IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,547,285
Granted Patent B2
US 12,547,285 · App. 18/068,486 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Differential drive and sense for touch sensor panel

Inventors: John Stephen Smith (San Jose, CA); Amit Nayyar (Saratoga, CA); Joseph Kurth Reynolds (San Jose, CA); Sagar Rajiv Vaze (San Jose, CA); Marduke Yousefpor (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/0446G06F3/0412G06F3/04164G06F3/041662
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,547,285
App. No.
18/068,486
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Touch sensor panels (or touch screens) can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using touch electrode patterns for differential drive and/or differential sense techniques. In some examples, a touch sensor panel can include a two-dimensional array of touch nodes formed from a plurality of touch electrodes. Each column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven with a plurality of drive signals. For example, a first column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven by a first drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes in the first column (or row) and a second drive signal applied to a one or more second touch nodes of the first column (or row). In some examples, the first drive signal and the second drive signal can be complimentary drive signals. In some examples, each row (or column) of touch electrodes can be sensed by differential sense circuitry.

Claims (36)

1 . A mutual capacitance touch sensor panel comprising:

a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second touch electrodes, the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes formed in a single electrode layer, and the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-dimensional array of touch nodes including a first column of touch nodes and a second column of touch nodes; and

drive circuitry coupled to the plurality of first touch electrodes and configured to drive the plurality of first touch electrodes with a plurality of drive signals, wherein for the first column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a first drive signal having a first phase applied to a first subset of the plurality of first touch electrodes within the first column of touch nodes of one or more first touch nodes of the first column of touch nodes and a second drive signal having a second phase, different than the first phase, applied to a second subset of the plurality of first touch electrodes within the first column of touch nodes of one or more second touch nodes of the first column of touch nodes, wherein the first drive signal and the second drive signal are applied at least partially concurrently.

2 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1 further comprising sense circuitry coupled to the plurality of second touch electrodes and configured to differentially sense the plurality of second touch electrodes.

3 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 2 , wherein a 4×4 portion of the two-dimensional array of touch nodes comprises eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes and at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

4 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 3 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises:

four transmitters coupled to four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes; and

four inverters coupled between the four transmitters and another four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes.

5 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 3 , wherein:

the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprise eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes;

the sense circuitry comprises four differential amplifiers; and

inverting inputs of the four differential amplifiers are coupled to four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes, and non-inverting inputs of the four differential amplifiers are coupled to another four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

6 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 3 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises eight transmitters coupled to the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the sense circuitry comprises two differential amplifiers, wherein inverting inputs of the two differential amplifiers are coupled to two of the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes, and non-inverting inputs of the two differential amplifiers are coupled to another two of the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

7 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein for the second column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a third drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes and a fourth drive signal applied to one or more second touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes, wherein the first drive signal, the second drive signal, the third drive signal, and the fourth drive signal are applied at least partially concurrently.

8 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 1 , wherein for the second column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a third drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes, wherein the third drive signal is an inverse of the first drive signal or the second drive signal.

9 . The mutual capacitance touch sensor panel of claim 8 , wherein the first column of touch nodes and the second column of touch nodes are adjacent columns in the two-dimensional array of touch nodes.

10 . A portable consumer electronic device comprising:

an energy storage device;

communication circuitry; and

a touch screen including:

a display;

a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second touch electrodes, the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes formed in a single electrode layer, and the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-dimensional array of touch nodes including a first column of touch nodes and a second column of touch nodes; and

drive circuitry coupled to the plurality of first touch electrodes and configured to drive the plurality of first touch electrodes with a plurality of drive signals, wherein for the first column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a first drive signal having a first phase applied to a first subset of the plurality of first touch electrodes within the first column of touch nodes of one or more first touch nodes of the first column of touch nodes and a second drive signal having a second phase, different than the first phase, applied to a second subset of the plurality of first touch electrodes within the first column of touch nodes of one or more second touch nodes of the first column of touch nodes, wherein the first drive signal and the second drive signal are applied at least partially concurrently.

11 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 10 further comprising sense circuitry coupled to the plurality of second touch electrodes and configured to differentially sense the plurality of touch electrodes.

12 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a 4×4 portion of the two-dimensional array of touch nodes comprises eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes and at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

13 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises:

four transmitters coupled to four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes; and

four inverters coupled between the four transmitters and another four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes.

14 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 12 , wherein:

the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprise eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes;

the sense circuitry comprises four differential amplifiers; and

inverting inputs of the four differential amplifiers are coupled to four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes, and non-inverting inputs of the four differential amplifiers are coupled to another four of the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

15 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises eight transmitters coupled to the eight touch electrodes of the plurality of first touch electrodes and the sense circuitry comprises two differential amplifiers, wherein inverting inputs of the two differential amplifiers are coupled to two of the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes, and non-inverting inputs of the two differential amplifiers are coupled to another two of the at least four touch electrodes of the plurality of second touch electrodes.

16 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 10 , wherein for the second column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a third drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes and a fourth drive signal applied to one or more second touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes, wherein the first drive signal, the second drive signal, the third drive signal, and the fourth drive signal are applied at least partially concurrently.

17 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 10 , wherein for the second column of touch nodes, the plurality of drive signals includes a third drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes of the second column of touch nodes, wherein the third drive signal is an inverse of the first drive signal or the second drive signal.

18 . The portable consumer electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the first column of touch nodes and the second column of touch nodes are adjacent columns in the two-dimensional array of touch nodes.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17326249 · May 20, 2021
Provisional Application 63032523 · May 29, 2020
Related Publication 20230118216A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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