Rotatable electronic equipment and automobile display

Abstract

The invention discloses a rotatable electronic device and an automobile display. The rotatable electronic device is used for being installed on a sensor electrode grid of a touch-sensitive display panel. The rotatable device includes a fixed base and a knob assembly mounted over the fixed base. The fixed base has a bottom surface including a plurality of coupling electrodes. When the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the grid of sensor electrodes, the coupling electrodes each align and cover at least one of the sensor electrodes such that two of the coupling electrodes align and cover a respective pair of edge adjacent sensor electrodes of the grid. Manual rotation of the knob causes accompanying rotation of the rotatable conductive region in the knob, and manual depression of the knob causes the switch to change coupling from one of the two coupling electrodes to the other of the two coupling electrodes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to automotive displays, and more particularly to rotatable electronic devices for touch-sensitive display panels and automotive displays including rotatable electronic devices. Background Art

[0002] A mechanical component, such as a rotatable knob, may be a desirable feature for integration with a touch-sensitive display panel in a vehicle. Figure 1 A prior art rotatable knob 20 is shown positioned above a sensor grid 22. Such a knob and sensor grid are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,921,913 to Synaptics Incorporated, and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the sensor grid 22, sensors 24, 26 are used to sense the rotation of the knob 20, and sensor 28 is used to sense push / touch. Unused sensors 30, 32 are located between active sensors 24, 26, 28. This arrangement can help avoid crosstalk or parasitic capacitance between adjacent sensors. For two sensors that are adjacent at the edge (e.g., 24 / 30, 28 / 30, 26 / 32, 28 / 32), it may be difficult to fully discern their states (e.g., signal / no signal).

[0003] Therefore, given the constraints of the sensor grid 22 , there are challenges in trying to reduce the size of the knob 20 . Figure 1 The knob 20 is exemplified as having a diameter of about 40 mm. In order to avoid the active electrodes adjacent to the edges, Figure 2 The arrangement can be used with active sensors 24, 26, 28, 34 and unused sensors 30, 32, 36. However, as shown, the diameter of the knob 40 must be at least about 30 mm. Any smaller diameter will result in the active sensor edges being adjacent or too close to work properly. Summary of the invention

[0004] An exemplary display panel for a vehicle includes a rotatable electronic device for mounting on a sensor electrode grid of a touch-sensitive display panel. Each individual sensor electrode in the sensor electrode grid has a plurality of adjacent sensor electrodes, the plurality of adjacent sensor electrodes including a plurality of edge-adjacent electrodes and one or more diagonally adjacent electrodes. The rotatable electronic device includes a fixed base and a knob assembly disposed above the fixed base. The fixed base has a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface including a plurality of coupling electrodes, and the top surface including a plurality of fixed conductive areas, each of the plurality of fixed conductive areas being electrically connected to a different coupling electrode in the coupling electrodes. When the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the coupling electrodes each align with and cover at least one sensor electrode in the sensor electrodes, so that two of the coupling electrodes align with and cover a corresponding pair of edge-adjacent sensor electrodes of the grid. The knob assembly includes a knob, a momentary switch, and a plurality of rotatable conductive areas, the plurality of rotatable conductive areas being configured to at least partially align with the fixed conductive areas of the fixed base. Manual rotation of the knob causes concomitant rotation of the rotatable conductive region, and manual depression of the knob causes the switch to change coupling from one of the two coupling electrodes to the other of the two coupling electrodes.

[0005] In various embodiments, the two coupling electrodes include a first edge-adjacent coupling electrode and a second edge-adjacent coupling electrode, and the plurality of coupling electrodes includes a third coupling electrode diagonally adjacent to the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode and distal from the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode.

[0006] In various embodiments, the plurality of coupling electrodes includes a fourth coupling electrode that is diagonally adjacent to the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode and distal from the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode.

[0007] In various embodiments, the sensor electrode grid is organized into rows and columns of sensor electrodes, and wherein the first coupling electrode, the second coupling electrode, the third coupling electrode, and the fourth coupling electrode are arranged on a fixed base such that when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid with the first coupling electrode and the second coupling electrode aligned and covering the sensor electrodes within a single row or a single column of the grid, the third coupling electrode and the fourth coupling electrode are both aligned and covering the sensor electrodes within an adjacent single row or an adjacent single column, respectively.

[0008] In various embodiments, the knob assembly includes a rotating wheel having a bottom side, the bottom side including a rotatable conductive area, the rotating wheel and the switch are disposed within the knob, the knob is capable of axial translation between a raised position and a depressed position, wherein the knob is biased toward the raised position, and the knob physically engages the switch to change it from a first state to a second state when manually moved to the depressed position.

[0009] In various embodiments, the knob is a conductive knob, and the rotatable conductive region includes a first radially spaced conductive ring and a second radially spaced conductive ring, wherein a switch is connected in a circuit between the conductive knob, the first conductive ring, and the second conductive ring, such that when the switch is in a first state, the switch electrically connects the conductive knob to the first conductive ring, and when the switch is in a second state, the switch electrically connects the conductive knob to the second conductive ring.

[0010] In various embodiments, the knob is biased toward the raised position by a plurality of metal springs and is electrically connected to the switch via at least one of the metal springs.

[0011] In various embodiments, each of the plurality of fixed conductive regions is configured to physically contact a bottom side of the rotating wheel at each of the rotatable conductive regions.

[0012] In various embodiments, the sensor electrode has a width W and a height H, and the fixed base has an outer peripheral diameter in the range of 4 to 6 times the larger of W and H. In various embodiments, the smaller of W and H is greater than 0.8 times the larger of W and H, but less than 1.0 times the larger of W and H.

[0013] In various embodiments, the rotatable wheel and the fixed base are configured such that when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the rotatable electronic device provides internal capacitive coupling with a first set of sensor electrodes and external capacitive coupling with a second set of sensor electrodes.

[0014] In various embodiments, the plurality of coupling electrodes include a pair of rotation sensing electrodes, which cover and align with a corresponding pair of sensor electrodes in a first set of sensor electrodes when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, and wherein the plurality of coupling electrodes also include touch coupling electrodes and push coupling electrodes, which cover and align with a corresponding pair of sensor electrodes in a second set of sensor electrodes when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid.

[0015] In various embodiments, the touch coupling electrode and the push coupling electrode include two coupling electrodes that align with and cover a pair of edge-adjacent sensor electrodes of the grid when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid.

[0016] In various embodiments, an automotive display includes a rotatable electronic device and a display panel.

[0017] In various embodiments, the display panel is an in-cell touch and display driver integrated display.

[0018] It is contemplated that any number of the individual features of the above-described embodiments and any other embodiments depicted in the following drawings or description may be combined in any combination to define the invention, except where the features are incompatible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the following drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a rotatable knob and a sensor grid according to the prior art;

[0021] Figure 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a partially reduced-size rotatable knob and sensor grid;

[0022] Figure 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a rotatable electronic device for mounting to a sensor electrode grid of a touch-sensitive display panel, the rotatable electronic device having a knob and a fixed base coupled to the touch-sensitive display panel;

[0023] Figure 4 is used for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a grid of a rotatable electronic device;

[0024] Figure 5 The switch coupling electrodes on the rotatable electronic device are shown, with their locations schematically overlaid in dotted lines. Figure 4 on the grid;

[0025] Figure 6 Shows Figure 3 a bottom surface of a fixed base of a rotatable electronic device, wherein components of a top surface of the fixed base are shown in dotted line form;

[0026] Figure 7 Shows Figure 3 a top surface of a fixed base of a rotatable electronic device;

[0027] Figure 8 The top surface of the rotating wheel is shown with a switch for selectively activating Figure 4 sensors in a sensor grid of, wherein a portion of a bottom surface of the rotating wheel is shown in dotted form;

[0028] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 a bottom surface of a rotating wheel of , wherein a portion of the top surface is shown in dotted line form;

[0029] Fig.10 Schematically shows Figure 3 knobs and switches and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a first state of an active sensor in a sensor grid;

[0030] Fig.11 Schematically shows Figure 3 knobs and switches and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a second state of an active sensor in a sensor grid;

[0031] Fig.12 Schematically illustrates Figure 4 The knob and sensor grid shows the differences in sizes that can be achieved;

[0032] Fig.13 Shows that it is possible to Figure 3 A top surface of another embodiment of a fixed base for use with a rotatable electronic device; and

[0033] Fig.14 Shows Fig.13 The bottom surface of the fixed base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] A rotatable electronic device is described herein that is capable of using closely positioned sensors on a sensor electrode grid in a touch-sensitive display panel. Typically, the simultaneous use of edge-adjacent sensors can produce undesirable crosstalk or parasitic capacitance. However, in an embodiment of the present invention, a knob assembly of a rotatable electronic device can ultimately use edge-adjacent sensors by switching capacitive coupling from one edge-adjacent coupling electrode to another edge-adjacent coupling electrode. This effectively prevents two edge-adjacent sensors from being active at the same time while maintaining functionality (e.g., touch versus push sensing while rotating), thereby obtaining a smaller knob and maintaining sufficient signal discrimination.

[0035] Figure 31 is an exploded view of a rotatable electronic device 100 located above a touch-sensitive display panel 102 schematically illustrated and mounted in an interior panel 104 of an automobile. The rotatable electronic device 100 includes a knob assembly 106 disposed above a fixed base 108 and rotatable relative to the fixed base. The fixed base 108 of the rotatable electronic device 100 is mounted on the display panel 102, and more specifically mounted to the sensor electrode grid 110 of the display panel 102. The rotatable electronic device 100 can be attached to the display panel 102 using an adhesive layer 112, or other attachment methods are certainly possible. In addition, in addition to those layers and subcomponents specifically described with respect to the rotatable electronic device 100, other layers and subcomponents may also be included, such as one or more sensors, conductive electronic layers, or other functional and / or aesthetic subcomponents. In addition, with respect to the display panel 102, additional lenses, filters, protective layers, etc. may exist according to the desired specific implementation.

[0036] As will be described in further detail below, the fixed base 108 of the rotatable electronic device 100 is mounted to the display panel 102 so that there is no relative movement of the fixed base 108 relative to the display panel 102, but then the knob assembly 106 portion of the rotatable electronic device 100 is configured to move relative to the display panel 102 and the automotive interior panel 104. In this embodiment, the knob assembly 106 is configured to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise C, AC relative to the display panel 102. In addition, the knob assembly 106 is configured to be pushed in the Z direction relative to the display panel 102. The final direction of movement will depend on the specifications of the automotive interior panel 104 and may be adjusted with the vehicle interior panel 104. Figure 3 The schematic diagrams illustrated are different. For example, the rotatable electronic device 100 can be used on a car display 114 to input information related to the vehicle's infotainment or HVAC system, which is integrated on a dashboard as a car interior panel 104. Other specific implementations are of course possible, such as integration on a car seat, steering wheel, console, mirror, door panel, etc. The movement and resulting functionality of the electronic device 100 may also be different from the movement and resulting functionality specifically described herein, but in this particular specific implementation, rotation (C, AC) and propulsion (Z) are effectively accommodated.

[0037] The touch-sensitive display panel 102 is advantageously an in-cell touch and display driver integrated (TDDI) display 116, which includes a grid 110, an integrated circuit 118, and an application processor 120. The application processor 120 may include a processor and / or memory, a microprocessor, a controller, a transmitter / receiver, or in some embodiments, may be an independent controller, a module, etc. that is otherwise integrated with the vehicle. The TDDI display 116 integrates the touch sensor grid 110 and the display electrodes in a thin layer, and the rotatable electronic device 100 can use the features of the display panel 102 and the touch sensor grid 110 to help give functionality within the vehicle. The adjustment of the vehicle functionality (for example, changing the temperature of the HVAC system by rotating the knob assembly 106 of the rotatable electronic device 100) will change according to the system specifications, and this adjustment can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, the input and adjustment from the assembly 100 can be controlled via a dedicated microcontroller or processor as described above, via another vehicle electronic device (such as a body control module), or in another operable manner.

[0038] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The sensor grid 110 of the display panel 102 is schematically illustrated. The grid 110 includes a plurality of individual sensor electrodes 122 (for clarity, only a few representative squares on the grid 110 are labeled, but in the illustrated embodiment, the entire grid 110 includes sensor electrodes 122). Relative to the reference electrode 124, it can be shown that each individual sensor electrode 122 includes a plurality of adjacent sensor electrodes D, E, which include a plurality of edge adjacent electrodes E and a plurality of diagonally adjacent electrodes D. The edge adjacent electrodes E share one or more complete sides or sometimes partial sides with the directly adjacent sensor electrodes 122. The diagonally adjacent electrodes D share corners with one or more diagonally adjacent sensor electrodes 122. In addition, a plurality of remote sensor electrodes R are spatially separated from the reference electrode 124 (and therefore from each individual sensor electrode 122). The remote sensor electrodes R are spatially separated from the reference electrode 124 by at least one sensor electrode of the adjacent sensor electrodes D, E. Because the alignment description of adjacent sensor electrodes D, E and remote sensor electrode R is used to positionally orient individual sensor electrodes 122 relative to each other, the reference electrode 124 may be located in other locations on the sensor grid 110 .

[0039] The sensor grid 110 includes a plurality of sensor rows 126 and sensor columns 128. Each sensor row 126 includes a plurality of individual sensor electrodes 122, and each sensor column 128 includes a plurality of individual sensor electrodes 122. The number of rows 126, columns 128, and individual sensor electrodes 122 will depend on the overall specifications of the display panel 102 and may vary from the number specifically illustrated. Figure 5 As shown, it is possible to use a smaller area for the bottom surface 130 of the knob assembly 106 while maintaining sufficient signal discrimination and improving functionality. Therefore, with each individual sensor electrode 122 having a height H and a width W, using a smaller number of total sensor electrodes 122 while not changing the area of ​​each sensor electrode H×W can free up additional space on the sensor grid 110 for other functions and input / output.

[0040] As described in detail herein, this is desirable if the two edge-adjacent sensor electrodes E, E are not simultaneously used for capacitive coupling through the rotatable electronic device 100. However, to accommodate the smaller knob assembly 106, the edge-adjacent sensor electrodes 122 may need to be selectively coupled to the rotatable electronic device 100 to avoid the two edge-adjacent sensor electrodes from simultaneously detecting coupling capacitance. Figure 5 The position of the knob assembly 106 is shown in phantom, with the bottom surface 130 of the fixed base 108 illustrating the fixed base (also shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 6 102). In the illustrated implementation, coupling electrodes A, B are used to provide input related to the rotation of knob assembly 106, and coupling electrodes T, P are used to provide touch signals or push signals, respectively, related to the Z position of knob assembly 106 relative to display panel 102. Additionally, in some or all of reserved areas 132, sensor electrodes 122 may be driven with a reference signal (e.g., 0V or other DC voltage) and correspond to electrodes G on the bottom surface 130 of fixed base 108, which couple to the reference signal from the underlying sensor electrodes 122 of display panel 102. The various locations of coupling electrodes A, B, T, P, electrodes G, and thus their corresponding sensor electrodes 122 may vary beyond the locations explicitly illustrated. As described in further detail below, while it can be advantageous to have the sensor electrodes 122 of T, P adjacent to each other at their edges, these sensor electrodes can be located in alternative locations on grid 110 depending on the desired circuit system configuration.

[0041] Combination Figure 5 Back to Figure 3, the display panel 102 as a TDDI display 116 is configured to provide a sensing signal 134 to a first coupling electrode T, a second coupling electrode P, a third coupling electrode A, and a fourth coupling electrode B via sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, and 122-4. In this embodiment, the independent coupling electrodes T, P, A, B cooperate only with a single sensor electrode 122, and each coupling electrode allows for some varying sensing functionality. Figure 5 As shown, the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B are aligned and cover the sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4, respectively. As shown, the coupling electrodes T, P cover a corresponding pair of edge-adjacent E (E sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2) of the grid 110. Therefore, the two coupling electrodes T, P include a first edge-adjacent coupling electrode and a second edge-adjacent coupling electrode. The coupling electrode A is diagonally adjacent D to the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode T, and the coupling electrode A is far away from R the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode P. In addition, the coupling electrode B is a fourth coupling electrode, which is diagonally adjacent D to the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode P and far away from R the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode T. With this arrangement and in the case where the grid 110 of the sensor electrodes 122 is organized into rows 126 and columns 128, the first coupling electrode T, the second coupling electrode P, the third coupling electrode A, and the fourth coupling electrode B are also at least partially aligned to the corresponding rows or columns. For example, when the rotatable electronic device 100 is mounted on the grid 110 with the first coupling electrode T and the second coupling electrode P aligned and covering the sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2 within a single row or a single column (here, a single column 128), the third coupling electrode A and the fourth coupling electrode B are aligned and cover the sensor electrodes 122-3, 122-4 within the directly adjacent single row or directly adjacent single column (here, a single column 128 with two sensor electrodes 122-3, 122-4). Similarly, depending on the orientation and size of the display 102 and the grid 110, the orientation of the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B can be changed, but the arrangement illustrated advantageously can help reduce the size of the knob, make the appearance of the vehicle interior smooth, and maintain functionality. In addition, although T, P, A, B are used for sensing, touching, pushing, rotating (A / B), these are only examples, and the coupling electrodes can be used to sense other characteristics or promote other knob-related functionality.

[0042] As described above, in addition to the sensing signal 134, the reference signal 136 drives the sensor electrodes 122 in the reserved area 132. Thus, in some or all of the reserved areas in the reserved area 132, the sensor electrodes 122 can be driven with the reference signal 136 (e.g., 0V or other DC voltage), and the electrode G can receive the reference signal from the underlying grid 110. The sensing signal 134 drives the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B, and the reference signal 136 drives the coupling electrode G. In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B and the electrode G are electrically isolated. However, advantageously, given a more compact configuration, the rotatable electronic device 100 can be operated such that the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B are electrically isolated even if there are no intervening inactive sensor electrodes 122 (i.e., more physical separation than edge-adjacent E and / or diagonally adjacent D configurations). In addition, one or more guard signals 138 can be provided. This can be used to substantially deactivate a particular sensor electrode 122. The guard signal 138 may also be used in conjunction with the sense signal 134 to sense rotational speed and direction using the coupled electrodes A, B.

[0043] The fixed base 108 of the rotatable electronic device 100 includes a bottom surface 130 and a top surface 140 opposite the bottom surface. Therefore, the bottom surface 130 directly faces the sensor grid 110, while the top surface 140 directly faces the various components of the knob assembly 106. A side wall 142 can be provided to structurally accommodate or at least partially accommodate a rotating wheel 144 with a switch 146, a rotational translation section 148, a bearing 150, and one or more springs 152, 154 of the knob assembly 106. In addition, the side wall 142 can help serve as an internal structural support for the knob 156 of the knob assembly 106, which, in this embodiment, includes a conductive member 158 that covers the fixed base 108 and the remaining components of the knob assembly 108 described above.

[0044] Figure 6 The bottom surface 130 of the fixed base 108 is shown, and Figure 7 The top surface 140 of the fixed base 108 is shown. As shown, the bottom surface 130 of the fixed base has coupling electrodes T, P, A, B. The coupling electrodes T, P, A, B can be integrated with the fixed base 108 or attached to or otherwise attached to the bottom surface 130. The top surface 140 has a plurality of fixed conductive areas 160, which include a fixed first ring 162 and a second ring 164 and fixed areas 166, 168. The fixed first ring 162 and the second ring 164 are conductive areas that are electrically connected to the coupling sensors T, P using through holes 170, 172, respectively. The fixed areas 166, 168 are also conductive and help sense rotation in conjunction with the coupling electrodes A, B and the rotating wheel 144. The configuration of the fixed base 108 can be similar to Figure 6 and Figure 7 106, but advantageously, as described in further detail below, the fixed base 108 facilitates signal transmission between the knob assembly 106 and the underlying sensor grid 110 of the display panel 102. Generally speaking, the fixed base 108 does not rotate or pivot relative to the display panel 102, and the fixed base is at least partially located between the display panel 102 and the knob assembly 106, thereby exchanging signals between the movable rotating wheel 144 and the underlying sensor grid 110.

[0045] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The top surface 174 and the bottom surface 176 of the rotating wheel 144 are illustrated respectively. The rotating wheel 144 is part of the knob assembly 106, and therefore, the rotating wheel rotates relative to the fixed base 108 and the display panel 102. The rotating wheel 144 includes a rotatable conductive area 178, which is configured to cooperate with the fixed conductive area 160 and the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B of the fixed base 108. The rotatable conductive area 178 includes a rotatable first conductive ring 180 and a second conductive ring 182 and a rotatable conductive area 184. Since the illustrated representations are only operational examples, rearrangements, alternative configurations, etc. of these areas 160, 178 are of course possible. In addition, the rotating wheel 144 can be concentric with the fixed base 108 and similar in size, or in other embodiments, the rotating wheel can be larger or smaller than the fixed base (e.g., in diameter).

[0046] The fixed conductive area 160 on the fixed base 108 and the rotatable conductive area 178 on the rotating wheel 144 are designed to cooperate with each other and ultimately with the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B and the sensor grid 110. More specifically, in this embodiment, the first rotatable conductive ring 180 is designed to selectively pass signals to the first fixed ring 162, which is then connected to the coupling electrode T using the through hole 170. The second rotatable conductive ring 182 is designed to selectively pass signals to the second fixed ring 164, which is then connected to the coupling electrode P using the through hole 172. Manual rotation of the knob 156 causes concomitant rotation of the rotatable conductive area 178, and more specifically, causes concomitant rotation of the rotatable conductive area 184. The rotation of the rotatable conductive area 184 can be picked up via the fixed areas 166, 168 and the coupling electrodes A, B. Each of the rotatable conductive regions 184 and each of the fixed regions 166 , 168 have an equal arc length AL, which together with the radial spacing and placement of the rotatable conductive region and the fixed region relative to each other allows the rotation speed and direction (C, AC) to be determined.

[0047] The rotating wheel 144 includes a switch 146 for selectively activating the coupling electrodes T, P so as to minimize crosstalk between all sensing coupling electrodes T, P, A, B during operation of the rotatable electronic device 100. The switch 146 is advantageously a momentary single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch having a common input terminal 186 together with a normally closed (NC) output terminal 188 and a normally open (NO) output terminal 190. Other configurations of the switch 146 are certainly possible, and the switch may have more inputs / outputs than those specifically illustrated. As shown, the common input terminal 186 is connected to a conductive pad 192. In specific reference to Figure 3 In the case of a conductive knob 156, the conductive pad 192 is in contact with the longest metal spring 152 which itself mechanically and electrically contacts the inner surface of the conductive knob, and is therefore able to detect capacitance or capacitance changes relative to the conductive knob 156 when the conductive knob is touched or pushed by a user. The materials used for the cover 158, spring 152, various pads and electrodes, etc. are preferably selected to be operable to detect and / or allow capacitance changes. Metal-based materials can be used, as can other sufficiently conductive materials. Structurally, the spring 152 is longer than the other springs 154, all of which are used to bias the cover 158 and knob 156 away from the display panel 102. Therefore, the conductive spring 152 has a dual purpose (conductive and mechanical bias) in this embodiment, but in other specific implementations, it is possible to capacitively couple the user's touch to the switch input terminal 186.

[0048] The conductive spring 152 is electrically coupled to the conductive pad 192 and the common input terminal 186 of the switch 146. If the switch button 194 is not depressed, the electrical coupling will be conducted to the NC output 188, which is electrically coupled to the first rotatable conductive ring 180, the first fixed conductive ring 162, the coupling electrode T, and the underlying sensor electrode 122-1. If the switch button 194 is depressed, the electrical coupling will be conducted to the NO output terminal 190, which is electrically coupled to the second rotatable conductive ring 182, the second fixed conductive ring 164, the coupling electrode P, and the underlying sensor electrode 122-2. It should also be noted that the switch button 194 and the switch 146 can have different configurations, such as lever arms or buttons in alternating configurations, or poles and throws in different configurations. However, this particular arrangement effectively uses the T, P coupling electrodes, thereby taking advantage of the fact that the T signal is no longer needed when the knob 156 is depressed, because the push only occurs when there is a touch on the knob. This allows rotatable electronic device 100 to differentiate between a user touching and / or turning knob 156 and a user pushing and / or turning the knob, thereby facilitating functionality while minimizing sensor grid 110 space.

[0049] Fig.10 and Fig.11An exemplary first state 200 and a second state 202 of the switch 146 are schematically illustrated. More specifically, Fig.10 and Fig.11 Manual depression of knob 156 is illustrated to cause switch 146 to change capacitive coupling from one of the two coupling electrodes to the other of the two coupling electrodes (eg, Fig.10 The first state 200 with the coupling electrode T and Fig.11 202) with coupling electrode P. Figure 3 As discussed, the knob 156 is biased away from the display 102 and toward the raised position RK. Since the knob 156 is axially translatable, the knob can be manually moved to the depressed position DK (see Fig.11 ). When the knob 156 is in the raised position RK (see Fig.10 ), the switch button 194 of the switch 146 is also in the raised position RS. When the knob 156 is in the depressed position DK (see Fig.11 ), the switch button 194 of the switch 146 is also depressed within the knob assembly 106, which forces the switch arm 196 to transition from the NC terminal 188 to the NO terminal 190. Thus, when the knob 156 is manually moved to the depressed position DK, the switch 146 is physically engaged to change it from the first state 200 to the second state 202. As described above with respect to the features of the rotating wheel 144 and the fixed base 108, this allows the coupling electrodes T, P to be only selectively active, thereby avoiding the simultaneous use of the edge-adjacent sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2. Thus, as Fig.10 As shown, when the user 198 touches the conductive cover 158, the signal is transmitted to the T coupling electrode. When the knob 156 moves to the depressed position DK, the signal is switched from the T coupling electrode to the P coupling electrode. In addition, in this embodiment, the touch / push state or the first state 200 / second state 202 can be determined using the absolute value of each input from the sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2 and / or using the difference in the value of the input from each sensor electrode 122-1, 122-2.

[0050] The switch 146 arrangement helps facilitate external capacitive coupling with the sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2 via the coupling electrodes T, P, respectively. The user 198 acts as an external capacitance source, i.e., a capacitance source located outside the rotatable electronic device 100 and the display 102. Since the knob 156 is conductive, a capacitive signal or capacitance change can be applied to the knob 156 by the user 198 and conducted via the spring 152, the conductive pad 192 on the rotating wheel 144, the switch 146, the rotatable and fixed conductive rings 180, 182, 162, 164, the coupling sensors T, P, and finally the edge adjacent sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2. On the other hand, the other coupling sensors A, B utilize internal capacitive coupling to sense rotation. Internal capacitive coupling is capacitive coupling of different sensor electrodes via one or more circuits within the knob assembly 106, and does not rely on an external capacitance source such as a user's finger. Here, manual rotation of AC, C causes the rotating wheel 144 and the rotatable conductive area 184 to rotate relative to the fixed base 108, on which the fixed conductive areas 166, 168 are used to connect the coupling sensors A, B and the underlying sensor electrodes 122-3, 122-4, thereby forming a capacitive coupling circuit from those electrodes 122-3, 122-4 through the knob assembly 108 and via the G electrode of the fixed base 106 back to the reference voltage sensor electrode 132.

[0051] refer to Fig.12 , selective activation of the coupling electrodes T, P allows edge-adjacent sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2 to be strategically used to sense coupling capacitance from the electronic device 100, thereby more efficiently utilizing the space in the sensor grid 110. This allows a smaller diameter D (about 24 mm in this embodiment) of the fixed base 108 without sacrificing sensing functionality. In the illustrated example, each H×W of each sensor electrode 122 is about 5 mm×5 mm, but it is possible to have sensor electrodes of other sizes or other shapes (e.g., rectangular shapes). However, it may be advantageous for the sensor configuration to have a H:W ratio that is closer to 1:1. In such an embodiment, the smaller of W and H should be at least 0.8 times the larger of W and H. Therefore, if W is 5 mm, H is between 4.0 mm and 5.0 mm. Additionally, to achieve adequate spacing and functionality between the coupling electrodes T, P, A, B and the sensor electrodes 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4, it is possible to make the diameter D of the fixed base 108 in the range of 4 to 6 times the larger of W and H, or more specifically, in the range of 4 to 5 times the larger of W and H. Fig.12 These specific size ratios help optimize the use and functionality of sensor grid 110 while improving detection capabilities.

[0052] Fig.13 and Fig.14 Another embodiment of a fixed base 208 is shown, which has Fig.13 The bottom surface 230 and Fig.14 The top surface 240 is shown. Fig.13 As shown in the bottom view of FIG. 1 , a plurality of through holes 265 can be provided for wiring, thereby helping to connect a plurality of springs 267 configured to contact the rotating wheel 144. The plurality of springs 267 serve as a plurality of fixed conductive areas 260 to help create a physical coupling between the rotating wheel 144 and the fixed base 208, rather than air coupling. Given this physical connection, in some embodiments, it is possible to make the coupling electrodes A, B, T, P an integral part of each fixed conductive area 260 or spring 267 (for example, if the spring 267 extends through the fixed base 208 by a welding line from the top surface 240 to the bottom surface 230).

[0053] It should be understood that the above is a description of one or more embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is limited only by the following appended claims. In addition, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to specific embodiments and should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present invention or the definitions of the terms used in the claims, unless the terms or phrases are clearly defined above. For those skilled in the art, various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the embodiments disclosed by the present invention will become apparent. All such other embodiments, changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0054] As used in this specification and claims, the terms "example," "for example," "for example," "such as," and "similar," and the verbs "include," "have," "comprise," and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a list of one or more components or other items, should each be interpreted as open-ended, meaning that the list should not be considered to exclude other additional components or items. Other terms should be interpreted using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation. In addition, the term "and / or" will be interpreted as an inclusive OR. Thus, for example, the phrase "A, B, and / or C" will be interpreted to cover all of the following: "A"; "B"; "C"; "A and B"; "A and C"; "B and C"; and "A, B, and C."

Claims

1. A rotatable electronic device for mounting to a sensor electrode grid of a touch sensitive display panel, wherein each individual sensor electrode in the sensor electrode grid has a plurality of adjacent sensor electrodes, the plurality of adjacent sensor electrodes comprising a plurality of edge adjacent electrodes and one or more diagonally adjacent electrodes, and wherein the rotatable electronic device comprises: a fixed base having a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface comprising a plurality of coupling electrodes, and the top surface comprising a plurality of fixed conductive areas, each of the plurality of fixed conductive areas being electrically connected to a different one of the coupling electrodes, wherein when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, each of the coupling electrodes aligns with and covers at least one of the sensor electrodes such that two of the coupling electrodes align with and cover a corresponding pair of edge-adjacent sensor electrodes of the grid; and a knob assembly disposed above the fixed base and rotatable relative to the fixed base, wherein the knob assembly includes a knob, a momentary switch, and a plurality of rotatable conductive regions configured to at least partially align with the fixed conductive regions of the fixed base, wherein manual rotation of the knob causes concomitant rotation of the rotatable conductive regions, and wherein manual depression of the knob causes the switch to change coupling from one of the two coupling electrodes to the other of the two coupling electrodes.

2. The rotatable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the two coupling electrodes include a first edge-adjacent coupling electrode and a second edge-adjacent coupling electrode, and wherein the plurality of coupling electrodes include a third coupling electrode, the third coupling electrode being diagonally adjacent to the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode and being away from the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode. 3 . The rotatable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of coupling electrodes includes a fourth coupling electrode that is diagonally adjacent to the second edge-adjacent coupling electrode and is distant from the first edge-adjacent coupling electrode.

4. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor electrode grid is organized into rows and columns of the sensor electrodes, and wherein the first coupling electrode, the second coupling electrode, the third coupling electrode and the fourth coupling electrode are arranged on the fixed base so that when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid with the first coupling electrode and the second coupling electrode aligned and covering the sensor electrodes within a single row or a single column of the grid, the third coupling electrode and the fourth coupling electrode are aligned and cover the sensor electrodes within an adjacent single row or an adjacent single column, respectively.

5. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the knob assembly includes a rotating wheel having a bottom side, the bottom side including the rotatable conductive area, the rotating wheel and the switch are disposed within the knob, the knob is capable of axial translation between a raised position and a depressed position, wherein the knob is biased toward the raised position, and the knob physically engages the switch to change it from a first state to a second state when manually moved to the depressed position.

6. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the knob is a conductive knob, and the rotatable conductive area includes a first radially spaced conductive ring and a second radially spaced conductive ring, wherein the switch is connected in a circuit between the conductive knob, the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring, so that when the switch is in the first state, the switch electrically connects the conductive knob to the first conductive ring, and when the switch is in the second state, the switch electrically connects the conductive knob to the second conductive ring. 7 . The rotatable electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein the knob is biased toward the raised position by a plurality of metal springs and is electrically connected to the switch via at least one of the metal springs. 8 . The rotatable electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of fixed conductive areas is configured to physically contact the bottom side of the rotating wheel at each of the rotatable conductive areas. 9 . The rotatable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor electrode has a width W and a height H, and the fixed base has an outer peripheral diameter in the range of 4 to 6 times the larger of W and H. 10 . The rotatable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the smaller of W and H is greater than 0.8 times the larger of W and H but less than 1.0 times the larger of W and H.

11. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable wheel and the fixed base are configured such that when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the rotatable electronic device provides internal capacitive coupling with a first set of sensor electrodes and external capacitive coupling with a second set of sensor electrodes.

12. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of coupling electrodes include a pair of rotation sensing electrodes, and when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the pair of rotation sensing electrodes cover and align with a corresponding pair of sensor electrodes in a first set of sensor electrodes, and wherein the plurality of coupling electrodes also include touch coupling electrodes and push coupling electrodes, and when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the touch coupling electrodes and the push coupling electrodes cover and align with a corresponding pair of sensor electrodes in a second set of sensor electrodes.

13. A rotatable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the touch coupling electrode and the push coupling electrode include the two coupling electrodes, and when the rotatable electronic device is mounted on the sensor electrode grid, the two coupling electrodes are aligned with and cover the pair of edge adjacent sensor electrodes of the grid.

14. A car display comprising the rotatable electronic device according to claim 1 and a display panel.

15. The automotive display of claim 14, wherein the display panel is an in-cell touch and display driver integrated display.

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