein the first active electrode and/or the sense electrode are made sufficiently visible so that a pattern is visually detectable to the user when looking at the display screen.

Claims

1. A single-layer touchpad for providing input to a device, said single-layer touchpad comprised of:

a transparent substrate;

a first active electrode disposed on the transparent substrate in at least two discrete regions of a touch-sensitive area, wherein the first active electrode is generally transparent;

a sense electrode disposed on a same side of the transparent substrate and adjacent to the first active electrode in the at least two discrete regions, wherein the sense electrode is generally transparent, and wherein the sense electrode does not overlap the first active electrode; and

a touchpad sensing circuit coupled to the first active electrode and to the sense electrode to thereby provide at least some touchpad functionality to the device.

2. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 1 wherein the first active electrode includes material that makes the first active electrode visible.

3. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 2 wherein the first active electrode is formed in a desired pattern or shape such that the desired pattern or shape is visible.

4. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 1 wherein the sense electrode includes material that makes the sense electrode visible.

5. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 4 wherein the sense electrode is formed in a desired pattern or shape such that the desired pattern or shape is visible.

6. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 1 wherein the single-layer touchpad is further comprised of a grounding electrode, wherein the grounding electrode shields the first active electrode and the sense electrode from interference.

7. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 1 wherein the touchpad sensing circuit is capable of providing limited touchpad functionality.

8. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 7 wherein the touchpad sensing circuit is only capable of providing touch detection in the at least two discrete regions.

9. The single-layer touchpad as defined in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a display screen, wherein the single-layer touchpad is at least partially disposed over the display screen, wherein the display screen is visible through the transparent substrate.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of providing limited touchpad functionality to the single-layer touchpad, wherein the single-layer touchpad is only capable of detecting an object touching one of the at least two discrete regions.

11. A method for providing a single-layer touchpad in an electronic appliance in order to provide limited touchpad functionality, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a transparent substrate;

(2) disposing a first active electrode on the transparent substrate in at least two discrete regions of a touch-sensitive area, wherein the first active electrode is generally transparent;

(3) disposing a sense electrode on a same side of the transparent substrate and adjacent to the first active electrode in the at least two discrete regions, wherein the sense electrode is generally transparent, and wherein the sense electrode does not overlap the first active electrode;

(4) coupling a touchpad sensing circuit to the first active electrode and to the sense electrode; and

(5) determining in which of the least two discrete regions a user makes contact with the touch-sensitive area to thereby provide limited touchpad functionality to the electronic appliance.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the step of making the first active electrode visible to a user by modifying material used for the first active electrode.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein the method further comprises the step of forming the first active electrode in a desired shape or pattern to thereby enable a user to see the desired shape or pattern when using the single-layer touchpad.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the method further comprises the step of modifying the first active electrode by selecting a method of modifying the first electrode from the methods of increasing width, increasing thickness, or adding a material to darken the first active electrode.

15. The method as described in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the step of making the sense electrode visible to a user by modifying material used for the sense electrode.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises the step of forming the sense electrode in a desired shape or pattern to thereby enable a user to see the desired shape or pattern when using the single-layer touchpad.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein the method further comprises the step of modifying the sense electrode by selecting a method of modifying the sense electrode from the methods of increasing width, increasing thickness, or adding a material to darken the sense electrode.

18. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the step of providing a grounding electrode to thereby shield the first active electrode and the sense electrode from interference.

19. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

(1) providing a display screen on the electronic appliance; and

(2) disposing the single-layer touchpad at least partially over the display screen, wherein the display screen is visible through the transparent substrate.

20. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the step of forming the first active electrode as a particular logo or brand name to thereby utilize the single-layer touchpad to advertise the particular logo or brand name.