IP Library Granted Patent US 9,372,579
Granted Patent B2
US 9,372,579 · App. 12/606,934 · Granted Jun 21, 2016

Touchscreen electrode arrangement

Inventor: Harald Philipp (Hamble, GB)
Assignee: Atmel Corporation
G06F3/044
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,372,579
App. No.
12/606,934
Granted
Jun 21, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A touchscreen display assembly has an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen display assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen. An array of second electrodes is distributed across an active area of the touchscreen display assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen. The position in the first direction of an input on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrodes density in the area of the input.

Claims (38)

1. An assembly, comprising:

an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen;

an array of second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen; and

wherein the position in the first direction of an input on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrode density in the area of the input.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to a first external electrical connection and the second electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to a second external electrical connection.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the density of first and second electrodes changes by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes present across the first direction.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an array of third electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen; wherein the first and second electrodes are drive electrodes, and the third electrodes are receive electrodes such that the first and second electrodes.interact with the third electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprise at least one of metal wire, fine line metal, indium tin oxide, and a conductive polymer.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are nonintersecting in the active area of the touchscreen.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen assembly comprises at least one of a self- capacitance touchscreen, a mutual capacitance touchscreen, and a resistive touchscreen.

8. A method, comprising:

driving an array of first electrodes with a first drive signal, the first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen;

driving an array of second electrodes with a second drive signal, the second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen; and

wherein the position in the first direction of an input on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second density in the area of the input.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to the first drive signal, and the second electrodes are directly coupled to one another and to the second drive signal.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the density of first and second electrodes changes by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes present in the first direction.

11. The method of claim 8 receiving a mutual capacitive coupled signal from at least one of the first and second electrodes in an array of third electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen, such that the first and second electrodes interact with the third electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first, second, and third electrodes are nonintersecting in the active area of the touchscreen.

13. A method, comprising:

forming an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen;

forming an array of second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen; and

wherein the position in the first direction of a finger on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrode density in the area of the finger.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

directly coupling the first electrodes to one another and to a first external electrical connection; and

directly coupling the second electrodes to one another and to a second external electrical connection.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an array of third electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen, such that the first and second electrodes interact with the third electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen display.

16. The method of forming a touchscreen of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third electrodes comprise at least one of fine line metal, indium tin oxide, and a conductive polymer.

17. The method of forming a touchscreen of claim 15 , wherein the first, second, and third electrodes are nonintersecting in, the active area of the touchscreen.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen display comprising an array of first and second electrodes;

the array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen display assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen;

the array of second electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen display assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen; and

wherein the position in the first direction of an input on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrode density in the area of the input.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , further comprising an array of third electrodes distributed approximately evenly across the touchscreen such that the first and second electrodes interact with the third electrodes via mutual capacitance to form a mutual capacitance touchscreen display.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, an appliance, a computer, an automatic teller machine, and a kiosk.

21. An assembly, comprising:

an array comprising one or more pairs of first and second electrodes distributed across an active area of a touchscreen, such that the position of an input on the touchscreen can be determined by the proportion of first and second electrode density in the area of the input.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the density of first and second electrodes is changed by varying the proportion of first and second electrodes formed across the first direction.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059262/0105 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059333/0222 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050987/0430 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050986/0798 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: ATMEL CORPORATION
To: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050950/0594 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047103/0206 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046426/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: ATMEL CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 041715/0747 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Apr 7, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038376/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2014
From: ATMEL CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC. AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 031912/0173 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2009
From: QRG LIMITED
To: ATMEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023656/0538 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2009
From: PHILIPP, HARALD
To: QRG LIMITED
Reel/Frame 023638/0038 →
Continuity (1)
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