Apparatus for sensing user input
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of a device, comprising:
- a first strain gauge configured to couple with a housing of an electronic device;
an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate a plurality of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge;
an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the plurality of analog signals from the amplifier and generate a plurality of digital signals that are representations of the plurality of analog signals generated by the amplifier;
a motion detecting sensor to detect motion of the electronic device, the motion detecting sensor being distinct from the first strain gauge; and
an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to;
(i) receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter,(ii) receive signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor,(iii) determine, at least in part based on the signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor, to implement a power management process to reduce power consumption by reducing a sampling rate at which the electronic circuit samples digital signals output by the analog-to-digital converter, and(iv) implement the power management process to reduce power consumption by reducing the sampling rate at which the electronic circuit samples digital signals output by the analog-to-digital converter from a first sampling rate to a second sampling rate, the second sampling rate being lower than the first sampling rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. Electrical voltage generated by the SGs is amplified by one or more amplifiers to maximize the resolution between a voltage output of an SG when in a non-pressed state and a voltage output of the SG when in a pressed state. Additionally, an electronic circuit is configured to identify a baseline voltage output for an SG over a period of time for comparing to a voltage output for the SG when the SG is in a pressed state such that the pressed state of the SG can be identified by the electronic circuit by comparing a current output voltage of the SG to the identified baseline voltage.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of a device, comprising:
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a first strain gauge configured to couple with a housing of an electronic device; an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate a plurality of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge; an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the plurality of analog signals from the amplifier and generate a plurality of digital signals that are representations of the plurality of analog signals generated by the amplifier; a motion detecting sensor to detect motion of the electronic device, the motion detecting sensor being distinct from the first strain gauge; and an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to; (i) receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter, (ii) receive signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor, (iii) determine, at least in part based on the signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor, to implement a power management process to reduce power consumption by reducing a sampling rate at which the electronic circuit samples digital signals output by the analog-to-digital converter, and (iv) implement the power management process to reduce power consumption by reducing the sampling rate at which the electronic circuit samples digital signals output by the analog-to-digital converter from a first sampling rate to a second sampling rate, the second sampling rate being lower than the first sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of controlling an electronic circuit of an electronic device, wherein the electronic circuit is in operative communication with a first strain gauge coupled to the housing of the electronic device, the method comprising:
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sampling, at a first sampling rate by the electronic circuit, digital signals generated by an analog-to-digital converter in response to user input that interacts with the housing of the electronic device, the analog-to-digital converter configured to receive a plurality of analog signals generated by an amplifier in operative communication with the first strain gauge of the electronic device, the analog-to-digital converter further configured to generate a plurality of digital signals that are representations of the collections of analog signals generated by the amplifier; receiving signals from at least one motion sensor of the electronic device, the at least one motion sensor being distinct from the first strain gauge, identifying, by the electronic circuit and using the signals received from the at least one motion sensor, a trigger event; and in response to identifying the trigger event, sampling, at a second sampling rate by the electronic circuit, digital signals generated by the analog-to-digital converter, the second sampling rate being different from the first sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for sensing user input provided on an exterior surface of an electronic device, comprising:
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a first strain gauge configured to couple with a housing of the electronic device; an amplifier electrically coupled to the first strain gauge and configured to generate a plurality of analog signals by amplifying an electrical property of the first strain gauge; an analog-to-digital converter electrically coupled to the amplifier and configured to receive the plurality of analog signals from the amplifier and generate a plurality of digital signals that are representations of the plurality of analog signals generated by the amplifier; a motion detecting sensor to detect motion of the electronic device, the motion detecting sensor being distinct from the first strain gauge; and an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and configured to; (i) receive digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter, (ii) receive signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor, (iii) detect, at least in part based on the signals indicative of motion information detected by the motion detecting sensor, motion of the electronic device, and (iv) increase a sampling rate at which the electronic circuit samples digital signals output by the analog-to-digital converter from a first sampling rate to a second sampling rate at least in part in response to the detected motion of the electronic device, the second sampling rate being higher than the first sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification