Abstract: A unique layout with a matrix of traces having at least traces in one direction provided with portions which are interleaved with portions of adjacent traces. Unlike the prior art zigzag pattern, the extensions of the traces of the present invention are actually interleaved, so that they overlap with portions of the adjacent trace. Thus, a finger moving from one trace to the next will contact the interleaved portions of the adjacent trace before it leaves the interleaved portions of the first trace.

Abstract: A touchpad which simulates an active stylus by providing pulses to the entire active plane (making it an active plane), instead of the stylus. This allows a simple, non-active stylus to compress the touchpad to bring the X, Y traces closer to the active plane at the point to be detected. The phase of the pulses applied to the active ground could be chosen to make a stylus look like a finger, or to differentiate it. The pulses are applied synchronously with the standard triangular waveform applied to traces in the trace matrix. The other traces not being sampled at a particular time are truly grounded, and thus are separated from the active plane.