DE102011086996A1 - Input element e.g. four-wire resistive touch panel, for e.g. mobile, has Bluetooth antenna integrated and/or embedded in input element main surface, and controlled by supply line, which is electrically insulated from reading line - Google Patents

Abstract

The element (100) has a reading element (110) including a touch and/or approach-sensitive part of an input element main surface in a reading region for reading user inputs. A Bluetoothantenna (130) is integrated and/or embedded in the input element main surface. The antenna is controlled by a supply line (140), which is electrically insulated from a reading line (150) of the reading element. An electrically conductive layer (160) is partially arranged between the supply line and the reading line for contacting a ground connection. An independent claim is also included for a method for providing an input element.

Description

State of the art

The present invention relates to an input element and to a method for providing an input element according to the main claims.

Both in mobile devices such as mobiles, laptops, etc. as well as in stationary devices, which include fixed navigation devices, more and more touch panels (TP, touch screens or input elements) are used today. Touch panels are designed to simplify input on the device and enable operation without a keyboard. It does not matter which touch panel technology is used. For example, resistive and capacitive touch panels perform the same function. Also, touch panels based on the SAW technology or infrared are conceivable. Most mobile devices and fixed navigation devices have a Bluetooth interface. The antennas are usually realized on a circuit board as a simple stripline. Care must be taken in the devices to ensure that the touch panel does not shield the Bluetooth antenna and, as a result, can not connect to the external devices. This can happen because there are resistive and capacitive ITOs and line structures for the general function. In the area of the antenna, no structures may be provided. It can even lead to a breakthrough being required in the TP in order to be able to lay the antenna forward.

As disadvantages of current implementations of the existing touch-sensitive screens, it can be stated, for example, that the touch panel can shade an antenna (electromagnetic); An antenna must be realized on a circuit board and the antenna must be led to the front of the housing.

In the DE 11 2004 002 257 T5 there is disclosed a touch screen that can detect, by an antenna circuit, detection of an approach of a user's finger.

Disclosure of the invention

Against this background, the present invention introduces an input element and a method for creating an input element according to the main claims. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the respective subclaims and the following description.

• – einem Einleseelement, das zumindest in einem Einlesebereich einen berührungs- und/oder annäherungsempfindlichen Teil einer Eingabeelementhauptoberfläche zum Einlesen von Benutzereingaben aufweist; und
• – einer Sendeantenne, die in die Eingabeelementhauptoberfläche integriert und/oder eingebettet ist, wobei die Sendeantenne mittels einer Speiseleitung ansteuerbar ist, die von einer Einleseleitung des Einleseelementes elektrisch isoliert ist.

The present invention provides an input element having the following features:

• A read-in element having, at least in a read-in area, a touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part of an input-element main surface for reading in user inputs; and
• A transmitting antenna, which is integrated and / or embedded in the input element main surface, wherein the transmitting antenna can be controlled by means of a feed line, which is electrically isolated from a read-in line of the read-in element.

A read-in element can be understood to mean an electronic element which has a surface in a read-in region, via which user inputs can be read. In this case, the read-in element can be linked to a display for the reproduction of graphic information, for example applied to the display. Via this read-in region, which has a touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part in a main surface of the input element (input element main surface) in the read-in region, user inputs can be read in, for example by pressing a body part (such as a finger) of a user on at least one Position of this touch and / or approach sensitive part are made. Alternatively or additionally, the input can also be read in by means of an approach of a body part of the user (eg also of a finger) detected by the read-in element to at least one position of this read-in area, which is now configured as an "approach-sensitive" part. A touch-sensitive part may thus be understood to mean a part of the read-in element which is designed to provide a signal when a pressure is applied to the insertion main surface by a body part of a user of the input element at a position of the touch-sensitive part. A proximity-sensitive portion may be understood as a portion of the read-in element configured to provide a signal when, at a position of the proximity-sensitive portion, a body portion of a user of the input member is approximated to the input member main surface. A transmitting antenna is understood to mean an antenna which is designed to emit signals. In particular, therefore, a transmitting antenna differs from a capacitive sensor in which the antenna is designed to actively radiate signals and not only for detecting capacitive changes in the area of the touch and / or proximity sensitive part of the input member main surface. For example, the transmit antenna may be implemented in a form of a line segment that is embedded, ie, implemented, in the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the input device main surface. The transmitting antenna can also be used as a receiving antenna, wherein a definition of the antenna has been selected as the transmitting antenna to distinguish the antenna from a purely detecting sensor. This transmitting antenna may be operated or driven by means of a feeder electrically disconnected from a read-in line of the display unit to perform independent operation of reading in user inputs over the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the read-in element and, on the other hand, data communication by the transmitting antenna can.

The present invention is based on the recognition that an integration or embedding of the transmitting antenna in the input element can take place already in the production process of the input element, whereby a multiplicity of disadvantages in the prior art can be overcome. By way of example, by implementing the transmitting antenna already during the production of the input element, subsequent cost-intensive application of the transmitting antenna at a suitable location on the input element can be avoided. Furthermore, since the production of the touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive structure of the input element main surface also makes use of electronic conductor structures which are likewise suitable for implementing a transmitting antenna, the introduction can be carried out in a simple technological manner. Also, by embedding the transmit antenna in the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the input device main surface, a fixed location of the antenna in an area on an input element surface can be ensured, minimizing the radiation from the transmit antenna for the read-in function User input is expected and vice versa. The present invention thus offers the advantage of a particularly simple, cost-effective, safe and low-interference attachment of the transmitting antenna on the input element.

It is favorable if, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmitting antenna is disposed at a position in the input member main surface which is outside the read-in area of the read-in element. Such an embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that a very low susceptibility to malfunction of the display unit when reading user inputs by radiated signals of the transmitting antenna is to be expected.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the read-in element may be configured to capacitively read an operator input by touching the main surface of the input element and / or approaching a body part to the input element main surface, between the feed line of the transmission antenna and the drive line of the read-in element and / or the read-in element at least partially an electrically conductive layer for contacting a ground terminal is arranged. Such an embodiment of the present invention also offers the advantage of a particularly low-interference read-in possibility for the user inputs on the read-in element.

Also of advantage is an embodiment of the present invention wherein the read-in element is configured to read in an input of an operator by touching the input-element main surface resistively. Such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage that a user input is read in a physical way that is very little affected by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna.

Also, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, the feed line of the transmitting antenna can be arranged at least partially between two electrically coupled or coupled electrically conductive layers. Such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage of a particularly good shielding of the feed line, so that also a low-interference reading of the user inputs from the read-in element can take place (also in the region of the read-in line).

The present invention can be used particularly advantageously if it is possible with such an input element to communicate via very widely used data transmission formats. For this purpose, a corresponding vote of the transmitting antenna on the transmission frequency of these data transmission formats is required. In this respect, an embodiment of the present invention is advantageous, in which the transmitting antenna is designed to transmit Bluetooth signals.

Also of advantage is a method for creating an input element, the method comprising the following step:
Providing a read-in element which has a touch and / or proximity-sensitive part of an input element main surface at least in a read-in region and a transmit antenna integrated and / or embedded in the input element main surface, the transmit antenna being controllable by means of a feed line from a read-in line of the read-in element is electrically isolated to provide the input element and wherein the transmitting antenna is manufactured in a manufacturing step with the touch and / or proximity sensitive part of the input device main surface.

Such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage of a particularly simple production of a particularly simple and reliable working input element.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 a representation of a basic structure of an embodiment of the present invention as an input element; and

2 a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention as a method;

In the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals are used for the elements shown in the various figures and similarly acting, wherein a repeated description of these elements is omitted.

1 shows an illustration of a basic structure of an embodiment of the present invention as an input element 100 , The input element 100 has a read-in element 110 which has a touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part of a read-in main surface in a read-in area. In this case, a display or TFT screen can be arranged below the read-in element (touch panel), and graphic representations by the read-in element 110 through a user visually display. The touch-and-proximity-sensitive part of the input-element main surface is designed such that, for example, a pressure on this touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part can read in a position at which a user presses on the input-element main surface. As a result, inputs of the user can be read by the input element and fed to another device for processing. For example, the input element 100 Be part of a navigation device, which by the user input via the input element 100 can read in a destination to which a user of the navigation device wants to be guided.

The reading in of the position at which the user presses on the input element or to which the user approximates a body part can take place via different physical procedures. For example, a resistance between two intersecting lines may be reduced when a user presses on the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the input element at a position above the intersecting lines. Is now the touch and / or proximity sensitive part of the input element 100 For example, with a grid of parallel horizontal and vertical small (in the 1 For reasons of clarity not shown) lines can, when exposed to the individual (for example, horizontal or vertical) wires or lines to corresponding tap strips 120 Current or voltage at the edges of the vertical and / or horizontal wire are detected, which has a lower resistance by the pressure of the user input or even allows a current flow. As a result, by evaluating the matrix-shaped arrangement, the relative position of the pressure caused by the user input on the input element 100 be recorded.

Also, a physical principle of measuring a capacitance may be used to determine the position of the user's input. For this purpose, for example, a signal with an alternating component (for example, AC voltage) on the respective tap strips 120 guided horizontally and / or vertically extending wires / lines and an overcoupling of electromagnetic fields on the crossing (ie, vertically and horizontally extending) wires measured. For example, if vertically extending wires / lines are disposed in or on the top layer of the input member surface and horizontally extending lines are disposed in or on the bottom layer of the input member main surface, the user input causes the dielectric to change due to the finger as the conductive material again for detecting the position of the approach of the body part of the user to the input element via an evaluation of the taps 120 tapped signals on the horizontal / vertical lines allows.

According to the in 1 illustrated embodiment of the present invention will now be an antenna 130 provided in the input element, in particular in the input element main surface. This antenna 130 may be implemented as a transmit and receive antenna and embedded and / or implemented directly in the production of the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the input device main surface. For example, the antenna 130 are fabricated in the form of a strip of conductive material and embedded in the input member main surface in a process such as the wires / leads for detecting the position of user input described above. In this way, the antenna can 130 technically very be easily prepared, and at the same time an optimization of the radiation by a favorable arrangement of the antenna 130 in relation to the read-in element 110 becomes possible. In this case, it can be considered in particular that the arrangement of the wires / lines for detecting the position of the user input forms a type of Faraday cage or a correspondingly acting grid in the area of the input element main surface, so that in an arrangement of the antenna 130 behind the input element main surface in the region of the read-in element 110 a significant deterioration of the reception or a significant reduction of radiating from the input element antenna 130 would be effected. But now the antenna 130 disposed directly on the input element main surface, in an area outside of the read-in element 110 part of the input device main surface, in addition to a good (because integrated) manufacturability of the antenna 130 together with the touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part of the display of the read-in element also an optimal emission characteristic while avoiding shielding of the antenna 130 through the read-in element 110 be guaranteed.

Especially good interference between the signals to be read from the display unit 110 and one the antenna 130 feeding line 140 should also ensure a shielding of a read-in line 150 over which the signals representing the user input are routed to the feeder 140 be educated. This shielding can, for example, in the provision of a connectable to a ground potential position 160 be between the feeders 140 and the reading-in line 150 is introduced. In addition, another can be connected to the ground potential or connected layer 165 be provided at one of the location 160 opposite side of the feed line 140 is arranged. This will improve the EMC compatibility of the antenna 140 significantly improved. The layers 160 and 165 acting as shielding of the feedline 130 act, can also be in the manufacturing step of applying the antenna 130 (And the wires / lines of the read-in element 110 ) into the insert main surface. Through the pipes 160 and 165 acting as shielding of the feedline 130 are also provided, the impedance of the antenna 130 and thus a precise adaptation to the application or the frequency of use of the antenna 130 be performed.

It is furthermore particularly favorable if the antenna is designed for communication via widely available data communication systems such as BLUETOOTH. This makes it very easy to implement a communication of the device connected to the input element (for example, the navigation device). For example, in the case of a destination to which a user of a device would like to be guided by the input element, such a radio interface including the antenna 130 to the navigation device with the input element 100 without manual input of data over the touch and / or proximity sensitive portion of the input device main surface. This facilitates ease of use for the device, which the input element 100 having.

With the invention it is possible to eliminate the antenna on a board of a device in connection with the input element and thus to simplify the device concept. Also, design restrictions that exist especially in permanently installed devices in vehicles, eliminated. This can also save costs.

In summary, it should be mentioned that according to a particular embodiment of the present invention on a resistive or capacitive touch panel (input element 100 ) an ITOP rail and ladder structures are realized. For example, a simple 4-wire resitive touch panel has four leads (leads 150 out 1 ) on the TP (Touch Panel = input element 100 ) and are connected to the individual axes of the TP. It is also possible to use a Bluetooth antenna with the same technology used to make the cables 130 to realize. This is only one or two additional lines 160 respectively. 165 on a connecting foil and a separate structure, for the antenna 130 , on the carrier glass necessary. It should be remembered that when implemented on a capacitive touch panel 100 additional shielding measures should be taken, and interference from the antenna 130 on the capacitive TP 100 to avoid. This problem is not given for a resistive TP technology-related.

In the above illustration is a typical structure of a resistive touch panel 100 shown. The with the reference number 120 marked areas show the connections (or terminal strips) for the X / Y coordinate evaluation. Also, the line structures are shown on the glass and on the film. Furthermore, the additional wiring in a harness of the feed line 140 as well as the read-in line 150 and the actual bluetooth antenna 130 symbolizes. Left and right of the antenna cable 140 should ground lines 160 and 165 to set the impedance (coplanar supply).

2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention as a method 200 to create an input element. The procedure 200 includes the step of providing 210 a read-in element which has a touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part of an input element surface at least in a read-in area and a transmitting antenna embedded in the input element surface, the transmit antenna being controllable by means of a feed line which is electrically insulated from a drive line of the read-in element is electrically isolated from a drive line of the read-in element to provide the input element, and wherein the transmit antenna is fabricated in a manufacturing step with the touch and / or proximity-sensitive portion of the input device main surface.

The embodiment described and shown in the figures is chosen only by way of example. Different embodiments may be combined together or in relation to individual features. Also, an embodiment can be supplemented by features of another embodiment.

If an exemplary embodiment comprises a "and / or" link between a first feature and a second feature, then this is to be read so that the embodiment according to one embodiment, both the first feature and the second feature and according to another embodiment either only first feature or only the second feature.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 112004002257 T5 [0004]

Claims (7)

Input element ( 100 ) having the following features: - a read-in element ( 110 ) having, at least in a read-in area, a touch-sensitive and / or proximity-sensitive part of an input-element main surface for reading in user inputs; and a transmitting antenna ( 130 ) which is integrated and / or embedded in the input element main surface, wherein the transmission antenna ( 130 ) by means of a feed line ( 140 ) which can be controlled by a read-in line ( 150 ) of the read-in element ( 110 ) is electrically isolated. Input element ( 100 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitting antenna ( 130 ) is arranged at a position in the input element main surface which extends outside of the read-in region of the read-in element ( 110 ) is located. Input element ( 100 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the read-in element ( 110 ) is adapted to capacitively read in an input of an operator by touching the input element main surface and / or approaching a body part to the main input element surface, wherein between the feed line ( 140 ) of the transmitting antenna ( 130 ) and the read-in line ( 150 ) of the read-in element ( 110 ) and / or the read-in element ( 110 ) at least partially an electrically conductive layer ( 160 ) is arranged for contacting a ground terminal. Input element ( 100 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the read-in element ( 110 ) is configured to read in an input of an operator by touching the input element main surface resistively. Input element ( 100 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed line ( 140 ) of the transmitting antenna ( 130 ) at least partially two between mutually coupled or couplable electrically conductive layers ( 160 . 165 ) is arranged. Input element ( 100 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitting antenna ( 130 ) is designed for the transmission of Bluetooth signals. Procedure ( 200 ) to provide an input element, the method ( 200 ) comprises the following step: providing ( 210 ) of a read-in element, which has a contact and / or proximity-sensitive part of an input element main surface at least in a read-in region, and a transmitting antenna which is integrated and / or embedded in the input element main surface, wherein the transmission antenna can be controlled by means of a feed line that is from a read-in line of the read-in element electrically insulated from an input line of the read-in element to provide the input element, and wherein the transmission antenna is fabricated in a manufacturing step with the touch and / or proximity sensitive part of the input device main surface.

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