Arrangement for spatially resolving projected-capacitive touch detection with improved locally deformed electrode structure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device for spatially resolving projected capacitive touch detection, and includes an electrically insulating substrate with several electrically conductive surfaces of a first type and a second type disposed side-by-side thereon, where the surfaces one of each type have a uniform surface configuration, and wherein the surfaces of the first type are connected in rows to form several transmitting electrodes, and the surfaces of the second type are connected to form several receiving electrodes, and the surfaces are disposed in a type-alternating manner, such that the surface of the one type is surrounded by several surfaces of the other type while maintaining a minimum distance therefrom. A through-hole is formed in the substrate adjacent to at least one surface and is configured in a non-rule-compliant manner such that the predefined minimum distance from at least two most closely adjacent surfaces of the other type is obtained.

1 . A device for spatially resolving projected capacitive touch detection, comprising:
 an electrically insulating substrate having several electrically conductive surfaces of a first type and of a second type disposed side-by-side on the substrate, wherein the surfaces one of the first type and of the second type regularly have a uniform surface configuration;   wherein the surfaces of the first type are electrically connected to one another in rows in order to form several transmitting electrodes, and the surfaces of the second type are electrically connected to one another in columns in order to form several receiving electrodes;   wherein the surfaces of the first type and the second type are disposed in a type-alternating manner, substantially forming a regular pattern due to their type-related, rule-compliant surface configuration and placement, such that the surface of the first type is surrounded by several surfaces of the second type while maintaining a minimum distance between each of the surfaces;   wherein a through-hole is formed in the substrate and at least one first surface of the first type or of the second type is adjacent to the through-hole, which, with respect to its type-related surface configuration and/or placement, is configured in a non-rule-compliant manner in such a way that the predefined minimum distance from at least two most closely adjacent surfaces of the other type is obtained.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the surfaces of the first type that is most closely adjacent to the non-rule-compliant first surface is also configured in a non-rule-compliant manner with respect to its type-related surface configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one surface of the second type adjacent to an opposite side of the through-hole is configured in a non-rule-compliant manner in the direction of the first surface. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the non-rule-compliant surface has an outer circumference which, in some areas, is not congruent with the outer circumference of a corresponding type-related, rule-compliant surface. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer circumference of the through-hole substantially corresponds to the outer circumference of a symbol. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the through-hole, in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the columns or rows, has a maximum clearance which is in the range of 0.2 to 2 times at least one of: the distance between the columns and the distance between the rows of the regular pattern. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the non-rule-compliant surface is smaller than the type-related, rule-compliant surface. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric center point of the through-hole is disposed within at least one of: a column defined by the regular pattern and row defined by the regular pattern. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the surfaces of the first type and of the second type are disposed in at least one of: a coplanar manner on the substrate, on different sides of the substrate, and on different layers of the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a circuit board. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical conductor disposed on an additional layer of the substrate for electrically connecting, in a manner bypassing the through-hole, one of the non-rule-compliant surfaces to at least one further surface of at least one of: the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a surface structure that is disposed over the substrate, where the surface structure defines an input surface and is translucent in the area adjacent to the through-hole, wherein a lighting means for transmitting light through the through-hole is provided underneath the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical evaluation unit electrically connected to the transmitting electrodes. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the electrical evaluation unit is configured for detecting a touch by means of the transmitting and receiving electrodes using a mutual capacitance configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the evaluation unit is configured to amplify the measured signal between a receiving electrode and a transmitting electrode by a predefined gain factor, in which at least one of the electrode surfaces in the intersecting area of the two electrodes is a deformed surface. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is connected to a motor vehicle.