# US 11,994,761 B2 · Ground feature in a capacitive touch system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,761 B2 - Document ID: US11994761B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/198,934 - Filed: 2023-05-18 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-11 - Assignees: Cirque Corporation - Applicants: Cirque Corporation - Inventors: Jon Bertrand; Paul Glad; Douglas Steck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994761B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/133334: {Electromagnetic shields} - G02F 1/13338: {Input devices, e.g. touch panels} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/04164: {Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads} - G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes} - G06F 3/0445: {using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer} - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G06F 2203/04107: Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor where the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer, and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a touch sensor; the touch sensor having a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes; a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor; the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer includes multiple openings defined in the thickness of the first section and the second section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the first section; and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor; a first region of the touch sensor is adjacent to an antenna configured to direct a radio frequency signal through the first region of the touch sensor; wherein the first region of the touch sensor aligns with the first section of the shield layer; wherein the ground feature is a ring that surrounds at least the first region of the touch sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes are formed on the same layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrodes is formed on a first layer and the second set of electrodes is formed on a second layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first layer includes a first portion of the ground feature and the second layer includes a second portion of the ground feature where the first portion and the second portion are electrically connected to each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the ground feature and the second portion of the ground feature have different widths. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a pixel layer incorporated into a stack of layers that includes the touch sensor and the shield layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first section of the shield layer includes multiple openings defined in the thickness of the first section and the second section of the shield layer includes a second set of openings defined in the thickness of the second section; wherein the first set of openings have different dimensions than the second set of openings. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first section of the shield layer includes multiple openings defined in the thickness of the first section and the second section of the shield layer includes a second set of openings defined in the thickness of the second section; wherein the first set of openings have a different spacing than the second set of openings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein only a portion of the ring is formed on a perimeter of the touch sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ring includes at least one discontinuity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the ground feature divides the first region of the touch sensor from a second region of the touch sensor, wherein the second region of the touch sensor aligns with the second region of the shield layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a component layer; a ground connection formed on the component layer configured to connect to a frame of computing device; wherein the ground feature is electrically connected to the ground connection. ### Claim 13 An apparatus, comprising: a touch sensor; a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor; the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer; and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor; wherein at least a portion of the ground feature divides a first region of the touch sensor from a second region of the touch sensor, wherein the first region of the touch sensor aligns with the first section of the shield layer and the second region of the touch sensor aligns with the second region of the shield layer; wherein the first region of the touch sensor is adjacent to an antenna configured to direct a radio frequency signal through the first region of the touch sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a component layer; a ground connection formed on the component layer configured to connect to a frame of computing device; wherein the ground feature is electrically connected to the ground connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ground feature is a ring. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein only a portion of the ring is formed on a perimeter of the touch sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ring includes at least one discontinuity. ### Claim 18 An apparatus, comprising: a touch sensor; a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor; the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer includes multiple openings defined in the thickness of the first section and the second section of the shield layer has a solid continuous area; and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor; wherein at least a portion of the ground feature divides a first region of the touch sensor from a second region of the touch sensor, wherein the first region of the touch sensor aligns with the first section of the shield layer and the second region of the touch sensor aligns with the second region of the shield layer; the ground feature is a ring that surrounds the second region of the touch sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein only a portion of the ring is formed on a perimeter of the touch sensor.