Multi-touch sensor patterns and stack-ups

Abstract

Capacitive multi-touch sensor panels in which both row and column traces may be formed on a single conducting surface are disclosed. These stack-ups may be made thinner and more flexible allowing them to be particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. Curved sensor panel arrays that may be formed from flat substrates are also disclosed. These sensor panel configurations may include channels around the periphery of the array. These channels allow the flat array to lie flat when applied to a curved surface, such as the inside of the curved surface. The pattern of the touch sensor elements may be adjusted across the array to avoid the channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A touch sensor array comprising:
 one of a plurality of row traces or column traces arranged in pairs of opposing and spaced apart comb pattern configurations having opposing fingers facing one another; and   the other of the plurality of row traces or column traces comprising a plurality of cross elements substantially perpendicularly disposed with respect to the opposing fingers on the comb pattern configurations, with each cross element having perpendicularly disposed traces corresponding to the opposing fingers of the comb pattern configurations.   
     
     
         2 . The touch sensor array of  claim 1 , wherein the row traces and the column traces are arranged substantially on a first layer. 
     
     
         3 . The touch sensor array of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer has one or more vias routing ones of the column or row traces to a different layer, the different layer being an insulator to prevent electrical contact between the column and row traces. 
     
     
         4 . The touch sensor array of  claim 1 , further comprising a ground plane. 
     
     
         5 . The touch sensor array of  claim 4 , wherein the ground plane is webbed. 
     
     
         6 . The touch sensor array of  claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor array is configured for use on a curved surface. 
     
     
         7 . A touch sensor array configured for use on a curved surface comprising:
 a substrate comprising one or more channels configured to allow the substrate to conform to a curved surface; and   row traces and column traces on the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The touch sensor array of  claim 7 , wherein the row traces and the column traces are on a first substrate layer except for at vias, where the column traces or the row traces are routed to a second layer. 
     
     
         9 . A touch sensor array comprising:
 a plurality of row traces arranged in opposing comb pattern configurations, each opposing comb pattern configuration having finger elements extending toward the opposed comb pattern configuration, and defining finger regions between the finger elements; and   a plurality of column traces comprising plural rows of traces and perpendicular cross elements, the rows of traces arranged parallel to the finger elements and extending between each of the finger elements within the finger regions of the opposing comb pattern configurations, and the cross elements extending between the opposing comb pattern configurations continuously over multiple row traces but not extending between the finger regions.   
     
     
         10 . The touch sensor array of  claim 9 , wherein the row traces and the column traces are arranged on a first layer except for at intersection points, where the column traces or the row traces are routed to a second layer. 
     
     
         11 . The touch sensor array of  claim 9 , further comprising a ground plane. 
     
     
         12 . The touch sensor array of  claim 11 , wherein the ground plane is webbed. 
     
     
         13 . The touch sensor array of  claim 9 , wherein the touch sensor array is configured for use on a curved surface. 
     
     
         14 . A multi-touch mouse comprising a touch sensor array comprising:
 a plurality of row traces arranged in opposing comb pattern configurations, each opposing comb pattern configuration having finger elements extending toward the opposed comb pattern configuration, and defining finger regions between the finger elements; and   a plurality of column traces comprising plural rows of traces and perpendicular cross elements, the rows of traces arranged parallel to the finger elements and extending between each of the finger elements within the finger regions of the opposing comb pattern configurations, and the cross elements extending between the opposing comb pattern configurations continuously over multiple row traces but not extending between the finger regions.