Capacitive Sensor Arrangement

Abstract

A capacitive sensor includes a capacitive sensor element and a conductor. The conductor includes a first end and a second end, the first end is coupled to the capacitive sensor element at a first location of the capacitive sensor element and the second end is coupled to the capacitive sensor element at a second location of the capacitive sensor element. The conductor includes a first conductivity that is higher than a second conductivity of the capacitive sensor element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A capacitive sensor comprising:
 a capacitive sensor element; and   a conductor comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the capacitive sensor element at a first location of the capacitive sensor element and the second end coupled to the capacitive sensor element at a second location of the capacitive sensor element, wherein the conductor comprises a first conductivity that is higher than a second conductivity of the capacitive sensor element.   
     
     
         22 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein the conductor is formed along a line between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         23 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein a first portion of the conductor is formed along a first line and a second portion of the conductor is formed along a second line, wherein the first line extends from a vertex to the first end and the second line extends from the vertex to the second end, forming an angle between the first portion of the conductor and the second portion of the conductor. 
     
     
         24 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein the conductor comprises a curve between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         25 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein the capacitive sensor element is coupled to an interconnect configured to electrically connect the capacitive sensor element to another capacitive sensor element. 
     
     
         26 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 25 , wherein the conductor and the interconnect are formed of a contiguous mass of material, wherein at least a portion of the contiguous mass is not coplanar with the capacitive sensor element. 
     
     
         27 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the conductor is not coplanar with the capacitive sensor element. 
     
     
         28 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein the capacitive sensor is comprised of a transparent conductive material and the conductor is visually indistinguishable from the capacitive sensor element to a naked eye of a human user. 
     
     
         29 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 28 , wherein the conductor has a width ranging from around 6 micrometers to around 8 micrometers. 
     
     
         30 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 21 , wherein the conductor is comprised of metal. 
     
     
         31 . A capacitive sensor comprising a plurality of capacitive sensor elements configured to form a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitive sensor elements comprising a first conductivity, at least one capacitive sensor element of the plurality of capacitive sensor elements including a conducting member, the conducting member comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor element at a first location that is within a shape of the at least one capacitive sensor element and the second end coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor element at a second location that is within the shape of the at least one capacitive sensor element, wherein the conducting member comprises a second conductivity that is higher than the first conductivity of the capacitive sensor element, and wherein the at least one capacitive sensor element and the conducting member are configured to conduct a signal representing a capacitance of at least one of the plurality of capacitors. 
     
     
         32 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 31 , wherein the conductive member is formed along a line between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         33 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 31 , wherein the conductive member is formed along a first line and a second line, wherein the first line extends from a vertex to the first end and the second line extends from the vertex to the second end, forming an angle between the first line and the second line. 
     
     
         34 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 31 , wherein the conductive member comprises a curve between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         35 . The capacitive sensor of  claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of the conductive member is not coplanar with the at least one capacitive sensor element. 
     
     
         36 . A capacitive sensing system, comprising:
 a processor;   a plurality of capacitive sensor elements coupled to the processor, the plurality of capacitive sensor elements configured to form a plurality of capacitors; and   a conductive member, at least one capacitive sensor element of the plurality of capacitive sensor elements comprising a first conductivity and including the conducting member, the conducting member comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor element at a first surface location of the at least one capacitive sensor element and the second end coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor element at a second surface location of the at least one capacitive sensor element, wherein the conducting member comprises a second conductivity that is higher than the first conductivity of the at least one capacitive sensor element, and wherein the at least one capacitive sensor element and the conducting member are configured to conduct a signal representing a capacitance of at least one of the plurality of capacitors.   
     
     
         37 . The capacitive sensing system of  claim 36 , wherein the conductive member comprises a curve between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         38 . The capacitive sensing system of  claim 36 , wherein at least a portion of the conductive member is not coplanar with the at least one capacitive sensor element 
     
     
         39 . The capacitive sensing system of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one capacitive sensor element is coupled to an interconnect configured to electrically connect the capacitive sensor element to another capacitive sensor element of the plurality of capacitive sensor elements. 
     
     
         40 . The capacitive sensing system of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one capacitive sensor element and the conducting member are configured to conduct a signal representing a mutual capacitance of at least one of the plurality of capacitors.