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Touchpad with capacitive force sensing

  • US 10,068,728 B2
  • Filed: 04/07/2011
  • Issued: 09/04/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
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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