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US 2015/0317012 A1Published application
Single layer multi-touch capacitive imaging sensor
AssigneeSynaptics Incorporated
InventorsDerek SOLVEN, Tyler MOORE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device having a reduced system complexity and low production cost. As the size of input devices, such as touch pads and other similar devices increase, the need for an input device that is able to maintain or even improve the touch sensing accuracy without greatly increasing the manufacturing cost becomes increasingly important. Embodiments of the invention may provide an input device that includes an array of capacitive sensing pixels that each include a unique pair of sensor electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes in a first pixel is also in communication with another sensor electrode in at least one other pixel, which is not in the same row or column with the first pixel.
Claims20
A capacitive image sensor, comprising:
- a first array of first sensor electrodes disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes comprise a first electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions are aligned in a first direction that is parallel to the surface;
- a first array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the second sensor electrodes comprise a second electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions in the first array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes;
- a second array of first sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions of the first sensor electrodes in the second array are aligned in the first direction;
- and
- a second array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions in the second array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes,
- wherein the second array of first sensor electrodes are positioned a distance in a second direction from the first array of first sensor electrodes, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction, and
- wherein the first array of first sensor electrodes and the second array of first sensor electrodes are disposed on the surface of the substrate between the first array of second sensor electrodes and the second array of second sensor electrodes, and at least one second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes is electrically coupled to at least one second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes.
4 more elements
A capacitive image sensor, comprising:
- a first set of sensor electrode arrays comprising:
- a first array of first sensor electrodes disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes comprise a first electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions are aligned in a first direction that is parallel to the surface;
- a first array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the second sensor electrodes comprise a second electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions in the first array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes;
- a second set of sensor electrode arrays comprising:
- a second array of first sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions of the first sensor electrodes in the second array are aligned in the first direction;
- and
- a second array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions in the second array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes,
- a third set of sensor electrode arrays comprising:
- a third array of first sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions of the first sensor electrodes in the third array are aligned in the first direction;
- and
- a third array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions in the third array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the third array of second sensor electrodes,
- wherein the second and third arrays of first sensor electrodes are each positioned a distance in a second direction from the first array of first sensor electrodes, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction, and
- wherein the third set of sensor electrode arrays is disposed between the first set of sensor electrode arrays and the second set of sensor electrode arrays, and
- wherein at least one second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes is electrically coupled to at least one second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes.
11 more elements
A touch screen, comprising:
- a display;
- a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on a substrate of the display, the plurality of sensor electrodes comprising:
- a first array of first sensor electrodes disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein each of the first sensor electrodes comprise a first electrode region and a trace that is coupled to the first electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions are aligned along a first direction that is parallel to the surface;
- a first array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the second sensor electrodes comprise a second electrode region and a trace that is coupled to the second electrode region, and each of the first electrode regions in the first array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes;
- a second array of first sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions of the first sensor electrodes in the second array are aligned along the first direction;
- and
- a second array of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first electrode regions in the second array of first sensor electrodes are positioned to directly capacitively couple to at least a portion of a second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes,
- wherein the second array of first sensor electrodes are positioned a distance in a second direction from the first array of first sensor electrodes, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction, and
- wherein the first array of first sensor electrodes and the second array of first sensor electrodes are disposed on the surface of the substrate between the first array of second sensor electrodes and the second array of second sensor electrodes, and at least one second sensor electrode in the first array of second sensor electrodes is electrically coupled to at least one second sensor electrode in the second array of second sensor electrodes;
- and
- a sensor processor communicatively coupled to the traces of the first and second sensor electrodes, and configured to receive resulting signals received by one or more of the second sensor electrodes when a first sensor electrode is driven for capacitive sensing.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.