Segmented capacitive sensor and related systems, methods, and apparatus

Abstract

Segmented sensors and related systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, a capacitive sensor includes a first grid of sensor lines, a second grid of sensor lines, and an isolation region defined between the first grid of sensor lines and the second grid of sensor lines. Touch controllers and related systems, methods, and apparatus configured to be operably coupled to a segmented sensor and to detect touches at the segmented sensor are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a connector of the touch controller is configured to be operably coupled to sensing lines from different segments of the segmented sensor, and the touch controller is configured to detect touches at the different segments.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application filed on June 28, 2019, with international application number PCT / US2019 / 039901 and Chinese national application date of June 28, 2019, with application number 201980043439.3, entitled "Segmented Capacitive Sensor and Related Systems, Methods and Apparatus".

[0002] Priority Statement

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 692363, entitled "A Segmented Capacitive Sensor, and Related Systems, Methods and Devices," filed June 29, 2018, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 216412, entitled "A Segmented Capacitive Sensor, and Related Systems, Methods and Devices," filed December 11, 2018, the contents and disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0004] This disclosure relates in general to capacitive sensors, and more specifically, certain embodiments relate to segmented sensors and capacitive sensing systems configured to use the segmented sensors. Background Technology

[0005] Touchscreen sensors may be characterized as a transparent conductive layer on top of a display (such as a smartphone, tablet, device interface, etc.) capable of detecting touch. Touchscreen sensors are typically arranged in a manner that can be represented as... n × m The matrix consists of rows and columns of conductors (i.e., electrically isolated lines of conductive material). Generally, these conductors may be referred to as sensor lines and can also be characterized as sensing lines. Each sensor may include multiple connectors on each axis, where rows and columns of lines terminate. Such connectors can be externally accessed (e.g., via pins) and can be operatively coupled, for example, to a touch controller including acquisition and processing circuitry configured to determine information about a touch detected at the touchscreen sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Although this disclosure concludes with claims that specifically point out and clearly claim protection for particular embodiments, the various features and advantages of embodiments within the scope of this disclosure can be more readily identified as follows.

[0007] Figure 1A A simplified block diagram of the conventional coupling between the touchscreen sensor and the touch controller is shown.

[0008] Figure 1B Another simplified block diagram shows the conventional coupling between the touchscreen sensor and the controller.

[0009] Figure 2 A simplified block diagram of a segmented capacitive sensor architecture according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 3A A simplified block diagram of a capacitance sensing system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, the capacitance sensing system utilizing a segmented capacitance sensor.

[0011] Figure 3B An exemplary touch is shown at a segmented capacitive sensor (represented as a grid) according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4A A flowchart of a touch processing procedure for a segmented sensor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 4B A flowchart of a touch processing procedure for a segmented sensor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 A functional block diagram of a touch controller according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, the touch controller being configured for use with a segmented sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0015] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description, and specific exemplary embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced are shown by way of example. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure. However, other embodiments may be utilized, and changes in structure, materials, and processes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] The illustrations presented herein are not intended to be actual views of any particular method, system, device, or structure, but are merely idealized representations used to describe embodiments of this disclosure. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For the reader's convenience, similar structures or components in the various drawings may retain the same or similar numbering; however, similarity in numbering does not imply that the structure or component must be identical in size, composition, configuration, or any other attribute.

[0017] It is readily understood that the components of the embodiments described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following description of various embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, but rather to represent various embodiments only. While various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0018] The following description may include examples to assist those skilled in the art in practicing the embodiments disclosed herein. The use of the terms “exemplary,” “by example,” and “for example” indicates that the related descriptions are illustrative, and while the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover examples and legal equivalents, the use of such terms is not intended to limit the embodiments or the scope of this disclosure to the specified parts, steps, features, or functions, etc.

[0019] Therefore, unless otherwise stated herein, the specific embodiments shown and described are merely examples and should not be construed as the only way to implement this disclosure. Components, circuits, and functions may be shown in block diagram form so as not to obscure this disclosure with unnecessary detail. Rather, the specific embodiments shown and described are merely exemplary and should not be construed as the only way to implement this disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein. Furthermore, block definitions and logical partitioning between blocks are examples of specific embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this disclosure can be practiced with many other partitioning solutions. In most cases, details regarding timing considerations, etc., have been omitted, where such details do not require a full understanding of this disclosure and are within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.

[0020] The information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and arts. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout this specification can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof. For clarity of presentation and description, some figures may show signals as single signals. Those skilled in the art will understand that signals may represent bus signals, wherein the bus may have various bit widths, and this disclosure can be implemented on any number of data signals comprising single data signals.

[0021] It should be understood that any reference to elements in this document using names such as "first," "second," etc., does not limit the number or order of these elements unless such limitation is explicitly stated. Rather, these names are used herein as a convenient way to distinguish two or more elements or two or more instances of a single element. Therefore, a reference to a first element and a second element does not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must somehow precede the second element. Moreover, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements may include one or more elements. Similarly, elements sometimes referred to in the singular may also include one or more instances of the element.

[0022] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor (also referred to herein as a host processor or simply a host) may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. When a general-purpose computer is configured to execute computational instructions (e.g., software code) associated with embodiments of this disclosure, the general-purpose computer including the processor is considered a special-purpose computer.

[0023] Furthermore, it should be noted that implementation schemes can be described based on processes depicted as flowcharts, diagrams, structural diagrams, or block diagrams. Although flowcharts can describe operational behaviors as a sequential process, many of these behaviors can be performed in another order, in parallel, or substantially simultaneously. Moreover, the order of actions can be rearranged. Processes can correspond to methods, threads, functions, programs, subroutines, subroutines, etc. Furthermore, the methods disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or both. If implemented in software, these functions can be stored or transferred as one or more instructions or code onto a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, which includes any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another.

[0024] As used herein, the terms “substantially” and “about” with respect to a given parameter, property, or condition mean and include the degree to which a given parameter, property, or condition satisfies the degree of variance (such as, within acceptable manufacturing tolerances) as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a parameter substantially or about a specified value could be at least about 90%, at least about 95%, at least about 99%, or even at least about 99.9% of the specified value.

[0025] As understood for the purposes of the embodiments described in this disclosure, a touchscreen sensor, or simply a “sensor,” is responsive to contact or proximity of an object (such as, but not limited to, a finger, stylus, or other detectable object) with the sensor’s touch-sensitive area. In this disclosure, “contact” and “touch” are intended to encompass both physical contact between an object and the touch-sensitive area and the presence of an object in the vicinity of the touch-sensitive area without physical contact. Actual physical contact with the sensor is not required.

[0026] When an object touches a touchscreen sensor, a change in capacitance can occur at or near the point of contact within the sensor. If the touch meets a certain threshold or other criterion, the analog acquisition front end can "detect" the touch. "Post-charge transfer" is a technique implemented in some touch acquisition front ends for detecting capacitance changes, in which a sensing capacitor is charged in response to the capacitance change (e.g., charged faster or slower), and the charge is transferred to an integrating capacitor over multiple charge transfer cycles. The amount of charge associated with this charge transfer can be converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital controller can process those digital signals to determine a measurement and whether an object has touched the sensor.

[0027] A self-capacitance sensor is a capacitive field sensor that detects / responds to changes in capacitance to ground. Self-capacitance sensors are typically arranged in an array of rows and columns that independently respond to touch. As a non-limiting example, a self-capacitance sensor may include circuitry employing a repetitive charge-to-transfer cycle, using a commonly integrated CMOS push-pull drive circuit with a floating terminal. A mutual capacitance sensor is a capacitive field sensor that detects / responds to changes in capacitance between two electrodes: a drive electrode and a sensing electrode. The drive electrode and sensing electrode pair form a capacitor at each intersection of the drive line and the sensing line. Self-capacitance and mutual capacitance arrangements and / or techniques can be used individually or in the same touch sensor and controller, and can be complementary to each other; for example, self-capacitance can be used to confirm touches detected using mutual capacitance.

[0028] For two-dimensional (2D) touch-sensitive surfaces that may be included in, for example, the touch-sensitive surface of a display, a touchscreen sensor may be overlaid in a 2D arrangement and may facilitate user interaction with the associated device. An insulating protective layer (e.g., resin, glass, plastic, etc.) may be used to cover the touch sensor. As used herein, a “touch display” is a display that includes a touchscreen sensor or is used in conjunction with an adjacent touchscreen sensor (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD, or a light-emitting diode (LED) display).

[0029] Using a touchscreen sensor (an example of a matrix sensor method employing mutual capacitance sensors with charge transfer technology), drive electrodes extend in rows on one side of a substrate, and sensing electrodes extend in columns on the other side of the substrate to define a “matrix” array of N×M nodes. Each node corresponds to the intersection between the conductive lines of the drive electrodes and the conductive lines of the sensing electrodes. The drive electrodes simultaneously drive all nodes in a given row, and the sensing electrodes sense all nodes in a given column. The capacitive coupling (mutual capacitance) of the drive and sensing electrodes at a node location, or the coupling of the sensing electrode to ground (self-capacitance), can be measured individually or both in response to a capacitance change indicating a touch event. For example, if a drive signal is applied to the drive electrode in row 2 and the sensing electrode in column 3 is active, the node location is (row 2, column 3). Nodes can be scanned sequentially through different combinations of drive and sensing electrodes. In one mode, the drive electrodes can be driven sequentially, while all sensing electrodes are continuously monitored. In another mode, each sensing electrode can be sampled sequentially.

[0030] While specific applications of the touchscreen sensors disclosed herein for use with displays have been discovered, they are not limited to touch displays and can be incorporated into any touch-sensitive surface, such as, but not limited to, touchpads and touch buttons; and can be transparent or opaque.

[0031] Figure 1A This is an illustration of a conventional coupling between a touchscreen sensor and a controller known to the inventors of this disclosure. The touch sensor 100 has approximately 5 columns of lines per 4 rows (indicated by row pins 102 and column pins 104), or a 5:4 ratio, meaning that when the lines are arranged with equal spacing, the width of the sensor 100 is substantially the same as the height of the sensor. This can also be characterized as having a “normal aspect ratio” or being configured for “normal aspect ratio” applications, such as normal aspect ratio displays or touchpads. Another ratio typically associated with normal aspect ratio is 4 columns of lines per 3 rows, or a 4:3 ratio.

[0032] Figure 1BThis is an illustration of another conventional coupling between a touchscreen sensor and a controller known to the inventors of this disclosure. The touchscreen sensor 110 has more columns than rows of lines (as shown in pins 114 and 112, respectively), or a column-to-row ratio of 5:1. When the lines are arranged at equal intervals, this means that the width of the sensor 110 is greater than its height. This can also be characterized as having a “wide aspect ratio” or being configured for “wide aspect ratio” applications, such as wide aspect ratio displays. In this disclosure, touchscreen sensors having a major-to-minor axis ratio of approximately 2:1 or greater are considered to have a wide aspect ratio, as is commonly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0033] The amount of touch processing power on a touchscreen largely depends on its area. Therefore, as a non-limiting example, the amount of touch processing power on a 24×30 sensor is essentially the same as that on a 12×60 sensor. However, even though both have an area of ​​720, the 24×30 sensor has fewer connectors (approximately 54) than the 12×60 sensor (approximately 72) (it's worth noting that "area" can also be characterized by the number of nodes defined by the intersections of the sensor lines). Therefore, although... Figure 1A 24×30 sensor 100 and Figure 1B The 12×60 sensor 110 uses substantially the same amount of touch processing for touch, but the touch controller 116 for the 12×60 sensor 110 requires more pins (approximately 18 more pins) than the touch controller 130 for the 30×24 sensor. Unless otherwise stated, rows × columns are conventionally used for ease of description when describing sensor dimensions herein.

[0034] Generally speaking, when comparing touch controllers with different pin counts, a touch controller with more pins will be larger and require a larger chip, resulting in a correspondingly higher cost. Therefore, for the same touch processing volume, a conventional touch controller used with a wide aspect ratio sensor in a capacitive touch sensing system is more expensive than a touch controller used with a standard aspect ratio sensor in a capacitive touch sensing system.

[0035] The inventors of this disclosure recognized a need for a capacitive touch sensor suitable for wide aspect ratio applications, which has fewer connectors and lower processing power than conventional capacitive touch sensors used in such applications. One advantage of this sensor is that fewer pins are required at the touch controller to couple with the sensor compared to conventional capacitive touch sensing systems that use more expensive touch controllers, thus allowing for simpler capacitive touch sensing systems for wide aspect ratio applications that incorporate lower-cost components.

[0036] Therefore, one or more embodiments of this disclosure relate in general to segmented capacitive sensors (which may be simply referred to herein as “segmented sensors”). Figure 2 A segmented sensor 200 comprising two independent segments 202 and 204 is shown. For convenience and not limitation, these two segments may be referred to as “left segment” 202 and “right segment” 204. In the example shown in FIG1, left segment 202 and right segment 204 are each defined on three sides by at least a portion of each of the three edges 208, 210, 212, and 214 of the sensor 200, and on a fourth side by an isolation region 206. Although in this example, left segment 202 and right segment 204 are shown to have a consistent number of nodes, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and specifically contemplates that in one or more embodiments, segments of a multi-segment sensor may have inconsistent numbers of nodes (e.g., some segments may have a different number of nodes than other segments). Furthermore, although in Figure 2 In the example shown, the segmented sensor 200 has two segments 202 and 204, but this disclosure is not limited to two segments, and those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be extended to more than two segments. In fact, it is specifically envisioned that the segmented sensor may include more than two segments.

[0037] Isolation region 206 is configured to electrically isolate left segment 202 from right segment 204. In one or more embodiments, at least a portion of isolation region 206 may be filled with an insulating material defining an air gap providing electrical isolation, or a combination thereof. Isolation region 206 divides segmented sensor 200 substantially into two equal halves, and each segment in left segment 202 and right segment 204 may be characterized as substantially half of segmented sensor 200. In one or more embodiments, each segment in left segment 202 and right segment 204 may include an active portion and optionally include a passive portion, wherein the active portion is generally configured as a sensor line for capacitive sensing.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, isolation region 206 can be formed by cutting the long-axis sensor line (not shown) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long-axis sensor line. Once cut, the long-axis sensor lines of the left segment 202 and the right segment 204 operate independently. As a non-limiting example, a touch detected entirely in the left segment 202 will not be detected in the right segment 204. In other words, no related capacitance effect measurable in the right segment 204 will be realized in response to a touch in the left segment 202.

[0039] Left segment 202 and right segment 204 may each include a plurality of connectors positioned along a respective first edge and a respective second edge of the segment. Left segment 202 includes a long-axis connector 216 and a short-axis connector 218. Right segment 204 includes a long-axis connector 220 and a short-axis connector 222. Short-axis connectors 218 and 222 may be arranged on one side corresponding to the same edge (here, edge 212) of the segmented sensor. Long-axis connectors 216 and 220 may be arranged on the sides corresponding to different edges (here, edges 210 and 214, respectively) of the segmented sensor. In one or more embodiments, left segment 202 and right segment 204 of segmented sensor 200 each have the same number of connectors. In one or more embodiments, the sensor connectors (e.g., connectors 216, 218, 220, and 222) may be conductive pins.

[0040] like Figure 3A As shown, one or more embodiments generally relate to a capacitive sensing system 300, which includes a segmented sensor 302 operatively coupled to a touch controller 330. Connectors for the left segment 304 and the right segment 306 are operatively coupled to input / output (I / O) connectors of the touch controller 330. In one or more embodiments, the I / O connectors may be, for example, but not limited to, conductive pins, conductive adhesive, or other suitable conductive materials.

[0041] Connectors 308 and 312 of the long-axis sensor lines of left segment 304 and right segment 306 are operatively coupled to separate connectors 332 and 334 of touch controller 330, respectively. Some or all of the short-axis connectors 310 and 314 of the short-axis sensor lines of left segment 304 and right segment 306 are operatively coupled in parallel to connector 336 of touch controller 330. For the short-axis connectors 310 and 314 of left segment 304 and right segment 306 that are operatively coupled in parallel to connector 336 of touch controller 330, at least one short-axis connector 310 of left segment 304 and at least one short-axis connector 314 of right segment 306 are operatively coupled to the same connector 336 of touch controller 330.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, sensor sensing lines operatively coupled to the same connector as the touch controller may be referred to herein as “operably parallel coupled”, and the connector at the controller to which these sensing lines are operatively coupled may be referred to herein as a “parallel connector”. Sensor sensing lines operatively coupled to a connector of the touch controller (and no other sensing lines operatively coupled to the same connector) may be referred to herein as “operably independently coupled” to the connector, and the connector at the touch controller may be referred to herein as a “separate connector”.

[0043] In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the connectors between the sensor lines (long and short axes) and the connectors of the touch controller do not require a specific order. For example, continuous sensor lines can be operatively coupled to discontinuous (i.e., non-adjacent) connectors of the touch controller, which can also be characterized as “staggered” sensor line connections at the touch controller.

[0044] One or more embodiments relate to a capacitive sensing system including one or more touch controllers operatively coupled to a segmented sensor. In one embodiment, processing of sensor signals received from the segmented sensor may be handled by two or more touch controllers. Any suitable technique may be used to distribute processing among the touch controllers, including but not limited to by segment, by sensor connector, by touch type (e.g., single, multiple, force, etc.), and combinations thereof.

[0045] One or more embodiments relate to a touch controller configured to distinguish between sensing signals from a left segment and sensing signals from a right segment, which may be referred to herein as left sensing signals and right sensing signals, respectively.

[0046] Figure 3B This is an illustration of a sensor line grid 340 with segmented sensor lines according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one or more embodiments, the sensor line grid 340 may be configured for wide aspect ratio applications, such as sensor 302 ( Figure 3A The grid includes rows (rows 1 to 12) of long-axis sensor lines 342 and columns (columns 1 to 60) of short-axis sensor lines 344. A passive region 350 divides the sensor line grid 340 and defines a left segment 346 and a right segment 348 of the sensor line grid 340. For illustrative purposes, the capacitance change at position 352 of the right segment 348 associated with a touch event is shown.

[0047] In one implementation, the touch controller 330 ( Figure 3AThe touch controller 330 may include a touch processor (not shown) configured to distinguish between a left and a right sensing signal at a parallel connector in response to one or more drive signals used in mutual capacitance sensing technology. More specifically, when the touch processor receives a sensing signal, it may be configured to determine whether the sensing signal corresponds to a left segment drive signal or a right segment drive signal. In one embodiment, if a sensing signal is received during a first sensing period of mutual capacitance sensing operation, the touch processor may determine that the sensing signal corresponds to a left segment drive signal, and if a sensing signal is received during a second sensing period of mutual capacitance sensing operation, it may determine that the sensing signal corresponds to a right segment drive signal. More specifically, the mutual capacitance sensing operation may occur within a sensing interval, and the sensing interval may include a first sensing period and a second sensing period. The first sensing period may be associated with one of the left or right segments, and the second sensing period may be associated with the other segment. The sensing interval may be associated with the sensing operation.

[0048] In another embodiment, the sensing interval may include a plurality of sensing periods, some of which are associated with one segment, while others are associated with another segment. The sensing periods associated with a segment may be continuous or non-continuous; for example, suppose the sensing interval has four sensing periods (P1-P4), where one of the four sets of sensing lines for each segment is associated with each sensing period, such as P1 (L1 and R4), P2 (L2 and R3), P3 (L3 and R2), and P4 (L4 and R1). It is also assumed that the sets of sensing lines for each segment are operatively coupled in parallel to the touch controller (e.g., but not limited to, L1 and R1 operatively coupled in parallel, L2 and R2 operatively coupled in parallel). During each sensing period, the sets of sensing lines can be sensed simultaneously and nearly simultaneously. That is, L1 and R4 can be sensed simultaneously, L2 and R3 can be sensed simultaneously, and so on. In this configuration, the touch processor can distinguish between left and right segments based on the sensing periods and the connectors associated with the respective sets of sensing lines.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the sensing interval and sensing period can be measured using any suitable technique, including but not limited to measuring in terms of time, drive line (e.g., from the first driven drive line to the last driven drive line), and number of operations.

[0050] Figure 4AA flowchart of a touch processing procedure 400 for a segmented sensor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In operation 402, one or more sensing signals associated with a parallel coupling connector of a touch controller are received. In operation 404, timing information of the sensing signals is compared with one or more time periods of the sensing operation. The time periods may be associated with a drive signal active at the touch sensor. In operation 406, a sensor segment is identified in response to the comparison result. The sensor segment may be a segment of either a left segment or a right segment. In operation 408, a sensor position is determined in response to the identified sensor segment and the segment position (identified in response to the sensing signals). In another embodiment, the sensor position may be determined in response to the identified sensor segment and the sensing signals.

[0051] Unless otherwise specified, the use of the terms “drive line” and / or “sensing line” in this disclosure is not intended to require specific techniques for capacitive sensing, such as self-capacitance or mutual capacitance.

[0052] While in some examples the drive line or sensing line is associated with both the long and short axes, this is not required. The drive line can be associated with the short axis, and the sensing line can be associated with the long axis.

[0053] In another embodiment, the touch controller includes a touch processor (not shown) configured to distinguish between left and right sensing signals in response to sensing signals received during self-capacitance sensing operation. During self-capacitance sensing, the touch processor typically receives sensing signals from one or more long-axis sensor lines and one or more short-axis sensor lines. The touch processor may be configured to determine whether a sensing signal corresponds to a left segment or a right segment in response to a sensing signal received from a short-axis sensor line. More specifically, the touch processor may be configured to determine that a sensing signal has been received at one or more pins associated with one or more long-axis sensor lines.

[0054] Figure 4B A flowchart of touch processing 410 for a segmented sensor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In operation 412, a sensing signal associated with a parallel coupling connector of the touch controller is received. In operation 414, connector assignment information is determined in response to the received sensing signal. In one embodiment, the connector assignment information may identify a connector of the controller that is operatively coupled to a connector of a sensor segment (and thus to a sensing line). Any suitable level of granularity may be used; for example, the connector assignment information may describe connector / sensor level and / or connector / segment level coupling. For example, the connector assignment information may associate one or more connectors of the touch controller with a first segment, a second segment, or both (e.g., in the case of a parallel connection).

[0055] In operation 416, a segment is identified in response to the determined connector assignment information. In one embodiment, the segment may be identified in response to a lookup table that can be searched according to the connector assignment information, the lookup table returning a segment identifier in response to the searched connector assignment information. In operation 418, a sensor position is determined in response to the identified segment and a sensing signal. In one embodiment, the segment position may be identified in response to the sensing signal, and the sensor position may be identified in response to the identified segment and the identified segment position.

[0056] Depending on the touch processor configuration, the touch position information for the left or right segment can be determined, but further processing is required to adjust the determined position for the entire segmented sensor. For example, if the touch position is at position 352 corresponding to the center of the right segment 348 ( Figure 3A A touch is detected at a location, but due to parallel connections at some connectors of the touch controller, the touch processor may not "recognize" that the location is actually at the right third of the sensor and not at the center of the right segment 348. In one or more embodiments, the location can be corrected when determining the location first based on the segment where the touch occurred and the sensing signal. For example, if a sensing signal is received that may correspond to row 10, column 25 or row 10, column 55 of the segmented sensor, the touch processor may determine the column after determining the segment. In one or more other embodiments, the touch processor may include one or more position offsets that indicate the difference between the location on the segmented touch sensor and the location on the left or right segment of the touch sensor. The touch processor may be configured to determine the segmented sensor location in response to the segment location and the offset associated with that segment location.

[0057] Figure 5 A functional block diagram of a touch controller 500 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one embodiment, the touch controller 500 may include a touch processor 506, an I / O driver 504, and a peripheral interface 502. The touch processor 506 may be configured to perform one or more aspects of sensing operations, including processing sensing signals (and in some cases, processing drive signals), and determining touch information, including but not limited to sensor and segment location associated with the touch. The I / O driver 504 may be configured to control one or more connectors of the touch controller 500, including but not limited to general purpose input / output pins. The connectors may be configured to be operatively coupled to capacitive sensor lines. The peripheral interface 502 may be configured to communicate with a data bus (such as UART, USART, I / O, etc.). 2 (C, etc.) communication or communication via this data bus.

[0058] Many of the functional descriptions in this specification may be shown, described, or labeled as modules, threads, steps, or other categories of programming code (including firmware) to more specifically emphasize their implementation independence. Modules may be implemented in hardware, at least in part, in one or another form. For example, a module may be implemented as hardware circuitry including custom VLSI circuitry or gate arrays, existing semiconductors (such as logic chips), transistors, or other discrete components. Modules may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, etc.

[0059] Modules may also be implemented using software or firmware stored on physical storage devices (e.g., computer-readable storage media), in memory (e.g., non-transitory storage devices used as system memory), or a combination thereof, executed by various types of processors.

[0060] The identified module of the executable code may, for example, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be organized, for example, into threads, objects, procedures, or functions. However, the executable file of the identified module does not need to be physically located together, but may include different instructions stored in different locations, which, when logically combined, comprise the module and achieve the module's stated purpose.

[0061] In practice, a module of executable code can be a single instruction or many instructions, and can even be distributed across several different code segments, different programs, and several storage devices or memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified and represented within a module herein, and can be implemented in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. Operational data can be collected as a single dataset, or can be distributed across different locations, including across different storage devices, and can exist at least in part solely as electronic signals on a system or network. Where a module or part of a module is implemented in software, the software portion is stored on one or more physical devices, which are referred to herein as computer-readable media.

[0062] In some implementations, the software portion is stored in a non-transitory state, such that the software portion or its representation persists in the same physical location for a period of time. Additionally, in some implementations, the software portion is stored on one or more non-transitory storage devices, which include hardware elements capable of storing non-transitory states and / or signals representing the software portion, although other parts of the non-transitory storage device may be capable of altering and / or transmitting signals. Examples of non-transitory storage devices are flash memory and random access memory (RAM). Another example of a non-transitory storage device includes read-only memory (ROM), which can store signals and / or states representing the software portion for a period of time. However, the ability to store signals and / or states is not diminished by transmitting other functions that are the same as or represent the stored signals and / or states. For example, a processor can access the ROM to obtain signals representing the stored signals and / or states in order to execute corresponding software instructions.

[0063] Any characterization of something as 'typical,' 'conventional,' or 'known' in this disclosure does not necessarily mean that the thing is disclosed in the prior art or understood in the prior art regarding the aspects discussed. Nor does it necessarily mean that it is well-known, readily understood, or routinely used in the relevant field.

[0064] While the invention has been described herein with reference to certain illustrated embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, numerous additions, deletions, and modifications may be made to the illustrated and described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed below and its legal equivalents. Furthermore, features from one embodiment may be combined with features from another embodiment while still being included within the scope of the invention as contemplated by the inventors.

[0065] Additional non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure include: Implementation Scheme 1: A capacitive sensing system comprising: a segmented sensor including sensing line rows and sensing line columns; and one or more touch controllers operatively coupled to the segmented sensor.

[0066] Implementation Scheme 2: According to the system of Implementation Scheme 1, the touch controller in the one or more touch controllers includes: a first set of connectors and a second set of connectors, and wherein: the sensing line array is operatively and independently coupled to the first set of connectors; and at least some of the sensing line arrays are operatively coupled in parallel to the second set of connectors.

[0067] Implementation Scheme 3: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 and 2, wherein some of the connectors in the first group of connectors are associated with a first segment of the segmented sensor, and the other connectors in the first group of connectors are associated with a second segment of the segmented sensor.

[0068] Implementation Scheme 4: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 3, wherein some of the connectors in the second set of connectors are associated with the first segment of the segmented sensor and with the second segment of the segmented sensor.

[0069] Implementation Scheme 5: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 4, wherein: the first segment includes a first sensing line row among the sensor lines of the segmented sensor; and the second segment includes a second sensing line row among the sensor lines of the segmented sensor, wherein the first sensing line row is electrically isolated from the second sensing line row.

[0070] Implementation Scheme 6: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 5, wherein the touch controller in the one or more touch controllers includes: a first set of connectors and a second set of connectors, and wherein: the sensing lines are operatively and independently coupled to the first set of connectors; and at least some of the sensing lines are operatively coupled in parallel to the second set of connectors.

[0071] Implementation Scheme 7: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 6, wherein the sensing line rows and the sensing line columns are discontinuously coupled to the touch sensor.

[0072] Implementation Scheme 8: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 7, wherein the system is configured for mutual capacitance sensing.

[0073] Implementation Scheme 9: The system according to any one of Implementation Schemes 1 to 8, wherein the system is configured for self-capacitance sensing.

[0074] Implementation Scheme 10: A capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor comprising: a first sensor wire grid; a second sensor wire grid; and an isolation region defined between the first sensor wire grid and the second sensor wire grid.

[0075] Implementation Scheme 11: The capacitive sensor according to Implementation Scheme 10, wherein at least a portion of the isolation region defines an air gap.

[0076] Implementation Scheme 12: The capacitive sensor according to any one of Implementation Schemes 10 and 11, wherein at least a portion of the isolation region comprises an electrically insulating material.

[0077] Implementation Scheme 13: The capacitive sensor according to any one of Implementation Schemes 10 to 12, the capacitive sensor further includes: a first connector operatively coupled to one or more sensor lines of the first grid; and a second connector operatively coupled to one or more sensor lines of the second grid.

[0078] Implementation Scheme 14: A capacitive sensor according to any one of Implementation Schemes 10 to 14, wherein the first sensor line grid includes a first sensor line row and a first sensor line column, and the second sensor line grid includes a second sensor line row and a second sensor line column.

[0079] Implementation Scheme 15: A capacitive sensor according to any one of Implementation Schemes 10 to 14, wherein at least the first sensor line is electrically isolated from the second sensor line.

[0080] Implementation Scheme 16: A touch controller comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory storage medium having machine-readable instructions stored thereon, the machine-readable instructions being adapted, when executed by the processor, to enable the processor to: determine touch position information in response to one or more sensing signals, wherein the touch position information corresponds to a position at a segmented sensor.

[0081] Implementation Scheme 17: The touch controller according to Implementation Scheme 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to distinguish between a first sensing signal associated with a first segment of the segmented sensor and a second sensing signal associated with a second segment of the segmented sensor.

[0082] Implementation Scheme 18: The touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 and 17 further includes connectors, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are also adapted to enable the processor to associate a first set of the connectors with a first segment of the segmented sensor and to associate a second set of the connectors with a second segment of the segmented sensor.

[0083] Implementation Scheme 19: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to associate some of the connectors in the first set of connectors with both the first segment and the second segment of the segmented sensor.

[0084] Implementation Scheme 20: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to associate a sensing signal of one or more sensing signals with a first segment or a second segment of the segmented sensor in response to a connector assignment, wherein the connector assignment is for a connector configured to be operatively and independently coupled to a sensing line of the first segment or the second segment.

[0085] Implementation Scheme 21: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to associate a sensing signal of the one or more sensing signals with a first segment or a second segment of the segmented sensor in response to a connector assignment, wherein the connector assignment is for a connector configured to be operatively coupled in parallel to a sensing line of the first segment and a sensing line of the second segment.

[0086] Implementation Scheme 22: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to change the touch position information in response to a segment of the segmented sensor associated with the one or more sensing signals.

[0087] Implementation Scheme 23: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 22, wherein changing the touch position information includes: determining the segment of the segmented sensor associated with the touch position information; determining an offset in response to the segment; and determining an adjusted touch position in response to the determined offset.

[0088] Implementation Scheme 24: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 23, wherein the touch controller includes: a first set of connectors and a second set of connectors, and wherein: the first set of connectors is configured to be operatively coupled to a sensing line array; and the second set of connectors is configured to be operatively coupled in parallel to at least some sensing lines arrays.

[0089] Implementation Scheme 25: A touch controller according to any one of Implementation Schemes 16 to 24, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to enable the processor to: identify a first segment of the segmented sensor associated with a first sensing signal in response to a first connector assignment associated with a first connector; and identify a second segment of the segmented sensor associated with a second sensing signal in response to a second connector assignment associated with a second connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are arranged consecutively, and the first segment and the second segment are different segments of the segmented sensor.

Claims

1. A method for processing touch signals at a segmented capacitive sensor, the method comprising: The touch controller receives one or more sensing signals from one or more sensing lines of the segmented capacitive sensor, wherein the segmented capacitive sensor includes a first segment and a second segment electrically isolated from each other by an isolation region. At least some of the sensing lines in the first segment and at least some of the sensing lines in the second segment are operatively coupled to the same connector of the touch controller. Timing information of the one or more sensing signals received at the same connector is compared with one or more time periods of sensing operation, wherein a first time period of the one or more time periods is associated with the first segment and a second time period of the one or more time periods is associated with the second segment; The comparison is used to identify whether the sensing signal received at the same connector originates from the first segment or the second segment. as well as The touch position at the segmented capacitive sensor is determined in response to the identified segment and the sensing signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive line of the first segment is operatively and independently coupled to a first set of connectors of the touch controller, and the drive line of the second segment is operatively and independently coupled to a second set of connectors of the touch controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing operation includes a sensing interval, the sensing interval including the first time period and the second time period, and wherein, During the first time period, a drive signal is applied to one or more drive lines of the first segment, and during the second time period, a drive signal is applied to one or more drive lines of the second segment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensing interval comprises a plurality of sensing time periods, and wherein, Some of the sensing periods associated with the first segment and some of the sensing periods associated with the second segment are not consecutive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the touch position comprises: The segment location is determined in response to the sensing signal; The offset is determined in response to the identified segment; And in response to the segment position and the offset, determine the adjusted touch position at the segmented capacitive sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensing operation is a mutual capacitance sensing operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the segmented capacitive sensor is configured for wide aspect ratio applications.

8. A method for processing a touch signal at a segmented capacitive sensor, the method comprising: The touch controller receives one or more sensing signals from one or more sensing lines of the segmented capacitive sensor, wherein the segmented capacitive sensor includes a first segment and a second segment that are electrically isolated from each other. At least some of the sensing lines in the first segment and at least some of the sensing lines in the second segment are operatively coupled to the same connector of the touch controller. In response to one or more received sensing signals, connector allocation information is determined, which identifies whether the connector of the touch controller is associated with the first segment, the second segment, or both. The segmented capacitance sensor's sensing signal originates from its segment in response to the connector allocation information; as well as The sensor position is determined in response to the identified segment and the one or more sensing signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the segment comprises: The connector allocation information is used to search the lookup table and return the segment identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the sensor position comprises: The segment location is determined in response to the one or more sensing signals; And determine the sensor position in response to the identified segment and the position of the segment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the sensor position further comprises: An offset is determined in response to the identified segment, and an adjusted sensor position is determined in response to the offset.

12. A capacitance sensing system, comprising: The segmented sensor includes a first segment and a second segment, each segment including a row of sensing lines and a column of sensing lines, the first segment and the second segment being electrically isolated from each other by an isolation region; as well as A touch controller, operatively coupled to the first segment and the second segment, the touch controller comprising: A first set of connectors, operatively and independently coupled to the long-axis sensor wire of the first segment and the long-axis sensor wire of the second segment; and The second set of connectors, wherein at least one short-axis sensor line of the first segment and at least one short-axis sensor line of the second segment are operatively coupled to the same connector in the second set of connectors; Touch processor, the touch processor being configured to: Receive sensing signals at the same connector and compare timing information of the sensing signals with one or more time periods of sensing operation to determine whether the sensing signals originate from the first segment or the second segment; and The touch position at the segmented sensor is determined in response to the determination and the sensing signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the touch processor is further configured to: determine that the sensing signal originates from the first segment in response to the sensing signal being received during a first sensing period, and determine that the sensing signal originates from the second segment in response to the sensing signal being received during a second sensing period.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the sensing interval of the sensing operation comprises a plurality of sensing time periods, and wherein, The parallel-coupled short-axis sensing lines of the first and second segments are sensed during different sensing periods.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the touch processor is further configured to determine the touch position by: determining a segment position; determining an offset in response to the identified segment; and determining an adjusted touch position in response to the offset.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the continuous sensor line of the segmented sensor is operatively coupled to a discontinuous connector of the touch controller.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the long axis sensor line is a drive line and the short axis sensor line is a sensing line.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the long axis sensor line is a sensing line and the short axis sensor line is a drive line.

19. A touch controller for use with a segmented capacitive sensor, the segmented capacitive sensor having a first segment and a second segment electrically isolated from each other, the touch controller comprising: The first set of connectors is configured to be operatively and independently coupled to the sensor lines of the first segment and the second segment. A second set of connectors, wherein at least one connector in the second set of connectors is configured to be operatively coupled to the sensing line of the first segment and the sensing line of the second segment; processor; as well as It contains a non-transitory storage medium on which machine-readable instructions are stored, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: Receive sensing signals at the second set of connectors; In response to the received sensing signal, connector allocation information is determined, which identifies whether the connector is associated with the first segment, the second segment, or both. The segmented capacitance sensor's sensing signal originates from its segment in response to the connector allocation information; Determine the segment location in response to the sensing signal; and The touch position at the segmented capacitive sensor is determined in response to the identified segment and the segment position.

20. The touch controller of claim 19, wherein identifying the segment comprises: The segment identifier is obtained by searching the lookup table using the connection allocation information.

21. The touch controller of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the processor to determine the touch position by: determining an offset in response to an identified segment; and determining an adjusted touch position in response to the segment position and the offset.

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