Electronic circuit and method to account for strain gauge variation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of an electronic device, comprising:
- a first strain gauge configured to couple with a housing of an electronic device;
an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate collections of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge;
an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the collections of analog signals from the amplifier and generate collections of digital signals that are representations of the collections of analog signals generated by the amplifier; and
an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter, the electronic circuit further configured to;
(i) identify a value of a first signal received from the analog-to-digital converter in response to a signal generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing;
(ii) determine that the identified value of the first signal exceeds a first threshold value, the first threshold value being based on a maximum value associated with the analog-to-digital converter;
(iii) adjust an amplification level of the amplifier in response to determining that the identified value of the first signal exceeds the first threshold value;
(iv) receive a first collection of digital signals generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to signals generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing;
(v) in response to determining that each of the first collection of digital signals exceed, for a specified period of time, a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value, define, using at least a subset of the first collection of digital signals, an updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the digital signals in the first collection of digital signals are generated over the course of a pre-determined period of time ending at or near a current time; and
(vi) indicate, based on a comparison of the updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter to a digital value generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to user interaction with the first strain gauge, that a first type of user input has been received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. Electrical voltage generated by the SGs is amplified by one or more amplifiers to maximize the resolution between a voltage output of an SG when in a non-pressed state and a voltage output of the SG when in a pressed state. Additionally, an electronic circuit is configured to identify a baseline voltage output for an SG over a period of time for comparing to a voltage output for the SG when the SG is in a pressed state such that the pressed state of the SG can be identified by the electronic circuit by comparing a current output voltage of the SG to the identified baseline voltage.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of an electronic device, comprising:
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a first strain gauge configured to couple with a housing of an electronic device; an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate collections of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge; an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the collections of analog signals from the amplifier and generate collections of digital signals that are representations of the collections of analog signals generated by the amplifier; and an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter, the electronic circuit further configured to; (i) identify a value of a first signal received from the analog-to-digital converter in response to a signal generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing; (ii) determine that the identified value of the first signal exceeds a first threshold value, the first threshold value being based on a maximum value associated with the analog-to-digital converter; (iii) adjust an amplification level of the amplifier in response to determining that the identified value of the first signal exceeds the first threshold value; (iv) receive a first collection of digital signals generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to signals generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing; (v) in response to determining that each of the first collection of digital signals exceed, for a specified period of time, a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value, define, using at least a subset of the first collection of digital signals, an updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the digital signals in the first collection of digital signals are generated over the course of a pre-determined period of time ending at or near a current time; and (vi) indicate, based on a comparison of the updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter to a digital value generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to user interaction with the first strain gauge, that a first type of user input has been received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of an electronic device, comprising:
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identifying, by an electronic circuit, a value of a first signal received from an analog-to-digital converter in response to user input that interacts with a housing of the electronic device, the analog-to-digital converter configured to receive collections of analog signals generated by an amplifier in electrical communication with a first strain gauge of the electronic device, the analog-to-digital converter further configured to generate collections of digital signals that are representations of the collections of analog signals generated by the amplifier; comparing, by the electronic circuit, the identified value of the first signal to a first threshold value to determine that the identified value of the first signal exceeds the first threshold value, the first threshold value being based on a maximum value associated with the analog-to-digital converter; adjusting an amplification level of the amplifier in electrical communication with the analog-to-digital converter in response to determining that the identified value of the first signal exceeds the first threshold value; collecting, at the electronic circuit, a plurality of digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter over a specified period of time, wherein the digital signals in the plurality of digital signals are generated over the course of a pre-determined period of time ending at or near a current time, and wherein the signals in the plurality of digital signals are generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to signals generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing of the electronic device; identifying, by the electronic circuit, that the plurality of digital signals exceed, a second threshold value for the specified period of time, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value; in response to identifying that the plurality of digital signals exceed, for the specified period of time, the second threshold value, identifying, using a collection of digital signals received from the analog-to-digital converter, an updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter; receiving, at the electronic circuit, a second signal from the analog-to-digital converter associated with the strain gauge, the second signal having been generated in response to user input that interacts with the housing of the electronic device; and indicating, based on a comparison of the updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter to the second signal, that a first type of user input has been received. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electronic device, comprising:
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a housing; a first strain gauge attached to the housing of the electronic device; an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate collections of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge; an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the collections of analog signals from the amplifier and generate collections of digital signals that are representations of the collections of analog signals generated by the amplifier; and an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter, the electronic circuit further configured to; (i) identify a value of a first signal received from the analog-to-digital converter in response to a signal generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing; (ii) determine that the identified value of the first signal exceeds a first threshold value, the first threshold value being based on a maximum value associated with the analog-to-digital converter; (iii) adjust an amplification level of the amplifier in response to determining that the identified value of the first signal exceeds the first threshold value; (iv) receive a first collection of digital signals generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to signals generated by the first strain gauge in response to user input that interacts with the housing; (v) in response to determining that each of the first collection of digital signals exceed, for a specified period of time, a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value, define, using at least a subset of the first collection of digital signals, an updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the digital signals in the first collection of digital signals are generated over the course of a pre-determined period of time ending at or near a current time; and (vi) indicate, based on a comparison of the updated baseline output value for the analog-to-digital converter to a digital value generated by the analog-to-digital converter in response to user interaction with the first strain gauge, that a first type of user input has been received. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification