Capacitive touch sensor having oblique electrode matrix

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377646-B2
Application number	US-201313925770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2013
Priority date	Jun 24, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Electrode matrices for capacitive touch-sensing are provided. An electrode matrix may include a plurality of column conductors having a first end and a second end formed along a central longitudinal axis. The column conductor may further include a column zigzag structure extending between the first end and the second end. The electrode matrix may further include a plurality of row conductors having a first end and a second end formed along a lateral axis. The row conductor may further include a row zigzag structure extending between the first end and second end. The zigzag structure of each of the plurality of column conductors may cross the zigzag structure of each of the plurality of row conductors in respective crossing regions that are formed at an intersection of the longitudinal axis of each column conductor and lateral axis of each row conductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrode matrix for a capacitive touch-sensing display device, comprising:
a column electrode array including a plurality of column conductors, each column conductor having a first end and a second end formed along a central longitudinal axis of the column conductor, the column conductor further including a column zigzag structure extending between the first end and second end, the column zigzag structure oscillating back and forth across the longitudinal axis, the plurality of column conductors substantially aligned to the central longitudinal axis;
a row electrode array including a plurality of row conductors, each row conductor having a first end and a second end formed along a central lateral axis of the row conductor, the row conductor further including a row zigzag structure extending between the first end and second end, the row zigzag structure oscillating back and forth across the lateral axis, the plurality of row conductors substantially aligned to the central lateral axis;
for each column electrode, two or more column jumpers electrically bridging the column conductors of that column electrode, the two or more column jumpers having a column jumper zigzag structure;
for each row electrode, two or more row jumpers electrically bridging the row conductors of that row electrode, the two or more row jumpers having a row jumper zigzag structure; and
a plurality of pseudo jumpers positioned between adjacent column electrodes and between adjacent row electrodes, the plurality of pseudo jumpers configured to be non-conductive across their entire lengths,
wherein the zigzag structure of each of the plurality of column conductors crosses the zigzag structure of each of the plurality of row conductors in respective crossing regions that are formed at an intersection of the longitudinal axis of each column conductor and lateral axis of each row conductor.

2. The electrode matrix of claim 1 , wherein the column zigzag structure and the row zigzag structure include linear conductor segments, each of the linear conductor segments being formed at one or more angles relative to one or both of the lateral axis and the longitudinal axis, the lateral axis and the longitudinal axis corresponding to a plurality of pixels forming an underlying display as viewed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the display.

3. The electrode matrix of claim 1 , wherein the column zigzag structure includes a plurality of column segments each having a column central region including a first midpoint, each of the column central regions substantially aligned to the longitudinal axis; and
wherein the row zigzag structure includes a plurality of row segments each having a row central region including a second midpoint, each of the row central regions substantially aligned to the lateral axis.

4. The electrode matrix of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of column segments alternately includes a positively angled column segment and a negatively angled column segment each having the first midpoint, the column segments angled relative to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the plurality of row segments alternately includes a positively angled row segment and a negatively angled row segment each having the second midpoint, the row segments angled relative to the lateral axis; and
wherein the first midpoint of the negatively angled column segment substantially overlaps the second midpoint of the negatively angled row segment.

5. The electrode matrix of claim 4 , wherein a length of the positively angled column segment is equal to a length of the negatively angled column segment;
wherein a length of the positively angled row segment is equal to a length of the negatively angled row segment;
wherein an angle of the positively angled column segment is an additive inverse of an angle of the negatively angled column segment; and
wherein an angle of the positively angled row segment is an additive inverse of an angle of the negatively angled row segment.

6. The electrode matrix of claim 1 , wherein for each row electrode, the two or more row jumpers extend longitudinally across the row conductors of that row electrode, and
wherein for each column electrode, the two or more column jumpers extend laterally across the column conductors of that column electrode.

7. The electrode matrix of claim 6 , wherein the column zigzag structure alternately includes a positively angled column segment and a negatively angled column segment each having a first midpoint;
wherein the row zigzag structure alternately includes a positively angled row segment and a negatively angled row segment each having a second midpoint;
wherein each column jumper includes a first column jumper endpoint and a second column jumper endpoint, the first and the second column jumper endpoint each electrically connected to a respective first midpoint of the negatively angled column segment; and
wherein each row jumper includes a first row jumper endpoint and a second row jumper endpoint, the first and the second row jumper endpoint each electrically connected to a respective second midpoint of the positively angled row segment.

8. The electrode matrix of claim 7 , wherein each column jumper includes a column jumper midpoint;
wherein each row jumper includes a row jumper midpoint; and
wherein the column jumper midpoint overlaps the row jumper midpoint at an angle.

9. The electrode matrix of claim 8 , wherein the column jumper midpoint corresponds to a column jumper middle segment surrounded by a first column jumper end segment and a second column jumper end segment, the first and the second column jumper end segment each having a distal end, the distal end of the first and the second column jumper end segment including the first and the second column jumper endpoint, respectively; and
wherein the row jumper midpoint corresponds to a row jumper middle segment surrounded by a first row jumper end segment and a second row jumper end segment, the first and the second row jumper end segment having a distal end, the distal end of the first and the second row jumper end segment including the first row jumper endpoint and the second row jumper endpoint, respectively.

10. The electrode matrix of claim 9 , wherein the first and the second column jumper end segments, and the column jumper middle segment are reflections about the lateral axis of respective longitudinally-aligned portions of adjacent row conductors; and
wherein the first and the second row jumper end segments, and the row jumper middle segment, are reflections about the longitudinal axis of respective laterally-aligned portions of adjacent column conductors.

11. A touch sensitive display device, comprising:
a display grid including a plurality of pixel rows substantially aligned to a lateral axis, and a plurality of pixel columns substantially aligned to a longitudinal axis;
a column electrode array including a plurality of column conductors each extending substantially along the longitudinal axis and spaced apart a column conductor distance, each column conductor alternately including a plurality of positively angled column segment and negatively angled column segment pairs, each positively angled column segment and negatively angled column segment having a column segment midpoint, and angled relative to the longitudinal axis;
a row electrode array including a plurality of row conductors each extending substantially along the lateral axis and spaced apart a row conductor distance, each row conductor alternately including a plurality of positively angled row segment and negatively angled row segment pairs, each positively angled row segment and negatively angled r

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Westhues Jonathan
• Donnelly Sean M
• Wilson Jason D

Classifications

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04112

  Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material · CPC title

• G02F1/134336

  Matrix · CPC title

• G02F1/13338 Primary

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title