Capacitive touch sensor and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10534491-B2
Application number	US-201815994318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A capacitive touch sensor is disclosed for use with input signal. The capacitive touch sensor includes a number n of input/output lines. Each of the number n of input/output lines is electrically disconnected from every other of the number n of input/output lines. Each of the number n of input/output lines is arranged to cross every other of the number n of input/output lines. Each of a number β of positions, includes one of the number n of input/output lines crossing another of the number n of input/output lines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:
n input/output lines, wherein n is an integer greater than 2, and wherein each of the n input/output lines is arranged so that it is electrically disconnected from each other one of the n input/output lines and while crossing each other one of the n input/output lines; and
β positions, wherein each of the β positions corresponds to a respective button area at which one of the n input/output lines crosses another one of the n input/output lines, and wherein β is an integer having a value determined as

β
=

∑
1

(

n
-
1

)

⁢

⁢

x
.

2. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein, when a first input/output line of the n input/output lines receives an input signal, a respective electric field is created between the first input/output line and a second input/output line of the n input/output lines crossed by the first input/output line.

3. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
β conductive formations each disposed at a respective one of the β positions, wherein each of the β conductive formations includes a first conductive component and a second conductive component, wherein the first conductive component is electrically connected to one of the n input/output lines and the second conductive component is electrically connected to another one of the n input/output lines.

4. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 3 , further comprising a scanning component operable to detect a respective capacitance for each of the n input/output lines and to detect touching of one of the β conductive formations based on the detected capacitances.

5. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 4 , further comprising:
a database to store fault data; and
a fault determining component, wherein the scanning component is further operable to detect a respective parameter value each of the n input/output lines and to generate comparison values based on a comparison between detected parameter values and the fault data, and wherein the fault determining component is operable to output a fault signal based on the comparison values.

6. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein, when an input current is applied to a first input/output line of the n input/output lines, a respective electric field is created between the first input/output line and a second input/output line of the n input/output lines crossed by the first input/output line.

7. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 6 , further comprising:
β conductive formations each disposed at a respective one of the β positions, wherein each of the β conductive formations includes a first conductive component and a second conductive component, wherein the first conductive component is electrically connected to one of the n input/output lines and the second conductive component is electrically connected to another one of the n input/output lines.

8. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 7 , wherein a first position of the β positions corresponds to where the first input/output line crosses the second input/output line, wherein a first conductive formation of the β conductive formations is dispose at the first position of the β positions with the first conductive component of the first conductive formation being electrically connected to the first input/output line and the second conductive component of the first conductive formation being electrically connected to the second input/output line.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Jun Zhang
• Ge Shen
• Cheng xu kang
• Yi Zhou
• Meng Hao
• Jun Ji Ru

Classifications

• H03K2017/9613

  using two electrodes per touch switch · CPC title

• H03K2217/96066

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

• H03K17/9622 Primary

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title