Touch sensor back plane ground connection
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorThayne M. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Touch sensor panels can use touch sensors to detect the presence and location of a touch event. In order for the touch sensors to function reliably, the back plane of the touch sensor panel should be grounded. Supplying this ground connection can provide a uniform electrical reference point from which changes in voltage and capacitance due to a touch event can be measured. Without this ground connection, touch sensors may misrepresent the touch event. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide different means for providing a ground connection for the back plane of a touch sensor panel. These embodiments are designed to provide a reliable ground connection even in the presence of various failure conditions.
Claims20
A flexible tail of a back plane of a touch sensor panel, wherein the flexible tail has a conductive side and a non-conductive side, comprising:
- a non-critical bend at an end of the flexible tail, wherein the non-conductive side of the flexible tail is on an inner surface of the non-critical bend, wherein a screw through the non-critical bend electrically connects the flexible tail to a ground connection.
A method for electrically connecting a flexible tail of a touch sensor panel, comprising:
- forming a flexible tail having a conductive side and a non-conductive side, wherein a first end of the flexible tail, is connected to a back plane of the touch sensor panel;
- folding a second end of the flexible tail to form a non-critical bend, wherein the non-conductive side is on an inner surface of the non-critical bend;
- and
- inserting a screw through the non-critical bend to electrically connect the flexible tail to a ground connection.
A flexible tail configured to electrically connect a first component of a touch sensor panel to a second component of the touch sensor panel, the flexible tail comprising:
- a non-conductive side;
- a conductive side;
- and
- a non-critical bend, wherein the conductive side is on an outer surface of the non-critical bend, wherein the flexible tail is configured to be fastened to the second component by inserting a screw through two holes in the flexible tail at the non-critical bend, wherein the conductive side is in electrical contact with the second component and the screw.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.