Interleaved electrodes for touch sensing

• US 7,864,160 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hagermoser, Edward S., Badaye, Massoud S., Geaghan, Bernard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moorad; Waseem
• Application Number:
  US11/243,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

A capacitive touch sensing system includes a touch surface and sets of substantially parallel electrodes arranged in relation to the touch surface. Each electrode set includes a primary electrode electrically connected to at least two sub-electrodes. The primary electrode is capable of producing greater capacitive coupling to a touch in proximity with the touch surface in relation to capacitive coupling of the at least two sub-electrodes. The sub-electrodes of the electrode sets are arranged in an interleaved pattern configured to increase an effective area of capacitive coupling associated with each electrode set.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensing system, comprising:

a touch surface; and

sets of substantially parallel electrodes arranged in relation to the touch surface, each electrode set comprising a primary electrode capable of producing greater capacitive coupling to a touch in proximity with the touch surface in relation to capacitive coupling of at least two sub-electrodes electrically connected to the primary electrode by way of interconnects, and disposed on either side of the primary electrode, the sub-electrodes of the electrode sets arranged in an interleaved pattern configured to increase an effective area of capacitive coupling associated with each electrode set.

2. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern is configured to shape touch response profiles respectively associated with the electrode sets, each touch response profile representative of a relationship between touch signal amplitude and touch position relative to a particular electrode set.

3. The touch sensing system of claim 2, wherein the interleaved pattern is configured to modify a slope of each touch response profile.

4. The touch sensing system of claim 2, wherein widths of the primary electrode and the at least two sub-electrodes of each electrode set are configured to shape the touch response profiles of the electrode sets.

5. The touch sensing system of claim 2, wherein a spacing between the primary electrode and the at least two sub-electrodes of each electrode set is configured to shape the touch response profiles of the electrode sets.

6. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern is configured to increase a region of linearity of the touch response profiles respectively associated with the electrode sets, each touch response profile representing a relationship between touch signal amplitude and touch position relative to a particular electrode set.

7. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern is configured to facilitate interpolation among touch signals sensed using the adjacent electrode sets to facilitate touch location determination.

8. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern is configured to smooth a touch signal transition as the touch is moved from one electrode set to another electrode set.

9. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein each electrode set comprises the primary electrode electrically connected to the at least two sub-electrodes at both ends of the primary electrode.

10. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein each electrode set comprises the primary electrode electrically connected to the at least two sub-electrodes at one end of the primary electrode.

11. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interconnects are comprised of the same material as either any primary electrode or any sub-electrode.

12. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the electrode sets are arranged on a single layer.

13. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the electrode sets are arranged on first and second layers, a longitudinal axis of the electrode sets of the first layer arranged at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the electrode sets of the second layer.

14. The touch sensing system of claim 13, wherein the longitudinal axis of the electrode sets of the first layer is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the electrode sets of the second layer.

15. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern comprises a single level of interleaving.

16. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern comprises multiple levels of interleaving.

17. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern comprises a repetitive pattern.

18. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interleaved pattern comprises at least one sub-electrode near one edge of the touch surface that is electrically connected with a corresponding primary electrode near an opposite edge of the touch surface.

19. The touch sensing system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to measure signals sensed using the electrode sets; and

a touch processor coupled to the circuitry and configured to determine a location of the touch in proximity with the touch surface based on the measured signals.

20. The touch sensing system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is disposed within a touch stylus.

21. The touch sensing system of claim 1, wherein the touch surface and the sets of electrodes and associated interconnects arranged in relation to the touch surface form a transparent touch screen.

22. The touch sensing system of claim 21, further comprising a display viewable through the transparent touch screen.