Pattern of electrodes for a touch sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9916047-B2
Application number	US-201213618068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a touch sensor comprises a substrate and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate. The plurality of electrodes comprise a drive line having a plurality of drive electrodes and a sense line having a plurality of sense electrodes. At least one of the drive line and sense line has at least three rows of electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor, comprising:
a substrate; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate, the plurality of electrodes comprising first and second drive lines each comprising a plurality of drive electrodes and a first sense line comprising a plurality of sense electrodes;
wherein the first drive line comprises:
a first row of electrodes comprising a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, and a third drive electrode, the second drive electrode being between and connected to the first drive electrode and the third drive electrode;
a second row of electrodes adjacent the first row of electrodes and comprising a fourth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the first drive electrode and a fifth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the third drive electrode; and
a third row of electrodes adjacent the first row of electrodes and comprising a sixth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the second drive electrode;

wherein the second drive line comprises:
a first row of electrodes comprising a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, and a third drive electrode, the first drive electrode of the second drive line being adjacent to the fourth drive electrode of the first drive line, the third drive electrode of the second drive line being adjacent to the fifth drive electrode of the first drive line, the second drive electrode of the second drive line being between and connected to the first drive electrode of the second drive line and the third drive electrode of the second drive line; and
a second row of electrodes adjacent the first row of electrodes of the second drive line and comprising a fourth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the second drive electrode of the second drive line, the fourth drive electrode of the second drive line being adjacent to the second drive electrode of the first drive line and between the fourth drive electrode of the first drive line and the fifth drive electrode of the first drive line;

wherein one or more of the plurality of sense electrodes of the first sense line are each positioned in a respective space formed, in plan view, by electrodes of both the first and second drive lines, the first row of electrodes of the first drive line being separated at a first location along the first row of electrodes of the first drive line from the first row of electrodes of the second drive line at a respective first location along the first row of electrodes of the second drive line by two sense electrodes of the first sense line, the two sense electrodes of the first sense line arranged in a first column of electrodes and being a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode adjacent and connected to the first sense electrode, the first row of electrodes of the first drive line separated from the first row of electrodes of the second drive line by a distance spanning at least both the first sense electrode and the second sense electrode of the first column of electrodes of the first sense line;
wherein the first sense line comprises:
the first column of electrodes comprising the first sense electrode, the second sense electrode, and a third sense electrode, the second sense electrode being between and connected to the first sense electrode and the third sense electrode;
a second column of electrodes adjacent the first column of electrodes and comprising a fourth sense electrode adjacent and connected to the first sense electrode and a fifth sense electrode adjacent and connected to the third sense electrode; and
a third column of electrodes adjacent the first column of electrodes and comprising a sixth sense electrode adjacent and connected to the second sense electrode; and

wherein:
the first sense electrode of the first sense line is positioned in a space formed, in plan view, by the first drive electrode of the second drive line, the second drive electrode of the second drive line, the fourth drive electrode of the second drive line, and the fourth drive electrode of the first drive line;
the second sense electrode of the first sense line is positioned in a space formed, in plan view, by the fourth drive electrode of the first drive line, the fourth drive electrode of the second drive line, the second drive electrode of the first drive line, and the first drive electrode of the first drive line;
the sixth sense electrode of the first sense line is positioned in a space formed, in plan view, by the fourth drive electrode of the second drive line, the fith drive electrode of the, first drive line, the third drive electrode of the first drive line, and the second drive electrode of the first drive line; and
the plurality of electrodes comprises a second sense line, the first row of electrodes of the first drive line being seperated at a second location along the first row of electrodes of the first drive line from the first row of electrodes of the second drive line at a respective second location along the first row of electrodes of the second drive line by two sense electrodes, the two sense electrodes being the sixth sense electrode of the first sense line and a sense electrode of the second sense line that is adjacent but not connected to the sixth sense electrode of the first sense line, the first row of electrodes of the first drive line separated from the first row of electrodes of the second drive line by a distance spanning at least both the sixth sense electrode of the first sense line and the sense electrode of the second sense line.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second drive line comprises a third row of electrodes comprising a fifth drive electrode and a sixth drive electrode, the fifth drive electrode of the second drive line being adjacent and connected to the first drive electrode of the second drive line, the sixth drive electrode of the second drive line being adjacent and connected to the third drive electrode of the second drive line.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein:
the first row of electrodes of the first drive line comprises a seventh electrode and an eighth electrode, the seventh electrode being between and connected to the third drive electrode of the first drive line and the eighth drive electrode of the first drive line;
the second row of electrodes of the first drive line comprises a ninth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the eighth drive electrode of the first drive line; and
the third row of electrodes of the first drive line comprises a tenth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the seventh drive electrode of the first drive line.

4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate has a diamond pattern.

5. A system comprising:
a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor comprises:
a substrate; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate, the plurality of electrodes comprising first and second drive lines each comprising a plurality of drive electrodes and a first sense line comprising a plurality of sense electrodes; and

a touch-sensor controller operable to apply a voltage to at least one of the plurality of drive electrodes;
wherein the first drive line comprises:
a first row of electrodes comprising a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, and a third drive electrode, the second drive electrode being between and connected to the first drive electrode and the third drive electrode;
a second row of electrodes adjacent the first row of electrodes and comprising a fourth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the first drive electrode and a fifth drive electrode adjacent and connected to the third drive electrode; and
a third row of electrodes adjacent the first row of electrodes and comprising a sixth drive electrode adjacent and connected. to the second

Assignees

• Jones Gareth
• Trend Matthew
• Atmel Corp

Inventors

• Jones Gareth
• Trend Matthew

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · 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

• G06F3/0445 Primary

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

• G06F3/0443

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title