Diamond patterned touch sensor system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746964-B2
Application number	US-201615271953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A touch sensor detector system and method incorporating a diamond patterned optionally-interpolated sensor array is disclosed. The system and method utilize a touch sensor array (TSA) configured to detect proximity/contact/pressure (PCP) via a variable impedance array (VIA) electrically coupling interlinked/independent impedance columns (IIC) coupled to an array column driver (ACD), and interlinked/independent impedance rows (IIR) coupled to an array row sensor (ARS). The ACD is configured to select the IIC based on a column switching register (CSR) and electrically drive the IIC using a column driving source (CDS). The VIA conveys current from the driven IIC to the IIC sensed by the ARS. The ARS selects the IIR within the TSA and electrically senses the IIR state based on a row switching register (RSR). Interpolation of ARS sensed current/voltage allows accurate detection of TSA PCP and/or spatial location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor system comprising:
(a) touch sensor array (TSA);
(b) array column driver (ACD);
(c) column switching register (CSR);
(d) column driving source (CDS);
(e) array row sensor (ARS);
(f) row switching register (RSR);
(g) analog to digital converter (ADC); and
(h) computing control device (CCD);
wherein:
said TSA comprises a variable impedance array (VIA) comprising VIA columns and VIA rows;
said VIA columns each comprise a diamond-shaped column electrode pattern (DSC);
said VIA rows each comprise a diamond-shaped row electrode pattern (DSR);
said VIA comprises shunt-mode sensor impedance elements interlinking said VIA columns and said VIA rows;
said VIA is configured to electrically couple one or more interlinked impedance columns (IIC) within said TSA with one or more interlinked impedance rows (IIR) within said TSA;
said IIC further comprises one or more individual column impedance elements (ICIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA columns;
said IIR further comprises one or more individual row impedance elements (IRIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA rows;
said ACD is configured to select said IIC within said TSA based on said CSR;
said ACD is configured to electrically drive said selected IIC using said CDS;
said ARS is configured to select said IIR within said TSA based on said RSR;
said ADC is configured to sense the electrical state of said selected IIR and convert said electrical state to a sensed digital value (SDV);
said electrical state is determined by the interpolated sum of current contributions of variable impedance elements within said VIA, where the current contribution of each of said variable impedance elements is determined by a voltage divider formed between the columns of said VIA, a current divider formed between the rows of said VIA, and the state of said each of said variable impedance elements, to produce a sensed current for a given row-column intersection with said VIA; and
said CCD is configured to sample said SDV from said ADC at one or more positions within said TSA to form a touch sensor matrix (TSM) data structure.

2. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein said variable impedance elements within said VIA comprise a layer of contiguous force sensing material.

3. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein each of said columns of said DSC is contiguously connected.

4. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein:
said DSC comprises a pattern of contiguously conducting columns (CCC);
said DSR comprises a pattern of diamond-shaped conductive pads (DCP);
said DSC and said DCP are coplanar;
said DCP are each placed individually between each of said DSC;
said DCP are grouped together and electrically coupled along individual conductive rows (ICR) using individual thru-hole printed circuit board (PCB) vias located within each of said DCP; and
said DSC and said ICR are located on different layers of a printed circuit board (PCB).

5. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein:
said columns of said DSC are patterned on a first substrate;
said DSR comprises contact pads on said first substrate that are electrically coupled to conducting layers patterned on a second substrate; and
said first substrate and said second substrate are laminated together to form a unitary touch sensor substrate.

6. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein:
said DSC comprises a pattern of contiguously conducting columns (CCC);
said DSR comprises a pattern of rows with conductive breaks (RCB);
insulating material is deposited where said CCC patterns travel between said RCB patterns; and
conductive material is deposited to bridge pads belonging to each of said RCB patterns without electrically connecting to said CCC patterns.

7. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein said VIA comprises drive electrodes and sense electrodes placed on the same layer and conductive bridges configured such that said drive electrodes and said sense electrodes overlap each other without shorting.

8. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein said VIA comprises a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or rigid printed circuit board (RPCB).

9. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein said touch sensor system further comprises a display and a protective layer.

10. The touch sensor system of claim 1 wherein said touch sensor system further comprises a display and a protective layer wherein:
said VIA is flipped upside down and laminated to said display; and
said VIA is laminated to a layer of force sensing material.

11. A touch sensor method configured to operate on a touch sensor system comprising:
(a) touch sensor array (TSA);
(b) array column driver (ACD);
(c) column switching register (CSR);
(d) column driving source (CDS);
(e) array row sensor (ARS);
(f) row switching register (RSR);
(g) analog to digital converter (ADC); and
(h) computing control device (CCD);
wherein:
said TSA comprises a variable impedance array (VIA) comprising VIA columns and VIA rows;
said VIA columns each comprise a diamond-shaped column electrode pattern (DSC);
said VIA rows each comprise a diamond-shaped row electrode pattern (DSR);
said VIA comprises shunt-mode sensor impedance elements interlinking said VIA columns and said VIA rows;
said VIA is configured to electrically couple one or more interlinked impedance columns (IIC) within said TSA with one or more interlinked impedance rows (IIR) within said TSA;
said IIC further comprises one or more individual column impedance elements (ICIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA columns;
said IIR further comprises one or more individual row impedance elements (IRIE) electrically connected in series between said VIA rows;
said ACD is configured to select said IIC within said TSA based on said CSR;
said ACD is configured to electrically drive said selected IIC using said CDS;
said ARS is configured to select said IIR within said TSA based on said RSR;
said ADC is configured to sense the electrical state of said selected IIR and convert said electrical state to a sensed digital value (SDV);
said electrical state is determined by the interpolated sum of current contributions of variable impedance elements within said VIA, where the current contribution of each of said variable impedance elements is determined by a voltage divider formed between the columns of said VIA, a current divider formed between the rows of said VIA, and the state of said each of said variable impedance elements, to produce a sensed current for a given row-column intersection with said VIA; and
said CCD is configured to sample said SDV from said ADC at one or more positions within said TSA to form a touch sensor matrix (TSM) data structure;
wherein said method comprises the steps of:
(1) under control of said CCD, configuring said IIC within said VIA;
(1) under control of said CCD, configuring said IIR within said VIA;
(2) under control of said CCD, electrically stimulating said IIC with said CDS;
(3) under control of said CCD, sensing said electrical state in said IIR with said ADC as a sensed current for a given row-column intersection within said VIA and converting said electrical state to digital data;
(4) under control of said CCD, storing said digital data in said TSM;
(5) under control of said CCD, determining if predetermined variations in said CDR, said IIC, and said IIR have been logged to said TSM, and if so, proceeding to step (8);
(6) under control of said CCD, reconfiguring said CDS, said IIC, and said IIR for a new VIA sensing variant and proceeding to step (3);
(7) under control of said CCD, interpolating said TSM valu

Assignees

• Sensel Inc

Inventors

• Rosenberg Ilya Daniel
• Zarraga John Aaron

Classifications

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title

• G01L1/205

  using distributed sensing elements · CPC title

• G01L1/146

  for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays (G01L1/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/03545

  Pens or stylus · CPC title