Force sensor-based motion or orientation determination in a device

• US 10,254,870 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chawda, Vinay, Gowreesunker, Vikrham, Bijamov, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Application Number:
  US15/089,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173-174, 700 73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a touch sensor panel configured to detect an object touching the touch sensor panel and a plurality of force sensors coupled to the touch sensor panel and configured to detect an amount of force with which the object touches the touch sensor panel. A processor is coupled to the plurality of force sensors, the processor configured to: measure a first value from a first force sensor of the plurality of force sensors; measure a second value from a second force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first force sensor; and determine a motion characteristic of the electronic device based on the first value and the second value.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor panel configured to detect an object touching the touch sensor panel;

a plurality of force sensors coupled to the touch sensor panel and configured to detect an amount of force with which the object touches the touch sensor panel; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of force sensors, the processor configured to;

measure a first value from a first force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, wherein measuring the first value from the first force sensor comprises determining a first gap value with respect to a neutral state of the first force sensor;

measure a second value from a second force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, the second force sensor different from the first force sensor and separated from the first sensor by a first axis on the electronic device, wherein measuring the second value from the second force sensor comprises determining a second gap value with respect to a neutral state of the second force sensor; and

determine a motion characteristic of the electronic device with respect to the first axis based on the first value and the second value, wherein determining the motion characteristic comprises;

comparing the first value and the second value;

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in opposing directions, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least rotational movement with respect to the first axis; and

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in a same direction, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least translational movement with respect to the first axis.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to concurrently measure the first value from the first force sensor and the second value from the second force sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion characteristic comprises a translational motion characteristic of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion characteristic comprises a rotational motion characteristic of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first force sensor is part of a first group of the plurality of force sensors,

the second force sensor is part of a second group of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first group,

measuring the first value comprises measuring a first group value from the first group of force sensors,

measuring the second value comprises measuring a second group value from the second group of force sensors, and

determining the motion characteristic of the electronic device is based on comparing the first group value and the second group value.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first group value comprises a first average value of the force sensors in the first group of force sensors, and the second group value comprises a second average value of the force sensors in the second group of force sensors.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of force sensors comprises a first row of force sensors and a second row of force sensors, the first group of force sensors comprises the first row of force sensors, and the second group of force sensors comprises the second row of force sensors.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of force sensors comprises a first column of force sensors and a second column of force sensors, the first group of force sensors comprises the first column of force sensors, and the second group of force sensors comprises the second column of force sensors.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

after measuring the first value and the second value;

measure a third value from a third force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first and second force sensors;

measure a fourth value from a fourth force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first, second and third force sensors; and

determine a second motion characteristic of the electronic device based on the third value and the fourth value.

10. A method comprising:

measuring a first value from a first force sensor of a plurality of force sensors coupled to a touch sensor panel of an electronic device and configured to detect an amount of force with which an object touches the touch sensor panel, wherein measuring the first value from the first force sensor comprises determining a first gap value with respect to a neutral state of the first force sensor;

measuring a second value from a second force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, the second force sensor different from the first force sensor and separated from the first sensor by a first axis on the electronic device, wherein measuring the second value from the second force sensor comprises determining a second gap value with respect to a neutral state of the second force sensor; and

determining a motion characteristic of the electronic device with respect to the first axis based on the first value and the second value, wherein determining the motion characteristic comprises;

comparing the first value and the second value;

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in opposing directions, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least rotational movement with respect to the first axis; and

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in a same direction, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least translational movement with respect to the first axis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first value from the first force sensor and the second value from the second force sensor are measured concurrently.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first force sensor is part of a first group of the plurality of force sensors,

the second force sensor is part of a second group of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first group,

measuring the first value comprises measuring a first group value from the first group of force sensors,

measuring the second value comprises measuring a second group value from the second group of force sensors, and

determining the motion characteristic of the electronic device is based on comparing the first group value and the second group value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first group value comprises a first average value of the force sensors in the first group of force sensors, and the second group value comprises a second average value of the force sensors in the second group of force sensors.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

measuring a first value from a first force sensor of a plurality of force sensors coupled to a touch sensor panel of an electronic device and configured to detect an amount of force with which an object touches the touch sensor panel, wherein measuring the first value from the first force sensor comprises determining a first gap value with respect to a neutral state of the first force sensor;

measuring a second value from a second force sensor of the plurality of force sensors, the second force sensor different from the first force sensor and separated from the first sensor by a first axis on the electronic device, wherein measuring the second value from the second force sensor comprises determining a second gap value with respect to a neutral state of the second force sensor; and

determining a motion characteristic of the electronic device with respect to the first axis based on the first value and the second value, wherein determining the motion characteristic comprises;

comparing the first value and the second value;

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in opposing directions, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least rotational movement with respect to the first axis; and

in accordance with a determination that the first value and the second value are indicative of force sensor position measurements in a same direction, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least translational movement with respect to the first axis.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first value from the first force sensor and the second value from the second force sensor are measured concurrently.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

the first force sensor is part of a first group of the plurality of force sensors,

the second force sensor is part of a second group of the plurality of force sensors, different from the first group,

measuring the first value comprises measuring a first group value from the first group of force sensors,

measuring the second value comprises measuring a second group value from the second group of force sensors, and

determining the motion characteristic of the electronic device is based on comparing the first group value and the second group value.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor panel configured to detect one or more objects touching the touch sensor panel;

a plurality of force sensors coupled to the touch sensor panel and configured to detect an amount of force with which the one or more objects touch the touch sensor panel, the force sensors comprising a flex layer having a first portion and a second portion; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of force sensors, the processor configured to;

in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the flex layer and the second portion of the flex layer have deflected in opposite directions from a neutral state, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least rotational movement; and

in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the flex layer and the second portion of the flex layer have deflected in a same direction from the neutral state, determine that the electronic device is undergoing at least translational movement.