Geometric structures for acoustic impedance matching and improved touch sensing and fingerprint imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715321-B2
Application number	US-202217660308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	May 13, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

Improving the accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing and fingerprint imaging using acoustic impedance matching is disclosed. Acoustic impedance mismatches between an ultrasonic transducer array and a sensing plate can be reduced to maximize energy transfer and minimize parasitic reflections. A reduction in acoustic impedance mismatches can be accomplished using (i) a composite epoxy having a higher acoustic impedance than epoxy alone, (ii) one or more matching layers having an acoustic impedance that is approximately the geometric mean of the acoustic impedance of the sensing plate and the acoustic impedance of the transducer array, (iii) pores or perforations in the sensing plate, or (iv) geometric structures formed in the sensing plate. In addition, parasitic reflections can be suppressed using an absorbent layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensing device, comprising:
a sensing plate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and a first acoustic impedance, the first surface configured for receiving one or more touches and the second surface formed with a plurality of geometric structures; and
one or more ultrasonic transducers having a second acoustic impedance different from the first acoustic impedance and configured for propagating ultrasonic waves through the sensing plate to the first surface;
wherein the plurality of geometric structures is between the first surface and the one or more ultrasonic transducers and taper from valleys to distal endpoints oriented towards the one or more ultrasonic transducers, the plurality of geometric structures configured for reducing an acoustic impedance mismatch between the one or more ultrasonic transducers and the sensing plate.

2. The touch sensing device of claim 1 , wherein a pitch between adjacent distal endpoints of the plurality of geometric structures is less than a wavelength of the ultrasonic waves expected to propagate through the geometric structures when generated by the one or more ultrasonic transducers.

3. The touch sensing device of claim 2 , wherein the pitch between adjacent distal endpoints is between about 30-60 microns.

4. The touch sensing device of claim 1 , wherein a height of the plurality of geometric structures from the valleys to the distal endpoints is greater than a wavelength of the ultrasonic waves expected to propagate through the geometric structures when generated by the one or more ultrasonic transducers.

5. The touch sensing device of claim 4 , wherein the height of the plurality of geometric structures is between about 100-300 microns.

6. The touch sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising a filler material disposed between the plurality of geometric structures and the one or more ultrasonic transducers, the filler material having a second acoustic impedance lower than the first acoustic impedance.

7. The touch sensing device of claim 6 , the plurality of geometric structures and the filler material configured to produce an average acoustic impedance that transitions from the second acoustic impedance of the filler material at the distal endpoints of the plurality of geometric structures to the first acoustic impedance of the sensing plate at the valleys of the plurality of geometric structures.

8. The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the filler material is an adhesive layer.

9. The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the filler material is a matching layer sandwiched between the geometric structures and an adhesive layer, the second acoustic impedance of the matching layer configured to be approximately a geometric mean of the first acoustic impedance of the sensing plate and a third acoustic impedance of the adhesive layer.

10. The touch sensing device of claim 9 , wherein the adhesive layer is a composite epoxy formed from particles suspended in an epoxy having a fourth acoustic impedance, the third acoustic impedance of the adhesive layer greater than the fourth acoustic impedance of the epoxy.

11. The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the filler material is a matching layer sandwiched between the plurality of geometric structures and the one or more ultrasonic transducers, the second acoustic impedance of the matching layer configured to be approximately a geometric mean of the first acoustic impedance of the sensing plate and the second acoustic impedance of the one or more ultrasonic transducers.

12. The touch sensing device of claim 7 , where one or more of the plurality of geometric structures comprise a cone-shaped structure.

13. The touch sensing device of claim 12 , where a taper of the cone-shaped structure is configured to produce a predetermined transition rate from the second acoustic impedance of the filler material to the first acoustic impedance of the sensing plate.

14. A method for reducing an acoustic impedance mismatch between a sensing plate of a touch sensing device having a first acoustic impedance and one or more ultrasonic transducers having a second acoustic impedance different from the first acoustic impedance, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of geometric structures on a second surface that is opposite a first surface of the sensing plate facing the one or more ultrasonic transducers, wherein the geometric structures is between the first surface and the one or more ultrasonic transducers;
tapering the plurality of geometric structures from valleys to distal endpoints oriented towards the one or more ultrasonic transducers; and
transitioning an acoustic impedance encountered by ultrasonic waves generated by the one or more ultrasonic transducers from a second acoustic impedance less than the first acoustic impedance at the distal endpoints of the plurality of geometric structures to the first acoustic impedance at the valleys of the plurality of geometric structures.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the plurality of geometric structures with a pitch between adjacent distal endpoints less than a wavelength of ultrasonic waves expected to propagate through the geometric structures when generated by the one or more ultrasonic transducers.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the plurality of geometric structures with a height between the valleys and the distal endpoints greater than a wavelength of ultrasonic waves expected to propagate through the geometric structures when generated by the one or more ultrasonic transducers.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing a filler material between the plurality of geometric structures and the one or more ultrasonic transducers, the filler material having a second acoustic impedance lower than the first acoustic impedance.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising producing an average acoustic impedance from the distal endpoints to the valleys of the plurality of geometric structures that transitions from the acoustic impedance of the filler material to the acoustic impedance of the sensing plate.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adhering the sensing plate to the one or more ultrasonic transducers using the filler material as an adhesive.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising formulating the filler material as a matching layer having an acoustic impedance that is approximately a geometric mean of the first acoustic impedance of the sensing plate and an acoustic impedance of an adhesive layer.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hiemstra Daniel J
• Mak George Ho Yin
• Khajeh Ehsan
• Everhart Camille L

Classifications

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/0436 Primary

  in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate · CPC title

• G10K11/02

  Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators · CPC title

• G06F3/0433 Primary

  in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member · CPC title