Gasket with embedded capacitive sensor
First Claim
1. An electronic device comprising:
- a lower surface;
an upper surface, the upper surface comprising a cover material that is parallel to a cover material plane; and
a force sensing sealing structure situated between the lower surface and the upper surface;
sense circuitry operatively coupled to the force sensing sealing structure, the sense circuitry configured to sense a capacitance of the force sensing sealing structure; 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;
the lower surface comprises a channel and the force sensing sealing structure is situated in the channel,the channel comprises a first channel surface and a second channel surface, the first channel surface and the second channel surface parallel to each other and perpendicular to the upper surface and the lower surface,the first channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that overlaps the cover material, andthe second channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that does not overlap the cover material.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a lower surface; an upper surface, the upper surface comprising a cover material that is parallel to a cover material plane; and a force sensing sealing structure situated between the lower surface and the upper surface; sense circuitry operatively coupled to the force sensing sealing structure, the sense circuitry configured to sense a capacitance of the force sensing sealing structure; 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; the lower surface comprises a channel and the force sensing sealing structure is situated in the channel, the channel comprises a first channel surface and a second channel surface, the first channel surface and the second channel surface parallel to each other and perpendicular to the upper surface and the lower surface, the first channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that overlaps the cover material, and the second channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that does not overlap the cover material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electronic device comprising:
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a lower surface; an upper surface, the upper surface comprising a cover material that is parallel to a cover material plane; and a force sensing sealing structure comprising; a means for compressing under an applied force at the upper surface; and a means for sensing a capacitance of the force sensing sealing structure, the capacitance indicative of the applied force at the upper surface, wherein; the force sensing sealing structure is situated between the upper surface and the lower surface, and the lower surface comprises a channel and the force sensing sealing structure is situated in the channel, the channel comprises a first channel surface and a second channel surface, the first channel surface and the second channel surface parallel to each other and perpendicular to the upper surface and the lower surface, the first channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that overlaps the cover material, and the second channel surface is at a location in the cover material plane that does not overlap the cover material. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification