Apparatus and/or method for sensing touch input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569050-B2
Application number	US-201414579518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 2, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A capacitive sensor electrode for sensing a touch input. A material is configured to temporarily modify a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode during a period after a touch input has occurred. After the touch input has occurred, a material change in capacitance of the material is relatively slower than an electrode change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a capacitive sensor electrode; and
material configured to temporarily modify a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode during a period after a touch input has occurred, wherein after the touch input has occurred, a material change in capacitance of the material is relatively slower than an electrode change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode so that a period during which the capacitance can be sampled to detect the touch input is extended.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material has a touch state during a touch input in which an electrical characteristic of the material changes in a first sense and the material has a post-touch state, during the period after the touch input has occurred, in which the electrical characteristic of the material changes in a second sense, opposite to the first sense.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the electrical conductivity of the material increases during the touch state and wherein the electrical conductivity of the material decreases during the post-touch state.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to have increased conductivity in response to a touch input and to maintain increased conductivity during a period after the touch input has finished.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode passes a first threshold during a touch state and wherein the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode passes a second threshold during a post-touch state.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode is past the second threshold during the post-touch state for at least a predetermined time.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to extend the capacitive sensor electrode.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any claim 1 , wherein a sensor comprises the capacitive sensor electrode and an additional capacitive sensor electrode, wherein one of the capacitive sensor electrode and the additional capacitive sensor electrode is configured to operate as a driver electrode and wherein the other of the capacitive sensor electrode and the additional capacitive sensor electrode is configured to operate as a receiver electrode.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the driver electrode is configured to be extended by the material.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claims 8 , wherein the receiver electrode is extended by the material.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a regular array wherein each sensor comprises:
a capacitive sensor electrode; and
material configured to temporarily modify a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode during a period after a touch input has occurred at the sensor.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the sensors in the regular array is the same.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein different ones of the sensors in the array are configured to respond differently to touch input.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to temporarily modify a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode in response to a humidity change caused by touch input.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a cover layer extending over the material, wherein the cover layer is water-permeable.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the cover layer comprises hydrophilic material.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is graphene oxide.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller wherein the controller is configured to detect when a capacitance of a capacitive sensor electrode triggers a first threshold to determine a touch state and wherein the controller is configured to detect when the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode triggers a second threshold to detect a post-touch state.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a controller is configured to switch between a first mode of operation in which the controller is configured to detect when the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode triggers a first threshold to determine a touch state but is not configured to detect when the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode triggers the second threshold and a second mode of operation in which the controller is configured to detect when the capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode triggers the first threshold or second threshold to detect an input state.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a controller is configured to estimate a speed of touch input.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy
• Nokie Tech Oy

Inventors

• Backman Juha Reinhold
• White Richard
• Rouvala Markku Antti Kyosti
• Borini Stefano
• Astley Michael

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04111

  Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate · CPC title

• G06F3/04166

  Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184) · CPC title

• G06F3/0446 Primary

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