Touch sensor panel architecture with multiple sensing mode capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11733801-B2
Application number	US-201816146675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first layer including a plurality of electrodes of a first type that are coupled to respective traces and are configured to operate as touch sensing electrodes during a first time period. The touch sensor panel also includes a second layer including a plurality of electrodes of a second type overlapping with the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type. The electrodes of the second type are configured to operate as guard electrodes for the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type during the first time period and operate as touch sensing electrodes during a second time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A touch sensor panel comprising:
a first layer including a plurality of electrodes of a first type, wherein the electrodes of the first type are coupled to respective traces, and the electrodes of the first type are configured to, during a first time period and a second time period, operate as touch sensing electrodes; and
a second layer including a plurality of electrodes of a second type overlapping with the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type, wherein the electrodes of the second type are configured to:
during the first time period, operate as guard electrodes for the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type; and
during the second time period, be coupled to sensing circuitry and operate as electrodes that are sensed for touch via the sensing circuitry.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein the first type of electrodes are a different type of electrode than the second type of electrodes.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 2 , wherein:
the first type of electrodes are touch node electrodes; and
the second type of electrodes are elongated electrodes.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein operating, during the first time period, the electrodes of the second type as the guard electrodes comprises driving the electrodes of the second type at a reference voltage.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein operating, the electrodes of the first type as the touch sensing electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the first type as self-capacitance sensing electrodes.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein operating the electrodes of the second type as electrodes that are sensed for touch comprises operating the electrodes of the second type as mutual capacitance electrodes.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third layer including an electrode of a third type configured to, during the first and second time periods, operate as a guard electrode.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7 , wherein the electrode of the third type is further configured to:
during a third time period, operate as a force sensing electrode.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 8 , wherein the first type of electrodes are further configured to:
during the third time period, operate as force sensing electrodes, wherein during the third time period, a force is determined based on the electrode of the third type and the electrodes of the first type.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 8 , wherein the second type of electrodes are further configured to:
during the third time period, operate as force sensing electrodes, wherein during the third time period, a force is determined based on the electrode of the third type and the electrodes of the second type.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third layer including a plurality of electrodes of a third type, wherein the electrodes of the third type are configured to:
during the first time period, operate as guard electrodes for the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type; and
during the second time period, be coupled to sensing circuitry and operate as electrodes that are sensed for touch via the sensing circuitry.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein:
the first type of electrodes are touch node electrodes; and
the second and third types of electrodes are elongated electrodes.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein:
operating, during the first time period, the electrodes of the second and third types as the guard electrodes comprises driving the electrodes of the second and third types at a reference voltage.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein operating, during the first time period, the electrodes of the first type as the touch sensing electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the first type as self-capacitance sensing electrodes.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein:
operating, during the second time period, the electrodes of the second type as electrodes that are sensed for touch comprises operating the electrodes of the second type as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the third type; and
operating, during the second time period, the electrodes of the third type as the touch sensing electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the third type as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the second type.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 15 , wherein operating, during the first time period, the electrodes of the first type as the touch sensing electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the first type as self-capacitance sensing electrodes.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein the electrodes of the first type are further configured to:
during a third time period, operate as mutual capacitance electrodes.

18. The touch sensor panel of claim 17 , wherein the electrodes of the second type are further configured to:
during the third time period, operate as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the first type.

19. The touch sensor panel of claim 17 , wherein the electrodes of the third type are further configured to:
during the third time period, operate as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the first type.

20. The touch sensor panel of claim 17 , further comprising:
a fourth layer including an electrode of a fourth type configured to, during the first, second, and third time periods, operate as a guard electrode.

21. The touch sensor panel of claim 20 , wherein the electrode of the fourth type is further configured to:
during a fourth time period, operate as a force sensing electrode.

22. The touch sensor panel of claim 21 , wherein operating the electrodes of the first type as mutual capacitance electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the first type as force sensing electrodes, wherein during the fourth time period, a force is determined based on the electrode of the fourth type and the electrodes of the first type.

23. The touch sensor panel of claim 11 , wherein operating the electrodes of the second type as electrodes that are sensed for touch comprises operating the electrodes of the second type as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the third type; and
operating the electrodes of the third type as the touch sensing electrodes comprises operating the electrodes of the third type as mutual capacitance electrodes with respect to the electrodes of the second type.

24. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of electrodes of the second type are arranged in rows along a horizontal axis, and include extensions along a vertical axis that overlap with the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type.

25. The touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein operating the electrodes of the second type as electrodes that sense touch comprises operating the electrodes of the second type as self-capacitance electrodes.

26. A touch sensor panel comprising:
a first layer including a plurality of electrodes of a first type, wherein the electrodes of the first type are configured to, during a first time period, operate as mutual capacitance drive electrodes; and
a second layer including a plurality of electrodes of a second type overlapping with the electrodes of t

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Knabenshue Brian H
• Lin Albert
• Hu Jason C
• Sauer Christian M
• Grunthaner Martin Paul

Classifications

• G06F3/041662 Primary

  using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning · CPC title

• G06F3/0442

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0448

  Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality · CPC title