Touchpad with capacitive force sensing
First Claim
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1. A haptic force-sensing touchpad comprising:
- a user-engagement surface presented for contact by a user;
a first spring plate operably associated with the user-engagement surface, wherein the first spring plate comprises a conductive layer;
a second spring plate operably associated with the first spring plate, wherein the second spring plate comprises;
a first capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a first edge of the second spring plate,a second capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a second edge of the second spring plate, anda conductive interior region disposed between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the second capacitive force sensing strip,wherein the first spring plate and the second spring plate are spaced-apart with a defined gap therebetween;
a return mechanism operably associated with the first spring plate or the second spring plate;
a touch-sensing module operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the touch-sensing module being configured to determine an X/Y position of contact by the user with the user-engagement surface;
a capacitive force-sensing module operably associated with the user engagement surface, the capacitive force-sensing module being configured to determine a force applied to the user-engagement surface in response to a change in a variable capacitance between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the conductive layer; and
an active-feedback actuation mechanism operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the actuation mechanism configured to provide tactile feedback to the user in response to the force applied to the user engagement surface,wherein the conductive interior region is configured to generate a haptic movement, when activated by the active-feedback actuation mechanism, between the first spring plate and the second spring plate, andwherein the return mechanism is configured to restore, after the haptic movement, the defined gap between the first spring plate and the second spring plate.
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Abstract
Described herein are techniques related to a touchpad with capacitive force sensing. The described techniques may determine the point or region of a user-engagement surface contacted by a user. In addition, the described techniques may also determine a force of the user'"'"'s finger press on the user-engagement surface using one or more capacitance force-sensors. Furthermore, the described techniques may offer active tactile feedback (i.e., haptics) to the user'"'"'s finger touching the user-engagement surface. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A haptic force-sensing touchpad comprising:
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a user-engagement surface presented for contact by a user; a first spring plate operably associated with the user-engagement surface, wherein the first spring plate comprises a conductive layer; a second spring plate operably associated with the first spring plate, wherein the second spring plate comprises; a first capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a first edge of the second spring plate, a second capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a second edge of the second spring plate, and a conductive interior region disposed between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the second capacitive force sensing strip, wherein the first spring plate and the second spring plate are spaced-apart with a defined gap therebetween; a return mechanism operably associated with the first spring plate or the second spring plate; a touch-sensing module operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the touch-sensing module being configured to determine an X/Y position of contact by the user with the user-engagement surface; a capacitive force-sensing module operably associated with the user engagement surface, the capacitive force-sensing module being configured to determine a force applied to the user-engagement surface in response to a change in a variable capacitance between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the conductive layer; and an active-feedback actuation mechanism operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the actuation mechanism configured to provide tactile feedback to the user in response to the force applied to the user engagement surface, wherein the conductive interior region is configured to generate a haptic movement, when activated by the active-feedback actuation mechanism, between the first spring plate and the second spring plate, and wherein the return mechanism is configured to restore, after the haptic movement, the defined gap between the first spring plate and the second spring plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A force-sensing apparatus comprising:
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a user-engagement surface presented for contact by a user; a first spring plate operably associated with the user-engagement surface, wherein the first spring plate comprises a conductive layer; a second spring plate operably associated with the first spring plate, wherein the second spring plate comprises; a first capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a first edge of the second spring plate, a second capacitive force sensing strip disposed proximate a second edge of the second spring plate, and a conductive interior region disposed between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the second capacitive force sensing strip, wherein the first spring plate and the second spring plate are spaced-apart with a defined gap therebetween; a capacitive force-sensing module operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the capacitive force-sensing module being configured to determine a force applied to the user-engagement surface in response to a change in a variable capacitance between the first capacitive force sensing strip and the conductive layer; and an active-feedback actuation mechanism operably associated with the user-engagement surface, the actuation mechanism configured to provide tactile feedback to the user in response to the force applied to the user-engagement surface by the user, wherein the conductive interior region is configured to generate haptic movement, when activated by the active-feedback actuation mechanism, between the first spring plate and the second spring plate. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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receiving X/Y data from one or more touch sensors regarding a contact by a user on a user-engagement surface of an input apparatus; based upon the received X/Y data, determining an X/Y position of the contact by the user on the user-engagement surface; receiving Z data from one or more force sensors regarding deflection of a first spring plate from a second spring plate in a Z direction caused by a force applied to the user-engagement surface by the user'"'"'s contact therewith, wherein the user engagement surface is operably associated with the first spring plate and the second spring plate; based upon the received Z data, determining the force applied to the user-engagement surface by the user'"'"'s contact therewith, wherein the force is determined from a change in a variable capacitance between a conductive layer in the first spring plate and a first capacitive force sensing strip proximate a first edge of the second spring plate; triggering an active-feedback actuation mechanism of the input apparatus to provide tactile feedback to the user, wherein the triggering is performed in response to, at least in part, the determined force; and generating, in response to triggering the active-feedback actuation mechanism and using a conductive interior region, haptic movement between the first spring plate and the second spring plate, wherein the conductive interior region is disposed between the first capacitive force sensing strip and a second capacitive force sensing strip proximate a second edge of the second spring plate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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receiving position and force input data from an input device with a user-engagement surface, the position input data indicating an X/Y position of a contact by a user on the user-engagement surface and the force input data indicating a force applied to the user-engagement surface by the user'"'"'s contact therewith, wherein the force input data corresponds to a change in a variable capacitance between a conductive layer in a first spring plate and a first capacitive force sensing strip in a second spring plate, and wherein the user engagement surface is operably associated with the first spring plate and the second spring plate; ascertaining whether position input data corresponds with an active area of the displayed user interface; ascertaining a location of an on-screen cursor based upon the position input data; moving an on-screen cursor of a displayed user interface in accordance with the position input data; based, at least in part, upon the ascertained location of the on-screen cursor and the force input data, determining whether to provide an active tactile feedback to the user using a feedback actuation mechanism; and in response to the determining and using the feedback actuation mechanism, facilitating haptic movement between the first spring plate and the second spring plate, wherein the haptic movement is facilitated using electrostatic forces generated by a conductive interior region in the second spring plate, and wherein the conductive interior region is disposed between the first capacitive force sensing strip and a second capacitive force sensing strip in the second spring plate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification