Gasket with embedded capacitive sensor

• US 10,416,803 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shuma, Richard D., Carnohan, Kristen
• Primary Examiner(s): Butcher, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US15/272,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/142 using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the device includes one or more force sensors at its perimeter. The force sensors can be included in a gasket further comprising a rubber-like gasket cover and a compressible dielectric such as air or silicone, for example. A plurality of conductive plates can be embedded in the gasket cover with routing traces coupled thereto to sense a capacitance between the conductive plates. The gasket, including the one or more capacitive sensors, can be disposed between a cover glass and a lower housing of the electronic device. The capacitance of the one or more sensors can change in response to an applied force at the cover glass of the device. The change in capacitance can be sensed via the routing traces to measure the magnitude and, in some examples, location of the applied force.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a lower surface;

an upper surface; and

a force sensing sealing structure situated between the lower surface and the upper surface, wherein the force sensing sealing structure comprises;

a flexible cover material formed in a connected circumferential shape, the cover material enclosing a dielectric that is substantially air;

a first conductive plate embedded in a first location of the cover material; and

a second conductive plate embedded in a second location of the cover material;

sense circuitry operatively coupled to the first conductive plate, the sense circuitry configured to sense a capacitance between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; and

a processor configured to determine a magnitude of an applied force at the upper surface of the device based on the sensed capacitance, wherein;

a cross-sectional area of the force sensing sealing structure that crosses the force sensing sealing structure at one location around the circumferential shape of the force sensing sealing structure comprises;

a cross-section of the flexible cover material that encapsulates, in a plane of the cross-sectional area of the force sensing sealing structure, the first conductive plate, the second conductive plate, and the dielectric that is substantially air.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second location is opposite of the first location;

and the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are horizontal with respect to the force sensing sealing structure.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

drive circuitry coupled to the second conductive plate, the drive circuitry configured to apply a drive signal to the second conductive plate.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are spaced a first distance from each other and have a first capacitance in the absence of the applied force; and

the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are spaced a second distance from each other and have a second capacitance in response to the applied force.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first conductive plate is one of a plurality of first conductive plates;

the second conductive plate is one of a plurality of second conductive plates; and

each first conductive plate corresponds to a second conductive plate as a pair of conductive plates, each pair of conductive plates at a unique location of the force sensing sealing structure.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

sense a capacitance of each pair of conductive plates and determine a location of the applied force based on the sensed capacitances.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen configured for sensing a location of touch, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of the applied force based on the location of touch.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an exterior of the flexible cover material is in direct contact with the lower surface and the upper surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lower surface or the upper surface comprises a channel and the force sensing sealing structure is situated in the channel.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface comprises a cover material of the device.

11. A force sensing sealing structure comprising:

a flexible cover material formed in a connected circumferential shape, the cover material enclosing a dielectric that is substantially air;

a first conductive plate embedded in a first location of the cover material; and

a second conductive plate embedded in a second location of the cover material, wherein;

the first conductive plate is operatively coupled to sense circuitry configured to sense a capacitance between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, the capacitance indicative of an applied force at the force sensing sealing structure, wherein;

a cross-sectional area of the force sensing sealing structure that crosses the force sensing sealing structure at one location around the circumferential shape of the force sensing sealing structure comprises;

a cross-section of the flexible cover material that encapsulates, in a plane of the cross-sectional area of the force sensing sealing structure, the first conductive plate, the second conductive plate, and the dielectric that is substantially air.

12. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 11, wherein the second location is opposite of the first location.

13. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 11, wherein the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are horizontal with respect to the force sensing sealing structure.

14. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 11, wherein the second conductive plate is operatively coupled to drive circuity, the drive circuitry configured to apply a drive signal to the second conductive plate.

15. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 11, wherein:

the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are spaced a first distance from each other and have a first capacitance in the absence of the applied force; and

the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are spaced a second distance from each other and have a second capacitance in response to the applied force.

16. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 11, wherein:

the first conductive plate is one of a plurality of first conductive plates;

the second conductive plate is one of a plurality of second conductive plates; and

each first conductive plate corresponds to a second conductive plate as a pair of conductive plates, each pair of conductive plates at a unique location of the force sensing sealing structure.

17. The force sensing sealing structure of claim 16, wherein:

each first conductive plate is coupled to a first connection of a plurality of first connections, and

each second conductive plate is coupled to a second connection of a plurality of second connections.