# US 11,029,779 B2 · Capacitive sensor and input device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,779 B2 - Document ID: US11029779B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/534,271 - Filed: 2019-08-07 - Published: 2019-11-28 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-16 - Assignees: Capital One Services, LLC - Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomoki Yamada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029779B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/04164: {Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)} - G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes} - G06F 3/0448: {Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality} - H03K 17/955: using a capacitive detector - 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 - H03K 2017/9602: {characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes} - H03K 2017/9604: {characterised by the number of electrodes} - H03K 2217/960755: Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract Three or more detection electrodes intersect in each of sections that divide a region to which an object is approachable. The detection electrodes each include partial electrodes connected in cascade via wiring, and partial electrodes included in the detection electrodes that intersect in each section are disposed in the section. Three or more partial electrodes disposed in the section includes a single first partial electrode and at least two second partial electrodes. The first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side through a first-layer or second-layer wiring and to the partial electrode on the other side through the second-layer wiring. Each second partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode in one side through the first-layer wiring and to the partial electrode on the other side through the second-layer wiring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capacitive sensor for detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance caused by a change in position of an object in each of a plurality of sections that divide a region to which the object is approachable, comprising: a plurality of detection electrodes each including a plurality of partial electrodes connected in cascade via wiring; a first layer in which the partial electrodes and the wiring are disposed; and a second layer in which the wiring is disposed, wherein each of the plurality of detection electrodes belongs to any one of three or more detection electrode groups, the detection electrodes that belong to a same one of the detection electrode groups among the plurality of detection electrodes do not intersect one another, the detection electrodes that belong to different ones of the detection electrode groups among the plurality of detection electrodes intersect one another while being in the first layer and the second layer, respectively, three or more partial electrodes included in three or more different ones of the detection electrodes belonging to different ones of the detection electrode groups are located in each of the plurality of sections, the three or more detection electrodes belonging to the different ones of the detection electrode groups intersect one another in an inner one of the sections surrounded by other sections, the three or more partial electrodes located in the inner section include a single first partial electrode and at least two second partial electrodes, the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer or the second layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer, and each of the second partial electrodes is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the second layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the three or more partial electrodes located in the inner section include a single third partial electrode; and the third partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the first layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of the partial electrodes located in a same one of the sections have shapes that are rotationally symmetric with each other about a central point of the section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The capacitive sensor according to claim 5, wherein at least one pair of the partial electrodes located in a same one of the sections have shapes that are two-fold symmetric with each other about a central point of the section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An input device for inputting information according to a change in electrostatic capacitance caused by a change in position of an object in each of a plurality of sections that divide a region to which the object is approachable, comprising: the capacitive sensor according to claim 1; an electrostatic capacitance detection unit; and an element data configuring unit. ### Claim 8 A capacitive sensor for detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance caused by a change in position of an object in each of a plurality of sections that divide a region to which the object is approachable, comprising: a plurality of detection electrodes each including a plurality of partial electrodes connected in cascade via wiring; a first layer in which the partial electrodes and the wiring are disposed; and a second layer in which the wiring is disposed, wherein each of the plurality of detection electrodes belongs to any one of three or more detection electrode groups, the detection electrodes that belong to a same one of the detection electrode groups among the plurality of detection electrodes do not intersect one another, the detection electrodes that belong to different ones of the detection electrode groups among the plurality of detection electrodes intersect one another while being in the first layer and the second layer, respectively, three or more partial electrodes included in three or more different ones of the detection electrodes belonging to different ones of the detection electrode groups are located in each of the plurality of sections, the three or more detection electrodes belonging to the different ones of the detection electrode groups intersect one another in an inner one of the sections surrounded by other sections, the three or more partial electrodes located in the inner section include a single first partial electrode and at least two second partial electrodes, the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer or the second layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer, each of the second partial electrodes is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer, and wherein the capacitive sensor includes N detection electrodes as the plurality of detection electrodes; the electrostatic capacitance detection unit generates, for each of the N detection electrodes, detection data corresponding to first electrostatic capacitance between the object and the detection electrode; the element data configuring unit configures M pieces of element data indicative of degrees of proximity of the object in the respective M sections on a basis of the N pieces of detection data, M being a natural number larger than N; each of the M pieces of element data is a sum of partial element data distributed to the respective N pieces of detection data at predetermined proportions; each of the N pieces of detection data is approximate to a sum of the partial element data distributed from the M pieces of element data at the predetermined proportions; each of the partial element data is approximate to second electrostatic capacitance between one of the partial electrodes and the object in one of the sections; each of the element data is approximate to third electrostatic capacitance obtained by summing up all second electrostatic capacitances in one of the sections; the element data configuring unit repeats data configuring processing for calculating assumed values of the N pieces of detection data as sums of the partial element data distributed from assumed values of the M pieces of element data at the predetermined proportions and modifying the assumed values of the M pieces of element data on a basis of the N predetermined proportions set for each of the M pieces of element data so that the calculated assumed values of the N pieces of detection data approach the N pieces of detection data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The capacitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The capacitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the first partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the second layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the second layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The capacitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the three or more partial electrodes located in the inner section include a single third partial electrode; and the third partial electrode is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on one side via the wiring passing through the first layer and is connected in cascade to the partial electrode on the other side via the wiring passing through the first layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The capacitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein at least one pair of the partial electrodes located in a same one of the sections have shapes that are rotationally symmetric with each other about a central point of the section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The capacitive sensor according to claim 12, wherein at least one pair of the partial electrodes located in a same one of the sections have shapes that are two-fold symmetric with each other about a central point of the section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) An input device for inputting information according to a change in electrostatic capacitance caused by a change in position of an object in each of a plurality of sections that divide a region to which the object is approachable, comprising: the capacitive sensor according to claim 8; an electrostatic capacitance detection unit; and an element data configuring unit.