Touch input device having interleaved scroll sensors
First Claim
1. A touch input device comprising:
- a bottom substrate;
first and second resistors on the bottom substrate;
a first pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the first resistor for applying a voltage across the first resistor;
a second pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the second resistor for applying a voltage across the second resistor;
a plurality of first finger traces on the bottom substrate, the first finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the first resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each first finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the first resistor and the position of the first finger trace across the first resistor;
a plurality of second finger traces on the bottom substrate, the second finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the second resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each second finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the second resistor and the position of the second finger trace across the second resistor;
a top substrate spaced above the bottom substrate, the top substrate having a conductive sense layer; and
a sense line having an electrically contiguous set of sense finger traces on the bottom substrate, the sense finger traces being interdigitated with the first and second finger traces;
whereby pressure applied to either substrate causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense finger traces to at least one of the first and second finger traces thus permitting the position of the applied pressure to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch input device includes two or more interleaved scroll sensors. A common area is interposed between two of the scroll sensors. A sense line snakes through the common area. Scrolling pressure applied to a sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the scroll sensors thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line. The scroll sensors are potentiometric and may be linear strip scroll sensors or rotary ring scroll sensors. The interleaved scroll sensors with the common area allow smooth scrolling action from one major leg to another major leg.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A touch input device comprising:
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a bottom substrate;
first and second resistors on the bottom substrate;
a first pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the first resistor for applying a voltage across the first resistor;
a second pair of drive lines electrically connected to respective ends of the second resistor for applying a voltage across the second resistor;
a plurality of first finger traces on the bottom substrate, the first finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the first resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each first finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the first resistor and the position of the first finger trace across the first resistor;
a plurality of second finger traces on the bottom substrate, the second finger traces electrically connected to and extending from the second resistor at discrete points across the resistor such that each second finger trace carries a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied across the second resistor and the position of the second finger trace across the second resistor;
a top substrate spaced above the bottom substrate, the top substrate having a conductive sense layer; and
a sense line having an electrically contiguous set of sense finger traces on the bottom substrate, the sense finger traces being interdigitated with the first and second finger traces;
whereby pressure applied to either substrate causes the conductive sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense finger traces to at least one of the first and second finger traces thus permitting the position of the applied pressure to be determined by measuring the voltage on the sense line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A touch input device comprising:
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a first scroll sensor;
a second scroll sensor interleaved with the first scroll sensor such that the scroll sensors share a common area;
a sense line that snakes through the common area;
whereby scrolling pressure applied to a sense layer causes the sense layer to contact and electrically connect the sense line to the scroll sensors thereby permitting the scrolling pressure position to be determined by measuring a voltage on the sense line. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification