# US 10,871,846 B2 · Sensor panel, input unit, and display unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,846 B2 - Document ID: US10871846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/317,992 - Filed: 2015-04-15 - Published: 2017-04-27 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-20 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Taizo Nishimura; Hiroto Kawaguchi; Hiroshi Mizuno; Shogo Shinkai; Fumihiko Iida; Akira Ebisui; Kei Tsukamoto; Tomoko Katsuhara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871846B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0445: {using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer} - G06F 3/03545: {Pens or stylus} - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F 3/0447: {Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells} - G06F 3/046: by electromagnetic means - G06F 2203/04104: Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger - G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position - G06F 2203/04106: Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A sensor panel includes a sensor section that detects magnetic force of a contacting surface or a region in the vicinity of the contacting surface on a basis of a change in capacitance and is allowed to output a signal depending on the change in capacitance along with information on a position where the change in capacitance has occurred. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor panel, comprising: a sensor section configured to: detect a first magnetic force of one of a contacting surface of the sensor panel or a region in a vicinity of the contacting surface based on a change in a capacitance of the sensor panel; and output a signal and information based on the detected first magnetic force, wherein the signal corresponds to the change in the capacitance, the change in the capacitance is greater than or equal to a threshold, wherein the information comprises a position of the change in the capacitance, the sensor section comprises— a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes; a plurality of insulating layers stacked alternatively between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and a magnetic layer in a plane that faces the contacting surface, a portion of the magnetic layer is displaceable in a thickness direction of the magnetic layer based on a magnitude of the first magnetic force in the sensor section, the plurality of first electrodes is a plurality of first magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, the plurality of second electrodes is a plurality of second magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, each of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes intersects each of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes, and the portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes and the portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes are displaceable based on the magnitude of the first magnetic force in the sensor section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first electrodes extends in a first direction associated with the plane, the plurality of second electrodes extends in a second direction associated with the plane, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and each of the plurality of second electrodes intersects each of the plurality of first electrodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the sensor section further includes a conductive layer and an electrode substrate below the conductive layer, the sensor section is further configured to detect the change in the capacitance between the conductive layer and the electrode substrate, and the electrode substrate includes the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sensor panel according to claim 3, wherein the conductive layer is above the magnetic layer in the sensor section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor panel according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer includes a conductive layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic layer includes a plurality of apertures in one of an entirety of the magnetic layer or a part of a region of the magnetic layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic layer includes one of a magnetized magnetic substance or a soft magnetic substance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the sensor section further includes an electrode substrate and a void between the magnetic layer and the electrode substrate, and the electrode substrate includes the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sensor panel according to claim 8, wherein the sensor section further includes a spacer that holds the void. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the magnetic layer is at a first location in the sensor section, and the first location of the magnetic layer is farther from the contacting surface than each of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sensor panel according to claim 10, wherein the sensor section further includes a first void, an electrode substrate, and a conductive layer in the first void, the first void is between the contacting surface and the electrode substrate, and the electrode substrate includes the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor panel according to claim 11, wherein the contacting surface is flexible, and the conductive layer is deformable based on deformation of the contacting surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The sensor panel according to claim 11, wherein the magnetic layer is conductive. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The sensor panel according to claim 11, wherein the sensor section further includes a spacer and a second void, the second void is different from the first void, and the spacer holds the second void between the conductive layer and the electrode substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The sensor panel according to claim 10, wherein the sensor section further includes an electrode substrate, a void, and a rigid layer in the void, the void is between the contacting surface and the electrode substrate, and the electrode substrate includes the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The sensor panel according to claim 10, wherein the sensor section further includes a magnet layer at a second location in the sensor section, the second location is different from the first location, and the second location of the magnet layer farther from the contacting surface than the magnetic layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The sensor panel according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic layer is at a specific location in the sensor section, and the specific location of the sensor section is closer to the contacting surface than the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The sensor panel according to claim 17, wherein the magnetic layer is conductive. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The sensor panel according to claim 17, wherein the sensor section further includes a void and a rigid layer in the void, and the void is between the contacting surface and the magnetic layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The sensor panel according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section further includes an electrode substrate, the magnetic layer is on a bottom surface side of the electrode substrate, the portion of the magnetic layer is displaceable towards the contacting surface, and a distance between the electrode substrate and the magnetic layer is based on displacement of the portion of the magnetic layer towards the contacting surface. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The sensor panel according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer is displaceable towards the contacting surface; the sensor section further includes a magnet layer at a specific location in the sensor section, the specific location of magnet layer is farther from the contacting surface than the magnetic layer, the magnet layer is configured to: generate a second magnetic force; and return the magnetic layer, which has displaced towards the contacting surface, to an original position of the magnetic layer, and the magnetic layer is returned to the original position of the magnetic layer based on the generated second magnetic force. ### Claim 22 An input unit, comprising: a sensor section configured to: detect a magnetic force of one of a contacting surface of the sensor section or a region in a vicinity of the contacting surface based on a change in a capacitance of the sensor section; and output a signal and information based on the detected magnetic force, wherein the signal corresponds to the change in the capacitance, the information comprises a position of the change in the capacitance, the sensor section comprises: a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes; a plurality of insulating layers stacked alternatively between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and a magnetic layer in a plane that faces the contacting surface, a portion of the magnetic layer is displaceable in a thickness direction of the magnetic layer based on a magnitude of the magnetic force in the sensor section, the plurality of first electrodes is a plurality of first magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, the plurality of second electrodes is a plurality of second magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, each of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes intersects each of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes, and the portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes and the portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes are displaceable based on the magnitude of the magnetic force in the sensor section; a driver configured to: drive the sensor section; determine a touch position on the sensor section, wherein the touch position corresponds to the position of the change in the capacitance, and the change in the capacitance is greater than or equal to a threshold; and generate coordinate data based on the signal, the information, and the determination of the touch position on the sensor section; and a pen configured to generate a magnetic field from a tip of the pen, wherein the magnetic field corresponds to the magnetic force. ### Claim 23 A display unit, comprising: a sensor section configured to: detect a magnetic force of one of a contacting surface of the sensor section or a region in a vicinity of the contacting surface based on a change in a capacitance of the sensor section; and output a signal and information based on the detected magnetic force, wherein the signal corresponds to the change in the capacitance, the information comprises a position of the change in the capacitance, the sensor section comprises: a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes; a plurality of insulating layers stacked alternatively between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; and a magnetic layer in a plane that faces the contacting surface, a portion of the magnetic layer is displaceable in a thickness direction of the magnetic layer based on a magnitude of the magnetic force in the sensor section, the plurality of first electrodes is a plurality of first magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, the plurality of second electrodes is a plurality of second magnetic electrodes that extends in the plane, each of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes intersects each of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes, a portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes is displaceable in a thickness direction of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes, and the portion of the plurality of first magnetic electrodes and the portion of the plurality of second magnetic electrodes are displaceable based on the magnitude of the magnetic force in the sensor section; a display section configured to: change a display based on a change in at least one of a magnetic field or an electrical field; a first driver configured to: drive the sensor section; determine a touch position on the sensor section, wherein the touch position corresponds to the position of the change in the capacitance, and the change in the capacitance is greater than or equal to a threshold; and generate coordinate data based on the signal, the information, and the determination of the touch position on the sensor section; a second driver configured to apply the electrical field to the display section; and a pen configured to generate the magnetic field from a tip of the pen, wherein the magnetic field corresponds to the magnetic force. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The display unit according to claim 23, wherein the display section is configured to change the display based on the change in the magnetic field and the electrical field, and the second driver is further configured to erase the display of the display section based on the electrical field. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The display unit according to claim 23, wherein the display section is configured to change the display based on the change in the electrical field, and the second driver is further configured to append the display based on the coordinate data generated by the first driver.