Capacitance sensing electrode with integrated I/O mechanism

• US 10,359,813 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Viet D
• Application Number:
  US16/196,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20190086954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/0293 with an integrated touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96015 Constructional details for touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96046 Key-pad combined with display, back-lit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960795 using organic light emitting devices, e.g. light emitting polymer [OEP] or OLED

Abstract

A touch sensing device is disclosed. The touch sensing device includes one or more multifunctional nodes each of which represents a single touch pixel. Each multifunctional node includes a touch sensor with one or more integrated I/O mechanisms. The touch sensor and integrated I/0 mechanisms share the same communication lines and I/O pins of a controller during operation of the touch sensing device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

an input region having touch sensing and display functionality and coupled to first communication lines; and

a movable circular touch-sensitive element located on a periphery of the input region, the movable circular touch-sensitive element configured for detecting movement of an object on the periphery and coupled to second communication lines different from the first communication lines;

wherein the input region and the movable circular touch-sensitive element are configured for being independently actuated and generating first and second signals transmitting respectively through the first and second communication lines and corresponding to first and second scrolling inputs to the electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input region and the movable circular touch-sensitive element further comprises one or more multifunctional nodes, each multifunctional node including a touch sensor and one or more input/output (I/O) mechanisms.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising one or more processors and one or more data storage elements communicatively coupled to the input region and the circular movable touch-sensitive element.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the input region is configured for detecting translational movement of the object across the input region.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input region and the circular movable touch-sensitive element comprises one or more capacitive sensing electrodes for providing the touch sensing functionality.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a data port enabling wireless data transfer.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a button located on the periphery of the input region.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a haptic output element enabling generation of a haptic output.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a biometric sensor configured for biosensing functionality.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a light source and an optical detector.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the input region is configured to sense pressure.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the scrolling inputs are configured to scroll displayed GUI elements.

13. A method of providing input to a portable electronic device having an input region with touch sensing and display functionality and a movable circular touch-sensitive element located in a periphery of the input region, the method comprising:

detecting a touch input at the input region and generating first signals corresponding to first scrolling inputs to the electronic device;

detecting movement of an object at the movable circular touch-sensitive element and generating second signals corresponding to second scrolling inputs to the electronic device; and

performing a scrolling operation based on one of the first scrolling inputs and the second scrolling inputs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting translational movement of the object across the input region.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the input region and the circular movable touch-sensitive element comprises one or more capacitive sensing electrodes and at least one of detecting the touch input and detecting the movement of the object comprises detecting with the one or more capacitive sensing electrodes.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a haptic output in response to an input.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting a biometric input.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting an input from at least one of a light source and an optical detector.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the input further comprises detecting pressure applied to the input region.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the scrolling operation comprises scrolling displayed GUI elements.