Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out interference from noise sources below the drive electrode layer, such as drive signals for an underlying display, thereby suppressing noise pick-up by the sense electrodes that are positioned above the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out interference from noise sources below the drive electrode layer, such as drive signals for an underlying display, thereby suppressing noise pick-up by the sense electrodes that are positioned above the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out interference from noise sources below the drive electrode layer, such as drive signals for an underlying display, thereby suppressing noise pick-up by the sense electrodes that are positioned above the drive electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a touch position sensor. Force detection circuitry can be included with the position sensor, for example, to determine an amount of force applied to a touch panel of the sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a touch position sensor. Force detection circuitry can be included with the position sensor, for example, to determine an amount of force applied to a touch panel of the sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a touch position sensor. Force detection circuitry can be included with the position sensor, for example, to determine an amount of force applied to a touch panel of the sensor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sensor includes a voltage driver operable to provide an alternating voltage and an integrator circuit. The sensor further includes a first variable resistance element coupled to a first output of the voltage driver and an input of the integrator circuit. The integrator circuit is operable to measure a parameter of the first variable resistance element over a period of time. The sensor further includes circuitry operable to determine, based on the measured parameter, an amount of force applied to a touch sensing panel.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a first substrate with sense electrodes of a touch sensor disposed on it and a second substrate with drive electrodes of the touch sensor disposed on it. One or more of the following is true: the sense electrodes of the first substrate are made of a first conductive mesh of conductive material such that the sense electrodes include the first conductive mesh; and the drive electrodes of the second substrate are made of a second conductive mesh of conductive material such that the drive electrodes include the second conductive mesh. The apparatus also includes an insulating layer between the sense electrodes of the first substrate and the drive electrodes of the second substrate.

Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out interference from noise sources below the drive electrode layer, such as drive signals for an underlying display, thereby suppressing noise pick-up by the sense electrodes that are positioned above the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out interference from noise sources below the drive electrode layer, such as drive signals for an underlying display, thereby suppressing noise pick-up by the sense electrodes that are positioned above the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor having a cover layer of varying thickness arranged on top of its electrode structure. An array of sensing nodes is formed between edge portions of the receiver electrodes and adjacent portions of the transmitter electrodes. To compensate for the varying thickness of the cover layer, the length of the edge portions per sensing node is varied to equalize node sensitivity across the sensor and thus suppress the systematic variation in node sensitivity which would otherwise arise as a result of the varying thickness of the cover layer.

Abstract: A control panel for proximity and force sensing, includes a cover layer, a first electrode layer including a first force sensor electrode, a second force sensor electrode positioned in a second electrode layer or on a support layer, and a dielectric substrate at least a portion of which is compressible and is positioned between the first and second force sensor electrodes. The support layer is positioned to support at the vicinity of the second force sensor electrode support location so that compression of the dielectric substrate and the separation of the first and second force sensor electrodes depends on the magnitude of a force applied to the cover layer. Touch sensor electrodes are positioned on one or more of the electrode layers such that their capacitance depends on proximity of an object such as a finger. Controllers measure the capacitance of the force and touch sensor electrodes respectively and output force and touch proximity signals.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a first substrate with sense electrodes of a touch sensor disposed on it and a second substrate with drive electrodes of the touch sensor disposed on it. One or more of the following is true: the sense electrodes of the first substrate are made of a first conductive mesh of conductive material such that the sense electrodes include the first conductive mesh; and the drive electrodes of the second substrate are made of a second conductive mesh of conductive material such that the drive electrodes include the second conductive mesh. The apparatus also includes an insulating layer between the sense electrodes of the first substrate and the drive electrodes of the second substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a touch position sensor. Force detection circuitry can be included with the position sensor, for example, to determine an amount of force applied to a touch panel of the sensor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sensor includes a plurality of drive electrodes running generally in a first direction. The sensor also includes a plurality of sense electrodes running generally in a second direction. The sense electrodes have branches running generally in the first direction. End portions of the adjacent branches of adjacent sense electrodes extend beyond one another to define respective coextensive portions of the branches.

Abstract: Disclosed is a touch position sensor. Force detection circuitry can be included with the position sensor, for example, to determine an amount of force applied to a touch panel of the sensor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sensor includes a plurality of drive electrodes running generally in a first direction. The sensor also includes a plurality of sense electrodes running generally in a second direction. The sense electrodes have branches running generally in the first direction. End portions of the adjacent branches of adjacent sense electrodes extend beyond one another to define respective coextensive portions of the branches.

Abstract: A two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor having a cover layer of varying thickness arranged on top of its electrode structure. An array of sensing nodes is formed between edge portions of the receiver electrodes and adjacent portions of the transmitter electrodes. To compensate for the varying thickness of the cover layer, the length of the edge portions per sensing node is varied to equalize node sensitivity across the sensor and thus suppress the systematic variation in node sensitivity which would otherwise arise as a result of the varying thickness of the cover layer.

Abstract: A touch data set is acquired via signals from each sensing node in a capacitive sensor array having a plurality of sensing nodes. Touch presence and location on the capacitive sensor array is determined from the touch data set. In subsequent sampling periods while presence of a touch continues to be detected, touch data sets may be acquired from respective subsets of the sensing nodes, each subset being located at and adjacent to the touch location determined in the preceding sampling period.

Abstract: A control panel for proximity and force sensing, includes a cover layer, a first electrode layer including a first force sensor electrode, a second force sensor electrode positioned in a second electrode layer or on a support layer, and a dielectric substrate at least a portion of which is compressible and is positioned between the first and second force sensor electrodes. The support layer is positioned to support at the vicinity of the second force sensor electrode support location so that compression of the dielectric substrate and the separation of the first and second force sensor electrodes depends on the magnitude of a force applied to the cover layer. Touch sensor electrodes are positioned on one or more of the electrode layers such that their capacitance depends on proximity of an object such as a finger. Controllers measure the capacitance of the force and touch sensor electrodes respectively and output force and touch proximity signals.