Two-dimensional sensor arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10037117-B2
Application number	US-201615347175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A two-dimensional sensor arrangement is provided that detects locations, e.g. finger locations, in two or three dimensions, which is particularly suitable for touch-sensitive touchpads or touchscreens. The sensor arrangement includes a sensing zone in which a plurality of sensors are arranged, and contact zone, e.g. externally thereto, in which a plurality of electrically conductive contact points are arranged, which are connected to the sensors. The number of contact points is very small, although the electrically conductive components of the sensor arrangement form a single-layered network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A two-dimensional sensor arrangement for detecting locations in two or three dimensions for touch-sensitive touchpads or touchscreens, comprising:
a sensing zone with a plurality of sensors arranged therein; and
a contact zone with a plurality of electrically conductive contact points arranged therein;
each of the sensors comprising a pair of electrodes consisting of a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode by an electrically insulating electrode interspace; and
electrical connections provided between the electrodes and the contact points such that each of the electrodes is connected to one of the contact points and each of the contact points is connected to one or more of the electrodes;
each of the contact points being connected either to one or more of the first electrodes or to one or more of the second electrodes so that a first and a second set of contact points is defined, the first set comprising those contact points which are connected to the one or more first electrodes, and the second set comprising those contact points which are connected to the one or more second electrodes;
wherein any defined pair consisting of one of the contact points of the first set and one of the contact points of the second set is connected as a pair to a pair of electrodes of not more than one of the sensors; and
wherein the electrical connections between the electrodes and the contact points are either direct connections or are provided in the form of an electrically conductive electrode conductor;
wherein the contact points, the electrode conductors, and the electrodes collectively form a plurality of electrically conductive conduction areas each one comprising one of the contact points and the electrodes and electrode conductors connected to the respective contact point;
wherein the conduction areas form a single-layered network;
wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of adjacent rows in each of which some of the sensors are arranged adjacent to each other;
the rows at least comprising one row R 1 , one row R 2 adjacent to the row R 1 , one row R 3 adjacent to the row R 2 , and one row R 4 adjacent to the row R 3 ;
wherein the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 1 and the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 4 are connected to a respective common contact point, which is designated as A;
wherein the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 2 and the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 3 are connected to a contact point different from the contact point designated as A;
wherein the second electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 1 and the second electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 4 are connected to respective different contact points which are designated as plurality B; and
wherein the second electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 2 and the second electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R 3 are connected to the contact points designated as plurality B.

2. The two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the electrode interspaces between the first and second electrodes of the sensors is adjacent to those two conduction areas which comprise the first and the second electrode of the respective sensor.

3. The two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the rows comprise two peripheral rows R and R′ which are distinguished by the fact of each having only one adjacent row; and
wherein the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R and the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the row R′ are connected to a common contact point.

4. A translation unit for a two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , in which the plurality of sensors is a number u*v of sensors arranged in a matrix having u rows and v columns, comprising:
one or more first contact point connections for connecting the contact points of the first set;
one or more second contact point connections for connecting the contact points of the second set; and
a number u of first control connections and a number v of second control connections which allow to operate the sensor arrangement as if each of the first electrodes of the sensors arranged in the same rows were connected to the same first control connections, and as if each of the second electrodes of the sensors arranged in the same columns were connected to the same second control connections.

5. A touch-sensitive touchpad, comprising:
a planar substrate having an exterior facing outer substrate surface and an opposite inner substrate surface facing away from the exterior; and
a two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 being arranged on the inner substrate surface for interaction with an exteriorly located user.

6. A touch-sensitive touchscreen, comprising:
a planar transparent substrate having an exterior facing outer substrate surface and an opposite inner substrate surface facing away from the exterior;
a pixel-based display element for luminous representation of information, having a front face display surface facing the inner substrate surface and facing the exterior; and
a two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 arranged on the inner substrate surface for interaction with an exteriorly located user.

7. A method for producing a two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 on a substrate, comprising applying a single-layered network of electrically conductive conduction areas onto the substrate.

8. A touch-sensitive control panel, comprising:
a planar transparent glass or glass ceramic substrate having an exterior facing outer substrate surface and an opposite inner substrate surface facing away from the exterior;
a pixel-based display element for luminous representation of information, having a front face display surface facing the inner substrate surface and facing the exterior;
a support for mounting the display element at a distance from the inner substrate surface; and
a two-dimensional sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 arranged on the inner substrate surface for interaction with an exteriorly located user.

9. A cooktop, comprising a touch-sensitive control panel as claimed in claim 8 , which is arranged in a cold area of the cooktop.

10. A method for producing a touch-sensitive control panel as claimed in claim 8 , comprising:
producing the two-dimensional sensor arrangement on the glass or glass ceramic substrate, including applying a single-layered network of electrically conductive conduction areas onto the substrate;
mounting a pixel-based display element to a support having connection terminals; and
mounting the support to the substrate at that face of the substrate on which the single-layered network of electrically conductive conduction areas is applied, whereby contact elements which are applied on the support unit are connecting the contact points of the sensor arrangement with the connection terminals of the support unit.

11. A two-dimensional sensor arrangement for detecting locations in two or three dimensions for touch-sensitive touchpads or touchscreens, comprising:
a sensing zone with a plurality of sensors arranged therein; and
a contact zone with a plurality of electrically conductive contact points arranged therein;
each of the sensors comprising a pair of electrodes consisting of a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode by an electrically insulating electrode interspace; and
electrical connections provided between the electrodes and the contact points such that each of the

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Zenker Thomas
• Back Franziska
• Riethmueller Franziska

Classifications

• H03K2217/96066

  Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch · CPC title

• H03K17/96

  Touch switches (specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08) · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• F24C7/086

  touch control · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title